Porlock is a historic village on the edge of Exmoor National Park in Somerset, in a sheltered vale between the moor and the Bristol Channel coast. Its heritage stretches back to Saxon times.
The meandering High Street is lined with independent shops, including a traditional butc...her, chemist, hardware shop, post office, two convenience stores, art galleries, a chocolate shop, and a cash machine. Most shops keep hours of 9am to 5pm, often extending during the summer season.
The harbour hamlet of Porlock Weir is approximately one mile to the west of Porlock, and just 1.5 miles from Beehive Cottage and makes a lovely walk. There you will find a 15th-century tidal harbour, a pub, restaurants, cafes, and independent shops and galleries.
In the opposite direction along the coast, Lynmouth is a sheltered harbour village, where the East and West Lyn rivers meet the sea within Exmoor National Park. Often referred to as 'Little Switzerland' and the famous Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway, a Victorian water-powered funicular opened in 1890, connects the harbour to the cliff-top town of Lynton 500 feet above.
Shelley, Coleridge, and Wordsworth all found inspiration in these steep wooded valleys. Today the village is the meeting point of four long-distance trails: the South West Coast Path, the Two Moors Way, the Coleridge Way, and the Tarka Trail.
Lynmouth has a good selection of pubs, restaurants, and cafes within walking distance of the harbour. Lynton, reached by the cliff railway, road, or footpath, adds a small cinema, independent shops, galleries, tennis, and bowls.
The larger towns of Barnstaple and Minehead have supermarkets, high street banks, and wider services.
