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10 inspiring walks in Devon and Somerset

The rolling hills near Porlock - ©2015 Martyn Ferry
The rolling hills near Porlock - ©2015 Martyn Ferry

As Telegraph Travel challenges readers to cover 1,000 miles on foot in 2020, Richard Madden reflects on a walk in Coleridge country that changed him, and suggests other routes in the region

Is it just me or have the Romantic poets lost their allure for teenagers? When I mentioned excitedly to a school group I was guiding around Winchester last September that it was exactly 200 years to the day since Keats took a walk along the River Itchen and wrote the Ode to Autumn, I was met with a wall of indifference.

How very different from my Romantics-obsessed younger self. In my early 20s I made a life-changing pilgrimage to Porlock on the north coast of Somerset to discover for myself the landscapes that inspired the ‘sinuous rills’, ‘forests ancient as the hills’ and ‘caverns measureless to man’ of Coleridge’s Kubla Khan.

I remember wandering along the main street wondering which of the houses belonged to the man ‘on business from Porlock’ who disturbed Coleridge from his reverie. Later, after walking along the beach to Porlock Weir, I joined the coastal footpath that wends its way up the cliff-side and under the cover of dense woodland to Anglo-Saxon Culbone Church, the smallest Parish church in England. It is certainly one of the most atmospheric.

Here I opened my schoolboy copy of Coleridge’s poems and declaimed out loud to any squirrels and birds that cared to listen the bard’s fantastical tale of ‘romantic chasms’ and ‘incense-bearing trees’. I would love to be able to report a ‘damsel with a dulcimer’ materialising out of the woods and offering me the ‘milk of paradise’. If she did, she stole back my memories along with her magic potion.

Later, I remember being slightly disappointed with the real-life version of ‘Alph, the sacred river’ which babbles contentedly enough down the cliff-side but would certainly have required a few strong draughts from the poet’s opium bottle to convert it into the seething turmoil of the poem. More rousing were the views over the Bristol Channel when I emerged from the tree-line high above the cliffs and discovered Ash Farm, today a B&B, where the poet composed his immortal fragment. 

Culbone Church - Credit: getty
Culbone Church Credit: getty

That walk made me realise that the way we react to the landscape is just as important as the way it looks, and I have been a zealous walker ever since.

As the first in a series of monthly suggestions for inspirational walks across the UK, with the aim to provide you with 1,000 miles of fabulous trails to uncover over the course of the year, I hope you will enjoy my pick of top walks in Somerset and Devon.

They include several on those two mystical moors, Exmoor and Dartmoor, as well as those along the coast, through river gorges, among woodland and across some of the country’s most unique landscapes. 

Kubla Khan circuit

Discover the inspiration for Coleridge’s ‘forests ancient as the hills’ and ‘caverns measureless to man’. A walk that passes Ash Farm where Coleridge wrote Kubla Khan and was famously disturbed by the man from Porlock. The section along the South West Coast Path (SWCP) also takes in Culbone Church, an 11th century church surrounded by woodland.

Distance: 6 miles

Map: OS OL9

Route: From Porlock Weir take the SWCP west to Silcombe Farm before taking the lane east past Ash Farm to Yearnor Mill Bridge and along the top edge of Worthy Wood before dropping down to the start.

Dunkery Beacon

As lord and master of the Western Marches, your view from Dunkery Beacon (1,703ft) will take in Dartmoor to the south, the Mendips and Quantocks to the east, and the Brecon Beacons in Wales to the north. This challenging walk through Dunkery and Horner Wood Nature Reserve will give you a real sense of achievement.

Distance: 11 miles

Map: OS OL9

Route: From Horner, follow the west (right) bank of the river to the footbridge at Prickslade Combe and up onto Stoke Pero Common before heading east along the Macmillan Way West to the summit. The route back is more direct, heading south down Horner Hill to the car park.

Dunkery Beacon - Credit: getty
Dunkery Beacon Credit: getty

Dunster Castle

Gazing out over the coast from its forested motte above the A39, 13th-century Dunster Castle is a National Trust treasure. Just to the south is Gallox Bridge, an arched medieval packhorse bridge over the River Avill. This is a great starting point for a number of possible trails visiting two nearby Iron Age hillforts, Bat’s Castle and Black Ball Camp.

Distance: 5 miles

Map: OS OL9

Route: From Gallox Bridge, head either east or west before circling south to King’s Hedge Coppice and back to the start. Permissive paths lead off to both Bat’s Castle and Black Ball Camp on Gallox Hill.

Dunster Castle - Credit: GETTY
Dunster Castle Credit: GETTY

Watersmeet House

This walk combines the ancient oak woodlands along the banks of the East Lyn river, where it meets Farley Water, with the charming town of Lynmouth, and a delightful section of the north Devon coast. The route also passes both Watersmeet House (National Trust) and historic Countisbury Church.

Distance: 9 miles

Map: OS OL9

Route: From the car park at Watersmeet House (A39), take the steep footpath to the river and follow the footpath along the northern bank to Lynmouth. Head back east along the SWCP to Countisbury and then south back to the start.

This walk features the ancient oak woodlands along the banks of the East Lyn river - Credit: getty
This walk features the ancient oak woodlands along the banks of the East Lyn river Credit: getty

Wimbleball Lake Reservoir

Since the 1970s when it was constructed, Wimbleball Lake Reservoir in the far south of Exmoor National Park has become a magnet for watersports and outdoor activities. The resident wildlife includes red deer, hedgehogs, bats, kestrel, Canada geese and mallard. The lakeside circuit takes around three hours to walk, with possible extensions including a diversion through Hurscombe Nature Reserve at the northern end.

Distance: 9 miles

Map: OS OL9

Route: From the western car park head south towards the reservoir dam (30 mins) or north towards Bessom Bridge and follow the lake’s edge back to the start.

Wimbleball Lake Reservoir - Credit: GETTY
Wimbleball Lake Reservoir Credit: GETTY

Castle Drogo

Castle Drogo was designed by legendary architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, and was the last castle to be built in Britain. Located just a few miles from the north-east edge of Dartmoor, this walk through the adjacent Teign Gorge is a little-know gem and includes stupendous views over the moor from beneath the castle walls.

Distance: 3 miles

Map: OS OL28

Route: Start at either Castle Drogo or Fingle Bridge on the River Teign to the east. Follow the Dartmoor Way along the riverbank and return high above the valley along the Two Moors Way.

Stone circles of Dartmoor

Nowhere are the mysterious ritual beliefs of our Neolithic ancestors more evident than on Dartmoor with literally hundreds of stone monuments scattered across this enigmatic landscape. This walk starts from Postbridge, on the moor, and visits the Grey Wethers and Fernworthy stone circles plus two standing stones and several stone rows on the return leg.

Distance: 10 miles

Map: OS OL28

Route: From Postbridge, follow the path north over the moor passing Grey Wethers and then through Fernworthy Forest where there are both stone circles and rows. Take the return route back south over Hurston Ridge.

One of Dartmoor's stone circles - Credit: GETTY
One of Dartmoor's stone circles Credit: GETTY

Dart Valley Trail

Following the valley of the River Dart for 16 miles between Dartmouth and Totnes, the Dart Valley Trail follows pathways on both sides of the river joined by a ferry crossing. This beguiling section between Kingswear and Greenway passes through woodland above a steam railway before ending at Greenway House, the former family home of Agatha Christie that is now a National Trust property.

Distance: 4 miles

Map: OS OL20

Route: From Kingswear across the water from Dartmouth, follow the footpath north along the estuary, heading inland above the creek at Cart Wood and then north through the oak woodland at Long Wood. A history lesson awaits at Greenway House, home of both Sir Walter Raleigh and Dame Agatha Christie.

The River Dart - Credit: GETTY
The River Dart Credit: GETTY

Portlemouth Down

Hill-top meadows, winding country lanes, woodland trails, sandy coves, views over Salcombe harbour, and some of the most stunning coastal walking on the South West Coast Path await you on this path. Don’t forget to check out the brilliant Millpool Inn at South Pool when you’re done.

Distance: 8 miles

Map: OS OL 20

Route: From East Portlemouth join the SWCP and wander along the edge of Salcombe Harbour to the headland at Limbury Point. Continue south-east to Prawle Point before following the mix of footpaths and quiet country lanes to Rickham and back to the start.

Tor baggers delight

Like the Munros of Scotland, Dartmoor’s more modest granite Tors attract ‘baggers’. This circuit will get you off to a great start bagging four with minimum effort (only 156 to go). All have superb views on a clear day over Dartmoor to the Teign Estuary and the dazzling coast.

Distance: 7 miles

Map: OS OL28

Route: From Buckland in the Moor head north to both Pil Tor and adjacent Top Tor on Blackslade Down before turning south-east to Rippon Tor. Next is Buckland Beacon to the south-west followed by the final leg back to Buckland.

The view from Rippon Tor - Credit: getty
The view from Rippon Tor Credit: getty

Branscombe cliffs

This walk combines the chalk and red sandstone cliffs of the oldest (200 million years) section of the Jurassic Coast with some sublime cliff-top woods and steep coastal valleys bursting with wildflowers. As the longest village in England, Branscombe is a gem, spread out along a country lane winding its way down the side of a valley.

Distance: 8 miles

Map: OS 115

Route: From Branscombe follow the SWCP west to Dunscombe Cliff and then turn inland to Weston. On the return leg, follow the delightful country lanes to Street and back to Branscombe.

This is the oldest section of the Jurassic Coast - Credit: GETTY
This is the oldest section of the Jurassic Coast Credit: GETTY
Where to stay

Simonsbath House

A hotel with adjoining cottages in the heart of Exmoor perfectly located for a walking holiday (from £130 for a twin room per night; simonsbathhouse.co.uk).

English Country Cottages

An atmospheric country cottage in a beautiful location, this is a great option for a walking holiday (from £229 per night for a cottage for two people; english-country-cottages.co.uk).

Ash Farm, Porlock 

The farm where Coleridge wrote his masterpiece is now a B&B (from £25 pp per night; porlock.co.uk/properties/ash-farm).

The Best of Exmoor

If you’re looking for more ideas, this locally run website is great for info on where to stay, places to eat, and general information (thebestofexmoor.co.uk).

Other great literary walks

Walks with a theme at their heart are always compelling. Whatever your passion, from history to famous battlefields, or from architecture to geology, a route that links significant locations, buildings or landscapes, lets the imagination run riot, making past events larger than life and bringing them into sharp, three-dimensional focus.

Walks with literary associations in Devon and Somerset include the 51-mile Coleridge Way (visit-exmoor.co.uk/coleridge-way) linking Nether Stowey (where the poet lived) to Lynmouth on the north coast of Devon and The Tarka Trail (tarkatrail.org.uk), a figure-of-eight 180-mile epic following the route taken by Henry Williamson’s Tarka the Otter along and between the Taw and Torridge rivers.

There are also many trails passing through R D Blackmore’s Lorna Doone country on Exmoor. Other literary connections include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Hound of the Baskervilles, Dartmoor) and Dame Agatha Christie (Torquay).

More information at visit-exmoor.co.uk; visitdartmoor.co.uk; visitsouthdevon.co.uk