Minehead Beach, Minehead, Exmoor National Park

Minehead Beach, Minehead, Exmoor National Park

Most popular family beach in this part of the Westcountry

Minehead Beach is the most popular family beach in this part of the Westcountry. Located on the eastern border of Exmoor National Park below the imposing North Hill, it's a huge low tide mainly sand beach that's geared to holidaymakers. The beach backs onto a sea wall and promenade. There are great local facilities including pubs, cafes and shops. Minehead Harbour is at the western end of the beach. Dunster Beach is to the south east.

 

Location of Minehead Beach

Minehead Beach is located by the eastern border of Exmoor National Park in West Somerset. The popular Exmoor gateway village of Dunster is to the south east. The Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is to the east.

The beach sits below North Hill. Porlock Bay, Bossington Beach and Porlock Beach are to the west.

We've positioned Minehead Beach on Google maps. Zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location.

 

Directions to, and parking at, Minehead Beach

Drive the A39 to Minehead and then follow one of the many roads across town to the seafront.

Moving west to east, there's parking at Quay West Car Park (by Minehead Harbour), North Road Car Park (behind the Esplanade), Station Car Park and the large East Car Park behind the eastern end of Minehead Beach. There's also plenty of parking behind the sea wall along Warren Road, the Esplanade and Quay Street.

You can walk in on the South West Coast Path and the West Somerset Coast Path.

Last, you can take the West Somerset Railway to Minehead. Note that the nearest national network train station is at Taunton.

 

Minehead Beach

Minehead is a huge low tide mainly sand beach that arcs from Minehead Harbour in the west to Madbrain Sands/Dunster Beach in the east. The back area of the beach is sand. There are areas of sand and stone most noticeably to the west near the harbour. The beach is sand and mud where it meets the sea at low tide.

There's a pebble beach just west of Minehead Harbour that's reminiscent of Bossington Beach and Porlock Beach at Porlock Shingle Ridge. Madbrain Sands and Dunster Beach are vast low tide sand and stone beaches. Note that there's a submarine forest at Madbrain Sands at low tide.

Minehead Beach backs onto a sea wall and there are substantial sea defences on either side. The South West Coast Path starts/ends behind the western section of the beach. The West Somerset Coast Path heads east behind the sand.

You can enjoy beautiful views of Minehead Beach from Minehead Harbour and North Hill.

There are good facilities and you can try various watersports in the area.

 

Beaches near Minehead Beach

Beaches on the coastline east of Minehead Beach:

Dunster Beach

Blue Anchor Beach

Watchet West Street Beach

Helwell Bay Beach

Doniford Beach

St Audrie's Bay Beach

East Quantoxhead Beach

Kilve Beach

Lilstock Beach

 

Beaches on the coastline west of Minehead Beach:

Bossington Beach

Porlock Beach

Sillery Sands (Beach)

Lynmouth Eastern Beach

Lynmouth Western Beach

Wringcliff Bay Beach

Lee Abbey Bay Beach

Woody Bay Beach

Heddon's Mouth Beach

Wild Pear Beach

Combe Martin Beach

Combe Martin Newbury Beach

Broadsands Beach

Watermouth Cove (Beach)

Hele Beach

Ilfracombe Rapparee Cove (Beach)

Ilfracombe Wildersmouth Beach

Ilfracombe Tunnels Beaches

Lee Bay Beach

Sandy Cove (Beach)

 

North Devon Atlantic facing beaches:

Rockham Beach

Grunta Beach

Barricane Beach

Woolacombe Sand (Beach)

Putsborough Sand (Beach)

Croyde Sand (Beach)

Saunton Sands (Beach)

Northam Burrows Beach

Westward Ho! Beach

Instow Sands (Beach)

 

Things to do near Minehead Beach

South West Coast Path

West Somerset Coast Path

Dunster Castle

The Dunster Douglas (the tallest tree in England)

West Somerset Railway

Dunkery Beacon

The Valley of Rocks

Lynton and Lynmouth Railway

Watersmeet (National Trust)

 

Villages and towns near Minehead Beach

Dunster

Selworthy

Bossington

Porlock

Porlock Weir

Lynton

Lynmouth