Ruth Livingstone
My book: Walking the English Coast
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Winfield’s Award
Killer Cows: Cattle Safety
Are cows becoming more aggressive?
Incident number: 1261 Response ID: 329,818,362 Date of incident: 15.06.26 Location: Fields near Tackley in Oxfordshire heading towards the canal path Status: Group of walkers (3-5) with no dogs on PROW Liz’s story “We entered a field with about 50 cows (A group of heifers) at the far end of the field. They rushed over […]
Letting go of his dog probably saved Michael’s life
Report 1259, Response ID 329,768,059, Single walker and dog, group of cows with calves and a bull 6/6/26 Location: Between Blore & Thorpe, Ashbourne on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border. On a bridle path between Coldwall Bridge and Coldwell Farm. The Limestone Way runs through the field as well as another public right of way. What three […]
Cows used our dog as a football
Report 1256 Response ID 329,756,083 17/5/26 2 people and dogs Location: Staplehay, Trull Somerset, Spearcey Farm SW’s report: It’s a public footpath with 2 adjoining fields, with a river on one side, which the cows also access regularly. As we entered the second field we immediately noticed that there were 2 or 3 calves with […]
Author Archives: Ruth Livingstone
129 Trevone to Padstow
I look to see if I can scramble across the rocks. The water is only three or four feet deep. What if I carried my rucksack on my head and waded across? But I hate soggy boots. What if I carried my socks and boots on my head too? While I am considering this, a dark and angry rain cloud is creeping up behind me. Continue reading
128 Porthcothan to Trevone
Down on Treyarnon Beach, people are setting up for the day. I am always amused by the English custom of erecting windshields and constructing little houses on the sand. Continue reading
127b Mawgan Porth to Porthcothan
And then I am walking above an area whose features read like poetry on my map: Whitestone Cove, Pendarvas Point, Redcove Island, Bedruthan Steps, Queen Bee’s Rock, Diggory’s Island, Pentire Steps.
But it’s not just the names that are beautiful. Continue reading
127a Newquay to Mawgan Porth
I walk above small coves and rocks with wonderful names; Criggers, Lusty Glaze, Wine Cove. I can see all the way up to Dinas Head and The Bull rock, with Trevose Head beyond. The distant rocks of Quies stick out of the sea, looking like great ships. Continue reading
126 Newquay
Convincing myself the rain has slackened, I leave the café and walk towards Towan Head. If the weather had been decent, I would have walked out to the end of the peninsula, but I can’t face it in the lashing rain today. Continue reading
125 Perranporth to Newquay
The official South West Coast Path climbs up a flight of steps – going up a crumbling cliff with a large red sign:
DANGER – FALLING ROCKS
Continue reading
124b St Agnes to Perranporth
Waves roll in, line after line of swelling water, and the sea is crowded with surf boards. Perched high above is an industrial landscape, dotted with the smooth-sided mounds of quarried material and punctuated by chimneys. Continue reading
124a – Portreath to St Agnes Head
It is a lovely August morning. The air is clear and fresh and I fall into an easy rhythm and feel I could walk a hundred miles without tiring. Then I fall off the end of the map… Continue reading
123 Hayle to Portreath
I see this long, wriggly thing on the damp sand. At first I think it is a snake. Then I think it must be an eel. But it has no fins and no apparent gills. In the end I believe it is a slow worm. Continue reading
122 – St Ives to Hayle
Lelant station is lovely. Tubs of flowers, a nice wooden seat, and the place is kept spick and span. Best of all, there is an amazingly beautiful view across the estuary. Sitting here, you wouldn’t care if your train was late. Continue reading
Ruth's Coastal Walk (UK) 