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We
are conveniently situated for those who wish to
explore theExmoor and North
Devon.
Minehead
is the gateway to the Exmoor National Park,
a landscape of extraordinary natural beauty and
dramatic coastal scenery. It is a marvellous area for
walking, riding, fishing or simply relaxing and
exploring.
Minehead
is a popular seaside resort and boasts a beautiful sandy
beach extending the full length of the Minehead Bay, through
to Dunster beach and Blue Anchor Bay beyond. |
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Nearby
activities include: |
| The
Coleridge Way |
| In the Footsteps of the Romantic Poet
Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1772 -1834 |
| Walk 36 miles through the stunning
Somerset countryside of the Quantock Hills, the Brendon
Hills and Exmoor, a landscape that inspired Coleridge to
produce some of his best known work. |
| From Nether Stowey on the Quantock
Hills, where Coleridge lived for three years, walk: |
- the quiet and unspoilt northern fringes of the
Quantock Hills through the villages of Holford, West
Quantoxhead and Bicknoller
- the little known Brendon Hills through the villages
of Monksilver, Roadwater and Luxborough, across Lype
Hill to Wheddon Cross
- the remote Exmoor moorland fringes of Dunkery Hill to
the woodland village of Horner
- to reach Porlock, the end of your route, on the
spectacular South West Coast Path.
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| You will travel through a variety of
landscapes: heathland, moorland, deciduous & coniferous
woodland, farmland, deeply wooded valleys and historic
villages with expansive views over to the North Somerset
Coast and Wales. Every village has at least one pub to
provide you with welcome refreshment. There are also a
number of delightful tea rooms and village shops to visit.
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| For further details see:
http://www.coleridgeway.co.uk/ |
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Coleridge Cottage was the home of
the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge for 2 years during which he
composed some of his most famous poems including ‘The
Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner’. There are four rooms on
display. Adults £3.00, children £1.50. Open
Thursday to Sunday, 2pm to 5pm, April to September.
Nether Stowey, Somerset TA5 1NQ |
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St Mary’s Church - Although a
church has stood on the site since medieval times, St Mary’s
at Nether Stowey was rebuilt between 1849 and 1851, with the
exception of the 15th Century tower. A mitre stands each
side of the sanctuary, denoting two bishops, John Fisher and
Henry Majendie, who were former vicars here. The coat of
arms of the Royal Chapel of St George, Windsor, is displayed
over the chancel arch. Just outside the church is the grave
of Thomas Poole, a contemporary of poets, William Wordsworth
and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Nether Stowey, Bridgwater, Somerset TA5 1LL |
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Kilve Beach - 5 miles away is
Kilve beach, famous for its exposed rock formations and
fossils and designated a geological Site of Specific
Scientific Interest. The beach and surrounding cliffs are
made up of layers of limestone and oil-bearing shale, dating
back to around 200 million years ago; they contain some of
the earliest ammonites to be recorded in the UK during the
mid Jurassic period. William Wordsworth, who lived for a
short time at Alfoxden House in nearby Holford, described
the beach as ‘Kilve’s delightful shore’ in
his poem, Anecdote for Fathers.
Kilve, Somerset TA5 |
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The Castle of Comfort, which is a
Grade 2 listed building, is believed to date from the 16th
century or even earlier. It was a Coaching Inn during the
17th century after which it became a coffee house and then a
cider house when copper mining took place in the area.
Miners collected their wages from the Counting House
just to the east and came down to the Castle of Comfort for
refreshment. |
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