"First Minister Rhodri Morgan joined the Ramblers and Ceredigion County Council at Prince Charles' Quay, Cardigan on 4 July to launch a six-day festival that will see the whole 60 miles of the new coastal path walked, from Cardigan to the Dyfi Estuary, between the 4-9 July.
The Ceredigion Coastal Path is a £500k path jointly funded by Ceredigion County Council and the European Union. It has taken 5 years to create and is expected to be popular with walkers far and wide, providing a real and lasting boost to the local economy.
Working as volunteers, members of the Ramblers' in Ceredigion have made a major contribution to the building of the path by constructing gates, building bridges and walls, excavating paths, erecting fences and by way marking the route. The Ramblers' have also worked with local Councils and other orgaqnisations to develop the Walks Festival project.
During the Festival, walkers will also be seen off by Elin Jones, Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Rural Affairs and Mark Williams MP; local Ceredigion Councillors and the Mayor of Aberystwyth will also start walks.
Walkers will pass through spectacular scenery including cliffs and sandy beaches, historic villages, and the Cors Fochno raised bog beyond Borth - a National Nature Reserve.
Most of the Festival days are divided into morning and afternoon walks and the public are welcome to join either session or to make a whole day of it.
Each walk will be led by members of the Ramblers' in Ceredigion. As part of the Festival, local experts will provide specially themed talks on each walk session. Topics covered will include local history, geology, coastal ecology, the area's association with Dylan Thomas and more.
Anyone joining the walks should bring sturdy footwear, outdoor clothing and refreshment. Full details of the timetable, personal safety issues and transport arrangements can be found at Ceredigion Ramblers' website - see the right hand side of this page.
Ceredigion Coastal Path will form part of the 800 mile all-Wales Coastal Path which is being completed over the next four years. The Ramblers aim to have such paths set within a context of wider coastal access and to ensure that there is a right of access to beaches, cliffs and foreshore plus adjacent land for quiet recreation. The Ramblers look to this being delivered through the forthcoming Marine Bill. "
Article written by Beverley Penney of The Ramblers' Association.
