⛵ (Rare Trip) Hiking the Heritage Coastline of Exmoor National Park

1 male place available due to a cancellation! We’ve created a list of FAQs to help answer your questions. Join us this weekend to discover Exmoor National Park! Exmoor is certainly one of England’s best kept secrets, as holidaymakers flock in thousands past it to Cornwall’s sandy beaches. “Why did no one tell me how beautiful it is?” is the comment overheard most often after visiting Exmoor. Celebrated for its beautiful coastline, towering cliffs, free-roaming native Exmoor ponies, starry nights of exceptional quality (Exmoor is Europe’s very first International Dark Sky Reserve) and picturesque villages, Exmoor is a joy to explore – especially in summer! Departing from London early on Saturday morning, we'll head to the idyllic coastal hamlet of Bossington, with its traditional thatched cottages. From there, we'll pick up the South West Coast Path and climb gradually to Bossington Hill, with spectacular views over the Exmoor coastline, Porlock Bay and the Welsh Coast – on a clear day you can see the “inaccessible” Gower Peninsula just across the Bristol Channel. After Bossington Hill, the South West Coast Path splits, giving a walker two options. We'll take the “rugged” cliff-top route, which runs closer to the coast and offers more dramatic views, but also comes with many steep climbs and descents into deep valleys. The path will then lead us through pleasant woodlands to Minehead harbour, with its mile-long sandy beach. After the hike, we'll relax and enjoy a delicious dinner in Minehead before driving to our hotel. On Sunday, right after breakfast, we'll head to County Gate where, as the name suggests, the counties of Devon and Somerset meet. Today's walk will take us along the dramatic Exmoor coastline to the pretty twin villages of Lynton and Lynmouth, known as “Little Switzerland” and elegantly connected by the water-powered Cliff Railway. The highlight of the day is the extraordinary U-shaped Valley of Rocks, famous for its spectacular rock formations and its herd of friendly feral goats. ITINERARY Saturday: 07:45 Meet outside Hotel Novotel London West, 1 Shortlands, W6 8DR (a five-minute walk from Hammersmith Station) 08:00 Sharp departure 12:30-18:00 Hike along the coast from Bossington Beach to Minehead, through woodland and steep cliff tops (difficulty: Moderate, distance: 13km, ascent: 470m) 18:00-19:30 Dinner at the historic Old Ship Aground pub with picturesque Minehead harbour views 19:30 Departure 20:45 Check-in at Holiday Inn Express Exeter East hotel and free time Sunday: 07:00 Breakfast (included) 08:00 Departure 09:30­-14:30 Hike from County Gate to the Valley of Rocks (difficulty: Moderate, distance: 14km, ascent: 620m) 14:30-16:00 Lunch in the picturesque village of Lynton 16:00 Departure 20:45 London, Hammersmith TRANSPORT As on most of our trips, we'll travel in a comfortable 16-seater minibus. LUGGAGE You can bring two small bags with you: one cabin size personal item bag (up to 10kg) and one smaller hiking backpack to fit under the seat. During the hike, you can leave your luggage in the minibus. BOOKING To keep ticket prices down and avoid PayPal/Meetup fees (£22 extra per ticket), we kindly ask for payment by bank transfer. Please include your Meetup name and the trip as the payment reference (e.g. John Exmoor). As places are limited, we can hold your place for 24 hours. Business Account Name: London Social Hiking Limited Sort Code: 20-17-20 Account Number: 63116514 We'll let you know by changing your status to “Paid” as soon as the payment is cleared. You can check your status next to your name in the attendees list of the event. You don’t need a paid Meetup subscription to do this – just close any pop-up windows and continue. THE PRICE OF £288 INCLUDES Transport throughout the trip Experienced, professional PSV minibus driver Guiding on all hiking routes by an experienced and qualified Mountain Leader One night's accommodation at a hotel in shared twin rooms (you'll share your room with somebody from our group of the same gender) Full English buffet breakfast on Sunday Professional event organisation Group first aid kit with qualified first aiders Admin fee 20% VAT THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE Personal insurance (for cancellation, accident, health, emergency evacuation and loss, theft of or damage to baggage and personal effects, and personal trekking insurance) HOW TO CONTACT US For all enquiries, please PM Anna (the main organiser) via Meetup. Alternatively, you can email us at info@lshiking.co.uk We'll usually get back to you within 4 hours. Your guide will be Anna (07596844467, only for use during the hike). Please get in touch if you have any difficulty locating the meeting point or need help during the trip. WHAT TO BRING Suitable hiking shoes with ankle support Sunscreen (if sunny) Waterproof and windproof jacket and trousers (if there is a chance of rain) Water (min 1L) Nuts and energy snacks to last you during the trip Walking poles (optional) REVIEWS ⭐ We have hosted over 600 events on Meetup and received an incredible number of positive reviews from our community. We’re proud to have achieved an average event rating of 4.8 out of 5. Please keep sharing your feedback – it helps us continue to improve and make every trip even better! JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA This is where we share pictures from our events. Feel free to use for inspiration on where to go next! Facebook group link and Instagram REFUND POLICY You can check our refund policy here.