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A popular section of the South West Coast Path, around Lantivet Bay near Fowey in Cornwall, is receiving some TLC thanks to the Great South West Walk.

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

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 (RDPE) to conserve, enhance and interpret the Coast Path with a requirement to match-fund the investment.

The National Trust in Cornwall has led the work to improve this section around Lantivet Bay that can be muddy and difficult to climb.

The work will improve the drainage of the old path that links the car park at Frogmore Farm to the Coast Path and will also involve restoring two stone stiles on the path.

Andy Simmons, South Cornwall Coast Path Ranger for the National Trust, is pleased with the result:

“The improvements will enable safer and easier access to the South West Coast Path at Lantivet, enabling walkers to enjoy this beautiful section of Cornwall’s coast.  This project has received funding from the RDPE and significant sponsorship from Encounter Walking Holidays for which we are incredibly grateful.”

Damon Wilcox, owner of Encounter Walking Holidays, is delighted:

“Our company provides walking holidays along all 630 miles of the South West Coast Path – so it has been great to be involved in supporting a local project that will benefit our visitors, staff and local neighbours. This section of Coast Path is very special and wild, largely untouched by the modern world so we wanted to help protect it for us and our future generations – we will be continuing to support both the National Trust and the South West Coast Path Association in making sure that at least one beautiful section of the path is there for us all...forever!”

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:

“With 630 miles of coastal access to stunning landscapes, The South West Coast Path is an exceptional and precious part of Cornwall’s heritage. The Great South West Walk has been a fantastic way to honour this as well as a way of bringing together funding from public who participated in the walk, tourism businesses, the National Trust and the public sector  to help give the Coast Path some much needed TLC.”

John continued: “We now have until the end of 2013 to complete all of the 90 or so improvement projects involved with the Great South West Walk and with all the support we have received so far, we hope to have many completed in the next few months.”

The Lantivet Bay section of the Coast Path has no twentieth century intrusions detracting from the natural splendour of secluded coves and beaches. The sunken lane conjures up images of smugglers and wreckers hauling carts laden with contraband and the range of traditional farm buildings in the area remind visitors of a long association of mankind working the land. The National Trust has a great circular walk that takes in this stretch of coast around Lansallos.

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

Pictured above (from L to R): Andy Simmons, South Cornwall Coast Path Ranger for the National Trust; Damon Wilcox, owner of Encounter Walking Holidays; John Slater from the South West Coast Path Team