North Devon images among the winners in iconic South West Coast Path competition

A badger enjoying a snack of snails and an amazing image of Lynmouth at dusk in winter are two North Devon winners of the popular South West Coast Photographer of the Year competition.

The entries to the prestigious contest for 2025 run by the South West Coast Path Association saw Archie Raistrick win the Wildlife category with his stunning image of a young badger in the wild feasting on a meal of snails and entitled ‘Snail Snacks’.

Above: This picture of a young badger amid wildflowers was taken by Archie Raistrick in North Devon. Credit: Archie Raistrick/SWCPA

The Urban Lines category was won by Shaun Davey for his entry entitled ‘High Tide at Dusk in Lynmouth at Christmas’ showing the picturesque seaside village lit up at dusk with the alluring glow of winter lights.

The overall winner of the competition was Neil Barnes from Dorset, whose image ‘Falling Fog’ shows the usually imposing cliffs at West Bay softened by a delicate veil of mist as it rolls across the landscape on a winter’s morning.

Above: The overall winner of the competition was Nail Barnes for his ‘Falling Fog’ image of the cliffs at West Bay in Dorset. Credit: Neil Barnes/SWCPA

Two other North Devon images were highly commended - Shaun Selley’s ‘Speke Mills Waterfall’ (above) and Heather Atkinson’s ‘December Dawn Dippers’ (below), both in the People and Path category.

The winners were chosen by a panel of three judges - Jessica Lennan, Lecturer in Photography at Plymouth University; Heidi Morstang, Associate Professor in Photography, Plymouth University and Julian Gray, South West Coast Path Association director.

Heidi said of Archie’s badger image: “This photograph offers an intimate and engaging portrait of a young badger in its natural habitat. The animal’s direct gaze creates an immediate connection with the viewer, capturing a moment of curiosity that feels both gentle and quietly compelling.

“The surrounding wildflowers bring subtle colour and texture to the scene, while the softness of the grass beautifully frames the badger and reinforces the sense of being immersed within its environment. The photographer demonstrates a sensitive understanding of wildlife observation, allowing the landscape to support rather than overwhelm the subject.”

Commenting on Shaun’s image of wintry Lynmouth, Jessica said: “You wouldn’t normally think of Lynmouth in an urban category, yet this image makes it work beautifully. Taken at dusk, just as the lights have switched on, there’s a warm glow that runs along the houses, the seafront, and the bridge, tracing the lines and shapes of the town.

“The photograph highlights the geometry of the place, showing a side of Lynmouth that feels both familiar and freshly seen.”

Above: The Nature category winner, ‘In the Pinks!’ by Emma Eccles. Credit: Emma Eccles/SWCPA

Other category winners captured images from around the South West including Emma Eccles, who won the Nature category with ‘In the Pinks!, Trebarwith Strand, North Cornwall’.

The Climate Change category was won by Marlena Ciach with ‘High Tide on Porlock Marsh, Porlock, Exmoor’ (above) and People and Path was won by Keith Mason with ‘NCI - Monitoring the seas at Cape Cornwall, Cornwall’ (below).

George Cryer was the Sky Shot category winner with ‘Pedn Vounder Sunrise, Porthcurno, West Cornwall’ and the Young Photographer of the Year winner was Arthur Allan, aged 17 with ‘Rubbing Shoulders on Gwennap Head, West Cornwall’.

Above: The Sky Shot winner, ‘Pedn Vounder Sunrise’ by George Cryer. Credit: George Cryer/SWCPA and (below) The Young photographer of the Year winner, ‘Rubbing Shoulders at Gwenapp Head’ by Arthur Allan, aged 17. Credit: Arthur Allan/SWCPA

The South West Coast Path team pick went to Charisse Wold with ‘Golden Hour Magic, South Devon’ (below).

You can view all the winning images plus more at the South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year Exhibition in the summer, which starts at Paddington Station before moving on to the South West.