Route Filmstrip & Description
This is a circular walk with a choice of starting place. There are two car parks on a tarmac road and you can start from either. This walk begins at Dunkery Bridge goes to Dunkery Beacon along the ridge and back down the tarmac road in a circular route. The alternative would be a linear walk. Park in the top Dunkery Hill car park and walk to the Beacon along the top of the hill and back again. The walk there and back from the top car park is the most level as you walk along the ridge line. The first car park is beside Dunkery Bridge. There are small car parks either side of the bridge once you cross the cattle grid. The second car park is half way up the road near the top of Dunkery Hill. Use OS Map OL9 Exmoor. From Dunkery Bridge leave the tarmac road turn left follow a very rough gravel path with erosion gulley and a steep slope. Reaching the top of the hill turn right along the ridgeline to Dunkery Beacon and cairn. Follow the main path past the beacon. This is a broad path and a more gentle slope as it follows the top of the ridge. Re-join the road. Walk downhill from the Dunkery Hill car park to Dunkery Bridge car park. There are no seats, and no barriers and no toilets. The path is very rugged. The path from Dunkery Hill car park to the Beacon is less steep. Views from Dunkery Beacon to the Bristol Chanel and Wales are spectacular. There are excellent views of Exmoor and it is possible to see deer and ponies.
Surveyed by: Exmoor National Park Authority Volunteer, May 2013
(Spring)
Accessibility Rating: 4
Distance: 5.5 km
Car Park: There are two car parks. There is a car park at Dunkery Bridge beside the tarmac road. There is another at the top of Dunkery Hill.
Steps: There are no steps but many erosion gulleys. The erosion gulleys are between 1m and 2m wide some with gulley side gradients of 18%.
Barriers: There is one log barrier where the path joins the road near the car park at the top of the hill. There are wide spaces to walk around the barrier and drive a mobility scooter around the barrier.
Toilets: There are no toilets


View of path, wide rough ground with stones, water erosion along path. Two walkers give view of going uphill from Dunkery Bridge car park.

Water erosion created very difficult surface at this point. Deep sided gulley but only 1.5M wide. 19% gradient on gulley side.

View shows that some specialist outdoor mobility scooters such as TGA (seen on Top gear) or Tramper can cope with tough terrain.

Change of Direction. having come uphill from the Dunkery Bridge car park now turn right along the top of the ridge to Dunkery Beacon and Trig point.

Dunkery Beacon, a high stone cairn. You can walk around the Beacon. This view shows path direction change to go around Beacon.

The stone trig point just below Dunkery Beacon.
Note there are no seats at the top. You sit on the grass.

The TGA mobility scooter made it to the top but used nearly 50% of power due to steep incline and rough path.

Superb views from Beacon to Porlock, Bristol Chanel, the islands of Flat Holme and Steep Holme and South Wales.

Barrier at end of path where the path joins the road. There are two spaces to walk around the barrier easily. The spaces are wide enough for a mobility scooter.
Dunkery Beacon Exmoor Phototrail
Map Markers
The route is shown as a red line. You can show or hide the types of points indicated on the map using the checkboxes below.
Show All Trail Points | Show No Trail Points | Show Summary
Accessibility Info | Amenities Info | Facilities Info | Features Info | Way Finding Info | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
A map of the route is shown above -
- click on any marker point to view a photograph and the description of that point
- to zoom in or out use the navigation tool on the top-left of the map
- click and drag to change the centre of the map
- you can change to map/terrain/satellite/hybrid (satellite + map) views using the control on the top-right of the map
Route directions are shown below the map.
- Click on any marker icon in this list to highlight that point on the map and show a photo of that spot.
Got something to say about this Phototrail? Let us know!
Vertical Profile
This is an approximate vertical profile with samples taken at 100m intervals along the trail.
