The Practical Caravan & Practical Motorhome editorial team has signed up to do several of the sections of the South West Coast Path Association’s Great South West Walk.

The

630-mile walk celebrates the Association’s 40th anniversary with 56

guided, sponsored walks. The monies raised will be used to fund more

than 50 improvement projects along the path’s route.

Landslips

along the route have made the fund-raising even more important. Rangers

have been putting in temporary diversions to make the path safe while

they secure new routes.

The Association

hopes to raise £85,000 from individual sponsorship to attract grants

from other sources to reach an ultimate target of £250,000 for

improvements.

Coast path improvements

Projects

include on the south coast a new path between Cheyne Weares (near

Portland Bill) and Church Ope Cove, based on informal paths through an

area of quarrying and landslip. This would enable the Coast Path to be

moved off the road and improve walkers’ coastal experience.

On

the north coast the path from Padstow Harbour through to the War

Memorial suffers drainage problems. Walkers have to go up the banks to

avoid the flooding. Plans are to improve the surfacing and the drainage

to make this section more accessible to families with pushchairs and

mobility scooter users.

Coast path guided walks

The half- and full-day walks kick off on the south coast on 3 April for South Haven Point in Dorset and on the north coast from Minehead on 16 April.

The

Practical Caravan & Practical Motorhome team have all opted for half-day walks – varying

excuses for not taking on full days include lack of fitness (Claudia)

and carrying children (Rob).

Editor Rob Ganley and his family

pick up the baton on 7 April at Langton Herring for an afternoon’s

five-mile amble to Abbotsbury in the hope that son Joe will get to visit

the swannery.

 

Abbotsbury

Abbotsbury in Dorset is home to the famous swannery

 

Travel

editor Claudia Dowell, who only ever walks this far on New Year’s day,

usually with a slight headache, will take up the seven-mile challenge

from Sidmouth to Budleigh Salterton.

 

View of Sidmouth from High Peak

View of Sidmouth in Devon from High Peak is on Claudia’s walk

 

Staff

writer and keen (and very good) photographer Clare Kelly wanted to see

the Lizard in Cornwall, she’s doing the afternoon five-mile stint on 2

May from Kennack Sands to the Lizard.

 

Housel bay, Lizard

Housel Cove, Cornwall will be a treat for Clare to photograph

 

Web

editor Nigel Donnelly will be tackling the morning five-mile yomp on 2

May from Crantock to Holywell Bay before he hitches up his van to go on

to Practical Caravan’s Reader Rally at Stowford Farm Meadows, Combe Martin, which takes place over the early May Bank Holiday.

 

Holywell Bay

Holywell Bay’s beautiful sandy beach on Cornwall’s north coast

 

We’ll

all be there so why not join us? Call Stowford Farm Meadows on 01272

882 476, quoting ‘Practical Rally’. It’s a terrific deal, three nights

for £42 per pitch, and includes afternoon tea with a jazz band, a

barbecue, barn dance and lots more besides. There may even be more

walking.

 

Practical Caravan reader rally dog display

Dog display at the Reader Rally at Stowford Farm Meadows

We look forward to meeting up with many of you on our walks. Let the training begin!