A PIECE of the Cornish coastline near Fowey has been saved for the nation.

The land, known as Alldays Field, has been bought from Cornwall Council by the National Trust and will be managed for nature and continued public access.

The field, covering more than 13 hectares, stands west of the mouth of the River Fowey and is bordered by countryside already cared for by the National Trust.

The site will be managed alongside 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.

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

The National Trust says it bought the land thanks to a bequest left to the charity’s Neptune Coastline Campaign by the Rev Anthony Mapplebeck who died in Mevagissey in 1994.

A National Trust spokesperson said: “By connecting existing countryside, the trust will create bigger, more resilient habitats, allowing wildlife to move more freely and helping nature adapt to environmental change.

“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.”

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.”

Anthony Mapplebeck was ordained as a deacon in 1940 and a priest in 1949. It is understood he then served as a curate in Bodmin before becoming the vicar of Veryan and later the vicar of Mevagissey, serving there from 1955 until his retirement in 1981.

Parishioners remember him as an “erudite and reserved man” who “carried out his duties diligently” and with “quiet dedication”. One Mevagissey resident recalls meeting him in 1961 ahead of their wedding and later preparing for confirmation under his guidance.

After retiring, Anthony 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 it is understood that during his years in Veryan his elderly mother lived with him. Former parishioners remember him christening babies, supporting bellringers and serving village congregations faithfully before moving on to Mevagissey.