Pines, Cleeve Park

In Blue Anchor

Driftwood Cafe -- On the seafront at Blue Anchor Bay. A popular spot for full English breakfasts, light lunches, homemade cakes, and cream teas, with views across the Bristol Channel to Wales. Outdoor seating overlooking the beach. Open daily during the season.

The Smugglers -- The village pub in Blue Anchor, serving drinks and pub food in a relaxed, friendly setting. A good spot for an evening meal or a pint after a day on the beach.

Nearby

Watchet (3 miles) -- Pebbles Tavern on the harbour is well regarded for its food and real ales. The town also has several cafes and takeaways around the marina and high street.

Washford (2 miles) -- The Washford Inn, close to the West Somerset Railway station, serves pub food and real ales. The White Horse Inn near Cleeve Abbey is another good option.

Dunster (5 miles) -- The Luttrell Arms is a historic coaching inn serving restaurant meals and bar food. Reeves Restaurant on the high street offers fine dining using local produce. Several tea rooms and cafes line the main street.

Minehead (4 miles) -- A wide choice of restaurants, pubs, cafes, and takeaways. The harbour area and the Avenue have the greatest concentration of places to eat.

Old Cleeve -- The Thatched Cottage Tea Rooms serve homemade cakes and cream teas in a charming thatched building. Seasonal opening -- check before visiting.

Blue Anchor Bay beach -- A 1.5-mile stretch of sand and shingle directly on your doorstep. Popular for beachcombing, fossil hunting along the shore, and simply watching the tides and the ships crossing the Bristol Channel. At low tide the sand stretches out generously, and the views to the Welsh coast are superb.

West Somerset Railway -- Blue Anchor has its own station on this heritage steam line, which runs 20 miles between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard. Ride behind beautifully restored steam and diesel locomotives through stunning Somerset countryside. Special events run throughout the year, including themed dining trains.

Cleeve Abbey (English Heritage, 1 mile) -- One of the best-preserved medieval monasteries in England. The 13th-century refectory with its magnificent timber roof and the beautifully tiled floor are outstanding. The abbey grounds are peaceful and atmospheric -- a real hidden gem.

Dunster Castle (National Trust, 5 miles) -- A dramatic hilltop castle with origins stretching back to Norman times. Set within beautiful terraced gardens and parkland, with subtropical planting, a working watermill, and wonderful views over Exmoor to the Bristol Channel.

Watchet harbour and marina (3 miles) -- A historic harbour town with a small marina, an interesting museum, and a statue of the Ancient Mariner (Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote his famous poem here). Good for a wander, with independent shops and places to eat around the harbour.

Tropiquaria (Washford, 1 mile) -- A quirky zoo and adventure park housed in the former BBC transmitter building. Home to exotic animals, an indoor tropical hall, an adventure playground, and a miniature railway. Good fun for families with younger children.

East Quantoxhead fossil beach -- A superb spot for fossil hunting along the Jurassic coast, with ammonites and other fossils visible in the rocks at low tide. Free to visit. Approximately 8 miles east along the coast.

Exmoor National Park -- The moorland edge is just a mile or two inland. Red deer, wild Exmoor ponies, dramatic valleys, and some of the finest walking in the south-west. The Dark Sky Reserve status also makes Exmoor outstanding for stargazing.

Walks from the Doorstep

Blue Anchor to Minehead -- Follow the South West Coast Path eastward along the coast from Blue Anchor to Minehead. The route runs along the beach and clifftop with fine views across the Bristol Channel. Approximately 4 miles one way. You can return on the West Somerset Railway for a wonderful circular trip.

Blue Anchor to Watchet -- Walk westward along the coast path from Blue Anchor to the harbour town of Watchet. The path follows the shoreline with views to Wales and passes through Warren Bay. Approximately 3 miles one way. Return by bus or on foot.

Cleeve Abbey and Old Cleeve -- A pleasant circular walk from Blue Anchor heading inland to the medieval Cleeve Abbey (English Heritage) and the pretty village of Old Cleeve with its ancient church. Approximately 3 miles round trip on quiet lanes and footpaths.

Carhampton village walk -- A short walk (approximately 1 mile) to the neighbouring village of Carhampton, passing through farmland. The village has a fine medieval church dedicated to St John the Baptist.

Grabbist Hill from Dunster -- Drive to Dunster (5 miles) and walk up Grabbist Hill for panoramic views over the village, the castle, and the coast. A moderate walk with excellent rewards at the top.

Longer Walks

South West Coast Path -- The 630-mile trail passes right through Blue Anchor. You can walk sections in either direction -- east towards Minehead and Selworthy Beacon, or west towards Watchet and the Quantock Hills.

Quantock Hills AONB -- Approximately 10 miles east, the Quantock Hills offer superb ridge walking with views over the Bristol Channel and the Somerset Levels. Ancient oak combes, red deer, and wild ponies. A wonderful day out.

Beaches

Blue Anchor Bay -- The home beach. A long stretch of sand and shingle at low tide, with rock pools to explore and views across to Wales. Free parking along the seafront.

Minehead beach (4 miles) -- A wide sandy beach ideal for families, with the town's facilities close at hand. The starting point of the South West Coast Path.

Dunster Beach (3 miles) -- A quieter sand and shingle beach near the historic village of Dunster. Pay and display parking with pleasant wooded walks nearby.

Watchet harbour beach (3 miles) -- A small pebble beach beside the historic harbour. Good for a stroll and rockpooling.

Porlock Bay (12 miles) -- A dramatic arc of pebbles backed by salt marshes, with the wooded hills of Exmoor rising behind. Bossington Beach at the western end is a vast shingle expanse with views to the South Wales coast.