Exmoor Walk: Picturesque Journey Through The Woods and Hills Around Selworthy 🌿
Discover Selworthy: A Sanctuary of Nature and Tranquility 🏞️
Home of a hundred hikes, each more picturesque, dramatic, and ruggedly rural than the next, Selworthy boasts deep, moody woods, swathes of high moorland heather, vast Exmoor panoramas, rolling vistas of Porlock's perfect vale, and wild salty glimpses of the Severn Sea. All of these wonders are on offer within just a mile or two of this extraordinary village. 🌲✨
So why not follow me up along the intricate footpaths to enjoy the breathtaking views from Selworthy Beacon, before returning past the rugged cliffs and through the deep, dark forest of evergreen oaks?
Selworthy Green
Starting Your Walk in Selworthy ⛪
You can view Selworthy’s white-painted church from miles around, but it’s the car park a couple of hundred metres up the lane that offers the best starting point for this circular route.
Selworthy Church
The church is far older than most of the idyllic village (mostly owned by the National Trust) that it serves. The picturesque thatched cottages, so perfectly arranged around The Green below, were established in 1810 by Sir Thomas Acland as part of a model farming commune. However, Selworthy was not a traditional village in the true sense—there never was a school, a pub, or a proper shop.
Into Selworthy Combe 🌳
Just to the left of the gift shop at the top of The Green, a footpath leads north up wooded Selworthy Combe. The track splits after half a mile, and I recommend taking the right-hand fork until you reach Lady Acland’s Hut on your left. You can rest in this charming chalet, surrounded by the delicate beauty of birch trees, and perhaps think of Chekhov or Turgenev—the atmosphere here feels uniquely Russian.
Selworthy’s gift shop
Behind the hut, a tiny path winds up through the woods, eventually reaching another hut at the top of the hill. The Aclands were clearly fond of huts! One of the squires used to bring his children and grandchildren to the "Wind and Weather Hut" to enjoy the views and recite his favorite poetry. Inscribed on the hut is a verse by Keble:
Needs no show of mountain hoary, winding shore or deepening glen; where the landscape in its glory, teaches truth to wandering men.
Not entirely sure what it means, but as a wandering man myself, it struck a chord as I crossed the road to reach Selworthy Beacon.
Views from Selworthy Beacon 🔭
What incredible views await you at Selworthy Beacon! From here, you can see Wales, the Bristol Channel, the Quantocks, the Brendons, and the vast expanse of Exmoor, with Dunkery looming to the south.
From Selworthy Beacon, take a section of the South West Coast Path down to Hurlestone Point. To the right, a side path leads over a steep spur down past dramatic cliffs to the old Coastguard Lookout—only recommended for those with a good head for heights!
View from Selworthy’s graveyard
Through Bossington and the Evergreen Oak Woods 🌳
Just south of Hurlestone, two paths head toward Bossington—take the higher one, which traverses above this village. Bossington is yet another picturesque, thatched Acland community mostly owned by the National Trust. The steep slope below gives the sensation of floating, almost like being in a helicopter or a hang glider.
Selworthy Woods
Soon, you’ll be plunged back into the woods. This section of the walk can feel especially dark due to the canopy of evergreen oaks (Ilex). In fact, this is the largest stand of Ilex in Britain, giving the forest an almost Mediterranean feel.
Follow any of the myriad paths heading southeast along the hill, and eventually, you’ll find yourself back on The Green at Selworthy, ready to join the day-trippers for a well-deserved cream tea.
Fact File 📌
Route: From Selworthy Green to Selworthy Beacon, down to Hurlestone Point, and back through the evergreen oak woods.
Recommended Map: Ordnance Survey OL9 – Exmoor.
Distance & Difficulty: 6 miles, steep in places.
