Ruth Livingstone
My book: Walking the English Coast
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Winfield’s Award
Killer Cows: Cattle Safety
It could have ended so badly near Speaks Mill, Hartland
Incident number: 1269 Response ID: 329,908,514 Date of incident: March 3rd 2026 Location: Hartland near Speaks Mill on the SW coastal path Status: Group of walkers with two dogs on a lead on PRoW Dani’s story “Walking along the SW coastal path following an All Trails app trail when we come to a gate with […]
Dodford footpath leading to Bournheath – walker cornered by a mixed herd
Incident number: 1266 Response ID: 329,840,622 Date of incident: 18.06.26 Location: Field adjacent to top of Yarnold Lane, Dodford leading across to Bournheath ( to right hand side as driving out of Dodford Status: Lone walker with dogs on lead onPRoW Sarah’s Story “The cattle approached (they were a mixed herd of Charolais, Hereford, friesian […]
Trapped by cattle on weavers way near Halvergate
Incident number: 1264 Response ID: 329,834,345 Date of incident: 10.06.26 Location: On the Weavers Way footpath, between Stone Road, Halvergate and Berney Arms, shortly before the railway line. Status: Lone walker with no dog on PRoW RW’s story “I was walking on the path across the marshes, following the Weavers Way path. A group of […]
Tag Archives: travel
131 Port Isaac to Trebarwith Strand
This is the most challenging and difficult section of walk I have ever done. By the time I make it to the top, I am sweating and shaking with fear and fatigue. Continue reading
130 Padstow to Port Isaac
Port Quin turns out to be a tiny hamlet, consisting of a winding road, a car park, a slipway and a small collection of houses. My husband’s car is not here. There is no café. It is pouring with rain again. Continue reading
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
Ruth's Coastal Walk (UK) 