South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture, Minehead, Exmoor National Park

[Main photo: the South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture on Quay Street overlooking Minehead Beach and close to Minehead Harbour]

In Minehead, the start/end of the South West Coast Path is marked by a sculpture

The South West Coast Path is a 630 miles long distance trail following the West Country coast from Minehead in Somerset to Poole in Dorset. In Minehead, the start/end of the South West Coast Path is marked by a sculpture. The coastal path then runs along the Exmoor coast to the highest cliffs in mainland Britain.

Location of the South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture

The South West Coast Past Start/End Sculpture is situated on Quay Street close to Minehead Harbour on the west side of Minehead Beach. North Hill rises above the sculpture.

We’ve positioned the South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture on Google maps. Zoom in on the ‘Satellite’ setting to see its location.

Directions to, and parking at, South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture

Walk the Esplanade and then Quay Street in the direction of Minehead Harbour. You’ll see The Quay Inn on the left and the large sculpture on the right.

There’s street parking along the Esplanade and Quay Street. There are various car parks in town. Try Station Car Park, North Road Car Park, Clanville Car Park, Summerland Car Park and Alexandra Car Park. There are lots of car parks by Butlin’s Minehead if you’re staying there.

You can also park at Quay West Car Park by Minehead Harbour and wander back down Quay Street to get to the South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture.

South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture

The sculpture consists of a pair of hands reading a map of the South West Coast Path route.

See also The Walker statue in Lynmouth. This is at the start/end of the Two Moors Way that runs across Exmoor, Mid Devon and Dartmoor to Ivybridge on the southern border of Dartmoor National Park.

The South West Coast Path

The South West Coast Path climbs the huge whaleback North Hill and Bossington Hill. The views from Bossington Hill across Porlock Bay and then along the Exmoor coast are superb. From this high ground, the path drops down to the bay and crosses Sparkhayes Marsh (National Trust) on its way to the very pretty Porlock Weir. Note that you cannot walk along the shingle ridge to Porlock Weir owing to a sea breach.

The West Somerset Coast Path

The West Somerset Coast Path is a 25 mile long distance walking route that passes through Watchet. It's this area's version of Exmoor's South West Coast Path. Highly recommended. 'The West Somerset Coast Path runs from the hamlet of Steart to the coastal resort of Minehead and passes through the Quantock Hills National Landscape (former Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or AONB). The Coast Path links the River Parrett Trail to the South West Coast Path National Trail. The path also joins the Coleridge Way and Quantock Greenway just south of the A39 near East Quantoxhead.' (Source: West Somerset Coast Path leaflet.)

Minehead Beach, the coast and the South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture

The sculpture overlooks Minehead Beach.

Beaches running east of Minehead include:

Dunster Beach. If you follow the coast eastwards, you come to Dunster Beach and then Blue Anchor Beach. Sand and stone. Massive low tide beaches with plenty of parking. Big views across Blue Anchor Bay.

The beaches east of Minehead and Dunster are known for their fossils. They are part of the Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

This stretch of coastline is a bit like the famous Dorset and East Devon Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site more commonly known as the Jurassic Coast. Great place to find fossils!

'Description and reasons for notification. An outstanding series of sections through the Lover Lias, spanning the Hettangian and Lover Pliensbachian Stages. This sequence and the good Rhaetian succession beneath are repeatedly affected by faulting, making many sections available in comparison to the same interval on the Glamorgan and Dorset casts. In a British context the Watchet coast is the thickest succession for this interval. This makes it of international significance, for Britain's Lias sequences are arguably the best in N.W. Europe. In addition it has been proposed that this coast be accepted as the standard for the base of the Hettangian Stage, and thus by definition the Jurassic as a whole. An internationally important stratigraphic locality.' (Source: Natural England)

Historical and cultural attractions near near South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture

Minehead Harbour

Dunster Castle (National Trust)

Dunster Yarn Market, Butter Cross and Gallox Bridge (English Heritage)

Cleeve Abbey (English Heritage)

The Ancient Mariner Sculpture in Watchet

Coleridge Cottage (National Trust)

Allerford Museum West Somerset Rural Life Museum and Victorian School

Gardens near South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture

Minehead Blenheim Gardens

Dunster Gardens, Dovecote and Tithe Barn

Dunster Castle (National Trust). The castle is surrounded by many gardens and heavily wooded walkways. The Keep Garden tops the hill on which the castle sits. Lawn’s Bridge, Marshall’s Bridge and Lovers’ Bridge span the River Avill on the eastern side of the castle.

Selworthy Green (National Trust)

Knightshayes (National Trust)

Cothay Manor

Hestercombe House & Gardens

Other attractions near South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture

West Somerset Railway

Dunster Estate (The Crown Estate)

Conygar Tower

The tallest tree in England

Dunster Beach

Holnicote Estate (National Trust). Holnicote Estate is 'one of the largest and most diverse countryside properties owned and managed by the National Trust. The 5026 hectare estate gives you the opportunity to discover picturesque villages, woodland, farmland, moorland coastline, archaeological sites and a wide array of wildlife, including many species that are rare in the UK. Most of the estate can be explored using more that 240km of bridleways and footpaths.' (Source: information board at Selworthy). We'd recommend following the moorland road that climbs to Webber's Post and Dunkery Hill. Walk to Dunkery Beacon which is the highest point in Exmoor National Park. There are huge panoramic views. It's particularly impressive in late summer when the heather's out.

Dunkery and Horner Wood National Nature Reserve

Dunkery Beacon (National Trust)

Villages and towns near South West Coast Path Start/End Sculpture

Dunster

Washford

Watchet

Selworthy

Allerford

Bossington

Porlock

Porlock Weir

Wheddon Cross