Local Walking

Walks from our porch - Leave your car at base!

Many of our guests leave their cars behind and start their walks from Dunkery Lodge. There are plenty of routes and options!  You can use the West Somerset Steam railway to support extended walks in the Quantocks (the stations lie at the base of this chain of hills). You can use the 300 series bus which runs along the coastal strip from Minehead to Barnstable, to support walks on the South West Coast Path, just to mention two possibilities. Here are some suggestions for the walks and we have large collection of routes, many guide books and O.S. maps at Dunkery Lodge for you to look at!

Exploring North Hill

North Hill is the Official start of the 660 mile South West Casot Path National Trail. Dozens of paths and tracks cover the hillside above Minehead, giving extensive views over Exmoor, The Quantocks, The Bristol Channel and South Wales. Paths and a single dead-end road rise quickly out of urban Minehead into another world of purple and yellow heather and gorse, up to more than 300 metres at Selworthy Beacon. From this point there are glorious views across the Bristol Channel to the Brecons in South Wales and across the Vale of Porlock and the Exmoor coast as far as Foreland Point (see picture above left). 

From Selworthy Beacon you can descend to the picturesque National Trust villages of Selworthy, Allerford and Bossington. Most walkers will call at "Periwinkle Cottage" tea rooms in Selworthy for a cream tea. The "rugged coast path" gives a more exciting descent of Bossington Hill to the Old Coastguard Lookout at Hurlstone Point. Other paths contour North Hill above Minehead, Woodcombe and Bratton, in and out of the many wooded coombes.

Foothills of the Brendons

To the south, Minehead is sheltered by a chain of high wooded and shrubby moorland commons: Alcombe, Hopcott, Wootton and Periton which run from Grabbist Hill overlooking medieval Dunster to Wootton Courtenay under Dunkery Hill. Dozens of trails and paths thread through this area from which views can be enjoyed both out to sea and south west across the A396 into Exmoor. South of the A396 there are miles of forest trails and paths running into the Brendon Hills.

The Eastern Coastal strip

High quality coast walking is not restricted to the South West Peninsula long distance path. Leaving Minehead at the golf course end, paths run above dunes and low cliffs first to Dunster Beach, then onwards to attractive Blue Anchor Bay and Watchet. There are plenty of good watering holes on this route! The eastern coastal path is accompanied by the West Somerset Steam Railway which provides an alternative route back to Minehead as far as Williton (where it turns south to Bishop's Lydiard). East from Watchet the beaches and cliffs provide fascinating exploration. In Donniford bay bedding planes begin to outcrop like vast broken eggshells and the cliffs display impressive twisted strata. The area will appeal to fossil hunters. At St Audries Bay a waterfall cascades onto the beach. Impressive outcrops and scenery delight the walker too at East Quantoxhead and Kilve Beaches. Paths inland are available to turn these excursions into circular tours.

Walking around Minehead & Dunster

As you first approach Minehead on the A39, first the battlements of Conygar tower appear on a conical hill, then dramatic Dunster Castle rises into the sky on the left and North Hill, the start of Exmoor suddenly dominates the skyline, sheltering and enclosing Minehead Bay. Our visitors always remember this introduction to their holiday and it never fails to excite us too, when we return to Minehead after a short time away.

Minehead first developed as a tourist destination in Edwardian times and still retains a lot of the elegant buildings and streets from that most confident of English Eras. Today it is not overcommercialised and lacks the straggle of cafes and seaside businesses that clutter many of our Southern resorts. As residents, we have found that it has all the important facilities and offers a surprisingly wide range of goods at excellent prices - especially clothes and "objets d'art". 

Places to explore are the pretty Clovelly-like streets on North Hill; the old harbour and Culvercliffe walks. Floral displays in Blenheim gardens and The Parade are wonderful from June onwards. The Parks Walk offers an attractive ramble out towards Bratton from the centre of the town, amongst unusual specimen trees and shrubs.
A major attraction of the town is the West Somerset Steam Railway, which runs most of the year between Minehead seafront and Bishop's Lydiard. It has been highly successful in recent years and developments should eventually link it with Network Rail at Taunton. Many "specials" are run including Fish & chips, Dining, Cream tea and Murder Mystery trains.

Minehead has a good theatre that runs a year-round programme of plays concerts and other happenings. Many of our guests have enjoyed an evening out at the Regal.
From May through to October there are cruises on the historic Balmoral and Waverley ships from Minehead Harbour. We have tried two- a day return to Infracombe down the spectacular Exmoor coastline and a visit to the Welsh coast and landing on Steepholme Island reserve which is in the middle of the Bristol Channel. These cruises represent excellent value for money and we are looking forward to trying them all out over the coming seasons.

Dunster is a delight. Protected by those twin bastions of English heritage: The National Park Authorities and The National Trust, it remains unspoilt despite its obvious attactions for the tourist. The shops are particularly interesting, the castle and grounds a must-see as are other features such as the working double-wheel water mill and shop. From Dunster superb paths head off into Exmoor and the Brendons in all directions and the views of coast and countryside are quite special.

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Use MultiMap^® to find places on the South West Coast Path National Trail! 

Just enter place names or postcodes in the box below

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Open March - December

Tel: 01643 706170

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