Porlock Beach, Porlock, Exmoor National Park
Rock and pebble beach by beautiful Porlock Weir
Porlock Beach is a long rock and pebble beach in a stunning location by Porlock Weir at the western end of Porlock Shingle Ridge. The beach looks out across Porlock Bay. Bossington Beach is to the east. Heavily wooded cliffs runs west.
The Ship Inn is in a super location at the western end of Porlock Beach at Porlock Weir. There's a large-ish car park and public toilets.
Location of Porlock Beach
Porlock Bay is at the eastern end of the Exmoor coastline. An arc of rock and pebbles runs from Gore Point in the west to Hurlstone Point in the east. These rocks and pebbles back up to form Porlock Shingle Ridge. Porlock Beach is at the western end of the ridge by Porlock Weir.
We've positioned Porlock Beach on Google maps. Zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location.
Directions to, and parking at, Porlock Beach
Drive the A39 to Porlock and then follow the signs to West Porlock (1 mile)/Porlock Weir & Harbour (1 3/4 miles).
There's plenty of parking on your right as you enter Porlock Weir. The car park is clearly visible on Google's satellite imagery.
Porlock Beach
Porlock Beach is marked just east of Porlock Weir on Ordnance Survey mapping. When you are there, you'll find a big rock and pebble beach that sweeps from Gore Point/The Gore past Porlock Weir & Harbour to the eastern side of the hamlet. The beach extends along Porlock Shingle Ridge to the breach in the ridge. Bossington Beach is east of that breach (see below for more information on this). To access Bossington Beach from Porlock Beach, follow the South West Coast Path through Porlock Marsh.
Porlock Weir is a popular and very beautiful place so there are good facilities including The Ship Inn.
Porlock Beach and the Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh SSSI/Site of Special Scientific Interest
Porlcok Beach is part of the Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh SSSI/Site of Special Scientific Interest which lines Porlock Bay from Hurlstone Point in the east to Gore Point in the west (roughly 4.5km/3m in length) and covers the saltmarsh that sits behind Porlock Shingle Ridge.
The Natural England Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh SSSI citation provides an excellent description of the area:
'This site comprises a shingle ridge and associated saltmarsh hinterland extending for a distance of approximately 4 kilometres along the west Somerset coast, immediately north of Porlock village. Porlock shingle ridge was formed, as sea level rose during the middle part of the Holocene epoch, from shingle eroded from head deposits which masked the sea cliffs to the west after the last glacial period. This major source of coarse sediment has long since disappeared, leaving only a relatively insignificant input of sediment from occasional cliff falls. The inputs of sediment to the beach ridge from this modern source are too small to sustain the earlier beach profile and the increase in the length of the ridge as it continues to rollback, in a lengthening curve, into Porlock Bay. This means that the ridge has been growing steadily thinner ever since it was formed, a condition exacerbated by the further reduction in shingle inputs caused by the construction of groynes at Gore Point at the western extremity of the ridge. The modern ridge was therefore unable to withstand recent extreme storm events and a breach opened during the storm of October 1996 which flooded the low lying marsh hinterland. Rapid evolution of the beach following the breach is providing a unique opportunity to study the development of a coarse sediment barrier system in an open coast location.' (Source: Natural England Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh SSSI citation)
Important note on Porlock Beach and Porlock Shingle Ridge
Please note that the South West Coast Path/public footpath no longer runs across Porlock Shingle Ridge from Bossington Beach to Porlock Beach. According to the Exmoor National Park Authority, it is permanently closed. 'Porlock Shingle Ridge is impassable due to the breach. Do not attempt to cross, even at low water. Follow signs from Bossington to Porlock Weir.' (Source: Exmoor National Park Authority website)
When walking the area, you're directed through Porlock Marsh behind Porlock Shingle Ridge. It's well signposted and a beautiful walk.
Beaches near Porlock Beach
Beaches on the coastline east of Porlock Beach:
Bossington Beach
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 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 Porlock Beach
South West Coast Path
Dunkery Beacon and Exmoor's high moor
Dunster Castle
The Dunster Douglas (the tallest tree in England)
West Somerset Railway
The Valley of Rocks
Lynton and Lynmouth Railway
Watersmeet (National Trust)
Villages and towns near Porlock Beach
Porlock Weir
Porlock
Bossington
Allerford
Selworthy
Minehead
Dunster
Lynton
Lynmouth
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