Guided Walking at Selworthy

   Easier Walks     Medium Walks       Harder Walks

Easier Walks have gentle gradients. Medium Walks are on undulating paths. Harder Walks follow undulating paths, with steeper sections.

• Our experienced guides offer the choice of up to three different walks each day
• Choose the option which best suits your interests and fitness; take an Easier Walk one day and switch to a Harder Walk the next
• We offer a social activity each evening

2012 - Itinerary One

7 night holidays
Days 1-7: Fri 6 April; Sat 5, 19 May; Sat 2, 16 June; Sat 14 July; Sat 18 Aug; Sat 15, 29 Sept

4 night holidays
Days 1-4: Fri 6 April; Sat 5 May; Sat 16 June; Sat 15 Sept

3 night holidays
Days 2 & 4: Fri 9, 16, 30 March; Fri 13 April; Fri 19, 26 Oct; Fri 2, 9 Nov
Days 5-7: Tues 10 April; Wed 9 May; Wed 21 June; Wed 19 Sept

See below for Itinerary Two

Day 1: Arrival day 

Meet your leaders who will tell you more about the walks.

Day 2: Holnicote and Selworthy Beacon

Easier Walk: A circular walk taking in woodland paths, National Trust villages and the coast at Porlock Bay. 6¾ miles with 700 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: Heading up onto the moorland we follow the South West Coast Path around Selworthy Beacon and North Hill, passing through Selworthy village. 7½ miles with 1,150 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: This walk reaches North Hill via an alternative and more rugged coast path through three deep combes above the sea.  We return via Selworthy village to Holnicote House, once owned by the Acland family, who rebuilt Selworthy village in 1828, and now owned by the National Trust. 10 miles with 1,300 feet of ascent.

Day 3: The Doone Valley to Watersmeet

Easier Walk: We visit the valleys of Oare Water and Badgworthy Water (Doone Valley) to visit some of the sights made famous by the 1869 novel Lorna Doone. We reach the East Lyn River and walk down beside it to the old fishing lodge at Watersmeet, now a National Trust shop and cafe. 7½ miles with 750 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: We walk across moorland to the Doone Valley, passing Oare Church and Cloud Farm on the banks of Badgworthy Water.  We then traverse open moorland to the hamlet of Rockford and along the cascading waters to Watersmeet. 9½ miles with 1,000 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: We also walk in Lorna Doone country, following the course of Badgworthy Water before we pick up the route of the Two Moors Way and on to Cheriton Ridge with its panoramic views into Wales.  We arrive at Watersmeet via some impressive waterfalls. 11¼ miles with 900 feet of ascent.

Day 4: Valley and hills to Dunster Castle

Easier Walk: Today we take a scenic walk to Dunster with its yarn market, castle and other historic sites. The route is via the hidden valley of Withycombe and the castle’s old deer park. 7 miles with 900 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: From Holnicote House we take a mixture of estate and moorland paths to the viewpoint at Webber’s Post – overlooking the Horner Valley – before reaching Dunster via Wootton Courtenay and Grabbist Hill. 9¼ miles with 1,350 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: Following a similar route to the Medium Walk we have an extra highlight in ascending Dunkery Beacon, the highest point in Exmoor and indeed in Somerset. 12¼ miles with 2,150 feet of ascent.

Day 5:

For 3 night holidays arriving today, this is your chance to meet your leaders.

If you have booked a 7 night holiday, today is a free day with no guided walks organised. This is a great opportunity to explore Exmoor independently – see the Local Area tab for places that you may enjoy visiting.

Day 6: From Exford via the River Barle to Simonsbath

Easier Walk: We start near Exford and head south to join the Two Moors Way above the River Barle. Passing Cow Castle, an Iron Age hill fortress, and Wheal Eliza, a 19^th century iron mine, we end at Simonsbath, the highest village in Exmoor. 7 miles with 650 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: From Exford we follow the River Exe to Withypool and into the Royal Forest on a high level route into Simonsbath. 9 miles with 1,200 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: From Stone Cross we head to Exford on moorland and field paths before following the River Exe to Withypool and the River Barle.  We then follow the route of the other walkers to Simonsbath. 12½ miles with 1,500 feet of ascent.

Day 7: Along the coast to Lynmouth

 Easier Walk: We cross Countisbury Common for fine inland views of Exmoor before heading to the lighthouse at Foreland Point with lovely coastal views. We then join the South West Coast Path to descend gently into Lynmouth, walking along some of the highest coastal cliffs in England. 6½ miles with 650 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: We follow the South West Coast Path to Lynmouth with amazing wildlife including a great variety of birds, deer and hedgerow flowers. 8½ miles with 1,100 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: From the old staging post of Culbone Inn we follow the coast on an undulating path for most of the route with dramatic views before finishing in Lynmouth, an old fishing port which is now a tourist centre. 10¾ miles with 1,200 feet of ascent.

2012 - Itinerary Two

7 night holidays
Days 1-7: Sat 12, 26 May; Sat 9, 30 June; Sat 21 July; Sat 8, 22 Sept

6 night holiday
Days 1-5 & 7: Sat 6 Oct

4 night holidays
Days 1-4: Mon 12, 19, 26 March; Mon 16, 23 April; Sat 12 May; Sat 21 July; Mon 22, 29 Oct; Mon 5 Nov

3 night holidays
Days 5-7: Wed 16 May; Wed 25 July

Day 1: Arrival day 

Meet your leaders who will tell you more about the walks.

Day 2: Selworthy and its Beacon

Easier Walk: A local circular route to follow woodland paths, visit National Trust villages, see an ancient packhorse bridge and take a coastal path before ending at Selworthy village with time to explore. 6 miles with 800 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: This walk heads up onto moorland and the South West Coast Path around Selworthy Beacon and North Hill, with views over the Bristol Channel.  We then head into Selworthy with its charm and beauty. 9 miles with 1,300 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: From Allerford we head to Bossington and the pebble beach before ascending Selworthy Beacon, on to North Hill, and back to Selworthy. 11 miles with 1,600 feet of ascent.

Day 3: The East Lyn River and Valley of Rocks

Easier Walk: This walk provides a chance to explore Lynton and Lynmouth. From Barna Barrow we walk to Countisbury and follow a zig-zag path to Watersmeet.  We then head down the valley of the East Lyn River to Lynmouth before taking the Victorian cliff railway to Lynton. 7 miles with 500 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: From Barna Barrow – with amazing views from the 1,000 feet high cliffs – we walk to Watersmeet and on to Lynton. We climb to a panoramic viewpoint above the Valley of Rocks before zig-zagging down the valley to Lynton and Lynmouth. 8½ miles with 1,100 feet of ascent and 2,225 feet of descent.

Harder Walk: Walking a similar route to the other walkers but taking in the Valley of Rocks and the beach of Lee Bay before returning to Lynton via a high level path, and heading over the Cleaves to Watersmeet. 11 miles with 2,000 feet of ascent.

Day 4: From the turnpike road to Holnicote House

Easier Walk: Taking inland paths from AA Box 137, one of England’s smallest listed buildings, we continue through woods and valleys and around Halse Combe with the chance to see red deer on our way back to Holnicote House. 7 miles with 675 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: Taking a broadly similar route to the easier walk, we walk through woods and valleys and around Halse Combe, with the chance to see red deer on our way back to Holnicote House. 9¼ miles with 1,000 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: Walking from Culbone Stables Inn, one of Exmoor’s highest pubs, we follow a route taking in Robber’s Bridge, Oareford and the long-ruined farmhouses of Tom’s Hill and Larkbarrow.  We return to Holnicote House via Halse Combe. 12½ miles with 2,250 feet of ascent.

Day 5:

For 3 night holidays arriving today, this is your chance to meet your leaders.

If you have booked a 7 night holiday, today is a free day with no guided walks organised. This is a great opportunity to explore Exmoor independently – see the Local Area tab for places that you may enjoy visiting.

Day 6: The Quantocks

Easier Walk: The Quantock Hills (and 12 mile ridge) has been an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1956. We take in Will’s Neck, the highest point on the Quantocks, before dropping to Nether Stowey with its ruined Norman Castle and important associations with Coleridge. 7 miles with 675 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: This walk goes over Will’s Neck and then follows the ridge down to the sea at Kilve.  Here the beach is a Site of Special Scientific Interest with its striking geology and fossils. 8¾ miles with 850 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: We walk the length of the Quantocks ridge from Cothelstone Hill to East Quantoxhead, before reaching the coast at Kilve beach and following through to Kilve village in the footsteps of the medium party. 12¼ miles with 1,200 feet of ascent.

Day 7: Horner Hill, Dunkery Beacon and Horner Water

Easier Walk: We walk from Exford Common to reach open moorland and the top of Dunkery Beacon, the highest point in Exmoor, with views towards Dartmoor and over to Wales. 7½ miles with 400 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: We walk through the Raleigh Manor Estate and on towards our objective of the day, the ascent of Dunkery Beacon. We cross open moorland into Horner Wood Nature Reserve, following East Water and Horner Water to Horner village itself and then back to Holnicote House. 9 miles with 950 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: Starting in Exford we head for the open moorland of Dunkery Beacon and after passing two ancient barrows reach Stoke Pero church before heading down to Horner. 11¾ miles with 1,100 feet of ascent.           

Local transport

On some days the walks start and finish at our Country House, Holnicote House. On other days you’ll be transported to other parts of Exmoor. The cost of all transport to and from the walks is included in the price of your holiday.

Our guests

The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. There is normally a good mix of ages, of new guests and 'regulars' from Britain and overseas, and of people travelling alone, with a partner or with friends.

In the evenings

Your leaders will inform you about the choice of walks for the next day and answer any questions you may have. After a sociable evening meal you could join in an organised activity such as a quiz or a talk about the local area, relax in the bar or use the Country House facilities.