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The SWCP starts with a bang in Minehead. Guidebooks have you starting your SWCP adventure here rather than in Poole, though I have no idea why. We didn't get to this section until 2019 — seven years after our First Hike on The SWCP.
This area has high, rolling hills, and wild moorland. You’ll trek through Exmoor National Park, where the coast is high and wooded. It feels more alpine here, more secluded. On a clear day, you can see across the Bristol Channel to Wales — about 15-20 miles away. The high tides in the Bristol Channel are some of the most powerful in the world. Because the Bristol channel narrows into a funnel shape toward the Severn Estuary, channel water has nowhere to go but up. This means you need to use caution when the path takes you down to sea level: at high tide, these sections become completely impassable. Use the Tidal Alternative routes to ensure you don't get trapped against the cliffs. In addition, the sheer weight and force of that much water hitting the cliffs two times a day causes constant cliff falls and landslides. It's fascinating to watch these on YouTube. This is definitely a wild side of the path. In the upper parts of the channel, the incoming high tide is so powerful it creates a tidal wave that travels upstream. Surfers travel from all over the world to ride this single wave for miles. This section of the SWCP features the loftiest stretch of coastline in England, with cliffs rising to 1000+ feet. The terrain is rated Moderate to Strenuous. The section from Lynmouth to Combe Martin is particularly demanding, partially due to the climb over Great Hangman, which stands at 1,043 feet and features a sheer cliff face of about 800 feet. |
