Culture

Generations of artists, craftspeople, film makers, writers and musicians have used the South West Coast Path as their muse, its inspiration reflected in their work. 

From noted authors like Daphne Du Maurier, Rosamunde Pilcher, Rudyard Kipling and Agatha Christie, to iconic sculptors like Barbara Hepworth and Sir Antony Gormley, all have left their mark. The Coast Path also features in a number of blockbuster movies and popular TV shows like Poldark, Doc Martin and the new Game of Thrones.

Why not add an extra dimension to your next Coast Path walk by following in their footsteps? It's a great way to see and hear the coastal landscape through a different pair of eyes or ears, or even in a different era. Perhaps it will even inspire you, so don't forget to take a notepad, sketchpad or a camera with you. 

Follow in their footsteps

There's no better way to discover some of the Coast Path's best artistic and literary links than going for a walk. Immerse yourself in the sites, sounds and places that inspired these works and find out interesting facts at every twist and turn. Below are a selection of cirlcuar walks on different sections of the South West Coast Path that all have either a literary, artistic, TV or film connection. You can also find these by using our Walk Finder (the magnifying glass at the top of the page)

We've also curated a special selection of walks to celebrate two very popular authors, both well known for their connection to the Coast Path. 

Rosamunde Pilcher

Born in Lelant, between Hayle and St Ives in West Cornwall, Pilcher is probably best known for her novel The Shell Seekers, translated into 40 different languages and has sold some 10 million copies worldwide. During her career though, Pilcher published some 30 novels & short stories all taking inspiration from the coastal landscape she called home. Click the link below to find out more about this fascinating author and discover walks that will take you right into the pages of her celebrated books. 

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Rudyard Kipling 

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English journalist, poet, short-story writer and novelist, arguably most famous for his work 'The Jungle Book, amongst others.

Kipling spent several of his childhood years at school Westward Ho! and his collection of stories 'Stalky and Co' are said to be based on his experiences at school.  

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We have put together a circular walk where you can walk in his footsteps.

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Raynor Winn

Raynor Winn is an award-winning author who shot to fame after the publication of her first book, The Salt Path, which was based on her unique experience walking the South West Coast Path. It was a Sunday Times bestseller and shortlisted for the 2018 Costa Biography Award. Since then, Winn has published a second book called The Wild Silence, also a Sunday Times bestseller, which picks up where she left off in the first book to explore the connection we each have to the natural world around us. Click the link below to find out more about Winn and her husband Moth who completed the Coast Path with her. We've also pulled out some extracts from her first book and linked these to walks you can do yourself to follow in their footsteps.

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Photo credit: Robert Darch