Porlock Manor Estate, Porlock Weir, Exmoor National Park
[Main photo: Polock Manor Estate information board at Porlock Weir]
Porlock Manor Estate
Exmoor estate that rises from the coast at Porlock Bay and Porlock Weir through beautiful woodland to high moor.
Visit Porlock Weir, Worthy Wood, Shillett Wood, Porlock Common, Porlock Allotment and Madacombe within the estate.
Walk sections of the South West Coast Path, Coleridge Way and Macmillan Way West.
Location of Porlock Manor Estate
Porlock Manor Estate runs from the Exmoor coast at Porlock Bay up to the national park’s high moor.
We’ve positioned Porlock Manor Estate on Google maps. Zoom in on the ‘Satellite’ setting to see its location.
We’d recommend looking at the map of the estate on Porlock Manor Estate’s website.
Directions to, and parking at, Porlock Manor Estate
Follow the A39 to Porlock and the B3225 for Porlock Weir.
There’s parking at Porlock, Porlock Weir and at multiple places along the A39 at Porlock Common. Refer to Ordnance Survey mapping for detail.
Porlock Manor Estate
‘The Estate. The Porlock Manor Estate includes the harbour and little cottages, many of which are let to people who have worked in the local area. The Blathwayt family have looked after the Estate since 1686, when Mary Wynter married William Blathwayt who acted as Secretary of State to William III.’ (Source: information board on site.)
Attractions and points of interest in Porlock Manor Estate
Porlock Weir. Amazing coastal village with harbour, pub, hotel and beach.
Worthy Wood. Woodland above Porlock Weir. The Exmoor coast running west is heavily wooded. We’d recommend exploring these woods in spring or autumn when the colours turn.
South West Coast Path. This famous long distance coastal path passes through the estate. The Exmoor stretch is particularly impressive.
The Coleridge Way. Another long distance walking route that runs across Porlock Manor Estate.
Shillett Wood that rises above Hawkcombe Woods National Nature Reserve as marked on Ordnance Survey mapping. Explore Shillett Wood and Hawkcombe Woods National Nature Reserve. Nearby Dunkery and Horner Wood National Nature Reserve is superb as well.
Porlock Common. This is where the estate meets high moorland.
Porlock Allotment and Madacombe. Remote high moor at the southern end of the estate.
Macmillan Way West runs along the southern border of Porlock Manor Estate.
Historical and cultural attractions near Porlock Manor Estate
Porlock Weir Harbour. Beautiful harbour at Porlock Weir.
Doone Country. Richard Doddridge Blackmore's famous novel 'Lorna Doone' is set on Exmoor. Roughly speaking, Doone Valley/Doone Country runs south of Malmsmead and Oare along Badgworhty Water. It’s surrounded by high moor.
Watersmeet (National Trust). Wonderful National Trust property where Hoaroak Water joins the East Lyn River. Set in a steep-sided and heavily wooded valley, there’s a shop, tea room and garden on site. Watersmeet is part of the National Trust’s West Exmoor property covering ‘some 4000 acres (1600ha) of rocky cliffs, open moorland, steep wooded valleys and fast flowing rivers’. (Source: National Trust information board at Watersmeet.)
Lynmouth Harbour. Popular and pretty harbour between Lynmouth Western Beach and Lynmouth Eastern Beach on the Exmoor coast. Boat trips run from the harbour.
Lynmouth Pavilion National Park Centre. Visitor centre by Lynmouth Harbour.
Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. ‘The famous Lynton and Lynmouth funicular Cliff Railway opened in 1890 and is the highest and the steepest totally water powered railway in the world!’ (Source: Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway website.)
Allerford Museum West Somerset Rural Life Museum and Victorian School.
Rowbarrows west of Dunkery Beacon. Explore some of Exmoor’s rich prehistory.
Minehead Harbour. Harbour in stunning location at the western end of Minehead Beach under North Hill. ‘There has been a harbour at Minehead since the late 1300s.’ (Source: Minehead Harbour website.)
Dunster Castle (National Trust). Impressive National Trust property dominating the beautiful village of Dunster.
Dunster Yarn Market, Butter Cross and Gallox Bridge (English Heritage). English Heritage properties in Dunster.
Cleeve Abbey (English Heritage). Wonderful English Heritage property just east of Exmoor National Park.
The Ancient Mariner Sculpture in Watchet. The Watchet and Quantock Hills National Landscape area inspired Samuel Taylor Coleridge to write ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’.
Coleridge Cottage (National Trust). Visit the cottage in which Coleridge lived and wrote some of his most famous poetry. William Wordsworth lived, briefly, nearby.
Other attractions near Porlock Manor Estate
Porlock Beach. Big rock and pebble beach at the western end of Porlock Bay.
Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh SSSI/Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Bossington Beach. Big rock and pebble beach at the eastern end of Porlock Bay.
Dunkery and Horner Wood National Nature Reserve. Explore one of England’s largest and most beautiful National Nature Reserves. We’d recommend walking around Horner Wood and then heading up to Exmoor’s highest point at Dunkery Beacon on Dunkery Hill.
Exmoor International Dark Sky Reserve. The night skies above Exmoor, Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor are all exceptional.
Places to eat and drink in and around Porlock Manor Estate
We’d recommend The Bottom Ship Inn overlooking Porlock Weir Harbour.
Villages and towns near Porlock Manor Estate
Porlock. Famous West Country village in Porlock Vale.
Bossington. Village by Bossington Beach below Bossington Hill.
Allerford village. Beautiful village further inland known for its packhorse bridge.
Selworthy village. One of the West Country’s prettiest villages, Selworthy is famous for its thatched cottages and village green. Enjoy a cream tea at the Periwinkle Tea Room.
Malmsmead and Oare. Hamlet and village in Exmoor’s Doone Country. Great walking. We’d recommend following the path that runs by Badgworthy Water to the site of the medieval village in Doone Country in the heart of the moor.
Lynmouth. Famous West Country village and part of ‘England’s Little Switzerland’.
Lynton. Again, famous West Country village and part of ‘England’s Little Switzerland’. Sits above Lynmouth and close to The Valley of Rocks.
Photo Gallery
