Porlcok Circular walk
Fact File:
Highlights: St. Dubricius church, Bossington village, shingle ridge, South West Coast Path, Porlock Marsh, wading birds, Porlock Weir, Porlock Vale views
Start Grid ref: SS 885 467
Distance: 5.6 miles, circular
Height gained/lost: 176 metres. An easy to moderate walk. Can be muddy in parts and walking on large stones on the shingle ridge.
High Point: 92 metres
Low Point: 4 metres
Toilets: Porlock, Bossington, Porlock Weir
Eating places: Porlock, Bossington, Porlock Weir
Time required, excluding stops: 3.25 hours
Public transport: 300 Exmoor Coastal Link and 39 bus service. Please check the current timetable before travelling.
Route description:
This walk keeps relatively level crossing the Porlock marshes and the width of the Porlock Vale. It visits the pretty village of Bossington where refreshments can be enjoyed. It then follows the South West Coast Path which skirts the marshes. This walk may not be passable on high spring tides at high tide. This means that it should normally be passable. Porlock marsh became a salt marsh after the natural shingle ridge was breached in 1996. It was decided not to repair it, but to let nature take its course. Trees that were surviving on the fresh water in the marsh prior to the breach are now standing dead, poisoned by the salt. Porlock Weir is then visited where refreshments are available again before returning through woodlands with excellent views across the walk you have taken.