Two Dogs and an Awning

Tag: Dunkery Beacon

  • Barrows and Combes On Dunkery Hill

    Barrows and Combes On Dunkery Hill

    After a couple of days walking from the caravan site I have decided it is time to get in the car to venture to a slightly different area.  Today I plan to walk up to Dunkery Beacon, a hill I have walked many times.  However, today I am going to ascend it on a path I have never walked.

    The starting place for my walk is the National Trust car park in Horner (Grid Ref SS898455).  I leave the car park by the path besides the pay and display machine and then join a minor road where I turn left soon passing Horner Mill, built around 1839.  After passing the mill I take a footpath on the right which goes through tall deer gates.

    This path follows a wide track uphill through Horner Plantation.  I am on the route of the Coleridge Way, this long distance trail covers the fifty miles from Nether Stowey, on the east side of the Quantocks, to Lynmouth linking locations associated with the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  

    At a junction of paths I turn right in the direction of Webber’s Post following the Coleridge Way markers, annotated with a writing quill. 

    Ignoring paths to the right and left I gradually ascend Horner Hill keeping with the route of the Coleridge Way.  It is a cracking day and I soon get good views of Ley Hill on the opposite side of the combe.

    This area is part of the Holnicote Estate, the Acland family seat for the best part of 300 years before Sir Richard Dyke Acland, 15th Baronet, donated both this and the Killerton Estate to the National Trust.  The land covered 16,000 acres and was the largest donation received by the National Trust.

    On top of Horner Hill there is a weather hut, thought to have been originally built by the Acland’s to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, it became known as the Jubilee Hut.  During World War II it was used as a look out post, but then fell into disrepair and collapsed in the winter of 1946.  The National Trust have rebuilt it following the original design, facing four directions it always provides shelter from wind and rain.

    I now continue along the Coleridge Way to reach Webber’s Post car park.  Here the route goes in a south easterly direction to cross a minor road and then after going through a thicket reaches another minor road which I cross and go into another parking area. This is a bit of a sun trap and the Exmoor ponies appear to have chosen the spot for some winter warmth.

    From the car park I follow the Coleridge Way as it goes uphill still heading south east.

    At a junction of paths I turn left on the Coleridge Way heading towards Wooton Courtney.  I have passed a couple of warning signs indicating there is gorse clearing work going on in the area.  In front of me I can see smoke rising from the controlled fires.

    The path goes close to the area being burnt, but the chaps supervising the fires make sure I can pass safely.  One of them has a chat with me about the methods by which gorse is controlled in this area of the moor.  It needs to be kept back otherwise it would smother everything and apparently an added bonus of fires is it regenerates the growth of heather.

    The challenge for these chaps is knowing which way the wind will take the fire, apparently it has changed direction three times in the last forty minutes.  Currently it is blowing from the east so as I continue along the path I know the smoke is blowing in the opposite direction.

    Nearing woodland I take a path on the right and follow the contour line heading south.  I soon reach the route of the Macmillan Way West.  A right turn here would take me up towards Dunkery Beacon, but instead I turn left and descend a few yards to reach a path on the right.  I have now rejoined the Coleridge Way and head steadily uphill.

    There are a couple of paths leading off the route but I stay with the Coleridge Way and skirt round a field and then start going downhill.

    I know if Lynnie was walking with me she would now be questioning the route and demanding why if we are walking up Dunkery Hill we are going downhill.  Of course the answer to the question is to see where the path leads.  

    This path leads into Hanny Combe and it is a stunning spot.

    I cross a stream and then it is a short steep ascent to reach a junction of paths.  I go to the right to follow the Coleridge Way towards Spangate.

    It is now a steady ascent towards Spangate with some stunning views behind me.

    At a junction of paths at Spangate I leave the Coleridge Way and turn right to head uphill on a broad track which has intermittent boulders along it.

    This is the first time I have approached Dunkery Beacon on this path.  It is a long steady ascent to reach a minor road.  After crossing I join a narrow path which heads west through the heather.  In the distance on the horizon I can see Dunkery Beacon.

    At a junction with a broader path I turn left and follow this route to reach the hill summit.  This is the highest point on Exmoor and also the highest spot in Somerset.  It stands at 1,705 feet and there is no protection from the elements so the wind is always blowing up here.  Today there is a slight breeze but I have been up here when it is difficult to stay on your feet.

    As I stand admiring the view I am approached by a lady who is interested in to know where I have walked from.  She is bewildered by the distance I have walked so far and how much further I am going to travel.  She has walked up from the road and says that was plenty enough for her.  We then spend ten minutes talking about the spots we can see.  She lives relatively nearby in Tiverton, but has never been up here before.

    I have a choice of routes here, but decide to extend my walk by following a clear track heading west towards Little Rowbarrow.

    The track passes by the ancient burial mound of Little Rowbarrow,  On top of the barrow is a cairn which in poor weather would be a welcome site on this section of moor.

    Soon I reach a junction of tracks where I turn right and pass Great Rowbarrow, this burial mound in more prominent and distinctive by the number of stones covering it.

    The track now goes north west and soon starts to descend with Wilmersham Common in the distance.

    At the road I turn right and follow this single track lane through Stoke Pero Common.

    On reaching a small parking area I turn right on a track which follows the fence and tree line downhill into Bagley Combe.

    The track leads down to a ford in Bagley Combe and then rises again and heads east towards Sweetworthy Combe.

    At a fork in the track I go left  and continue straight on at a junction of paths following a route which is shown on the map as Dicky’s Path.  This soon heads through the attractive Aller Combe.

    Now there is an open stretch of moorland before reaching trees to go through Hollow Combe after which the path heads north towards Easter Hill.

    I ignore routes leading off this path and keep going north until I reach the car park at Webber’s Post.   I now retrace my steps along the Coleridge Way until I reach the Memorial Hut where I take a path on the left descending steeply through Horner Side.

    The route zig-zags its way down the hill, I ignore paths from it to reach a footbridge over Horner Water.

    After crossing the footbridge I turn right and follow a wide track with the attractive Horner Water flowing to my right.

    I stay with this path heading towards Horner. After crossing a stone bridge I turn left along the road and walk through the hamlet to reach the entrance to the car park.

    My walk has covered almost 13 miles.  The sun shone for most of the day and it has felt more like a spring day than early February.  I have been very lucky with the weather this week.  Let’s hope it lasts into tomorrow because that will be my last chance to be out on the moor for a while.

    You can view this 12.6 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow my walk, you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL9 – Exmoor

    8th February 2023

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2023)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Jamming About to Dunkery Beacon

    Jamming About to Dunkery Beacon

    Whilst staying in Minehead in October last year Crosby and I walked from the site to Dunkery Beacon.  I was hoping for a clear day to appreciate the views from the Beacon but as I was walking the weather closed in and I struggled to see as far as the North Somerset coast.  I am heading towards Dunkery today but don’t plan to go to the summit.

    The start of my walk follows the route I took yesterday, leaving the site I turn left and walk uphill along the pavement besides the A39, Hopcott Road.  I keep with the road until I reach Periton Cross.  Here I turn left and take a bridleway on a track into Periton Combe.

    Soon I reach a metal barrier preventing vehicle access to the Combe, it has an information board about Dunster Woods attached to it.

    The path follows the track and then starts heading uphill.  There are forestry tracks in the woods but I keep with the way-markers for the bridleway as I ascend through the trees.

    It is a long steady haul up Periton Hill to reach Wootton Common, I was a bit chilly at the start of my walk but I soon warm up and start shedding layers.  

    At a fork in the track, as is reaches the edge of open land on Wootton Common, I fork to the left, still going uphill to reach a junction with a track running along the top of the hill where I turn right.

    At a fingerpost for Wootton Courtenay I turn left onto a track initially passing through Pine woods which are dark and featureless but at a junction of paths I turn right into a cracking area of Beech woodland.

    The path I am now on is marked on the map as Roadway Lane, this soon becomes a stunning sunken track descending steeply into Wootton Courtenay.  Such tracks will have been used for centuries and it would have been a challenging journey dragging a cart up this hill to reach Minehead.

    The track enters the village and passes the community hall and then reaches a road.  Here I turn right and then very soon take a lane on the left which is signposted to Brockwell and Ford.  This lane leads to a cattle grid with a gate beside it and then continues on to reach Brockwell.  At a T-junction I leave the road and take a bridleway with a fingerpost to Dunkery Beacon.

    The bridleway ascends gradually and then goes through an attractive area of woodland.

    At a junction of tracks I continue straight on, still going uphill and then emerge from the trees.  It had been my initial intention to turn right here and head towards Horner Wood, but it is such a pleasant day that I decide to head further up Dunkery Hill.  So I continue straight on making a gradual ascent through the heather.

    As I head up I decide that despite my initial plans I will walk to the summit of Dunkery Beacon.  This is often a feature of my solo walking, I have a rough idea of a route but at a junction of paths will go wherever the mood takes me.  So on reaching a minor road I cross and then pass a metal barrier to continue on towards the beacon.

    The ascent is now easier and there is a chance to take in the stunning views.  Reaching four Exmoor ponies I realise I have now seen more ponies than people on my walk.

    Heading towards the summit I see there are folk up there, but by the time I stop to look at the toposcope near the beacon they have moved on.  I do like a toposcope, not as much as a trig point, but they are always an interesting feature on a walk.

    In recent times the beacon has been repointed and it looks a bit stark until it weathers in.  This is the highest point on Exmoor and Somerset and as you might expect it is a bit breezy up here, but the last couple of times I have been here I have struggled to stay upright against the wind.

    Dunkery Hill forms part of the Holnicote Estate which was donated to the National Trust by Colonel W.W Wiggins in 1932.  The views from the summit are outstanding and today I can see all the way across to South Wales.  

    Close to the cairn a chap has what looks like a radio transmitter and aerial.  We have a brief chat and he explains he has been there a couple of hours and has been speaking to people in Europe and now is in a conversation with someone on the Brecon Beacons.  It must be a chilly hobby to participate in.

    I leave the summit following a path downhill heading north towards the coast.

    I ignore paths to the right and continue downhill towards a path marked on the map as Dicky’s Path.

    On reaching the junction with Dicky’s Path I turn right to head towards Aller Coombe. I later try, without success, to find the origins of the naming of this path.

    I follow the path into the combe and cross a ford around the head of the combe and then continue on to reach Hollow Combe.

    From this Combe I stay with Dicky’s Path to reach the large parking area at Webber’s Post.  This is another spot with stunning views.

    From the car park I join the Coleridge Way and follow the way-markers for this long distance path as it leads through Horner Wood.

    The Coleridge Way is a route based on the path said to have been walked by Samuel Coleridge  from Nether Stowey on the west side of the Quantock Hills to Lynmouth.  This section goes through attractive woodland reaching a minor road on the outskirts of Horner after going through a deer proof gate.

    At the road I turn left and walk through the hamlet, continuing along the road to reach a footpath on the left.  Here I take a short diversion to view the pack horse bridge over Horner Water.

    Returning to the road I turn left and head north towards West Luccombe.  Before reaching the village I take a footpath on the right heading east across a field of pasture.

    The way-marked route leads through kissing gates into another field and then follows the fence line to further fields to reach a minor road.

    I turn left along the road and follow it to Piles Mill.  This is a 16th century corn mill with an overshoot watermill.  In the 1930’s and 40’s it was used as a cider mill and is now a National Trust visitor centre.

    After passing the mill I cross the A39 and walk into Higher Allerford and then take a track on the right which leads steadily uphill towards Selworthy.  There are great views from the track looking over the route I was on earlier today.

    I pass fine old barns on the outskirts of Selworthy and then reach a road where I turn left and head uphill to pass the village church.

    After passing the church I continue along the single track lane to reach a crossing of tracks at Dean’s Cross, here I continue straight on along the narrow lane to reach a junction of footpaths on the edge of Little Headon Plantation.  I go through a gate straight in front of me to walk along the northern edge of the plantation.

    Heading along this footpath I get a cracking view of North Hill away to my left.

    The footpath leads into a pasture field where I continue with the hedge line to my left until I reach a way-marker which indicates the path goes through a gate and then downhill on a fenced path towards a minor road.

    At the road I turn right and follow the lane heading back towards Minehead, soon I pass Bratton Court and then continue straight on to stay with the road to reach housing at Woodcombe.  At a road I turn left and then very quickly take a path besides a stream through a park.

    At a road I turn right and then almost immediately left to continue following the stream through another park.  The route is marked as the Parks Walk and leads me to the outskirts of Minehead where I turn left and walk into the town centre and then wend my way back through the streets to reach the caravan park.

    My walk has covered 17 miles which is further than I had intended when I set off, but it has been a cracking day to be out and I have walked through some stunning scenery.

    You can view this 17 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow my walk, you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL9 – Exmoor

    11th February 2022

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2022)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Visiting Beacons on Exmoor

    Visiting Beacons on Exmoor

    After a couple of days walking Lynnie has decided that Crosby and I should head out on our own today.  I have long planned a walk to the top of Dunkery Beacon from Minehead.  I’ve walked up Dunkery Hill on a number of occasions but never from Minehead.

    Leaving the site I turn left and walk uphill along the pavement besides the A39, Hopcott Road.  On reaching The Hopcott I turn left to follow the narrow tarmac lane as it heads steadily uphill passing Higher Hopcott and then reaching woodland.

    I ignore footpaths leading off from the road until I reach an information board for Dunster Woods.  

    I take the uphill path to the right of the information board on the route of the Macmillan Way West. I ignore a path on the right soon after leaving the car park and then where the Macmillan Way meets a crossing of tracks I continue straight on, staying on the route of the long distance path.  The path now goes around the head of Long Combe, this is a cracking spot with stunning Beech trees lining the path.

    Leaving the trees the path continues through a section of open land with dead bracken and gorse.  On reaching a junction of tracks we turn right still on the route of the Macmillan Way West heading towards Tivington across the top of Hopcott Common.  At a fork in the track I go left to keep with the Macmillan Way West.  There are good views from here back along the coastline towards Blue Anchor.

    I continue to head west to another crossing of paths.  The Macmillan Way turns left towards Wootton Courtney, however, I keep going straight ahead soon reaching an Ordnance Survey trig point tucked to the left of the track on a high bank. This trig on Periton Hill is one which I have bagged a number of times.

    I continue straight on through an attractive area of woodland.

    On reaching another  junction of paths I turn left on a track leading to Roadway Lane.

    Joining Roadway Lane I follow this ancient track as it heads downhill to Wootton Courtenay.

    Arriving in the village I turn right and then after 100 yards at a junction I fork left onto Brockwell Lane towards Brockwell and Ford. 

    I now stay with this lane to reach Brockwell Farm and then as the road sweeps to the left I continue straight on to join a footpath signed to Dunkery Beacon.

    There are a couple of paths here but I follow the one heading south west which soon leads through an attractive area of beech woodland.

    At a crossing of paths I continue straight on through the trees to reach the edge of moorland.   Here I keep heading in a south westerly direction and start the gradual ascent of Dunkery Hill. 

    It is a long steady two mile up hill to Dunkery Beacon but I appear to have the hill to myself so I can enjoy the solitude.

    After crossing a minor road I continue uphill along a broad track with the beacon in view in the distance.

    As I near the beacon I stop to check out the toposcope.  I have been here a number of times, but previously the visibility has been poor.

    On every occasion I have been here there has been a chill wind blowing and today is no exception.  This hill stands at 1,705 feet and is very exposed.

    From the beacon I take a grassy path which heads north as it descends the hill.

    After a couple of hundred yards I take a path on the right which heads north east towards a minor road.

    Nearing the road I turn left on a path which initially runs parallel with the road but then joins it and continues downhill to Webbers Post Car Park.

    From the car park I join the route of the Coleridge Way.  This trail covers the fifty miles from Nether Stowey, on the east side of the Quantocks, to Lynmouth linking locations associated with the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. 

    I stay with the way-markers until I reach Jubilee Hut. This is a weather hut thought to have been  built originally by the Acland’s who owned Holnicote Estate.  Built in celebration of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee it became known as the Jubilee Hut.  During World War II it was used as a look out post, but then fell into disrepair and collapsed in the winter of 1946.  The National Trust have rebuilt it, following the original design, facing four directions it always provides shelter from wind and rain.

    At the hut I leave the Coleridge Way and take a footpath on the left which soon descends steeply  towards Horner Water.

    On reaching the water I cross on a footbridge and turn right along a track heading towards Horner with the water flowing to my right.

    After crossing a bridge I turn left along a minor road and walk through Horner.

    I stay with this road heading towards West Luccombe until I reach a footpath on the right which is opposite a campsite on the left.  The path goes through a gate and across a field heading east to a band of trees.

    After going through a kissing gate I continue along the edge of a field and then pass through two more fields to reach a minor road where I turn left and follow this lane to Piles Mill.  This 16th century mill was originally a corn mill and then between 1930 and 1940 it was used for cider making.  Now it is run by the National Trust.

    With care I cross the A39 and walk into Brandish Street and turn left to follow a lane to Higher Allerford.  Here I turn right to follow a track signposted to Selworthy.  This route heads steadily upwards along the track towards Selworthy.

    At a junction of paths I turn left and go through a gate to head uphill through Holnicote Combe.  Despite walking a lot in this area this is the first time I have walked through this attractive combe.

    At the top of the combe I reach a minor road where I turn right and then very quickly take a track on the left leading to Selworthy Beacon.

    From the Beacon I follow a track heading east across North Hill.  There are a number of paths up here but I know as long as I head east and keep the minor road somewhere to my right I will be fine.

    The track leads towards a parking area and soon after passing through it I take a path on the left.  This heads north and rejoins the South West Coast path where I turn right and soon go through a gate into an area of pasture.

    The path continues close to the road to reach another gate, now I keep going east to reach another parking area.  From here I follow a waymarked path indicating it is two miles to Minehead.

    During World War II North Hill was requisitioned and local farms evacuated so the area could become the Minehead Armoured Fighting Range. It is not long before I start to see signs of the construction that took place to enable the tank movements and the strategically placed Radar Station. This station was built in 1942 and formed part of a network of 244 similar stations across the Country constructed between 1937 and 1944.

    The purpose of these stations was to plot the German Luftwaffe aircraft and guide British pilots. During World War II Lynnie’s mother was stationed in a unit like this in South Devon.

    I now continue along a track which leads into woods above Culver Cliff.

    There are an extensive network of paths that zigzag down through the trees.  I know that as long as I keep descending and follow the way-markers towards Minehead I will eventually end up in the town. The route I take arrives at the sea front by a park where I then walk besides the road to reach Minehead Harbour,

    From here it is a case of following the roads through Minehead to return to the caravan site to find out how Lynnie has spent her day.

    You can view this 19 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow my walk, you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL9 – Exmoor

    28th October 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

  • Room Hill from Exford

    Room Hill from Exford

    Today I am going to jam about from Exford.  It is an area I haven’t walked much before so I am off to explore.  I have a rough idea for a route, but it may well change as I go along.  It is a benefit of walking alone, you can just go where the mood takes you.  If it turns out to be uninspiring there is no one to remind you of your bad decisions.

    I leave the car park via the footpath at the far end of the parking area and head in a south-easterly direction along the edge of a field following the route of the River Exe.

    At a junction of paths I turn left on a path signposted to Higher Combe.

    I am now heading east along a track and keep going in that direction when the path enters a field of pasture.  

    The path crosses a footbridge over a stream in a band of trees.

    On the far side of the stream I head uphill across a field to join a track close to Higher Combe. I turn left and continue uphill.

    At a junction with a minor road I turn left and follow the lane to a road junction with a B road at Rock Bungalow.  I turn right and follow this lane for two and half miles to reach a turning on the right to Kemps Farm.  Here there are two bridges across the River Exe, I take the one on the left and follow a track with the River Exe to the right.

    I stay with this path to a junction of tracks near West and East Nethercote.  Here I take a Permitted Footpath towards Room Hill.

    I keep with the path as it hugs the river.

    At a junction of paths I turn left following the way markers for Room Hill, this path ascends steeply.  As the path emerges from woodland there are stunning views back into the valley.

    I am now on open access land but follow a well walked path across the summit of Room Hill heading towards Room Hill Road.  Near the road I turn right to follow another clear path heading north on the route of the Exe Valley Way, this is a long distance 52-mile path from Exford to Starcross where the River Exe reaches the sea.

    The views from this hill are stunning and get even better as I follow the Exe Valley Way to Road Hill.

    I am heading towards a line of Beech trees that are bathed in sunshine though the sky ahead is dark and as Christopher Robin would say “Tut Tut It Looks Like Rain”.

    After passing the trees I get a fantastic view of Dunkery Beacon to the north in front of me.  It is a while since I have been there and must visit it again before too long.

    After passing along the edge of a field the Exe Valley Way turns left through a gate and descends towards Court Copse.

    The route is now very straightforward keeping with the Exe Valley Way as it follows a clear path towards Court Farm.

    At Court Farm I have an option of routes, but decide to keep on the Exe Valley Way, which soon reaches a junction at Monk Cross and then descends on a road into Exford where I turn right to cross the bridge over the River Exe.

    I follow the road the short distance back to the car park.  My route has covered just over 9 miles, there has been more road walking than I planned, but it has been compensated by the stunning views from Room Hill.  

    To follow my walk you will need Ordnance Survey Outdoor Explorer OL9 – Exmoor

    You can view this 9 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    10th October 2020

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2020)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Horner Wood and Dunkery Beacon

    Horner Wood and Dunkery Beacon

    Earlier in the year I did a cracking walk from Horner on the edge of Exmoor up to Dunkery Beacon.  It was the first time I had visited the stunning Horner Wood and I knew it was somewhere Lynnie would like.  So today we are making the short journey from Minehead CAMC to the National Trust car park in Horner.
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  • A Circuit from Horner to Dunkery Beacon

    A Circuit from Horner to Dunkery Beacon

    Last year whilst staying at Cadeside CAMC in Wellington we visited Dunkery Beacon and had a wonderful afternoon, I remember the spectacular views so I have decided to return there today.  It is unusual for me to drive far to start a walk, but today it takes over an hour to get from Cadeside CAMC to the village of Horner where I park in the National Trust car park.
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  • Up Dunkery Hill

    Up Dunkery Hill

    If I am totally honest there are many things that I use whilst not understanding how they work.  When it comes to things like the car I comprehend the principles of the combustion engine and the mechanics of how it is constructed.  However, I would not for one minute consider doing anything more technical than cleaning it (occasionally), putting fuel in it and checking fluid levels and tyre pressures.
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