Latest news with #SouthWestCoastPathAssociation
Euronews
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 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.
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Salt Path story creates trail of Devon and Cornwall walking fans
A best-selling book about one couple's journey of discovery on the South West Coast Path has created a trail of walkers inspired by their by Raynor Winn, The Salt Path is now reaching a new audience through the recently released film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason those already prompted to tackle the 630-mile (1,014 km) coastal route for themselves are Bobbie Tucker and her partner Jason Beynon, who have been training along with their dog Teddy. They hope to complete the entire route spanning four English counties in just six weeks, raising money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and visiting lifeboat stations as they go. "My sister lent me the book a couple of years ago and as I was reading I just thought I have to do this," said Ms introduced her partner Jason to the story and together they decided to take time off work to make the walk book tells the true story of Winn's journey with her husband Moth walking the route from Somerset to Dorset, after being evicted from their farm and her husband receiving a devastating health Beynon said: "Certainly for Moth it was a real journey. He had that diagnosis and for any man with any illness, to do that is quite exceptional and to do that with no money is just so brave. "They could have just given up and said life has dealt us a bad hand but they didn't. What a terrific journey and one to inspire everybody." But not everyone wants to walk the entire path in one and Alan Gumbrell have being walking the coast path in sections and aim to complete it in a decade. Ms Gumbrell read The Salt Path and is keeping her own journal of their trips and the people who join them one week at a time. She said family members and friends had joined them on different holidays and were all in a section of her log book with photos and Gumbrell said he recommended taking the route slowly. "No need to rush it, it's stopping at all the different places for a few days, experiencing everywhere you stop, just do it a week at a time," he said. Tourism leaders expect fans of the film to seek out some of the filming locations and welcome more Sherriff, national trail officer for the South West Coast Path Association, said everyone was welcome."There are 630 miles to share, there is something for everyone here," she association uses counting machines to record footfall at 15 different locations on the statistics gathered helps inform the organisation which part of the path is likely to need more Sherriff said: "It's an amazing free resource for people to get out there and walk. But it does cost a lot to maintain. "It's £1,500 per mile, per year and it's 630 miles along so that's an awful lot of money." Julian Gray, director of the association, estimates that walkers contribute £500m to the regional economy when they stay in accommodation and eat in nearby restaurants and pubs, supporting about 10,000 jobs along the route."To have a film which is focused just about the path is brilliant," he said."What The Salt Path will do is not just tell people about the trail, but the transformative power of walking."The South West Coast Path is the perfect multivitamin. It gets you out there, gets you near green space and blue space and connects you with nature."The film was released on 30 May, with a gala screening taking place at the Lighthouse Cinema in Newquay on Tuesday.
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Salt Path film starring Gillian Anderson to attract tourists to coast
A new film about a woman's 630-mile walk along the South West Coast Path with her terminally ill husband could attract more visitors to the area. The Salt Path was written by Raynor Winn about her and her husband Moth's journey from Somerset to Dorset after they lost their home, livelihood and found out about his illness. Starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Issacs, the film showcases Minehead, Porlock and other locations along the Exmoor Coast. Councillor Mike Rigby, the lead member for economic development, planning and assets at Somerset Council, said: "Filming is great for the economy and attracting visitors to places seen on screen." The film is released in UK cinemas on 30 May and was shot in 2023. Emma Thomasson, chief executive of Visit Exmoor, said: "The Salt Path highlights some of Exmoor's most stunning locations, and the film's release offers a unique opportunity to showcase our diverse coastal landscapes and vibrant communities."It was made with the help of Screen Somerset and the South West Coast Path Association (SWCPA) as well as Exmoor National Park, Visit Exmoor and Visit Somerset. Julian Gray, the director of the South West Coast Path Association, has said The Salt Path book has already sold more than one million copies and is "inspiring people to walk the South West Coast Path".He added: "It's expected that most visiting film sightseers will stay at local hotels and B&Bs and eat at local restaurants and pubs, so the film will be beneficial for the regional visitor economy."
BBC News
09-04-2025
- BBC News
Wheelchair user demonstrates access along South West Coast Path
A disabled woman from Cornwall is trying to show other wheelchair users the "mind-blowing" access along the South West Coast Thomas, from Polperro, has been using her YouTube channel Wheelie Fun Accessible Adventures to document her journeys around "accessible coastal paths, woods, towns and much more" since Thomas, who became a wheelchair user nine years ago after developing a serious neurological condition, originally believed she would not be able to get out into nature but discovered many paths were accessible. She said: "You forget all your worries and all your problems - and you can just been in nature like everybody else." Mrs Thomas has been working with organisations such as the National Trust and the South West Coast Path Association to improve said she wanted to show wheelchair users they could "do what everybody else is doing"."If you feel like your world is changing because of some serious illness, you just want to give hope," she said."You might feel lonely and a bit left out and I want people to know you can do this."She said the installation of special handles and flattened terrain were among the ways accessibility was being improved. Wellbeing benefits Nine million people use the South West Coast Path every year on average, costing £1,500 per mile a year to maintain, the association said they wanted to encourage new people to use the 630-mile (1,013km) path so they could "experience the many health and wellbeing benefits" nature can stretch next to Marazion and St Michael's Mount are the latest sections where accessibility has been improved, they said.
BBC News
02-04-2025
- BBC News
Sunset over the sea wins South West Coast Path photography prize
An image of a sunset over the sea has won the top prize in the 2024 South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year than 1,700 images taken at points along the path which stretches 630 miles (1,014km) around Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset were submitted, the South West Coast Path Association Fernholz, a photographer from Germany, won the competition with her photo taken from the coast path near Tintagel, association said the number and quality of outstanding images in the nature category prompted the judges to split the category into two, one covering wildlife and the other covering wider nature. Heidi Morstang, a lecturer in photography at the University of Plymouth, was one of the said of the winning image: "We were drawn to its serene atmosphere, where the soft, low light gently highlights the wildflowers and winding path, while the woman walking evokes a sense of freedom. "The scene embodies the very essence of what many seek when exploring the South West Coast Path - a harmonious blend of natural beauty in an accessible environment."Ms Fernholz said: "We chose the path up to St Materiana's Church in the hope of seeing a wonderful sunset. "I was afraid that the clouds wouldn't move fast enough, and I had carried my 1.2 kg Sony A7III for nothing!"Other winners chose sites across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset to take their winning association said the winning photographs will go on display at an exhibition at London Paddington railway station in May.
