Footprints lead the way to the South West Coast Path

The South West Coast Path at Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore, has become easier to follow and enjoy thanks to sponsorship from HolidayCottages.co.uk and the Great South West Walk.

Whilst the South West Coast Path is well signposted and easy to follow in the open countryside, finding the route through many of our towns is often not so easy.

The North Devon Biosphere Service have carried out a project to install brass footprints on the pavement showing the route of the Coast Path through the town.

Matt Edworthy, Biosphere Reserve Outreach Coordinator for the North Devon Biosphere Service commented on the work: “Walking the South West Coast Path is a fantastic day out for so many people across the South West, but sometimes when trying to follow the route it can be easy to lose your way. These new footprints help overcome this problem. We installed similar prints in Ilfracombe in 2012, which have been well received by Coast Path walkers, and it’s fantastic to be able to continue the project in Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore.”

The Great South West Walk, which took place this year to celebrate the South West Coast Path Association’s 40th anniversary, raised over £500,000 and identified 90 much needed improvement projects around the entire 630 mile South West Coast Path.

The event and the improvements it supports are all part of the South West Coast Path Team’s ‘Unlocking our Coastal Heritage’ project, which received funding from the Rural Development Programme for England to conserve, enhance and interpret the Coast Path.

HolidayCottages.co.uk helped fund the project. “Though we offer holiday accommodation across the UK, The South West Coast Path runs just outside our offices in Bideford which makes it very close to our hearts. It is really important that something so special to the South West is more accessible and easy to access for all. This is why we were so keen to sponsor this project and help it to go ahead” said Marketing Manager, Katie Bott.

John Slater from the South West Coast Path Team, who co-ordinated all of the funding for the Great South West Walk to make the repairs possible also commented: “All of the South West Coast Path Team want to say a big thank you once again for the support from HolidayCottages.co.uk which, together with funding raised by individual walkers on the Great South West Walk, has meant that these projects have been able to go ahead. The route of South West Coast Path should now be much easier to follow through these towns.”

For further information on this section of the South West Coast Path, or any other improvement project being funded by the Great South West Walk and its partners, please visit www.GreatSouthWestWalk.co.uk

For more information on the South West Coat Path Association, membership and the projects please visit http://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/