South West Coast Path

630 miles from Poole in Dorset to Minehead in Somerset. The total height climbed has been calculated to be 114,931 ft (35,031 m), almost four times the height of Everest.
It took me 50 days to walk it over a period of six and a half years.
I was delayed by three lockdowns, two ankle surgeries and one bout of crippling depression.
This is one of the hardest things I have ever done, the walking isn’t easy, the path is often steep, rocky or sandy. It is also one of the most rewarding things I’ve done.I have walked from the end of the path up to the Severn Bridge and onto the Wales Coast Path as far as Pembroke, so there is plenty of walking left.

  • Days 77-79 West Bay to Exmouth
    Glorious weather for walking considering I was standing in snow a week ago. There were a couple of detours due to the cliff falls. This was the final stretch of the South West Coast Path. Your browser does not support iframes. View this route at Map Pedometer
  • Day 76 Portland to West Bay
    Hard walking on the first half on the shingle of Chisel Beach, then back to the cliffs for the second part.Again my walking has been cut short by the lockdown. Your browser does not support iframes. View this route at Map Pedometer
  • Day 72 – 75 – Poole to Portland
    Walking the Jurrasic Coast, one of the fascinating things about walking the coast is the way the geology changes. Your browser does not support iframes. View this route at Map Pedometer
  • Day 72 – Portland
    Walking the Isle of Portland. Your browser does not support iframes. View this route at Map Pedometer
  • Day 71 – Starcross to Babbacombe
    Celebrating my birthday by waking on the coast. Your browser does not support iframes. View this route at Map Pedometer
  • Days 69-70 Babbacombe to Dartmouth
    Walking the English Riveria, lots of town walking, but some lovely peaceful, lonely sections. The cruise ships are moored off the coast because they are not in use right now.
  • Days 66 – 68 Dartmouth to Plymouth
    Mixed weather, hard walking, but stunning views as always. Your browser does not support iframes. View this route at Map Pedometer
  • Day 62-65 Looe to Porthoustock
    This is what I had planned to walk before lockdown got in the way. Lots of pics here, but then it was very pretty. I have now completed half of the South West Coast Path and all of the Cornish Coast. Your browser does not support iframes. View this route at Map Pedometer
  • Days 56 & 57 – Plymouth to Looe
    A short trip back to the South West Coast Path. I was originally planning to walk further, but with the lockdown due to the Coronavirus I came home early. Your browser does not support iframes. View this route at Map Pedometer
  • Day 26 – 30 – Porthoustock to Penzance
    The first section of this was real hard work, a proper rock scramble and cliff to cove hike. Being half term bits of it were busy, but there were still stretches with no people for hours on end. Bliss. Your browser does not support iframes. View this route at Map Pedometer
  • Days 21 -24 Ilfracombe to Minehead
    I was planning on stopping at Lynmouth, but the south west coast path finishes at Minehead (well actually it starts there, I walked it backwards). It was a difficult few days, not because of the terrain, but because I’ve had manflu, it has been a real battle to put one foot in front of the […]
  • Days 17 – 20 – Westward Ho! to Ilfracombe
    The first couple of days were easy, the coastal path went inland to Banstaple along the Tarka trail, so it was all flat along the estuary. For some reason the photos haven’t worked for that bit. The stretch from Croyde was fantastic, a real mix of cliffs and beaches, a real treat. Your browser does […]
  • Days 13-16 – Boscastle to Westward Ho!
    I walk down.And I walk up again.Ain’t nothin’ gonna keep me down. Hard work this stretch. Really hard work. From the top of the cliffs to the sea at every river and stream. I’m absolutely shattered and have my first blister. The tent leaked and I was damp for days. And I still have a […]
  • Days 10-11 – Padstow to Boscastle
    A really lovely stretch of the coast, high cliffs and tiny beaches. Tintagel was like Glastonbury on sea, full of crystal shops and swords. Your browser does not support iframes. View this route at Map Pedometer
  • Day 9 – Newquay to Padstow
    I certainly never intended to walk this far in one day, but the weather was superb, cool and breezy and the path was easy and flat(ish). The beaches along the way were stunning and surfers and kiters were out in force. I always said that fish and chips taste better by the sea and if […]
  • Days 5-8 – St Ives to Newquay
    Following the acorns. A bit of a mixed path this one, the cliff tops are a delight, a nice breeze and almost flat paths. However a few miles have been across the sand dunes, a long, hard, tiring slog. I even took a short cut, the Fern Pit Ferry from one side of the river […]
  • Days 1 to 4, Penzance to St Ives.
    This has been far harder than I thought it would be, my training walks on the Mlaverns didn’t prepare me for this type of walking. Its rocky, steep, slippy paths up and down cliffs. It is also stunningly beautiful every single step of the way. I’ve spent more time just looking at the view than […]