Minehead to Bossington: Walking the Start of the South West Coast Path
It’s taken me years of writing about hikes to realise this, but I am beginning to discover there are two types of people who like to go out putting one foot in front of the other as a recreational pastime. There are walkers, and there are… Well, let’s for the sake of my argument, call them ramblers.
The former like to go out walking in the countryside simply because it’s a pleasurable thing to do and it allows them to have a day out which will probably include a pub lunch or a cream tea, along with perhaps a visit to some village or town where they might visit the local shops.
The latter go walking because, for them, putting one foot in front of the other is THE thing to do. The act of preparing the route, then marching along it – rarely stopping except to take a few positional readings on their sat-nav device – is enough in itself.
Just walking… That is the be-all, and end-all.
I say this because I came back from a truly amazing walking holiday in mountains on a hot and distant island, and some of the folk with me were of the latter category.
There was Hesp, for example, wanting to stop off in some country inn around lunchtime for a spot of locally grown and cooked food – and there were the diehards who were happy to munch an industrially processed fruit energy bar and keep on marching.
As a walker, my idea of the pastime is to become as engrossed as possible in the environment I am passing through. This is mainly delivered by the act of walking and observing – but it is also facilitated by the general experience at hand, which means knowing something of a location’s history, its animals and plants, and its cultural attachments, such as local food.
The ardent rambler seems to focus mainly on the walk itself. They will talk of memorable walks they have done, they will refer to start points, the height of climbs and descents, mileage, and they will talk about all the kit and equipment they like to use while on these walks – but they don’t tend to use concepts or phrases that refer to the experience inspired by the environment surrounding their route.
You are much more likely to hear them referring to a walk being arduous or easy than you are to hear them talk about it being beautiful.
A walker passing through some vineyards might develop an immediate desire to try the local wine, or at least make a mental note that he must do so – whereas the zealous rambler will simply note the vineyards are a feature of the route and its locale, and pass on.
Regular readers of my walks will know that I endeavour to supply information for walkers, but don’t do much for the other lot. I’ll admit my write-ups have always been a little bare in terms of grid references and the altitude of the varying contours – I’ve always been a little vague on exact timings and distances – the route information has left it to the reader’s intelligence rather than dictated A-to-B.
So if you are an ardent rambler who cares not for all the experiential baggage that goes with a country walk, I apologise. Walking merely for the sake of it is simply not the way I set out to enjoy the countryside – and I really do believe the more relaxed way offers more fun.
However, here is the kind of route which may offer a great deal to both species of walker. It’s the very beginning of the South West Coast Path and it rises and falls 10 fabulous coastal miles affording fabulous views most of the way, and offering plenty of contours, climbs and descents for the keen lot to get their teeth into.
We start at Minehead where, directly across the road from the statue that marks the beginning of the coast path we find what locals call the Zig-Zags – a self-explanatory term which describes the path as it enters the near vertical woods above Minehead’s pretty harbour.
Within a few yards you are in wilderness Britain with only gulls and peregrines and occasional dog-walkers, or even more occasional long-distance hikers, for company.
Gradually the path wends its way above Greenaleigh Farm until it leaves the tree cover for the open moor and crosses the top of Burgundy Chapel Combe. The name comes from the old smuggling days when it is believed the chapel was used to stash contraband.
Now the path passes close to Hill Road – one of the most panoramic roads to nowhere to be found on any hill, anywhere. Not a house or a farm is served by it and it ends in the middle of nowhere, but who cares when the views are second to none? It was constructed in World War 2 so that the military could come up here and practise with their guns.
We simply follow the coast path that runs west alongside it, to eventually find ourselves at the car park where the road terminates. A car park which arguably has one of the best views of any in the country.
Porlock Bay lies far, far below and all we have to do is follow the coast path down, down, down to its pebbly shore. The coast path continues around the rear of Porlock Marsh and at this point casual walkers can turn left and make their way the half mile into the village where they can catch one of the regular buses back to Minehead.
The ardent ramblers can just keep on going – all 630 miles to the coast path’s other end at Poole in Dorset.
Walk details
Route: From the beginning of the South West Coast Path at Minehead to Bossington, returning over the top of North Hill or by public transport.
Distance and going: Seven miles, steep in places.
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