Porlock Weir: Exmoor's Smuggler's Harbour

Porlock vs Porlock Weir

People mix them up constantly, so here is the difference. Porlock is the village, tucked at the foot of the moor with shops, a museum and the notorious Porlock Hill. Porlock Weir is the harbour a mile and a half further on, at the end of the wooded lane: a handful of cottages, two pubs, and boats that dry out at low tide. Stay in the village for convenience; walk down to the Weir for atmosphere.

The best coastal walks

• Porlock Weir to Culbone Church (3 km, moderate): wooded coast path to what is often called the smallest parish church in England, hidden in a combe. The highlight of the Somerset coast.
• Porlock Weir to Porlock (2.5 km, easy): a level lane with sea views — good for families and accessible walking.
• Porlock Weir to Lynmouth (19 km, strenuous): the great Exmoor coastal day: Yearnor Wood, the switchbacks above the cliffs, and the descent into Lynmouth.
• Bossington and Bossington Hill (6 km, moderate): start at the National Trust car park for salt marsh, pebble ridge and huge sea views.

These stages form part of the South West Coast Path's Exmoor section.

What to see and do

• The harbour itself: a stone quay, drying boats and a shingle ridge behind — the most photographed corner of the Somerset coast at sunset.
• Porlock Hill and the toll road: the A39 climbs at a brutal 1:4 gradient. Drivers can take the private toll road instead: gentler, prettier and worth the small fee.
• Porlock Village: the Dovery Manor Museum, a 13th-century church and shops selling Exmoor produce.
• Worthy Wood & Yearnor Wood: National Trust woodland running down to the cliffs, full of bluebells in May.
• St Dubricius Church, Porlock: a sturdy medieval wool church with a fine carved screen.

Parking, tides & practicalities

Item	Details
Parking	Pay car parks in Porlock village and at Porlock Weir; National Trust car park at Bossington for the marsh walks
Tides	The beach and marsh change dramatically with the tide — check a local tide table before walking the shingle ridge
Dogs	Welcome on the coast path and beach; leads required near livestock and on the marsh in spring
Getting there	The summer Exmoor Coaster open-top bus links Minehead, Porlock and Lynmouth
Terrain	Wooded, steep and muddy in places — boots rather than trainers

Eating and staying

Two inns sit within metres of the harbour — one of them a 13th-century building — both serving local fish and Exmoor ales. Porlock village adds cafés, a delicatessen and tea rooms. For hotels and cottages by price and village, see our best hotels in Exmoor comparison and the wider accommodation guide.