Stretch of coast saved thanks to dying gift from reverend

By Lauren Beavis

A stretch of coast has been saved for future generations - thanks to a dying gift from a local vicar who loved to walk there.

The National Trust has acquired 13.66-hectare of land near Fowey in Cornwall using a bequest by Reverend Anthony Mapplebeck.

He died in 1994 and was known as an ‘erudite and reserved man’ who ‘carried out his duties diligently’ with ‘quiet dedication’.

The vicar lived modestly locally with his mother - close to the coast he cherished where he loved to walk.

He left money to the NT's Neptune Coastline Campaign which has now been used to buy the site the size of 19 football pitches.

Alldays Field has been acquired from Cornwall Council and will be managed for nature and continued public access.

The National Trust has said the site's location makes it especially significant - as it is bordered by countryside already cared for by the Trust on three sides.

With the sea forming its southern boundary, the Trust says the land provides "a vital opportunity" to join up habitats and strengthen wildlife corridors.

Andy Simmons, National Trust Area Ranger for South East Cornwall, said: “Places like this matter because they give people room to breathe and nature room to recover.

"By joining this land with what’s around it, we can look after the coast as a whole - supporting wildlife, keeping paths open and making sure this landscape stays welcoming and alive for everyone who visits.

“It feels especially fitting that this land was secured thanks to someone who dedicated his life to serving Cornish communities and who loved walking the coastal paths himself.”

The land was secured using funds from the Neptune Coastline Campaign, launched in the 1960s to protect and care for coastline for the benefit of both people and nature.

The campaign has helped secure hundreds of miles of coastline across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, ensuring these places remain open, rich in wildlife and protected in perpetuity.

Revd Anthony Mapplebeck, who was born in Coulsdon in 1916 and later made Cornwall his home, was someone well acquainted with this coastline.

Educated at Cambridge, where he received his BA in 1938 and MA in 1942, he was ordained deacon in 1940 and priest in 1949.

It is understood he then served as a curate in Bodmin before becoming vicar of Veryan and later incumbent of St Peter’s Church, Mevagissey, from 1955 until his retirement in 1981.

Though born in Surrey and raised in Croydon, Mapplebeck’s ministry and later life were closely intertwined with Cornwall.

One Mevagissey resident recalls meeting him in 1961 ahead of their wedding and later preparing for confirmation under his guidance.

After retiring, he moved to a cottage in Mevagissey - a home thought to have been gifted to him by a parishioner - where he continued to live modestly and close to the coast he cherished.

He never married, and during his years in Veryan his elderly mother lived with him, alongside a housekeeper and former missionary.

Former parishioners remember him christening babies, supporting bell-ringers and serving village congregations faithfully during the 1950s before moving to Mevagissey.

His will also included bequests to both Veryan and Mevagissey churches.

Revd Mapplebeck died in Mevagissey in 1994 - but the National Trust says his legacy now lives on in the landscape itself.

The National Trust have said the plot's acquisition safeguards access to a special part of the Cornish coastline.

The South West Coast Path runs along the southern edge of the field, with a connecting path linking Coombe Farm Coast Path to Love Lane, ensuring walkers can continue to enjoy uninterrupted access to this dramatic stretch of coast.

The site will be managed alongside nearby land at Coombe Farm and Covington Woods, with a focus on enhancing existing habitats, creating new ones and giving nature the space it needs to thrive.