The Coleridge Way is a long-distance trail in

Somerset Somerset ( , ; Archaism, archaically Somersetshire , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in South West England which borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east and Devon to the so ...

and Devon, England. It was opened in April 2005, and the route links several sites associated with the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge starting from

Coleridge Cottage Coleridge Cottage is a cottage situated in Nether Stowey, Bridgwater, Somerset, England. It is a grade II* listed building. The 17th century cottage was originally two buildings which were later combined and expanded. In 1797 the poet Samuel Ta ...

Nether Stowey Nether Stowey is a large village in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, South West England. It sits in the foothills of the Quantock Hills (England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), just below Over Stowey. The parish of Nether Stowey ...

. Originally the route finished at

Porlock Porlock is a coastal village in Somerset, England, west of Minehead. At the 2011 census, the village had a population of 1,440. In 2017, Porlock had the highest percentage of elderly population in Britain, with over 40% being of pensionable ag ...

but on 21 May 2014 an extension to

Lynmouth Lynmouth is a village in Devon, England, on the northern edge of Exmoor. The village straddles the confluence of the West Lyn and East Lyn rivers, in a gorge below Lynton, which was the only place to expand to once Lynmouth became as ...

was launched. Walkers have the option of continuing along the

South West Coast Path The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Because it rises ...

into the Valley of the Rocks and Poets Shelter. The footpath is

waymarked Trail blazing or way marking is the practice of marking paths in outdoor recreational areas with signs or markings that follow each other at certain, though not necessarily exactly defined, distances and mark the direction of the trail. A blaz ...

. It starts in the

Quantock Hills The Quantock Hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England, consist of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land. They were England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, designated in 1956. Natural England have desi ...

(England's first

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of rural area, countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for protected area, conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are desig ...

), passing through the villages of

Holford Holford is a village and civil parish in West Somerset within the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is located about west of Bridgwater and east of Williton, with a population of 392. The village is on the Quantock Greenw ...

West Quantoxhead West Quantoxhead is a small village and civil parish in the Somerset West and Taunton district of Somerset, England. It lies on the route of the Coleridge Way and on the A39 road at the foot of the Quantock Hills, from East Quantoxhead, from W ...

and

Bicknoller Bicknoller is a village and civil parish on the western slopes of the Quantock Hills in the English county of Somerset. Administratively, the civil parish falls within the Somerset West and Taunton local government district within the Somerset ...

before moving onto the

Brendon Hills The Brendon Hills are a range of hills in west Somerset, England. The hills merge level into the eastern side of Exmoor and are included within the Exmoor National Park. The highest point of the range is Lype Hill at above sea level with a seco ...

, within Exmoor National Park, through the villages of

Monksilver Monksilver is a village west of the town of Williton in Somerset, England, on the eastern flank of the Brendon Hills and the border of the Exmoor National Park. The Coleridge Way footpath passes through the village. History The name of the vill ...

Roadwater Roadwater is a village south-west of Williton, on the northern edge of the Exmoor National Park, in Somerset, England. History The village was formerly known as ''Rode'' and had a mill by 1243. During the 18th and 19th centuries there were a lar ...

, and

Luxborough Luxborough is a small village and civil parish located some south of Dunster, lying amongst the Brendon Hills and the Exmoor National Park in Somerset, England. It is divided into the hamlets of Churchtown, Kingsbridge and Pooltown, which lie ...

, across

Lype Hill The Brendon Hills are a range of hills in west Somerset, England. The hills merge level into the eastern side of Exmoor and are included within the Exmoor National Park. The highest point of the range is Lype Hill at above sea level with a seco ...

Wheddon Cross Cutcombe is a village and civil parish south of Minehead and north of Dulverton straddling the ridge between Exmoor and the Brendon Hills in Somerset. It has a population of 361. The parish includes the hamlet of Wheddon Cross which is one of t ...

. The route then crosses an area of moorland at

Dunkery Hill Dunkery Beacon at the summit of Dunkery Hill is the highest point on Exmoor and in Somerset, England. It is also the highest point in southern England outside of Dartmoor. The sandstone hill rises to and provides views over the surrounding mo ...

to the woodland village of Horner and moves towards the coast at

on the

Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...

. From here the route climbs through Worthy Woods before descending into the Doone Valley passing Oare,

Malmsmead Malmsmead is a hamlet on the border between the English counties of Devon and Somerset. The nearest town is Lynton, which lies approximately west of the hamlet. The hamlet is situated in the Doone Valley within the Exmoor National Park. The bor ...

, Brendon and Watersmeet before finishing by the Pavilion National Park Centre in

where it intersects with the South West Coast Path. The landscapes include heathland, moorland, deciduous and coniferous woodland, farmland, deeply wooded valleys. In May 2007 The Coleridge Bridle Way was launched providing a horse riding route between Nether Stowey and Exford and includes over of bridleways. Most of the Way is an easy walk, though there are several sections that are moderate. (One small lane on the way between Roadwater and Wheddon Cross is hazardous when wet, which it often is.) The initial section out of Porlock is challenging and may prove a problem for elderly walkers. Some of the maps and guides to the path are dated in that they may omit features that have changed, such as the addition of road. In 2008 the Way was selected by '' The Times'' as one of Britain's best autumn walks.

References

External links

Coleridge Way web siteColeridge Way
on the

Long Distance Walkers Association The Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) is a British not for profit, volunteer-led association whose aim is "to further the common interests of those who enjoy long distance walking". The LDWA is an association of people with the common inte ...

site {{coord, 51, 12, 31, N, 3, 34, 44, W, source:kolossus-plwiki, display=title Coleridge Way, The Monarch's Way, The Exmoor Samuel Taylor Coleridge

See also

References

External links