Tamara Coast to Coast Way
We are creating a new 90-mile Cornish walking route, reaching from the South to the North Coast of Cornwall via the Tamar Valley. The route will join together existing rights of way to create a path which broadly follows the River Tamar and establishes a new circular walk around the coast and county boundary of Cornwall.
Latest News on this project
January 2023
Plans Underway to Open This Summer!
Preparations are well under way to open the new 90-mile walking route this Summer. This 7-day walking trail will follow the River Tamar from sea to source linking both coasts and in turn will also create a circular walking route around the coast of Cornwall.
Following the consultations last year, we have made a few small tweaks to the proposed route and will shortly be uploading links here to the new maps on the project. For the mapping we are teaming up with the Ordnance Survey to show the route on their OS Maps app, which means that walkers will be easily able to view the route on their phone as they go along. You can view the first stretch of the path here.
We have also made a decision on how the route will ‘fit’ with the existing Tamar Valley Discovery Trail. Our plan is to have a similar design of waymarks for each trail, with Discovery Trail waymarking being used between Tamerton Foliot and Lifton, and Tamara Coast to Coast waymarks for the rest of the route.
As part of the project, we plan to install a granite slab to mark the source of the Tamar, and are running a competition to come up with the design to be carved onto it. This runs until mid-February, so if you’re quick – there is still time to enter. More details here.
Alongside the Tamara Coast to Coast Way we are also working on promoting short walks, and will be producing downloadable walk guides for around 25 – 30 walks within the AONB. These short walks will range from routes suitable for people with prams or mobility issues up to a full-day hike – so something for everyone.
If you are a business in the valley we have produced tips on how you can benefit from this work on the Visit Tamar Valley blog
December 2022
Art Competition – Design a stone to mark the source of the River Tamar
We have launched an art competition to create a marker-stone that highlights the source of the River Tamar!
The stone will be a point of interest on the Coast to Coast Way and the design will win £500! Judges will be looking for a design that reflects the essence of the Tamar and includes the text ‘Pennfenten prp Dowr Tamar – Cornish for ‘Source of the River Tamar’. The deadline is 23:59 hours on 15th February 2023 and the application form can be found here.
July 2022
Summer developments
During the Spring, consultations on the Tamara Coast to Coast Way took place and the feedback has been incredibly helpful, so thank you to everyone who took part. Over the summer we will be looking at the suggestions we’ve had about potential route changes, and to finalise what path improvements will be needed. Work has also started on researching the history and points of interest along the walk to produce the guide and directions which will be available to download when the route is opened next Spring.
We have also commissioned a writer to create around 25, 1 hour – full day walks, starting in the villages and train stations in the Tamar Valley. The plan is to also make these downloadable from the website, so that people can either print them out, or follow them on their phone.
In the Autumn we will be working with Visit Tamar Valley to provide guidance for local businesses about how they can benefit from the new Coast to Coast Way.
Whilst the formal consultations are over, we’re still interested in any ideas people have so please do get in touch with Mark Owen, who is leading this project.
March 2022
Consultation Begins into New Coast to Coast Walk
We have started a consultation into extending and relaunching the existing Tamar Valley Discovery Trail, to create a new 90-mile Cornish walking route in the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The ‘Tamara Coast to Coast walk’ would create a footpath stretching from the South to the North Coast and create a new circular walk around the coast of Cornwall. If approved, the route would open in the Spring of 2023. Read the full news story here.
The proposal
Currently the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail runs from Tamerton Foliot to Launceston. The proposed new route would extend this at each end to create a coast-to-coast walking route broadly following the River Tamar. As well as being a stand-alone 7-day walking trail, the Tamara C2C would in conjunction with the South West Coast Path create a walking trail around the whole of Cornwall which could be called ‘Kylgh Kernow’ (Cornish for Circuit of Cornwall).
Research undertaken
Potential routes for the coast-to-coast section were surveyed during Autumn 2019 and a route was found that is safe, attractive to walk and which passes through many places rich in natural or man-made heritage.
Ideally, the whole route would be off-road, but the limitations of the rights of way network means that this is not always possible. However, it is hoped that improvements could be made through the creation of new permissive or permanent paths.
Details of the proposed route along with the alternatives that were considered can be found in the consultation report HERE
Other walking routes
Alongside the development of the Tamara C2C Walk, we also aim to provide information about and promote a series of short circular walks along the entire Tamar Valley. Details of these are also included within the Consultation Report.
The source of the River Tamar
The source of the iconic River Tamar, a spring on Wooley Moor, currently goes unnoticed. Proposals include introducing a stone on the road verge of the moor to mark its source. We would like to work with the local community and artists to develop a worthy design for this important landmark. Proposed designs currently include a natural granite slab inset with carved slate showing the route of the Tamar with text in Cornish and English.
Contact
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions on these proposals, please contact Mark Owen who is leading on the route development and consultation on behalf of the Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme at: countrysiderecreationservices@mail.com.