What makes the South West Coast Path so special?
Wed 7 May 6pm • Ahead of new Salt Path movie, we look at the enduring appeal of the South West's coastline
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Spectator
28-05-2025
- Spectator
A remarkable story: The Salt Path reviewed
The Salt Path is an adaptation of the best-selling book by Raynor Winn. It tells the true story of how she and her husband, Moth, lost their home and lost all their money. At one point they go to a bank to withdraw all their funds: £1.38. And if that wasn't bad enough he's then diagnosed with an incurable neurodegenerative disease. So what do they decide to do? They decide to embark on a 630-mile walk along the South West Coast Path. Isn't that what any of us would do, given the circumstances? It is a remarkable story and while this may well frustrate those who like a juicy plot arc – does working out if you can stretch to a bag of chips count as plot? – it stars Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs who make it rather glorious. The screenplay is by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and it's directed by the acclaimed theatre director Marianne Elliott. We begin with Rayner and Moth in lashing rain seeking to save their flimsy tent from washing away in the middle of the night and then we're flashing back to the beginning. That is when they are hiding out in their home as bailiffs thump at the door. They lose everything when an investment with a friend goes bad and a court rules they are responsible for the debt. (It never gets more specific than this. What was this investment? What were they hoping for when they put their money in? We never know.) They had been comfortably off with a small, beloved farm and holiday lets. All gone, and now here we are, in the doctor's office, as Moth is given his diagnosis (corticobasal degeneration), told that there is no treatment and that he must rest as much as possible (Ha!).
Euronews
21-05-2025
- Euronews
How to walk the stunning filming locations of The Salt Path
The upcoming release of a long-awaited film, telling the story of a couple on a journey of discovery along England's south-east coast, is inspiring people to take to Britain's longest National Trail. The Salt Path, based on a best-selling book of the same name, explores the transformative experience of walking the South West Coast Path. This 1,014-kilometre-long trail runs along the breathtaking clifftops and beaches of Devon and Cornwall in the UK. It takes hikers to some of the south coast's wildest spots with views of rugged rock formations and sweeping stretches of sea. The film, due to be released in cinemas at the end of May, has caught the attention of critics. But it has also garnered the interest of travellers inspired by the depiction of the path's raw beauty - and the mental health benefits walking it can bring. The Salt Path is a screen adaptation of the best-selling memoir by Raynor Winn, starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. The untamed landscapes of the South West Coast Path (SWCP) are the perfect reflection of the film's moving exploration of survival, hope, and the power of the human spirit when faced with adversity. Filming took place along several stretches of the walking route, which was designated as a National Trail in 1978. "I'm so looking forward to people seeing the film adaptation of our story,' says Winn. 'The SWCP is more than just a path, it's a transformative landscape, both challenging and healing, and available to all of us." Here's how you can undertake your own cathartic journey along the path, which passes through one national park, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and one UNESCO biosphere. The South West Coast Path is a freely accessible walking trail which can be hiked in its entirety or accessed from many points for shorter stretches. Named 'the world's happiest walk' in 2024, it can be tackled as a 52-day itinerary by following the Official Guide from the South West Coast Path Association, a charity dedicated to the maintenance and protection of the trail. The whole journey of walking this undulating trail is apparently the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest four times. If you are looking for a shorter jaunt, there are dozens of standout sections along the route. One highlight is the stretch between Exmouth and Poole along what is known as the Jurassic Coast. Here, you walk along over 200 million-year-old red sandstone cliffs and pass Durdle Door, a natural limestone archway that is an iconic landmark on England's south coast. Chesil Beach is another famous natural attraction just off the route. It is an impressive 27 kilometres long and is backed by the Fleet, Britain's largest tidal lagoon, which shelters and feeds myriad wildlife. For a winsome historic village, visit Clovelly in North Devon. It is known for its steep cobblestone streets (inaccessible for vehicles) and pretty harbour bobbing with fishing boats. Fowey in Cornwall is a lively little town that fills up in summer with holidaymakers and hikers. Fans of the author Daphne du Maurier will find a museum dedicated to her novels and can walk to the nearby country house of Menabilly, the inspiration for Manderley in her bestseller 'Rebecca'. For British travellers, taking a pet abroad to an EU country is now fraught with formalities, from rabies vaccinations to tapeworm treatments. These complicated procedures are a result of Brexit, which introduced several bureaucratic hurdles that previously did not exist. However, the recent negotiations for a 'Brexit reset' deal between the UK and the EU look set to simplify pet travel rules again. Here are the current regulations for bringing a pet into the EU and what is expected to change. Before Brexit, UK residents enjoyed straightforward travel with their pets involving minimal paperwork. Dogs, cats, and other furry companions were stamped in and out using a simple pet passport system. Pet travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland was completely unrestricted in both directions. But Brexit brought in a host of new bureaucratic requirements for Brits travelling with their animals. The current requirements state that pets must be microchipped. Animals over 12 weeks old must receive a rabies vaccination, and more than three weeks must pass between the jab and travel. Each journey requires a new EU animal health certificate (AHC) confirming both microchipping and vaccination. Dogs need tapeworm treatment one to five days before entering the EU or Northern Ireland, with a health certificate issued within 10 days of entry. Vets charge approximately £200 (€236) per certificate. When entering the EU, travellers must use dedicated entry points where officials will validate and stamp the pet's documentation. When returning to the UK, the same certifications used for departure remain valid. Pet owners report that the paperwork is challenging and prone to errors that can prevent travel altogether. While the certificates remain valid for up to four months for re-entry to Britain, this exceeds the 90-day limit that applies to British citizens in the EU, so it is irrelevant for most travellers. While there are still no restrictions on taking a pet from Northern Ireland to Great Britain, the above rules apply in the opposite direction because of the 'border in the Irish Sea' that Boris Johnson's government negotiated. For direct travel to Ireland, Finland, Malta, or Norway, dogs require veterinarian-administered tapeworm treatment between 24 hours and 5 days before arrival, documented in either the health certificate or a valid pet passport. The UK government is seeking to negotiate with the EU to restore something closer to pre-Brexit ease of pet travel. This would likely involve UK pet passports regaining a similar status to EU documents. While there's a small health risk in facilitating more animal movement between countries, officials believe this is outweighed by both social benefits (allowing more people to travel with their pets) and economic advantages for the tourism industry.
ITV News
07-05-2025
- ITV News
What makes the South West Coast Path so special?
Wed 7 May 6pm • Ahead of new Salt Path movie, we look at the enduring appeal of the South West's coastline
