'Absolute havoc' on coast path as storms take toll
Dorset CouncilWinter storms have caused "significant damage" to the South West Coast Path, the charity which maintains it has said.
Lorna Sherriff, from the South West Coast Path Association, said storms Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra in January caused "absolute havoc" to the 630-mile (1,014km) path along the coastline of Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.
The national trails officer said there had been "significant cliff falls, landslips, flooding and path erosion" in many areas including Charmouth, Beesands, Millendreath and Newquay.
She said the costs for maintaining the path rose from £700,000 in 2020-21 to £1.4m in 2024-25 - and the bill for recent damage would come on top of annual running costs.
Sheriff said: "We're worried about everywhere because we are at the forefront of any climate change.
"So we are seeing those sea level increases, the increasing storm intensities, the increasing rainfall levels which have scoured the path in areas."
She said this winter's damage went beyond coastal erosion - and trees felled by the storms had ripped up the surface of the path.
"We've had a huge landslip at Charmouth which is on the Jurassic coast so it's an area we know is dynamic and ever-changing," she said.
SWCPAShe said the association was working on future-proofing the path, including by moving some sections and improving the surfaces and drainage in others.
"To continue to protect this iconic national trail and to future-proof it against more frequent and severe weather we must invest in resilience, repair and adaptation," she added.
