The South West Coast Path. Paddy Dillon

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      Almost every town and village offers some refreshment (Cadgwith on Stage 23)

      While some might be daunted at the prospect of walking for weeks on end, staying somewhere different every night, while keeping themselves fed and watered, it is simply a matter of careful planning. Almost every town and village along the way offers some kind of accommodation and refreshment, but it’s always useful to know what’s available in advance.

      This guidebook describes the whole trail from Minehead to Poole Harbour, indicating the level of services along the way. The route is well marked with ‘Coast Path’ signposts and standard National Trail ‘acorn’ symbols. Read each section before setting out. You might, for example, need to ensure that ferries are running across awkward tidal rivers, or secure accommodation in advance in summer, or you might like to know if the next sandy cove has a beach café. Break the route into manageable sections to suit your own ability. There’s no need to stick slavishly to the daily breakdown given in this book, as there are usually plenty of intermediate places where you can halt.

      The suggested itinerary covers 45 days, and while the author has comfortably completed the Coast Path by following this plan, he first covered the distance in only 28 days. The South West Coast Path Association, however, present a 70-day itinerary. If three achievable itineraries were offered for tough, average and easy-going walkers, they might cover 35, 45 and 65 days. It’s unlikely that any walker would follow a set schedule, and almost everyone will choose a comfortable distance each day, taking into account whether the next stretch is easy or difficult, bearing in mind a good or bad weather forecast, coupled with an assessment of how well they feel.

      You can allow more days by splitting some of the longer stages into two days, or you can double up a couple of stages, albeit at the risk of fatigue. The daily average in this guidebook is 22.5km (14 miles), generally in the range from 18–28km (11½–17½ miles). The longest day is 37.5km (23¼ miles) but this is mostly easy and level, and it can be shortened or split into two if desired. The shortest day is 12.5km (7¾ miles), which happens to be the last one. Alter and adapt the schedule to suit your own needs and preferences, aiming for something that doesn’t leave you wrecked!

      The daily stages are not only of uneven length, but some days are fairly easy and others are quite difficult. Read each day’s description carefully before committing yourself, taking note of steep ascents or descents, seasonal ferries, absence of food, drink and accommodation, or anything else that might affect your rate of progress. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and tide tables (see Appendix A for useful websites). Sometimes you might be walking into driving rain, which can be debilitating. Strong winds on clifftops can be very dangerous. Prolonged wet weather makes paths muddy and slippery. Long vegetation might be a problem in a few places in late spring, but it is usually cut back through the summer.