The accompanying photographs are all from the on-line PhotoTour

The South West Coast Path starts at Minehead in Somerset and runs along the part of the Somerset Bristol Channel coast, across North Devon, right round Cornwall, then along the South Devon and Dorset coasts to Poole Harbour. This is a distance of 630 miles which is over twice the distance of the Pennine Way and makes it by far the longest National Trail in Britain.

Origins of the Path Today

Most long-distance footpaths were either ideas linking fine scenic areas (e.g. Pennine Way and Cleveland Way) or ancient track-ways (e.g. The Ridgeway and North Downs Way). The South West Coast Path is unique because it is based on a working footpath which was in use until comparatively modern times. Coastguards used to patrol the whole coast of the South West Peninsula on foot, every day, in the course of their duties in pursuit of Revenue protection against smuggling. This lasted until 1856 and the Admiralty carried on the work until 1913. To enable them to do this in the days of less speedy transport, a whole series of coastguard cottages were erected at convenient intervals, and most of these still stand in rows along the path today. Usually they are now converted to other use, but if you look for them, they are there to remind you of how the path originally came about.

It was the essence of their job that the coastguards had literally to be able to see into every cove and inlet on the coast. This meant that their well-beaten path, usually with stone stiles, had to hug the cliff top, so providing the splendidly scenic coastal views we get today. The Coastguard's children going to school, the wives visiting from one fishing hamlet to the next, all used these paths, building up a considerable history of usage. However, over its length it offers views, unparallelled for their extent, which have simply come about from working origins. One of our aims is to regain these lost paths in the places by representations to the authorities to reinstate them as the official coast path. We can take pride in the fact that due to our persistence many good sections have been regained.

The coastguards latterly patrolled a longer area of coast than the section finally chosen for the official path; however, a very considerable distance was chosen. The path starts in Minehead in Somerset, goes along part of the Somerset Bristol Channel coast, across North Devon, right round Cornwall, then along the South Devon and Dorset coasts to Poole Harbour.

What's the best time?

Those requiring accommodation rather than carrying their own, will find it less of a problem than on many other paths. This is because it is a traditional holiday area and so there are many ``Bed & Breakfast'' (B & B) establishments.

The best times to walk are naturally tied-in for some with the availability of accommodation. If you want an optimum of places open but not full, then choose late Spring, early Summer or early Autumn. From a scenic point of view May is the ideal time to walk because the coastal flowers are at their best then. If you want to enjoy swimming as well as walking, you will need to walk in the traditional summer holiday period, but you will find some of the main resorts very crowded then.

Many walk a long-distance trail just because it's there. If that's what you want then ours is the longest in Great Britain. Being over 600 miles long it is twice the distance of the Pennine Way which can be walked in two weeks and three times that of Offa's Dyke which can be walked in that time easily. We estimate that 8 weeks are required for the average walker to complete our path. Very few can take this on in one go, unless they are students, retired or unemployed. The majority take a week or two at a time returning year by year until they have completed.