the irresistible charm of selworthy and periwinkle cottage
We love wandering around Selworthy; its beautiful woodlands, exceedingly charming village and white-washed church, and of course Selworthy Beacon. Joyfully, there are miles and miles trails around this area, connecting Bossington Hill, the Brockholes, Allerford Woods, Selworthy and Bratton Ball.
Today it’s a short walk from Selworthy Village to the Beacon and back for a delightful brew and homemade cake at Periwinkle Tea Cottage.
Start in the National Trust Car Park and walk through the woods that immediately lead off from the car park. This area is called Cockerhills and skirts around the top of Selworthy Combe, which is amassed with Foxgloves in the early Summer.
Follow the trail around towards Hill Road (from Minehead to Selworthy Beacon). From here we like to extend the walk and take a right, towards Minehead, then joining the Coast Path at the parking spot near Bratton Ball / North Hill. The ‘inner’ coast path is a replacement from the original which ventured through the Brockholes but has sadly started to erode.
Eventually, the inner coast path arrives at Selworthy Beacon where the reward is staggering views of the West Somerset part of Exmoor, and stunning views over the Bristol Channel to South Wales. From the cairn, follow the downhill trail towards the Selworthy Plantation, a beautiful woodland hiding the endangered site of Bury Castle.
Through the plantation follow signs for Selworthy Green and Periwinkle Tea Cottage for tea and cake.
If you have time, the woodlands of Selworthy and Allerford are magnificent and well worth exploring. As you can imagine, this whole area is even more splendid in Autumn.
Distance: 10km (including Coast Path extension)
Time: 3 – 4 hours
Terrain: Moderately flat for most, some hilly/steep areas in the woods
