Dorset, Somerset &amp; Bristol

<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-minehead-to-porlock-weir-8-9-miles-14-3-km-challenging-moderate"><a href="https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walksdb/136/">Minehead to Porlock Weir</a>, 8.9 miles (14.3 km), challenging / moderate</h3>



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="porlock" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/JgNmlQdYs8l7dpiZqgQ9bugP0Rek_3fSOAWYNVg1iBDkhvv5_kQFvmYwJuwVcrmXxOrMdMAG0zqb0YdWDGtByp74Id5fMm8aAqBo6V5YWiRsU0JSJhUnL1piuR8lWsN5wxN6Rxp1_JZYz8YCZLLCgjk" width="624" height="428">Porlock Weir



Walk the route: This walk is at the beginning (or the end, depending on your point of view) of the 630-mile South West Coast Path, passing though woodland, along farm tracks, up and down wooded valleys with gurgling streams, and across the top of the Exmoor National Park’s cliffs. At 820ft/250m, they’re the tallest in England. We can’t deny it’s a fairly demanding trek but it’s well worth it for the spectacular views over Exmoor and across the Bristol Channel to Wales, and you might see some Exmoor ponies along the way.



Eat, sleep, play: <a href="https://www.exmoorcharactercottages.co.uk/pilgrim-corner-cottage/">Pilgrim Corner</a>, a large and super, super comfortable thatched holiday cottage with a hot tub in the garden in the heart of Minehead’s Old Town, is just one of four <a href="https://www.exmoorcharactercottages.co.uk/">Exmoor Character Cottages</a>, all of which make brilliant bases for exploring Exmoor and the West Somerset coast. The Old Town itself, with its steep cobbled streets and chocolate box cottages, is worth a wander.



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/qZi6P-fdQeezttvaDRURUHxu05Wlw-GMgnXvX3PSt7y8-2aQwF5Q2wCUQ4mg7X2j-8BVZk0KuRPJpR0XAhBl81FsD7dO8OVd1F1oPdnZuPU5je-nJQ_cfDEC0-mTovA4Fcw_0COa31r7jS2uSelng44" width="624" height="468">Pilgrim Corner, Minehead Old Town



Minehead’s got a big sweeping beach and promenade. You can hire bodyboards, SUPs and wetsuits for the sea, and scooters, skateboards and bikes for the prom at <a href="https://www.channeladventure.co.uk/minehead/">Channel Adventure</a> on the seafront. Just outside Minehead, head to picturesque medieval village of Dunster for the <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/dunster-castle-and-watermill">castle</a> dating back to Norman times with great views and lush subtropical gardens, a Jacobean Yarn Market, pack horse Gallox Bridge, the <a href="https://www.luttrellarms.co.uk/">Luttrell Arms</a> (a hotel with a 2 AA rosette restaurant) and the highly regarded <a href="https://www.reevesrestaurantdunster.co.uk/">Reeves</a> restaurant.



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="packhorse bridge dunster" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/0Hm710LTcHu2G48k7jEsyUebMVMK6hX0aku305e8bQ7MXbGjHXLpdM1f_SJmklMBqawnsgNl31OmO90HUZwltRipnzGXVCBfHluVdGpEumlhvSyoLpZMbj2ZHvJp0_aegAax6hLofHSyk9AHGpYDYik" width="624" height="468">Gallox Bridge, Dunster



Hop on a West Somerset Railway <a href="https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/">steam train</a> at Minehead to Bishop’s Lydeard, along the coast to Blue Anchor Bay, the harbourside town of Watchet and its exciting <a href="https://www.eastquaywatchet.co.uk/">East Quay</a> arts centre (below, those are accommodation pods on top), and into the rolling countryside between the Quantock and Brendon Hills beyond.&nbsp;



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="east quay watchet somerset" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/H8_046cpS7l1V9HoDnWqTH1BJcgc_0V3JiXH8-AkVJBjdibfO0FMBPRD_w774GFOSOXXjHuzM4XfW2gSKFtHdhBI6-yD4Hc7M61pr9y9u1vP3nrA6Ha0Rlfr3k8AeTMFqoGDlUrTnX6y87NT_f-_D_E" width="624" height="468">East Quay



At the end of the walk in Porlock Weir, a 15th century harbour with a shingle beach (the name comes from the ‘weirs of stakes’ set to catch salmon in days gone by), you can eat excellent food cooked by an Italian chef at boutique hotel and restaurant <a href="https://locandaontheweir.co.uk/">Locanda on the Weir</a> (an overnight stay here would be fab), wood-fired pizza al fresco and more at the <a href="https://www.porlockweirhotel.co.uk/">Porlock Weir Hotel</a> and pub grub at <a href="https://www.shipinnporlockweir.co.uk/">The Bottom Ship.&nbsp;</a>



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/pgqa2kdLtA9lNUQ0xIZ0t2PlXNx55AOunyo1foby-XXgNgr24lM9PJ9W5m_ltyohf1SO6uvjBaFjzSg3jjX9DKt6A5bg-EhPMyyfDOzMsCud0_vm9b-xGqi7zB2axoENTfj7_jlorHHeceT76_9BQDg" width="624" height="468">Locanda on the Weir



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bossington-landscape-walk-2-4-miles-3-9-km-easy"><a href="https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walksdb/227/">Bossington Landscape Walk</a>, 2.4 miles (3.9 km), easy</h3>



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="Bossington, South West Coast Path" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/ITOhTH-wrqRc0aYsg3dVZtdwVUZM27VQbkZ-SD4G_jAwdBEVIyb8JG8yzwmuUT4YEK1STfcSJRwIFmdoKJI1GplQbZHzq7CyrrwVDHE8UJTm5fYEWI3sl843ZY1ogOgj3UEqPv36w53We_onvvPsTDs" width="624" height="415">Bossington by Lewis Clarke



Walk the route: This is an easy stroll along a footpath following a stream by Bossington Hill, with views over the marsh and farmland of Porlock Vale on the Holnicote Estate. You can drop down to the grey pebble beach or walk up to the old coastguard lookout station at Hurlstone Point. If you’re lucky you might see a porpoise. The villages of Bossington, Allerford and Selworthy are picture-postcard-perfect, with distinctive yellow-limewashed walls and thatched roofs.



Eat, sleep, play: There’s always time for tea and homemade cake in this neck of the wood. Check out <a href="https://www.waterhousefayre.co.uk/places/united-kingdom/somerset/bossington/restaurant-tea-room-shop/kitnors-tearooms/">Kitnors Tea Room</a> in Bossington and the gorgeous <a href="https://periwinkletearooms.co.uk/">Periwinkle Tearooms</a> in Selworthy.&nbsp;



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="periwinkle cottage selworthy" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/wp2qOG28Mxp-F5TjGOJ258ash719UWnBGGleBgEUisYjrLuvdXqelU5dSUYmvWLPqgQ_jxGwh_i6xGdnpFzB59kMYY2ivZuc6Ej2CmMJZD2ZVJ7_6A1hiCsX2ZU9ONvK2ckLhI8gljVtxyu0MfF_Mos" width="624" height="468">Periwinkle Tearooms



It’s adults-only at the luxury B&amp;B <a href="https://bossingtonhall.co.uk/">Bossington Hall</a>, a gorgeous Arts &amp; Crafts house set in eight acres of gardens and woodlands, with tennis and badminton courts, the oldest private squash court in England and a private 10-seater cinema. Nice.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/vMzZGRYdtdee_7sn-C61N3QS28k9qYguybo8vQmg0iME2pOeRSCRWFFAge_JX05OgqCYgNC19Jb56zyvlZog1pQ3qCxJHt7_LlNg0cQKyLsYczMGWE3Rb9A7BeXorv_uXiQvzn6NcABV0EYZ8wqaoZY" alt="bossington-hall" /></figure>



The National Trust-owned <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/devon/cloud-farm-campsite">Cloud Farm </a>campsite in the peaceful and picturesque Doone Valley on the Devon/Somerset border is an idyllic location with a stream and great for families and outdoorsy types.



There’s a <a href="https://westcountryblacksmiths.co.uk/">working blacksmith</a> in Allerford. Visit <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/coleridge-cottage">Coleridge Cottage</a> in nearby Nether Stowey, where Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan(possibly under the ‘fluence of opiates).&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dorset">DORSET</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-west-bay-and-burton-bradstock-5-3-miles-8-6-km-easy"><a href="https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walksdb/425/">West Bay and Burton Bradstock</a>, 5.3 miles (8.6 km), easy</h3>



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="south west coast path burton bradstock" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/jZ-QRxEq3n3Ri33ovGG92p6AbknzRFEmNgSPOyEhA36lNhjX1alyg9GHYZlf6i8n1o790Dcd5kp2Amv61QEwQu5CwEKr6q92sX8S01qfRHn-ZHNnOBzHHrunE2R5msC2Avs_AOPOCBJ4rCzxMwPHxtk" width="624" height="468">Burton Bradstock



Walk the route: The circular walk on the Jurassic Coast starts in West Bay, with its golden sandstone cliffs made famous in Broadchurch and little marina, and passes through a golf course on the way to the village of Burton Bradstock and onto Hive Beach on Lyme Bay, at the start of the iconic Chesil Beach. Very handily, there are a couple of fabulous seafront options for lunch – or just an ice-cream – before heading back along cliff tops with brilliant views of the Devon coastline.&nbsp;



Eat, sleep, play: Coffee and breakfast at <a href="https://www.risecafebar.co.uk/">Rise</a> on the edge of the marina or the <a href="https://www.watchhousecafe.co.uk/">Watch House Cafe</a> right on the pebbly beach in West Bay before setting off? Both are excellent.&nbsp;



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="Rise cafe, West Bay, South West Coast Path" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/bRXROqlgEvZs42i8fLp0Zke8B-HzSe9uYfvKKiCGF-zCTIbMjq5H6rq4S9y-q9gPsytv6p344Wuh5ScNA-ZFNCQ6Crc9slyizTKQYIltjLlGnhKNzDcp42CMx55vdYnfCsFN_g4nAEfMdG_GMjUHhD0" width="624" height="413">Rise



When you reach Hive Beach, have a walk along the pebbly shoreline, skim some stones and decide whether to stay on the beach for a crab sandwich or other freshly caught fish and seafood at the fabulous<a href="https://www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk/"> Hive Beach Café,</a> or walk up to the narrow path to stunning <a href="https://theseasideboardinghouse.com/">Seaside Boarding House</a>, perched on the top of the cliff. Owned by the creators of London’s Groucho Club, The Seaside Boarding House – think Edwardian English seaside hotel meets Cape Cod – not only serves fresh seafood and Dorset produce in the restaurant and sun terrace but there are nine lovely bedrooms, all within sight and sound of the sea *sigh*.



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="south west coast path" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/FYyhbDrDe3Gr2jALfH9UkOmDDm7LvNZfzAXXxqSip59uiqFqbfb4jDiclHZw4ZEF_CR4by3Nq2rb36gG5gPz7JipMN1uWBGhbnoxqzc42dqCgQD4I9EnbyDzOvyUANdWPPcajxmUA-XlYzKnrKQrCRo" width="624" height="468">The Seaside Boarding House<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="south west coast path seaside boarding house" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/IE2S7qF-GE28owYqXGbedImrmxnWSnkEx5qW_fq1OwmMN5UIi6pMQ7eq_fplVh1JduhIh_VPDdhYKOGosMrhVIUkleO2RSRLzOI56tJPdG1y8fi7ZOah71FqNjzzVyjN2gUo2PbHTU8OmS9emYgd7gQ" width="624" height="468">From the terrace



Back in West Bay, <a href="https://sladersyard.co.uk/">Sladers Yard</a>, an art gallery in a former Georgian rope warehouse exhibiting and selling contemporary British arts and crafts, with a nice – licensed cafe – is worth a look.&nbsp;



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="sladers yard west bay" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/adq82u__qg2FOVmzJ73CDkXQ3wmiDfYw6L-93BJHmFzAq6CnO6a2z0RPJS8FUurB-OAerwW-5RBfIpK9q-c4q-KVBOJVIs9CMjcsugu2K4bCHNv-in7ByeXbNnb8ryrFEXvjFsOGkYvBeJR8gJYyMVE" width="624" height="416">Sladers Yard



<a href="https://www.dorsethideaways.co.uk/">Dorset Hideaways</a> have a brilliant collection of self-catering places in the area and beyond, including this colourful timber cabin for two just 15 minutes from the beach in West Bay.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/W6cUh3ZWxKDNddbDmCUszUMxExxjJKMtn2MMuC6_p91-onH9MXXpF0CcI9JcXkjem2Kr3Wvi4pCI--_uI0ET6xfjZFS_AE1Ay8VP4wDeBL0OSh_QDSxN1G3Xey6pomaXXZivQODvNFvWc4Y789hXa4I" alt="" /></figure>



Buzzy <a href="https://dorsetsomerset.muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/dorset/bridport/">Bridport,</a> on our list of the Best Places to Live in Dorset, with its many independent shops, cafes, restaurants, street markets, extensive vintage quarter and assorted arts centres, is a couple of miles inland.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lulworth-cove-amp-the-fossil-forest-2-2-miles-3-6-km-moderate"><a href="https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walksdb/59/">Lulworth Cove &amp; The Fossil Forest</a>, 2.2 miles (3.6 km), Moderate</h3>



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="lulworth cove south west coast path" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/nmTJ5R1LcEGfVm2NcbIUBUQ7ytVzDquaxMy4VSPp69ij85J2Q9Zb2wkE3O20TWEdujzdHKzLDH7YfNIDc9FodONwAq0GFqw1NZAcf5k4XnrMHOBg7ykMjl-kdpDeyj6SLDvYEx3cEuxK_IbCBGCloLk" width="624" height="415">Lulworth Cove by Phil Dolby from PxHere



Walk the route: It may be short on miles but this walk on the Jurassic Coast takes in a fossil forest – the petrified remains of cypress trees – a landscape dating back 150 million years including the ‘Lulworth Crumple’ and Stair Hole, and a cove formed in the last Ice Age.&nbsp;



Eat, sleep, play: Much of the area – including Lulworth Cove and nearby Durdle Door – is part of the 12,000-acre <a href="https://lulworth.com/">Lulworth Estate</a>, with a 17th century Lulworth Castle (where the brilliant, super-family friendly Camp Bestival takes place and where they screen open air films in the summer, cafes and a kids’ playground. Discover more about the area at the visitor centre or book fossil hunting sessions with the Rangers.&nbsp;



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="Lulworth Castle South West Coast Path" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/sKxs_oIJkxhRhWUtd3GUF1_fU0PwI7IgAeaffplddEqWFA0v3vc7uQgtNiLf-o5VPzXJsf7VN22NzxYr-RvRb1794Np7yfqwBMIpDA49BUdHmvfxRThHGS3XEh_xcS6vKqHO_ALbnjYA3rPFX4ZXMbw" width="624" height="417">Lulworth Castle



<a href="https://www.dorsetcoastalcottages.com/">Dorset Coastal Cottages</a> has a good selection of holiday cottages in the area (and the rest of Dorset), from period pads like the cottage below to more contemporary spaces.&nbsp;



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/rGQ6oz3o-mZe3ON5xCFmNJ6kF_mXM7iG8fJSR0lbOeIPhF9c1S-eQwZiGeckdwzCBHkjsuTeNPXgv1JVHanRiNYBX5mHNm7z2LQl4hS5WgieGMFKxpdL5RPMb4c0gwxePOkwPkXyKB_q-hsNyP99yzY" width="624" height="468">Dorset Coastal Cottages



You’re not short on traditional pubs, with a couple of thatched numbers: <a href="https://theweldarms.co.uk/">The Weld Arms</a> near the castle gates in East Lulworth and <a href="https://butcombe.com/the-castle-inn-dorset/">The Castle Inn</a> (with 12 rather nice rooms) in West Lulworth, as well as <a href="https://www.lulworth-coveinn.co.uk/">The Lulworth Cove Inn</a> in guess where.



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/T_Ro3p4spws0__ldfNJbl8l8xS6D-9Z_nBWagLIBhFizeb-ZJEswI4n60WMeUEn3-eOMoLLW8GMRnSWWs8F4r0ylzFuYKSPkvGKFeV0unNKQo474hZ1PgXjJ4Dq8i4Z_A4V6hFDPdth4dTeHaNBGGPE" width="624" height="416">The Castle Inn



<a href="https://lulworthoutdoors.com/">Lulworth Outdoors</a> will show you how to coasteer and kayak your way around this part of the Jurassic Coast.



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="durdle door " src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/VpShi0KWCnmqR9MnfjsLFNMx4tlZrLwJith2Zqr964P_GxJCnx87clu_FxNhhabcHyoPQrnkFOQh3nX7wdUDSzWSrKTVYY7P4qbuy887hEsBpT1rTczfA2J_k2kQ0IzEmXKnqXSceIPBskNEQ_2eaX8" width="624" height="351">Lulworth Outdoors



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studland-to-swanage-4-8-miles-7-7-km-moderate"><a href="https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walksdb/424/">Studland to Swanage</a>, 4.8 miles (7.7 km), moderate</h3>



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="Old Harry Rocks South West Coast Path" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/rQN-AQRw_pydbxU0xysPMUYCpliYqWgVqOw1uXCJjY7h7mxxDXOvLMCX89dqdv133xONizKpPU_z8ZCqrRNx27CnWJCSJRUk5GewzEV3a3waDOvwN5lrsSAfT_bohys2k10OPUXpu1f9wXcFJF1kEkI" width="624" height="416">Old Harry Rocks, PxPhere



Walk the route: This walk on the Isle of Purbeck starts in the village of Studland, takes you past the chalk stacks called Old Harry Rocks, with views over Studland Bay to Poole and Bournemouth, and across the Solent to the Needles on the Isle of Wight. You’ll walk through fields filled with wild flowers and butterflies, little woodlands, across cliff tops with cormorants and sweeping Ballard Down, before going down into the little seaside town of Swanage in Swanage Bay.&nbsp;



Eat, sleep, play: Pub grub and B&amp;B at<a href="https://www.bankesarms.com/"> The Bankes Arms</a> in Studland, an archetypal 16th century Dorset inn with a large garden and views of the sea.&nbsp;



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/8dusg4nk4jEQSQReNRArhl9ODBJ4KjIZ6CRff-bh8-bwfuCP4ZZ2X78IcEOYPi6apUkT4e7I7kIfjmKAvYtydXSlyNTotNn3N2Zekc7NmahdB9umMJhDsPnz-VRzu_5yAwDRrKpOvta7JL-Jgjtru6s" width="624" height="452">The Bankes Arms



Treat yourself to a lunch or dinner at <a href="https://www.thepighotel.com/on-the-beach/">The Pig-on the beach</a> in Studland Bay – menus are based around what grows in their kitchen garden and from a 25-mile radius – or use the country chic hotel as base; the 23 quirky luxe rooms include shepherd’s huts and a dovecote.&nbsp;



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="The Pig on the beach South West Coast Path " src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/A10J6TLUY-zDlUCViHaOeU25W6fruPWfRJVbLX9HcC0sioLpOaGBlVBaQS_xwiEpyHJ60K9MZ5AAe7Od74ojaKhzv13NZgDMkAZRTE6e9ZtgOyQY_c8vrw38TgcafI8R0ueOjOQ4an6C8csO8Kpk_j8" width="624" height="416">The Pig-on the beach



If it’s self catering you’re after, take a look at <a href="https://www.dream-cottages.co.uk/">Dream Cottages</a>‘ selection of places to stay on the Isle of Purbeck and beyond.



<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" alt="dorset cottage" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/hqTUl6esG6JYHzB2fM4SGQGUAwX4COu3v0OwXQwqzjOUQKFM6bhi58xSfEBJcFenBWYchBDwY0GoEXEjnzZxGrjUP8-Yir2nBcJEd9p1k-Td2LmZzzi4XWfYPxFM6KuFNh36FSDXjW58NTDOoFPAtUg" width="624" height="468">Dream Cottages&nbsp;



Take a ride on a steam train on the <a href="https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/">Swanage Railway</a> to the riverside town of Wareham or stop off at the ruined <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/corfe-castle">Corfe Castle</a>.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/X5iMbXtgWMtdPEpBwifia0uw2O4OCu_V354pnZU2MVtIMRKDOxRBl1HFgt8vgVxMORURQam9q9xGR_Pr5fVUSa8k-SdpXV6ZuTYYPAzJBGl0PCQxRmMOR6fi_SlDx7uExAr4HuRvqMKs5lKiAnms8_k" alt="corfe castle south west coast path" /></figure>



Get back to nature at <a href="https://www.durlston.co.uk/">Durlston Country Park</a> and <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/studland-bay">Studland Bay</a> nature reserves (really get back to nature on <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/studland-bay/naturism-at-studland-bay">Studland’s nudest beach</a>). The Isle of Purbeck is renowned for its Portland limestone (St Paul’s Cathedral is built of it); try your hand at stone carving at the <a href="https://burngatestonecentre.co.uk/">Burngate Purbeck Stone Centre</a><a href="https://h2oadventures.co.uk/">.</a>Go <a href="https://h2oadventures.co.uk/">kayaking or canoeing</a> in Swanage Bay. The beaches in Studland and Swanage Bays are super sandy and family-friendly. One of Muddy’s Best Places to Live in Dorset, read more about Swanage <a href="https://dorsetsomerset.muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/dorset/swanage/">here.</a>

Seaview strolls! 5 coastal walks in Somerset & Dorset

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