Walking Forum
Main Boards => Welcome => Topic started by: Julie Tombs on 12:16:55, 15/06/19
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Hi from Cornwall. I have recently taken early retirement and in a bid to stay fit and see more of the lovely area I live in I have taken up walking. I joined a U3a group local to me and do walks with them up to 8 miles. I have also started on my own challenge to walk the south west coastal path. I am doing small sections to start with as I have to either retrace steps or walk inland to return to my car. I am mostly doing it alone.
I am certainly noticing my fitness improving as the hills seem more manageable on the last two walks. I started in South East Cornwall asthat is closest to me. My next leg is Looe to Polperro.
I am also inspired to do the Jurassic coast challenge for McMillans mighty hikes next year as my friend is doing it today. I think it is supposed to be very tough though. Anyone done it?
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Welcome Julie from Aberdeenshire. I have walked quite a lot of the Jurassic Coast in the past, but not been there recently.
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Welcome aboard from Manchester :)
I joined a U3a group...
I had to look that one up, the idea seems quite popular from the sites I looked at. Well done on taking up the SWCP to keep you going for a good while.
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Thanks both. Yes it will be a challenge I think. I am currently reading The salt path which is the story of a couple who lost their farm and decided to walk the south west coast path. I love the bit I have done so far. Magnificent views but of course it is very hilly.
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Welcome from Shetland.
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Welcome from the Sussex coast :)
I've walked some of the SWCP in Cornwall. I did Porthcurno-St Ives, which is a spectacular stretch, as a series of linear walks accessed by bus.
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Welcome to the forum from Orkney, Julie.
You are lucky having the coast path on your doorstep.
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Hi Julie and welcome from the Peak District O0
What a lovely part of the country you live in - lucky you!
I've too have walked some bits of the SWCP in Cornwall; absolutely stunning 8)
Hope to return one day and walk some more!
Tracey :)
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Hi Julie and welcome from SE Cornwall. My wife and I started walking the SWCP last year. Inspired by a walk we did on her birthday, from Looe to Polpero. Small world. Nice thing is you can catch the ferry back for a few quid, during the summer.
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Lovely to read some replies.
I did in fact do the Looe to Polperro leg yesterday with my husband but due to the tides we were there too late to catch the ferry back to Looe so we caught the bus instead.
You all come from nice parts of the country like Orkney and The Peak District and nice to hear from others who live or have lived in Cornwall. I feel very privileged.
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Hi Julie, welcome from Hampshire.
I completed the SWCP 4 years ago. I did it in sections mainly of 2 or 3 day weekends. I found it was possible to achieve this by using bus services and a little car manoeuvering. It's a wonderful and spectacular walk, and I'd love to be able to attempt it again in one go in the future. The problem with that though is finding 6 weeks to do it in.
The Jurassic Coast Challenge is indeed very tough, and way out of my league. I could walk it at my own pace, but would never be able to meet the set deadlines. Of course, it's doable, but would need some serious training to achieve it.
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Welcome from Shropshire and the Welsh borderlands. Mrs BWW and either visited Cornwall a few years ago and did some very interesting walks, even stumbling across some of Poldark being filmed on the clifftops near Port Isaac.
I suppose I took early retirement, disposing of a self made business before the financial crash of 2008. My wife stayed in employment as a nurse for an extra 12 years and the experiences we got from my time to give us meaningful time out in the countryside probably helped her to survive the vicissitudes of that profession for the extra time.
Countryside is an underdeveloped resource, the more people find out about and have the time to communicate their experiences the better.
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Warbler Congrats on doing the SWCP. 6 weeks does not sound too bad to do all of it. Is that all the way from Minehead to Poole? I think it will take me some time to do it as I am mainly having to do circular walks to get back to my car unless there is some public transport available. I have no need or wish to rush the walks though as living in Cornwall I can just pick up my walking boots and go when I wish, weather permitting. I also like to wander round the little villages and towns as I walk through them. Beauty of being retired is having more free time. I would like to do South Cornwall this year though.
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Barewirewalker I agree with you that we should value and appreciate our countryside. The latest thing on our Cornish beaches is a supply of litter pickers and buckets and people being encouraged to spend 2 minutes just picking up litter. Shame we need to do that simply because people are too thoughtless and lazy to pick it up and put it in a bin or take it home but it does not take long and avoids the risk of it being washed into the sea and littering that too.
I just love the peace and quiet up on the cliffs and the views are just tremendous after a steep climb. Keeps me fit too. Congrats on your retirement and hopefully now your wife is retired too. Sounds like you timed selling your business well before the 2008 crash.
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Warbler Congrats on doing the SWCP. 6 weeks does not sound too bad to do all of it. Is that all the way from Minehead to Poole? I think it will take me some time to do it as I am mainly having to do circular walks to get back to my car unless there is some public transport available. I have no need or wish to rush the walks though as living in Cornwall I can just pick up my walking boots and go when I wish, weather permitting. I also like to wander round the little villages and towns as I walk through them. Beauty of being retired is having more free time. I would like to do South Cornwall this year though.
Yes Julie, that is Minehead to Poole.
By the way, it took me 3 years to complete the SWCP 8)
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Yes Julie, that is Minehead to Poole.
By the way, it took me 3 years to complete the SWCP 8)
Oh I see. That sounds like my timescale too. Presumably you meant 6 weeks to do it in one go then? That would be ambitious.