Somerset Beach Guide

Every Beach and Cove between Portishead and Combe Martin

The county of Somerset borders the Severn estuary and the Bristol Channel, and its beaches are nothing to shout about. There are some sandy beaches - notably Brean and Berrow Sands, but most beaches east of Blue Anchor have a lower shore of thick mud. Signs at most of these warn against venturing too far down the beach at low tide. Once past Minehead and into Devon, the mud mostly disappears, but west of Minehead, swimming can be dangerous due to currents. Once past Porlock and into North Devon, the coast is backed by Exmoor and the cliffs backing the beaches are usually wooded and rise to 1000 feet. With a few exceptions, the beaches along this stretch are mostly pebbles and rocks.

Inland, Somerset has some fine scenery, with plenty of ancient churches, tea-rooms and English pubs. Somerset's highest point is Dunkery Beacon at 1703 feet. This county looks after its public footpaths, and is good walking territory.

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