Walking on Exmoor and the Quantock Hills

Walking on Exmoor and the Quantock Hills

This page covers the coastal area from Lynmouth to Minehead. This stretch consists of two distinct uplands, one rising from Lynmouth to Countisbury Hill and continuing via wooded combes to Porlock Hill, while the other, from Bossington Hill to North Hill above Minehead, forms a more-or-less continuous ridge. Wedged between is the Porlock Vale, one of the few flat parts of coastal Exmoor. Most of the walks in the area require some effort, though gentler routes can be found from Lynmouth, around Porlock and on North Hill.

Many of the walks link up to make longer circular or linear walks: there are details in the walk instructions. Click the walk name to download the route. Read the walk safety information, and click for a key to the symbols used on the sketch maps in the instructions.

Note:

· There have been some changes to the Coast Path at Glenthorne (link between walks 19 and 21), Worthy, and North Hill and Hurlstone Point (walks 25 and 26). These don’t affect the walks materially, but where I refer to the ‘Coast Path’ in the instructions this may now be incorrect.

· All-day parking in many North Devon car parks is £10-15, particularly between March and November (and all year in Lynton and Lynmouth) – please check parking fees here before planning to use a particular car park.

14 Lynmouth, Lynton and the Valley of the Rocks ♦♦ 5.6 mile circular

15 The East and West Lyn gorges ♦♦♦ 6 mile circular

16 The Lyn hamlets, Barbrook and Cheriton ♦♦! 6.1 or 7.5 mile circular

17 Lynmouth, Countisbury and Watersmeet ♦♦ 5 mile circular

18 Countisbury and Foreland Point ♦♦! 3.2 mile circular

19 Countisbury to County Gate via the Coast Path ♦♦/♦♦♦! 4.7 mile linear, bus connection or walk 20

20 County Gate to Countisbury via the East Lyn ♦♦/♦♦♦! 5.4 mile linear, bus connection or walk 19

21 County Gate, Oare and Culbone ♦♦♦♦ 9.1 or 9.8 mile circular

22 Porlock Weir and Culbone Church ♦♦ 5.2 mile circular

23 Porlock, Hawk Combe and Porlock Weir ♦♦♦ 8.4 mile circular

24 Porlock, Bossington and Horner ♦♦ 8.4 or 7.6 mile circular

25 Bossington, Selworthy and Allerford ♦♦♦! 7 mile circular