A Walking Holiday from Minehead to Westward Ho!
8 Nights accommodation with 7 Days Walking
Total Distance: 88 miles Average Daily Distance: 12.5 miles
Prices from £489 per person based on 2 people sharing a double/twin room
Minehead to Porlock Weir. 9 miles (14.5km)
Leave the pavements of Minehead behind as you set off onto the first section of the 630 mile trail, through woodland, along steep cliff tops, farm tracks and up and down beautiful wooded combes with bracken, gorse and bubbling streams. Exmoor boasts the highest coastline in England with cliffs rising to 250m (820ft) therefore there are some steep climbs and descents in this section. You can choose to follow the dramatic route known as the 'rugged' coast path, which runs closer to the coast, or stay more inland on the moor and enjoy the spectacular views from Selworthy Beacon. There is a lot to look out for, as the Exmoor coast provides a rich habitat for many beautiful and rare species of flora and fauna, including the blackneck moth, red deer, stag beetles and whitebeam trees (relatives of the rowan or mountain ash, unique to Exmoor).
The force of the sea is really evident at the end of your journey, where it is essential to follow the sign-posted paths. In 1996 the natural 6000 year-old shingle ridge across Porlock Bay was breached by a storm, resulting in the dramatic flooding of the fields behind at each high tide. This land is now changing from farmland to salt marsh, creating a very special habitat for marine life and birds.
Porlock Weir to Lynmouth. 12 miles (19.5km)
In this section the Coast Path, some of which is managed by the National Trust, journeys over dramatic cliff paths, along farm tracks, through fields and beautiful wooded combes with seasonal waterfalls and streams. Leave the open harbour of Porlock Weir and climb the steep slopes into Yearnor Wood. From Culbone you can choose to follow the cliff top route with spectacular views over Exmoor and across to the Welsh coast, or take the more direct path through ancient Culbone woods. Either way, this is a dramatic landscape, which was almost certainly inspiration for the descriptions of the wild coastal settings in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Kubla Khan and The Ancient Mariner, both written whilst staying on Exmoor.
Lynmouth to Combe Martin. 14 miles (22.5km)
An easy start on tarmac to Castle Rock turns to grassy clifftops, which then lead to the spectacular rock formations of The Valley of Rocks. This is part of R. D. Blackmore’s Lorna Doone territory and the landscape is so extraordinary that legend has explained its origin as the acts of the Devil. From here there are some challenging climbs, including reaching the highest point of the South West Coast Path, and lovely views along beautiful stretches following the edge of the land, away from civilisation.
Combe Martin to Woolacombe. 14 miles (22.5km)
This is a truly spectacularly wild and beautiful section of the South West Coast Path, which includes some easy cliff paths across windswept farmland around Ilfracombe and Woolacombe and some more strenuous ascents, especially between Lee Bay and Morte Point.
The area around Morte is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its beautiful maritime heathland and grasses, however its contrastingly vicious rock formations has lead to a local saying that Morte is 'the place which heaven made last and the devil will take first'.
Woolacombe to Braunton. 15 miles (24km)
This beautiful section of Coast Path, which is also part of the Tarka Trail, is recognised for its wildlife and geological interest. Much of it is managed by the National Trust and it includes some very easy walking along cliff tops with fine views of the route ahead and out to Lundy Island and the Welsh coast. At the end of your walk you have the opportunity to explore Braunton Burrows National Nature Reserve, a rich habitat for flowering plants, small mammals and butterflies
Braunton to Instow 13 miles (21km)
The Coast Path follows part of the Tarka Trail along the estuary of the River Taw. This is part of North Devon's Biosphere Reserve and much of the route follows old railway trackbeds, which now serve as an easy level route for walkers as well as cyclists. Cross the historic Long Bridge of Barnstaple and continue along the other side of the estuary past marshland and Nature Reserves rich with wildlife to the village of Instow, with its preserved level crossing and Grade 2 listed signal box.Instow to Westward Ho! 11 miles (18km)
The easy walking along this section of the Coast Path allows for plenty of opportunity to enjoy the wide range of plants and birds inhabiting the grassland and dunes of the Taw/Torridge Estuary. Follow the old railway trackbeds along the Tarka Trail to the preserved station at East-the-Water, where you cross the Torridge and follow it up the other side to Appledore and Northam Burrows SSSI. From here it's a gentle stroll across Northam Burrows into Westward Ho!
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