Living in Cornwall we all have a go at the coast path every now and then, but the South West Coast Path stretching from Minehead in Somerset in the North, down the north coast of Somerset, Devon and then Cornwall, back along the south coast to Poole in Dorset is a bigger challenge altogether – a challenge I feel obliged to take up. If I like walking and I live in Cornwall, how can I not complete the SW coast path (SWCP)
So decision made. And then I started to read some of the facts and figures. The SWCP stretches for 630 miles. As it rises and falls to accommodate every river mouth it is estimated that the total height climbed for the whole path is 114,931 feet, or the equivalent of 4 times the height of Mount Everest. OK, not so easy then…
So I decided to do one stage at a time, and combine it with finding out about the area around that section, and get to know more about this beautiful part of the country. I couldn’t possibly complete the walk in a random fashion, being the accountant that I am, so first stage has to be the beginning – Minehead to Porlock Weir.
I drove from Tiverton to Minehead up the Exe valley, and thought how lush and green the wooded valley was, following the river. I stopped at Nutcombe Bottom, which has a short trail (600m) through a lovely woodland, with some of the UK’s tallest trees apparently
One tree, a Douglas Fir, was measured as the tallest tree in England at 63m in 2024. Apparently the fertile soil, shelter in the valley and lots of rain are perfect growing conditions
A little further on is the medieval village of Dunster, which I drove through and it did indeed look beautifully maintained and historic. I parked up at Dunster Castle and Watermill, and ended up seeing this beautiful example of the houses of Dunster, which represent the village well
Having walked around the edge of the grounds of the National Trust property I saw the Watermill first
And then enjoyed walking through the gardens back towards the house
The house is perched on top of the hill so a little climb to reach the top
With some beautiful views…
Whilst I didn’t look around the house itself (the grounds and views are always more interesting to me), I did enjoy my visit
Unfortunately the catering was not up to normal National Trust standards. The restaurant with a beautiful garden near the Watermill had sold out of everything except sandwiches, and the tea room near the house itself had only a solitary sausage roll on offer. I knew I wanted a proper meal to stock me up before my walk the next day, so ended up eating at a pub, the Hairy Dog, in Minehead. The lasagne and salad was passable but the service was friendly
Having sussed out Minehead a little, I drove on to Porlock and Porlock Weir to prepare for my walk the next day, and took the opportunity to visit a garden (Greencombe) that is situated between the two, sandwiched between the road on one side and Exmoor behind, with some views over the coast beyond
After finding my campsite for the night, I took Harry for a walk to Little Blackford, a 20 minute walk down a very quiet country lane. Whilst admiring a barn that was falling down but would have made a wonderful renovation project, I suddenly came face to face with a beautiful white (snowy?) owl sat on a post. We stared at each other for a few seconds before he flew away – unfortunately not long enough to get my phone out to take a picture
The reason for the walk to Little Blackford was to see the old Dovecote there. This is thought to date from the 14th Century or earlier. It is next to a farm, but open to the public, maintained by the National Trust. Apparently dovecotes were used to house domesticated pigeons which breed five or six times a year. The unfledged young birds (squabs) would be killed and served as a delicacy as their meat would be very tender
The farmhouse next door had an exceptional garden, full of roses – perhaps the most beautiful garden I have seen yet. Because it was a private garden I didn’t take a photo, but wish I had as I assume they wouldn’t have minded?
Opposite was this strange object, reading Lord Polo. I have been unable to establish why it is there – google refers to a successful racing horse called Lord Polo, and there is a polo tradition in the area, but I cannot find anything specifically explaining why this statue/memorial would have been placed in such a secluded area
The view from my van that evening was exceptional, looking out toward the Bristol Channel, slightly west so benefiting from the fine sunset
The next day I drove back to Porlock Weir in time to catch the 9.32am bus to Minehead. The idea was to get the bus to Minehead and then walk back at my leisure to the van. The minibus was full of walkers, although most got off again in Porlock to catch the next bus to Lynemouth, as they were set to complete the second section of the SWCP.
From Minehead seafront I could see the infamous Butlins camp, but turned the other way to find the start of the SWCP
As befits such a challenge there is an official start point, suitably acknowledged
And so it began. According to my guide book this section is 10miles, with 1924 feet of climbing. It is graded ‘strenuous’ (each section is graded easy, moderate, strenuous or severe). The walk starts off quite pleasantly with a path before heading upwards into the wooded valley
Having reached a flat bridleway after quite a climb I took a path back down towards the beach, thinking that I was following the SWCP. Unfortunately this turned out to be a different path and I had to retrace my steps back up again!
Further climbs upwards eventually brought us out onto Exmoor, on top of the cliffs, and the path ‘undulated’ from there – i.e. some relatively steep ups and downs!
The ‘sea’ to our right was in fact the Bristol channel, and you could just about see across – whilst the weather was probably good for walking, it wasnt as clear as perhaps it would be on a different day
Eventually I reached a part with a worrying sign, warning of a steep section with the advice not to attempt it in windy conditions. The wind had increased during the day. Also Harry, my dog, was proving to be somewhat of a liability on downhill sections (as he wanted to go faster than I could manage). He did offset this somewhat on uphill sections, when he was a marginal aid, helping to pull me up! Seeing the warning sign I decided to be sensible and take the alternative path
Later I spoke to some other walkers about this section, as they did complete it – 4 older men were proud of ‘scaling down the rock face’ whilst a quieter couple said it wasn’t ‘too bad’. I don’t think the alternative made any difference to the distance walked, being two sides of a square, so I wasn’t too bothered by having taken the ‘Alternative Route’
Reaching the bottom of the cliffs down a difficult downhill path, the ‘undulations’ were behind me. Following a wooded path again alongside a river, Harry enjoyed a short swim, before we emerged into Bossington car park. Across the road was a wonderful little tea room, with a small walkway through their garden before opening up into a seated area
From Bossington the SWCP continues across Porlock marsh to Porlock Weir. The path seemed to stay a long way from the sea but apparently it is still impassable when there is a high spring tide. I was just pleased it was all flat, and it wasn’t raining!
At one section there were some petrified trees which made it easier to imagine the sea in so far. Nearby was a memorial to some American pilots who perished when their plane clipped Bossington Hill and crashed into the marsh in 1942
Eventually we reached the bank of stones that stretch right across the bay, and I found these particularly hard to walk on – I was glad the path had stuck to the grass behind
Back at the van I had several cups of tea and just relaxed. The wifi was better in the car park than back at the campsite so I caught up on messages and this blog, and I had paid for several more hours parking. The walk had taken the six hours estimated in the SWCP book, as I got back at 4pm having left Minehead about 10am, so not a bad first effort
The next day the wet weather gave me a perfect excuse to lie on in the van – even Harry didn’t seem keen to get up. After a relaxed breakfast I made my way to ‘Webbers Post’ a lookout up the hill on Exmoor, not far from the campsite. The drive was certainly uphill, and through a beautiful woodland – a ‘proper’ wood as my mum would say, with broadleaf trees rather than conifer
Following conversations at the campsite I had realised that a large area of the surrounding area, including the woodland and the open moorland, forms part of the Holnicote Estate (pronounced Hunnicutt), managed by the National Trust (NT).
Some of the Estate, 8,000 acres including Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor, was leased to the NT for 500 years in 1917, by the previous owners, the Acland family. Between 1932 and 1944 a further 10,000 acres was gifted by the family to the NT, along with the Killerton Estate in Devon. The area included whole villages, farms, coastline, woodland and moorland, and the NT still cares for 10,000 acres of Exmoor as a result of this gift
I had spent some time chatting with the lady running the campsite (near Luccombe) the night before – Dawn Westcott. Dawn runs the surrounding farm, running a herd of Exmoor ponies – she has in fact written a few books on the subject (eg Wild Pony Whispering), as well as the campsite. Her husband sadly died 3 years ago from prostate cancer, but the NT renewed her lease so she can continue to manage the land. Dawn said the NT were working to restore the area to a more natural habitat, introducing beavers for example which has allowed the river to spread out again and restore an original marshland. Extensive sheep farming is being replaced by more natural farm management schemes. The barn I had seen is now under the care of the NT, and will presumably be renovated in due course. Dawn was glad I had seen an owl and said there were owl nesting boxes around the area
One particular area I read about, Horner Woods, is one of Britain’s largest ancient oak woodlands and a National Nature Reserve. There are over 300 species of lichen identified in the woods, including one not found anywhere else in the UK.
So I parked at Webbers Post and decided to walk to Horner, down into the valley through woodland on the opposite side of the valley from Horner Woods. It was lovely to let Harry run free as there was nobody else around. I had kept him on a lead on the coast path, for 2 reasons – primarily because too many dogs have fallen over the cliff edge chasing birds or just slipping, but also because Harry wants to say hello to everyone and not all walkers want a wet dog demanding their attention! On our own in the woods we could walk enjoying a bit of sunshine as the rain appeared to have cleared
Eventually we reached Horner and stopped at a tea room there. Whilst drinking my coffee I studied a local map I bought of the area – you will remember how much I enjoy a good map! I found an alternative route back to Webbers Post, alongside the river at the bottom of Horner Wood before a sharper ascent back up again. I expected the climb to be tough, but by the top I certainly felt I had earned the coffee and walnut cake I had enjoyed back at the cafe!
I had had a vague idea of walking on past the van to the Dunkery Beacon, but I was about done. My knees had reminded me of the SWCP whilst navigating the uneven path down to Horner. I had established on the map that I could park closer, and just walk to the Beacon from the road. As it turned out even this relatively short walk was enough, and I was glad I hadn’t thought to do a second section of the SWCP – I will stick to doing one section at a time.
Amazing views from the Beacon, looking right:
Looking left, rather windy…
The Dunkery Beacon is 1705 feet above sea level, which compares to Yes Tor on Dartmoor, just 37 miles away as the crow flies, standing at 2026 feet according to the triangulation point.
The distinction between Dartmoor and Exmoor is quite pronounced. Dartmoor is more barren, based on a large lump of granite, whereas Exmoor is largely sandstone which can be more easily eroded. The valleys formed by the rivers on Exmoor heading for the sea allow for sheltered environments for trees to grow, making the area much greener than Dartmoor. At higher levels there is still moorland, but the landscape generally is more diverse.
A good couple of days away, giving me a small peek at the area surrounding the first stage of the SWCP. The next couple of sections are still within the area known as Exmoor so I am sure I will get to know the area better. In the meantime I drove home away from the coast but still on Exmoor, via South Molton, followed by heavy showers and glimpses of sunshine.