Minehead to Lynmouth: September 2011

One of my sons suggested that I should write a Blog on my attempt, with my wife, to walk the South West Coast Path.  So here goes!  If this first attempt at a Blog appears amateurish, please forgive me.

About twenty or so years ago I had walked the South Downs Way.  It took me several years to complete the distance between Eastbourne to Winchester, but I gained something of a 'bug' for long distance footpaths.

Starting out on the Path

Having moved to Dorset in 2007, with the Jurassic Coast and the South West Coast Path on our doorstep, there was now the real challenge of the tackling our 'local' path.

The decision to attempt walking the 630 miles of the Path was a bit of a joint thing!  I liked the idea, but didn't do very much about it, except for going on day walks from home to do nearby sections.  Elizabeth, my wife, said 'Let's do it!' 

We had walked some of the Cornish coast and most of the East Devon and West Dorset coast on our day walks over a good number of years, but we decided that we would start at Minehead and tackle the path in the anti-clockwise direction.

For many reasons we did not feel that it was practical for us to complete the path in one session, but to take it in 'bite-sized' chunks.  This is a personal record of our attempts at doing the Path in 'easy (or relatively easy) stages'.  We had no intention of exhausting ourselves by trying to complete all the sections in the time-scale that South West Coast Path Association's handbook might be possible.

Although this is essentially a personal record, we hope that it might be of interest and, possibly, assistance to other walkers wanting to walk the South West Coast Path in a 'walking for softies' way - and to spend time enjoying the scenery at the same time!  Let us know if this is of any help!

Maybe we will meet some of you along the way!

Details of the South West Coast Path may be obtained from The South West Coast Path Association. The Association annually publishes a comprehensive guide, which is free for members.

For maps I like to use the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer series and I find it very handy to print off relevant sections on A4 sheets. This saves having to carry large maps, which have to be unfolded and re-folded repeatedly (fun in gale-force winds)! OS offer a good value subscription to OS Maps which enables one to do this - and much more. Many of my plotted walks are available to subscribers of OS Maps. 

We have tried to do linear walks as far as possible, and have completed some sections of the path using a combination of bed and breakfast accommodation and youth hostels, back-packing our way.

For other sections we have used a combination of the car and buses to get to the beginning and from the end of the day's walk.  Sometimes, where the bus services are very limited, very careful planning is needed!  If you plan to use buses, there are sections where there might be just one suitable bus a week!  The Traveline South West website is an invaluable tool for planning bus walks, with maps of bus routes, the location of bus stops and full timetable information.

Yet other sections of the Path we completed as circular walks.

Minehead to Lynmouth 

For the first section: from Minehead to Lynmouth we stayed at the Exford Youth Hostel and travelled by car and bus to get to the beginning and end of each day's walk.





Exford Youth Hostel



Day One: Monday 26 September 2011
Minehead to Porlock Weir
(approx 10 miles)

To start with we drove to Porlock Weir to catch the bus to the beginning of the walk at Minehead. Before we set out, though, it was important that we got our priorities right - so we stopped by in a café and had a Cappuccino (Elizabeth) and an Americano (me)!

We eventually set off about 10:40am, after the obligatory posing for photographs at the monument at the start of the Path.

This section is a lovely stretch and we took the easier 'official' path, spending the time we saved by not going on the 'rugged' route by having a cream tea at the tea rooms in Bossington before crossing the marsh to Porlock Weir.

We then returned to Exford by car.

South West Coast Path distance from Minehead to Porlock Weir: 15.3km (9.5 miles)
Total walking distance: 16km (10 miles)
Cumulative distances (approximate):
From Minehead: 15.3km (9.5 miles);
To South Haven Point: 1000km (620 miles).

SWCP-001

And we did it! Finishing at South Haven Point on 30 December 2014 ..... we did not stop there, though, continuing in an easterly direction, with Dover in sight!

We then spent two rather more leisurely days: we went to Lundy Island from Ilfracombe on the Tuesday and to Arlington Court (National Trust) on the Wednesday.

Day Two: Thursday 29 September 2011
Porlock Weir to County Gate (5½ miles)

Culbone Church

Once again we drove to Porlock Weir and started out on the Coast Path about 9:30am, heading for County Gate, stopping for a picnic lunch at Culbone Church on the way.  Fairly steep climbs and descents in places (described in the South West Coast Path Association guide as 'Moderate, strenuous in parts').  A lovely walk!

From County Gate we caught the bus to Porlock and then caught another bus from there to Porlock Weir before returning to Exford.

Day Three: Friday 30 September 2011
County Gate to Lynmouth (6½ miles)

We drove the distance from Exford to County Gate and parked in the car park at the Visitor Centre before setting out for Lynmouth at about 9:40am.  Another lovely walk - with the expected 'moderate and strenuous in parts'! 

We returned by County Gate by bus and continued back to Exford by car.

We enjoyed a very good meal at The Crown Hotel, Exford.  Elizabeth had a sea food dish of fish with mussels and prawns and I had duck breast, followed by a cheese board - with plenty for two to share.