Tracy Curran_Walking the Cornish Coastline for Penair School
I am the secondary school librarian at Penair School and I am walking the Cornish Coastline in 26 days to raise money for Penair's Next Chapter Project, which aims to fund a full library refurbishment. The library at Penair was closed for a considerable period of time following Covid and the carpet and furnishings date back to the 1980's. To mark 2026 as a 'National Year of Reading', we are following the tagline and 'going all in' to raise approximately £50,000. This will provide pupils, present and future, with a fresh and inspiring space where they can read, learn and grow.
As well as being a school librarian, I am an agented and published children's author and former primary school teacher. I have always been passionate about the power of reading and the positive impact it has on young lives. Reading for pleasure, in particular, is proven to boost mental health, reduce stress, develop empathy skills, improve language and communication skills and increase life opportunities. Most importantly, it can be fun! There are some incredible stories out there waiting to be read!
Please feel free to follow my fundraising progress as I put on my walking boots and head out onto the Cornish coast...
WALK 1
18th January_Porthtowan to Perranporth
Sarah is a lot more organised than I am and I know she will keep me focused throughout. No more running barefoot on the beach or winging the route, I need to follow her example and invest in some proper walking gear and, of course, research and plan the route. Sarah will be raising money for the neonatal unit at Treliske.
We quickly decided that following a linear route, Bude round to the Tamar or vice versa, was not going to be practical. During the winter months, while the light and weather is against us, it makes sense to stick closer to home. Completely coincidentally, the Cornish coast path is split into 26 sections, matching my idea to complete the challenge in 26 days (because it is 2026). However, we're going to stay flexible about this. Some weekends will be busier or wetter than others and if we need to shorten a route and catch-up on a longer one later, then, hey - lighter days are on their way. Whichever way we do it though, we WILL cover the entire coast path around Cornwall.
Getting up early yesterday morning to begin our first walk was a shock to system but we couldn't have predicted the incredible weather that was going to greet us. January? More like June! Yes, it was a chilly and misty start and it felt like we were walking on a very rocky moon or even on Everest at one point, but this only made the walk more beautiful and atmospheric.
"Is that land or cloud?" I asked Sarah at one point as the next headland loomed into view. I couldn't make out the shapes at all. We were surrounded by white mountains and dark shadows that made me feel small. It was incredible! We did, however, stick to the path and always took the inner route if there was one so we weren't teetering right on the cliff edge.
By the time we got between Chapel Porth and St Agnes head, we had better vision but the paths were becoming more challenging; narrow, closer to the edge and with lots of loose stones underfoot. We passed more people on this section: runners, bikers, fellow dog-walkers and I was pleased that my 18-month-old Australian labradoodle, Romeo, greeted them more calmly than usual. This challenge will be a great experience for him as he is currently nervous of runners and bikes. I was pleased at this point, though, that I'd left my skittish mini cockapoo, Cocoa, at home with my husband and kids. Not only is she a trip hazard but I would have struggled to navigate both of them on leads through this dodgy terrain.
It was a slippy descent into Trevaunance and then we had a pitstop in the sunshine, watching the coast guard training and the bluetit cold water swimmers enjoying the water. After that, we tackled the steep climb over the head into Trevellas and up again the other side - we were sweating by this point.
The last three miles of our eight-mile stretch was the easiest. Stunning views, level paths and lots of chat. I was so glad of Sarah's company as we switched between talking about the challenge to what we're currently watching on TV to whatever popped into our heads.
Finally we arrived in Perran, not as pooped as I thought I would be. I've lost fitness over the past year but was pleased to find that walking such a long way wasn't too beyond me. Still, we definitely had luck on our side this time. I drove home, my January blues kicked to the curb, feeling excited about the 25 walks still to go.
