Cornish Vicar's Dying Gift Saves Sacred Stretch of British Coastline Forever

How a Cornish Vicar's Final Gift Saved a Sacred Stretch of British Coastline for Future Generations

A breathtaking stretch of Cornish coastline near Fowey has been permanently secured for the public thanks to a posthumous bequest from the late Reverend Anthony Mapplebeck, a Church of England vicar who spent decades ministering in the region.

The National Trust announced it has purchased Alldays Field, a 13.66 hectare site roughly the size of 19 football pitches, from Cornwall Council. The acquisition was funded entirely by a legacy left to the Trust's Neptune Coastline Campaign by Rev Mapplebeck, who died in Mevagissey in 1994.

The newly acquired land sits along the South West Coast Path and is bordered on three sides by countryside already cared for by the National Trust, with the sea forming its southern edge. The site will remain open to the public and be managed for wildlife and nature conservation.

Rev Mapplebeck (1916 to 1994) dedicated his life to Cornish parishes. Born in Coulsdon and educated at Cambridge, he served as a curate in Bodmin before becoming vicar of Veryan and later St Peter's Church in Mevagissey, where he ministered from 1955 until his retirement in 1981. He lived modestly, never married, and left additional bequests to the churches he served.

Places like this matter because they give people room to breathe.

Those words came from Andy Simmons, National Trust Area Ranger for South East Cornwall, who confirmed the site will be managed alongside nearby Coombe Farm and Covington Woods to strengthen habitats and create wildlife corridors.

Reverend Anthony Mapplebeck's Legacy: A Cornwall Vicar's Eternal Gift to the South West Coast Path

The coast path connecting Coombe Farm to Love Lane will remain unbroken, ensuring walkers can continue to enjoy uninterrupted access to this dramatic stretch of Cornwall's shoreline. Locals say Rev Mapplebeck often walked the very paths his final gift has now preserved forever.

The Crusader's Opinion

This is what Christian stewardship actually looks like. A humble parish priest, who never married and lived modestly on a country vicar's income, quietly saved for decades so that after his death a piece of God's creation would be protected for everyone. While the world chases consumption and self, Rev Mapplebeck chose generosity that echoes into eternity. The Church has always been the backbone of British conservation, British charity, and British community. Every green field the National Trust protects, every cathedral spire still standing, every hospice and almshouse in this country traces back to men and women like this. Remember that the next time someone tells you Christianity has done nothing for Britain.

Take Action

• Donate: Support persecuted and pastoral Christians worldwide at www.TheShepherdsShield.org
• Give: Support the National Trust's coastal conservation work at nationaltrust.org.uk/donate
• Visit: Walk the South West Coast Path near Fowey and Mevagissey and see Rev Mapplebeck's final gift for yourself
• Plan: Consider including your local church or a Christian charity in your own will, following Rev Mapplebeck's example of generational generosity
• Pray: Give thanks for the faithful parish clergy who quietly shape communities for the better, and for Britain's Christian heritage