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THE charming village of Porlock, at the foot of the infamous one-in-four Porlock Hill, and the surrounding area has been a source of inspiration for writers and artists.
Like Watchet, further along the coast, Porlock has had its share of bloody invasions — the Danes landed in Porlock Bay in 886, looting and firing the village, and later a force from Brittany laid siege to the settlement.
The oldest remaining building in the village is the 12th century Chantry House, a small cottage close to the Church of St. Dubricius, itself built on 13th century foundations. The church
takes its name from a saint who, according to legend, crowned King Arthur at Caerleon in Wales and later married him to Guinevere. It is famous for its truncated spire — but there is no evidence to support the locals' tales of a violent gale in 1700, or of the giant who snapped off the spire and put it on the tiny church of nearby Culbone!
How many places in the video do you recognise?
From Porlock, visitors often take the road west to Porlock Weir. The weir is a natural haven created by a sea-driven bank of shingle, a quiet lagoon which for centuries has offered refuge to sailors. Today, the scores of cruisers heavily outnumber the few remaining fishing boats, some of which are used for planting lobster pots off Hurlstone Point.
To the east of Porlock, through the rich Porlock Vale, is Bossington, a long, picturesque thatched village with tea rooms, some fine walnut trees and the starting point for several bracing walks out to Hurlstone Head. Further east lies Allerford, with its famous packhorse bridge, and up on the hillside is Selworthy, with its lovely green surrounded by thatched cottages, all owned by the National Trust, and looking south onto superb views across the vale to Exmoor and the towering Dunkery Beacon.
Porlock Vale Panorama
image supplied by kind permission of Somerset Tourism, Somerset County Council
Down the hill and across the vale is Luccombe, a National Trust village of thatched cottages, and back towards Porlock, Horner, where the Horner River winds its way along the foot of the hills.
Porlock is in Somerset. The pretty little port of Porlock Weir, two and a half km to the west, occupies the last sheltered low ground before the county boundary with Devon, where the great massive shield of rock that forms the main part of Exmoor tumbles in wooded cliffs towards the Bristol Channel.
The South West coastal footpath runs close by. In every direction there are wonderful walks from Porlock.
Porlock Bay, on the north Somerset
coast, forms a section of the coastline of the Exmoor National Park.
The 1.6 km/1 mi ridge of shingle faces the sea on one side and a salt
marsh on the other, with a tidal lagoon that attracts rare migrating
birds in spring and autumn. In the distance is Selworthy Beacon.
A Cottage in Porlock
Green hills close Porlock in on three sides with the sea
on the other. Approximately a mile to the west of Porlock you will find
Porlock Weir and its tiny harbour, which occupies the last sheltered
low ground before the county boundary with Devon. Two miles from the
harbour is the unique 4.2-mile Toll Road, which rises from the edge of
Porlock up onto Exmoor. This scenic road is used as a special stage for
rallying, giving Porlock its own place in motor sport history. Hosting
an invitation Hill Climb every year, raising money for charity, the hill
is as steep as 1 in 4 in some places so care must be taken when travelling
it.
Porlock Bay
The falling cliffs and the high tides (with a height difference of as
much as 60 feet) have assisted in moulding one of the most striking features
of Porlock, its natural 6,000-year-old shingle ridge. Geologists believe
it was formed by the rise in sea levels at the end of the last ice age.
A very popular way to see Porlock and the surrounding moorland is from
horseback and there are plenty of riding schools and farms that can arrange
this. But if you don't ride, 'shanks's pony' - walking is an ideal way.
Porlock has steep, winding streets full of interesting character shops,
thatched cottages made from local stone and attractive floral displays.
Also worth a visit is the fascinating 13th century church.
Surrounded on three sides by Exmoor and to the North by
the Bristol Channel. Famous for its poetry associations. Samuel Taylor Coleridge is
said to have written Kubla Khan at a farm 3 or 4 miles away. pubs;
shops; tea shops; Visitor Centre; car parks; WC.
The stones on Porlock Common mark site predating the bronze age.
Porlock is a quiet coastal village in Somerset, England, situated in a deep hollow below Exmoor, five miles west of Minehead. The village has a population of 1,377 (2002 estimate). It adjoins a Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh nature reserve created when the lowland behind a high shingle embankment was breached by the sea in the 1990s, which has now been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Copses of white dead trees remind the visitor of when this was fresh water pasture.
The pretty little port of Porlock Weir, two and a half kilometres to the west of Porlock, occupies the last sheltered low ground before the county boundary with Devon, where the great massive shield of rock that forms the main part of Exmoor tumbles in wooded cliffs towards' the Bristol Channel.
The difference in height between the lowest water level on the spring tides and the highest is about 8.5 metres—nearly 30 feet. These two factors, the cliff falls to the west and the high tides have helped to fashion one of the most striking natural features of the Vale of Porlock, the natural 6,000-year-old
shingle ridge which geologists believe was formed with the rise in sea levels at the end of the last ice age. The South West Coastal footpath runs close by. In every direction there are wonderful walks from Porlock.
Ever since the early days of motoring Porlock has enjoyed a unique place in the history of motor sport. The Lands End Trial, which started around dawn in London, passed through Porlock at breakfast time and for some Porlock Hill— 5.6 kilometres (3/2 miles) long and as steep as 1 in 4 (25%) in places, was as far as they got. Even now, the annual Lands End to John O'Groats run comes through Porlock in December. Once or twice a year the scenic Toll Road is used as a Rally Special Stage, and in summer there is an invitation Hill Climb which each year raises a large sum for local and national charities.
Porlock is a living community that cares. Porlock without its people would not really be Porlock.
Bus services to Porlock and Porlock Weir link with the West Somerset Railway at Minehead and nearby villages, and in several farms and riding
establishments visitors can arrange to see Porlock and the surrounding nearby moorland from horseback. Never mind if you don't like riding; for many people "shanks' pony"—walking— is the very best way of all for getting to know and love Porlock. Welcome!
Porlock, like Dunster, Minehead, Wootton Courtenay and Timberscombe, lies in what is geologically known as the New Red Sandstone area of Exmoor. This contrasts with the predominant rock system of the moor, which is generally Devonian - the oldest is in the north and the youngest in the south.
In Porlock the older thatched cottages do not face on to the streets, but instead present their 'backs', a peculiar feature often remarked on by visitors. It has given rise to the phrase 'Porlock fashion' and is applied to other similarly arranged cottages elsewhere in the West Country.
The Ship Inn is where the poet Southey stayed. He wrote in his diary that Porlock was locally regarded as 'the End of the World' and that no wheeled traffic could penetrate beyond it -and if you imagine Porlock Hill as a muddy track rather than a tarmac road, it is easy to believe him.
Porlock (pop 1,332) is an attractive village with old thatched cottages and a mixture of other buildings. It is also a local service centre with a range of shops and facilities, including a modern visitor centre. Worth a visit are the ancient parish church dedicated to St Dubricius and the museum based in the medieval manorial dower house. Porlock Hill, notorious for its steepness, can be by-passed by a toll road. It crosses the heathland of Porlock Common, from where there are beautiful views to Porlock Bay and Dunkery.
THE charming village of Porlock, at the foot of the infamous one-in-four Porlock Hill, and the surrounding area has been a source of inspiration for writers and artists.
Like Watchet, further along the coast, Porlock has had its share of bloody invasions — the Danes landed in Porlock Bay in 886, looting and firing the village, and later a force from Brittany laid siege to the settlement.
The oldest remaining building in the village is the 12th century Chantry House, a small cottage close to the Church of St. Dubricius, itself built on 13th century foundations. The church takes its name from a saint who, according to legend, crowned King Arthur at Caerleon in Wales and later married him to Guinevere. It is famous for its truncated spire — but there is no evidence to support the locals' tales of a violent gale in 1700, or of the giant who snapped off the spire and put it on the tiny church of nearby Culbone! From Porlock, visitors often take the road
west to Porlock Weir. The weir is a natural haven created by a sea-driven bank of shingle, a quiet lagoon which for centuries has offered refuge to sailors. Today, the scores of cruisers heavily outnumber the few remaining fishing boats, some of which are used for planting lob ster pots off Hurlstone Point.
The Beacon is the little upwards bulge in the centre of the skyline and is the highest point on Exmoor at just over 1700 feet.
Unlike Dartmoor in Devon and Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, which are both on volcanic rock, Exmoor is on sedimentary rock of Devonian age (360-408 million years).
Ever since the early days of motoring Porlock has enjoyed a unique place in the history of motor sport. The Lands End Trial, which started around dawn in London, passed through Porlock at breakfast time and for some Porlock Hill—5.6 kilometres (3 /2 miles) long and as steep as 1 in 4 (25%) in places was as far as they got .
The annual Lands End to John O'Groats run comes through Porlock in December. Once or twice a year the scenic Toll Road is used as a Rally Special Stage, and in summer there is an invitation Hill Climb which each year raises a large sum for local and national charities.
Porlock Church - St Dubricius Anglican Church
Porlock: large village (plenty of shops, restaurants, pubs) very beautifully situated between Exmoor’s heather hills and the sea, at the foot of the marvellous red-soil Vale of Porlock. From it one of England’s steepest roads leads up (1 mile) to one of England’s greatest views. The sea is a mile away across fields (horseshoe pebble beach) or, by car, 2 at Porlock Weir (very pretty little place with harbour, pub, pebble beach, oak woods behind). Sand at Minehead (small resort town, good golf course, Butlins) 6 miles. Exquisite thatched villages (Bossington, Selworthy) very close. Excellent base for Exmoor, very popular with riders (stables).
Porlock Vale:stunningly beautiful, romantic area with some of the best and most varied landscape of theExmoor National Park, extending from Dunkery Beacon (highest point) to the sea and encompassing many picture postcard villages, the largest being Porlock at the seaward end. Wonderful walking and pony-trekking.
Porlock was once a thriving fishing village, with an oyster bed, but this has now died out. From Porlock Weir, it is possible to take a winding path along the cliff and through woods to Culbone church, a medival building just 35 feet long, said to be the smallest church in England still holding services.
In the centre of Porlock is the church of St Dubricius, an obscure saint who apparendy brought Christianity to the west country, and a Bishop of Llandaff. The church is 13th century and has a strangely truncated spire and an ancient clock. There is a legend connected with the church that one of its former incumbents, Adam Bellenden, has a connection to RD Blackmore's Lorna Doone. Bellenden was rector in 1642, but had previously been Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of the University. It is thought that when he moved to Porlock he brought a retainer with him, of the name of Doune or Doone, and that this man chose to live a wild life on Exmoor after the death of his master.
The Ship Inn is a well known landmark, and it was here that the poet Southey in 1798 wrote a poem about Porlock. Wordsworth and Coleridge were also frequent visitors to Porlock, and it is thought that Coleridge wrote Kubla Khan at Ash Farm, about 4 miles from Porlock, whilst smoking opium. The oldest building is Doverhay Manor, built in the 15th century, which now houses a museum.
Tim Horley notes that on 22/09/07 he was about half a mile before Silcombe Farm when a pair of red grouse flew up out of one of the fields about 20 metres away from where he was walking.
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