First Walk from Holnicote House, Selworthy in Somerset. Sutton Coldfield Ramblers Four Day Group Holiday

21 Mar
A choice of two walks today. One taking in Porlock and the other rather more strenuous walk up to Selworthy Beacon and back via picturesque villages.
We were pleased to see sunshine as earlier forecasts promised rain.
A light shower on the climb up to Selworthy Village and a rainbow to compensate.
A typical cottage hereabouts
With locally made produce on sale
Climbing still further above the village
Selworthy is a village of picturesque thatched cottages which is part of the National Trust’s huge Holnicote Estate, which takes in over 12,000 acres of Exmoor coast and countryside.
The charm of Selworthy is the wonderfully preserved thatched cottages and the historic All Saints church. The church is perched on the side of the hill, and the view from the porch out over the Vale of Porlock to the moors beyond is quite superb.
Highlights in the church include the 12th century font, painted nave ceiling, and 18th century gallery.
Amazing ceiling
Never far away from running water
Underfoot conditions were good and very often we enjoyed grassy pathways.
Selworthy Beacon

Its elevation is 1,013 feet (309 m

This sixteenth century Beacon was (as its name implies) the site of a beacon to warn of impending invasions.
Sea views
Looking down towards Porlock Marsh
Porlock to the right
There followed a long and in some places quite tricky descent.
A dramatic image of a fallen tree
“Watersmeeting”! And what a contrast between the two watercourses.
We eventually reached sea level in Bossington‘s National Trust car park.
Bossington

A picturesque hamlet in Selworthy parish, on the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate. Distinctive cottages with chimney stacks and bread ovens bulging from the facades line the single street.
Aforesaid bread ovens.
We then traversed Lynch with its GRADE II listed Chapel of Rest by passing its Mill,now a guest house which boasted of Tennis and squash courts as part of its “ exclusive” amenities – last things I could have done with! A tea room would have been good,though!
Allerford is a small pretty village, located just east of Porlock, and home to the iconic and historic Pack Horse Bridge.
The picturesque 15th century bridge which spans the Aller Brook is a Grade II listing structure supported on two segmented arches. The village is full of attractive period houses. Within the village is the West Somerset Rural Life Museum and Victorian Schoolroom, an attractive thatched building that served as the village’s school in the 19th century.

A rural settlement between the moorland hills of Dunkery Beacon and Selworthy Beacon; when it rains on the surrounding moorland the water is forced through the village. Allerford is at the heart of nationally important research work to see how moorland management can reduce the flooding risk that communities such as Allerford face. The enquiry draws very much on the experiences and archive images from the 1952 Lynmouth Flood Disaster, with extension activities along the Lynn included.
The Packhorse Bridge
We crossed over the muddy coloured stream and followed a path back to Holnicote. A distance in the region of 8 or 9 miles, depending on whose Fitbit you relied upon. Regardless of that, it was a very enjoyable walk, led by Mike.

Leave a comment