Minehead area

kez_s

Hi

Can anyone offer any suggestions of where we can go in the Minehead area? We're going to Butlins for a week but want to have a couple of days "off camp" I've looked at Dunster Castle which is a possibility as I've not been since I was a teenager, I've also looked at the steam railway but really don't know anything about the places it stops at. Even though I'm from the West Country I don't know the Minehead area very well.

We've got two children age 6 & 8 so something they'll enjoy would be good and something different from what we'll already be able to do at Butlins would be great!

Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Many thanks!

candjsmum

Just outside Minehead is http://www.tropiquaria.co.uk/
Great place to take the kids.

kingfisherblue

We went to Brean Sands last year, and had a day out at the Haynes Museum, much to the delight of my two boys! It was a bit of a drive away, but they had a wonderful time. It's ideal if your children are mad about cars.

Sooler

Drive over Exmoor to Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park
http://www.wildlifedinosaurpark.co.uk/

Steve059

West Somerset Railway. IIRC, Minehead station is just across the way from "Butlitz".

http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/

Lynton & Barnstaple Railway. Narrow guage.

http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/

Combe Martin. Pack o' Cards pub/restaurant. Try the Pack Burger.

http://www.packocards.co.uk/

Aletank

We had a great week there, we stayed in Butlins for a Adults 90's Weekend then extended our stay in Butlins Mon-Fri.
As you say there's Dunster Castle but don't forget Dunster Village !
Lynton & Lynmouth is a nice day out.
Also Cheddar Gorge, maybe a bit of a drive but was a good day out.

SalsaDanca

Aletank wrote: »

Lynton & Lynmouth is a nice day out.

There's an open top double-decker bus service to Lynmouth from outside Minehead station.

If you collect Tesco clubcard points, you can use them to order vouchers for the West Somerset Railway.

LunaLady

I was going to suggest the railway, my kids loved it.

They also liked Exmoor zoo.

deborah64

Dunster castle and village is a must, there is also a little village called Watchet not too far way, and by little I mean little, it has a lovely harbour, boat museum and a couple of shops, well worth a visit, xx

Stooby2

If you head further west along the A39 you'll get come to a sharp left bend, and signs to a turning on the right for Bossington. If you follow that as far as you can go (not through the ford) you come to a dead end with a small car park. You can walk down to the massive shingle beach, Kitnors Tea Room is fantastic (opposite the car park) and there's some great and easy walks around the area. There's a farm/animal park on the way in as well.

Keep going west on the A39 and you get to Porlock, which has a few nice tea shops. If you go through it, the road forks, the right hand one leads you down to Porlock Weir, a tiny harbour. Good for crabbing when the tide's in.

Going further west gets you up onto Exmoor proper, some beautiful scenery, places to picnic. Take a good map or satnav as you can easily get lost in the small lanes. The Doone valley and Oare is beautiful. Lynton & Lynmouth have good shops, beaches, walks, teashops and so on.

If you go east on the A39 (and you'll pass it on the way in) is a funny little junk shop just east of the Dunster turn-off. Worth a stop just to have a look at all the old stuff there.

If you drive up Minehead high street, look for signs to North Hill and follow them (through some very narrow streets). You come up onto the hill where there is a regular herd of Exmoor ponies and the road (after about a mile) ends in a car park with fairly amazing views across to Porlock and beyond. There are some great walks from there.

Blue Anchor has a great sandy beach - but beware it turns to thigh-deep thick mud about 100 yards out that is horrible and fairly dangerous. You're fine so long as you don't venture out into it.

Just go back from Minehead after five days at Minehead for Spring Harvest but we've been going to Exmoor for years so know it pretty well.

kez_s

Thank you so much for all of your suggestions! It's really appreciated as I don't think hardly any of them are on the Minehead web page and I knew there had to be more on offer than what was on there. Going to check them all out tonight once the kids are in bed and I can look at them all properly!