Family Claims Trusting The Salt Path Author Was Their “Greatest Regret”

The family of a late estate agent from North Wales has spoken out, claiming that placing their trust in The Salt Path author, Raynor Winn, was their “biggest mistake.”

Ros Hemmings and her daughter Debbie, from Pwllheli in Gwynedd, allege that Ms Winn—who they say was employed by their property business in the early 2000s—took approximately £64,000 during her time as a bookkeeper.

Their comments follow an Observer investigation, which questioned elements of Ms Winn’s autobiographical bestseller and included claims she had presented a misleading account of how she and her husband became homeless. The book, which has been adapted into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, has sold over two million copies.

Ms Winn has dismissed the Observer’s reporting as “highly misleading” and said many of the allegations were inaccurate. However, the article stated that she—whose legal name is Sally Walker—had taken out a loan to repay money allegedly stolen from her former employer, Martin Hemmings, which led to her and her husband Moth losing their home.

In a statement issued earlier this month, Ms Winn defended the version of events presented in her book and insisted the dispute with the Hemmings family did not result in her and her husband becoming homeless.

Allegations Date Back Over 20 Years

Martin Hemmings, who passed away in 2012, ran a property surveying firm in North Wales. His wife, Ros Hemmings, now 74, recalled how she first met Moth Winn while working for the National Trust in the 1990s.

“We really got along,” she said. “He was a genuinely likeable man.”

Later, in 2001, Moth told her that his wife had recently lost a bookkeeping job at a hotel—just as Mr Hemmings was seeking a new bookkeeper himself.

“I mentioned her to Martin,” Mrs Hemmings said. “She came in for an interview and made a great impression. We thought she’d be perfect.”

However, Mrs Hemmings said the business began to experience unexplained financial issues not long after Ms Winn joined the team.

“At first, we assumed it was down to Martin being poor at chasing invoices,” she explained. “We didn’t suspect anything else.”

Their daughter, Debbie Adams—who was 29 at the time—recalled receiving a distressed phone call from her father as the business began to suffer.

“He said, ‘I’m working myself to exhaustion, and we’re still not making money.’ Then a few days later he called again, saying, ‘She’s been taking money.’ I couldn’t believe it at first,” she said.

The family claimed a meeting with their bank manager revealed a shortfall of between £6,000 and £9,000. Mr Hemmings reportedly went straight to the police and consulted a solicitor.

Confrontation and Settlement

Not long after the discovery, Ms Winn allegedly turned up at the Hemmings’ home in tears, handing over a cheque for around £9,000.

“She said it was everything she had and asked if we could settle it there and then,” Mrs Hemmings said. “She told us she’d had to sell some of her mother’s belongings to raise the money.”

On advice from the police—who told them it might be all they’d recover—Mr Hemmings accepted the cheque, but was encouraged to comb through the accounts in detail.

Mrs Hemmings said they uncovered further discrepancies amounting to about £64,000. A few weeks later, they received a letter from a London solicitor offering full repayment, along with legal fees—totalling roughly £90,000. The agreement included a clause that no criminal charges would be pursued.

“My husband agreed,” she said. “We were on the brink financially, and he didn’t want her children to suffer if she went to prison.”

Winn Responds to Claims

In a statement issued after the Observer article, Ms Winn admitted to having made “mistakes” during that period but stressed that while she was interviewed by police, no charges were ever brought.

“I deeply regret any errors made during my time in that office,” she said. “The matter was settled privately, without any admission of guilt, because I didn’t have the documentation needed to defend myself.”

She added that Mr Hemmings had also sought a private resolution.

When presented with this by BBC Wales, Mrs Hemmings said: “She’s trying to spin it her way. But recommending her to my husband and hiring her—those were the worst decisions we made.”

Debbie said: “I don’t wish harm on them. I just think the truth should be told.”

Questions About the Book’s Accuracy

Mrs Hemmings said she has never read The Salt Path and has no intention of doing so.

“I’d have torn it up,” she said. “To gloss over what really happened—to ignore the real reason they were in financial trouble—is appalling.”

Ms Winn’s account describes the couple’s journey from losing their home to walking the South West Coast Path. She wrote: “This story is about the chapter of our lives when we found hope amid complete despair—not a full biography.”

However, Ros and Debbie maintain that important context was left out. They admit they have no formal paperwork from the time, but solicitor Michael Strain, who represented them during the dispute, corroborated their version of events in the Observer investigation.

“I feel like I need to speak now,” said Mrs Hemmings. “My husband was humiliated. It shattered his faith in people. That’s why we didn’t talk about it for years—he was too ashamed.”

North Wales Police said they could neither confirm nor deny any details about Ms Winn.

When contacted by BBC News, Ms Winn’s spokesperson pointed to her previously issued statement and added that she remains grateful for the “outpouring of support” from her readers.