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2012 Coast Award


The South West was a runaway winner in the Coast Awards 2012 in association with Joules, with nine out of ten of the awards presented to people, places and providers of the best coastal experiences in the region.

The sponsors award went to the South West Coast Path for the Best Coastal Path. The founder of Joules chose to support this particular category as representative of all that is great about the UK coastline.

The judging panel included the likes of Ben Ainslie, our Olympic sailor and a host of other coastal experts, all of whom nominated those they thought had shone in 2011, then Coast readers voted for their favourites from this shortlist. Cornwall in particular proved to be a firm favourite and indeed its coastal scenery is hard to beat.

With 33% of a total 40,000 votes cast by readers of Coast magazine, the UK’s longest and most popular National Trail was a clear winner, proving that the South West as a whole arguably has the most stunning coastline in the UK and Europe. The award helps to raise its profile among walkers and visitors to the region as truly one of the world’s greatest walks!

Eight other category winners were based on or near to the Coast Path in Devon, Dorset and Cornwall and all of them have a great Coast Path walk that links in with their location. Two runners-up were also South West businesses and worthy of their recognition among the best in the UK.

Clcik on the links below for more information about award winners and to download a stunning Coast Path walk with full route description and a printer friendly version that includes an OS map of the walk. Take in three miles of golden sands on a Coast Path walk from the Best British Beach at Woolacombe to the dunes at Saunton or follow a Treasure Trail route to the Best Seaside Holiday Destination at St Ives. From the Harbour Lights cafe at Coverack to Hugh-Fearnley Whittingstall's latest venture in Plymouth there's some award-winning eateries along the Coast Path that are worth walking up an appetite and a whole host of other fantastic coastal experiences to choose from.

The 2012 Coast Award winners and runners-up include:

Recommended walk – Hayle to St Ives (or vice versa)

Runner-up: Fifteen Cornwall: Watergate Bay, Cornwall. Recommended walk – Porthcothan to Newquay

Recommended walk – The Three Sides of the Lizard

Recommended walk – The Lizard to Coverack

Runner-up: Hive Beach Café, Burton Bradstock. Recommended walk – Burton Bradstock

  • Best Hotel by the Sea: The Scarlet, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall

Recommended walk – Constantine Bay to Mawgan Porth

Recommended walk – Woolacombe to Saunton or via Ilfracombe

Runner-up: Gwithian, Cornwall. Recommended walk – Godrevy Head

  • Best Seaside Holiday Destination: St Ives, Cornwall

Recommended walk – Lelant to St Ives Treasure Trail

Recommended walk – Porthgwarra to Porthcurno

  • Best Coastal Hero: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

    Hugh won the award for his pioneering expose on discards in the Fish Fight campaign and for encouraging the use of sustainable fish. You can eat at his new canteen just off the Coast Path in Plymouth and take in this waterfront walk while you're there.

Recommended walk - Plymouth Waterfront Walkway

All the winners and runners-up are featured in the July issue of Coast magazine, which goes on sale on 28 May. Pick up a copy to find out why they were crowned Britain's best.

Best Coastal Path Award

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Latest News

  • Simon Armitage to walk South West Coast Path as a modern troubadour

    Award-winning writer Simon Armitage hopes to walk from Minehead to Land's End along the northern half of the South West Coast Path without a penny in his pocket, by giving poetry readings in return for his board and lodgings.

  • The South West Coast Path comes to the big screen

    Discover the secret coves and sandy beaches that inspired the characters in Summer in February - the film that everyone’s talking about this summer, by following in their footsteps along the South West Coast Path.

  • 365 Paintings in a Year on the South West Coast Path

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  • Coast Path Motographer of the Year 2013 competition

    The South West Coast Path team is encouraging budding mobile phone photographers of all ages to capture a moment in time on the Coast Path as part of its Coast Path Motographer of the Year 2013 competition.

  • New record set for completing the Coast Path!

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  • Great South West Walk exceeds half a million!

    The South West Coast Path Association’s Great South West Walk came to a grand finale on Tuesday 7th May, raising over £500,000 for 90 improvement projects to the entire South West Coast Path covering Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset.

  • Latest news on path diversions

    Following numerous cliff falls over the past few months, many sections of the Coast Path have been diverted. Click for details of route changes.

  • Cliff fall near Lulworth Cove

    Following the landslide at St. Oswald’s Bay between Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door on the morning of 30 April 2013, diversionary routes have been put in place by Dorset County Council and the Lulworth Estate, allowing the South West Coast Path to remain fully open and safe for visitors to this area. 

  • New slate waymarkers guide the way for Cornish walkers

    The sand dunes of west Cornwall attract thousands of local walkers and tourists every year who will now benefit from new slate waymarkers to guide the way along the South West Coast Path.

  • Five top family walks for summer

    Why not get out and about this summer and combine a family walk on the South West Coast Path with a host of other old-fashioned childhood pleasures, from crabbing in rockpools and exploring hidden coves, to following in the footsteps of giants.

Tweets

  • Here are our top 10 dog walks for #doghour http://t.co/hxireuELpW
  • Have you heard about #MOTY2013 to win an ipad mini? Info at http://t.co/AiQAX9ivqS and see swcoastpathteam on Pinterest for inspiration
  • @saintlywriter thanks for the tweet RE our #MOTY2013 competition!
  • @NaomiCudmore thanks for tweeting our #MOTY2013 competition!
  • Good luck to the kayakers and beach cleaners from @AB4B
  • @maezymare Nice pic thnks for sharing! Help us keep in touch when we come to shortlisting by registering details here http://t.co/hIxcc23sJ5
  • Look out for the South West Coast Path on the big screen this summer in @SummerInFeb http://t.co/r0tgOhfTGS

Facebook

  • The weekend is just around the corner, great excuse to get your mobile phone out and send us your MOTY2013 photos.
  • View from the coastal path yesterday overlooking The Strangles beach,North Cornwall.
  • The new SWCP staircase in Royal William Yard, Plymouth is really taking shape and will be open in about a months time. When open for the first time Coast Path walkers will be able to enjoy walking through the brilliantly renovated Grade 1 historic naval buildings of the yard, and its lovely cafes and bars and the beautiful Devil's Point park overlooking Plymouth Sound. See http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/newsapp/article/56/
  • If you see two kayakers while walking the coast path, give them a wave and a cheer as they paddle AB4B. Good luck!
  • MOTY2013
  • This Bank Holiday weekend, why not take a walk along the Cornish coast and discover the secret coves and sandy beaches that inspired the characters in Summer in February - the film that everyone’s talking about this summer.