Coleridge Way

Coleridge Way

A walking holiday through the Quantock Hills, Brendon Hills and Exmoor, once beloved by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

4 to 7 nights
51 miles
Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous

From £440 per person

Discover the available tours

About this route

This fabulous walk along the Coleridge Way follows in the footsteps of famous poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, passing through the beautiful countryside of the Quantock Hills, the Brendon Hills and Exmoor.

The trail visits such important landmarks as the poet’s former home in Nether Stowey, as well as plenty of other charming, historic villages along the way. On your walking holiday, you'll enjoy a scenic mixture of rolling farmland, heather moorland, ancient oak woodland and deep secluded valleys, passing the impressive Stowey Castle and boasting fabulous views from Lype Hill, the highest point on the trail.

Dog friendly tours available

Dog friendly itineraries are available for this route. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your itinerary. Please note that dog friendly tours may require more transfers than standard tours.

Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Coleridge Way map
Nether Stowey to Lynmouth
51 miles (82 km)
1st March to 31st October

Holiday highlights

Following in the footsteps of famous poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge through the beautiful landscape that inspired him.

Spotting red deer, buzzards, butterflies, Exmoor ponies and other wildlife as you walk through a variety of rich habitats.

Admiring the wonderful views over the Somerset Coast stretching towards Wales.

Available tours

CodeTourDurationDifficultyPrice per person
COL1 From Nether Stowey to Lynmouth 4 nights, 3 days walking Demanding / Strenuous£440
COL2 From Nether Stowey to Lynmouth 6 nights, 5 days walking Moderate / Demanding£660
COL3 From Nether Stowey to Lynmouth 7 nights, 6 days walking Moderate£770

Coleridge Way 4 nights, 3 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather
Start

Travel to Nether Stowey where your first night's accommodation has been booked

Day 1

Nether Stowey to Roadwater(L). 18.5 miles (29.5km)

Day 2

Roadwater(L) to Porlock. 16.5 miles (26.5km)

Day 3

Porlock to Lynmouth. 16 miles (26km)

Finish

Depart from Lynmouth after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£50.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£35.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£60.00 per person / per night

What's included?

  • 4 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

Taking an extra day to explore the sights and sounds of Somerset and the landscape loved by Samuel Taylor Coleridge can be the perfect way to extend your holiday.

Nether Stowey is a thriving village with lots to explore. There are numerous interesting buildings to visit, including Coleridge Cottage, where Samuel Taylor Coleridge lived and wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan; Stowey Court; St Mary?s Church and the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle.

Porlock is a lovely place to linger at the end of your walk. With pretty thatched cottages, a range of shops, cafes, restaurants, galleries and charming inns, there is lots to do in the town, but a walk down to the sea at Porlock Weir reveals a lovely little harbour and superb coastal scenery, as well as the route of the South West Coast Path.

The pretty village of Lynmouth, at the junction and estuary of the East and West Lyn rivers, is also a delightful place to linger.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£60.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 51 miles (82 km)
Duration: 4 nights, 3 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 16 miles (26 km)
Maximum daily distance: 18.5 miles (29.5 km)
Code: COL1 Grade: Demanding / Strenuous
Season: 1st March - 31st October
Start of holiday: Nether Stowey
End of holiday: Lynmouth

Route Profile

Coleridge Way Route Profile

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Exeter and Bristol.

By Rail - The nearest rail stations to the start of the trail (Nether Stowey) are either Bridgwater (about 8.5 miles away) or Taunton (about 11.5 miles away). The nearest rail station to the end of the trail (Lynton/Lynmouth) is at Barnstaple (about 19 miles away).

By Bus - There is no bus service between Bridgwater and Nether Stowey, so a taxi would be required. There is an extremely infrequent bus service between Taunton and Nether Stowey, Monday to Friday only, so a taxi is probably the best option at most times. Buses run from Lynmouth/Lynton to Barnstaple Monday to Saturday only, so a taxi would be required on a Sunday.

From London - Trains run from London Paddington station to Bridgwater & Taunton. From these stations, a bus/taxi will be required to Nether Stowey.

Return To The Start - The journey from Lynmouth to Nether Stowey via public transport is very long and impractical. The easiest way is to take a taxi from Lynmouth to Nether Stowey.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.

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Customer reviews from the Coleridge Way

“Beautiful scenery, very nice inns.”
Ms Vink, Netherlands
“I enjoyed it all. Quite strenuous for me, but I knew it would be. We all coped well, combined ages 464. Seamless luggage transfers.”
Mrs Topping, UK
“Difficult to choose our favourite part of the route as we enjoyed every day.”
Mrs Hurd, UK
“Everything about the holiday was excellent, from the first contact to the last day. All elements of our experience were really great. The day from Bicknoller to Luxborough was really beautiful for the woodland and high tops with stunning views around the Quantocks and to Exmoor.”
Mr Ruff, UK
“Once again a good, well organised holiday with no organisational problems.”
Mr Henderson, UK
“Overall the accommodation was very good, and hosts welcoming and helpful. Thank you.”
Ms Brown, UK
“We loved walking the Coleridge Way. We have done many walks with Contours over the years and think the standard of accommodation is getting even better. Thank you.”
Mrs Howard, UK
Quantock heather - Quantock heather
Quantock heather Quantock heather
Horses in the Quantock Hills - Horses in the Quantock Hills
Horses in the Quantock Hills Horses in the Quantock Hills
View from the slopes of Dunkery Beacon - View from the slopes of Dunkery Beacon
View from the slopes of Dunkery Beacon View from the slopes of Dunkery Beacon
View over the Bristol Channel - View over the Bristol Channel
View over the Bristol Channel View over the Bristol Channel
The summit of Dunkery Beacon - The summit of Dunkery Beacon
The summit of Dunkery Beacon The summit of Dunkery Beacon
Along the Coleridge Way - Along the Coleridge Way
Along the Coleridge Way Along the Coleridge Way
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