When “The Salt Path” first captured hearts, readers were drawn in by a powerful story of resilience—two people, stripped of everything, walking the rugged South West Coast Path with little more than a tent and each other.
But now, that moving story is being challenged by revelations that suggest there was more to Raynor Winn and her husband “Moth” than the pages revealed.
A Quiet Life in France That Wasn’t So Hidden
MailOnline has now uncovered that the couple—whose real names are actually Sally and Tim Walker—bought a property in rural southwest France back in 2007.
That’s right around the time they supposedly had nothing.
The farmhouse near Bordeaux, which they purchased alongside a nearby pigeon tower owned by Tim’s younger brother, Martyn, lies in the sleepy hamlet of Le Village du Dropt.
Though both buildings are now abandoned and swallowed by weeds, it raises a major question: were they truly homeless when the book claimed they were?
A Family Affair That Slowly Drifted Apart
Back in 2004, Martyn and his wife Carole had already made the big move from the UK to France with their six kids.
Inspired by their visit, Tim and Sally reportedly decided to buy the neighboring dilapidated house and join in on the family project.
But while Martyn’s family embraced rural French life, even buying a nearby château, the Walkers barely returned.
According to local neighbor Nathalie Duparant, they only came back once, pitched a tent in the garden, and never restored the building.
“It’s sad really,” she said. “They didn’t have the same enthusiasm.”
Allegations of Fraud and a Shadow Over Their Story
As the story continues to unravel, the biggest shock comes from accusations that Sally Walker may have embezzled £64,000 from her former employer in Wales—the Hemmings family.
Reports claim that money began disappearing from the estate agency where she worked as a bookkeeper.
To avoid criminal charges, she allegedly repaid the funds through a settlement.
According to the Observer, it was this scandal that actually led to their house being seized by bailiffs—not a failed investment, as Sally wrote in her book.
Moth’s Illness and Growing Medical Doubts
Another layer of controversy surrounds Tim “Moth” Walker’s reported diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration (CBD), a rare neurological disease.
In the books, Moth’s diagnosis is presented as terminal.
But now, several neurologists have expressed skepticism, pointing out the lack of expected deterioration and claiming someone with CBD would typically require intensive care within 12 years—far from being able to hike hundreds of miles.
A medical charity has since severed ties with the couple over these concerns.
Sally Walker Speaks Out to Defend Their Story
Faced with the swirling backlash, Sally Walker has come out strongly in defense of her husband and their narrative.
On Instagram, she posted letters from NHS clinics confirming Tim’s treatment for CBD/S and called recent reports “highly misleading” and “grotesquely unfair.”
She emphasized that The Salt Path is not meant to be a biography of their entire lives, but rather a focused account of one emotionally raw and transformative period.
Unpaid Taxes and an Abandoned House
Back in Le Village du Dropt, the house remains as they left it—crumbling, overgrown, and vacant.
The mayor of nearby Pardaillan claims the Walkers haven’t paid local taxes on the property “for years,” although Sally disputes this.
Bristol-born chef Sean Morley, who now lives next door and is renovating his own barn, says the property has potential, but needs significant investment.
“Someone in England would have already turned it into something beautiful,” he remarked.
Publishers and Former Colleagues React
Penguin, the publisher behind The Salt Path, maintains that it did all necessary checks before the book’s release, including a legal review and a factual warranty clause signed by the author.
They say this is the first time any concerns about the content have been raised.
However, a source close to the Hemmings family told MailOnline that the damage done by Sally’s alleged actions deeply affected Martin Hemmings before his death.
His widow Ros, still upset, claims he “felt really let down.”
A Story in Crisis, But Still Loved by Millions
Even as the facts continue to be questioned, Sally stands firm in her belief that the book’s heart remains true.
“The Salt Path is about what happened after we lost our home and found ourselves homeless,” she wrote.
“It’s a story of salt and weather, of pain and possibility.”
But as fans and critics look back on that tale of loss and redemption, the growing controversies surrounding the Walkers are starting to change how many see it.
