Minehead is the largest town on the edge of Exmoor National Park, a welcoming seaside resort on the Somerset coast with stunning views across the Bristol Channel to Wales.
The town is best known as the starting point of the South West Coast Path, England's longest National Trail, which stretches 630 miles from the harbour here all the way to Poole Harbour in Dorset. A sculpture marking Mile Zero stands on the seafront near the old harbour. Minehead has been a working port since the 14th century, and the quay area retains much of its historic charm with narrow lanes and fishermen's cottages clustered at the foot of North Hill.
Higher Town, the oldest part of Minehead, sits on the slopes above the harbour and is home to the medieval Church of St Michael, reached by a steep footpath known as Church Steps that winds between thatched cottages with far-reaching views over the rooftops and out to sea. The Parade and The Avenue form the main shopping streets, where you will find independent shops, cafes, restaurants, and takeaways alongside everyday services. Tesco and Morrisons supermarkets are both on the outskirts of town with long opening hours, and there are banks, a Post Office, pharmacies, and petrol stations.
Blenheim Gardens, opened in 1925, provides six acres of green space in the centre of town with a bandstand, putting green, bowling green, and a pleasant cafe. The medieval village of Dunster, with its castle, yarn market, and tea rooms, is barely two miles away. Every May, Minehead's ancient Hobby Horse tradition brings colour and music to the streets -- a centuries-old celebration of the arrival of spring that is unique to this part of Somerset.
