Quantock's Head and Kilve on the Somerset Coast.

It was a bright and blustery April day in South Somerset when I decided to drive the 35 miles to Kilve on the Somerset Coast for a stroll along the England Coast Path to Quantock’s Head.

I suspected I may have picked the wrong day when I drove through a brief snowstorm on the M5 approaching Bridgwater, but carried on regardless.  Leaving Bridgwater on the A39 I reached the foothills of the Quantocks and arrived in Kilve where, at the Hood Arms, I turned down the narrow Sea Lane.

The lane passes the fourteenth century, white painted, Church of St Mary and then Kilve Chantry, founded in 1329, which became a ruin long before the dissolution of the monasteries.  A very reasonably priced, £2.50 all day, pay and display car park sits at the end of the lane only a short distance from the beach.

At the edge of the car park stands the remains of a red brick oil retort; it was built in 1924 in a failed attempt to take advantage of the oil bearing shale cliffs. 

After waiting for a heavy rain shower to pass I took the left fork at the oil retort and headed west along the England Coast Path.  There are plenty of benches near the beach and footpath from which to enjoy the view but this was a day to keep walking as the northerly wind was very strong and, although there was plenty of sunshine and blue sky, some very dark clouds were coming across the Bristol Channel.

The foreshore between Kilve Pill and Quantock's Head.  The beach at Kilve, with its spectacular rock formations, was described by William Wordsworth as: "Kilve's delightful shore".  

Although there were one or two people on the beach and footpath this stretch of the Somerset Coast seemed remote and peaceful.  The only sounds came from a tractor a couple of fields away and a helicopter circling the Royal Navy’s Range Quadrant Hut on the clifftop 2 miles to the northeast. 

I walked along the footpath past the remains of a lime kiln to Quantock’s Head.  The view inland was a picturesque mixture of rolling fields, woodland and, of course, the backdrop of the Quantock Hills.  Court House, a manor house dating from the seventeenth century, nestles scenically amongst the trees only a quarter of a mile inland at East Quantoxhead.



Quantock's Head - the England Coast Path runs alongside the fence.



The view inland toward the Quantock Hills from the England Coast Path at Quantock's Head.

The far-reaching views from the path were impressive - despite the weather.  To the northeast, beyond the ugly block-like buildings at Hinkley Point, one can see Brean Down, while out in the Bristol Channel the islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm are clearly visible.  Looking down the coast to the west, Watchet and its harbour can be seen and further on Minehead, on the skyline is Exmoor and Dunkery Beacon.  Even in the bad weather I could easily see the coast of South Wales 14 miles away.

After branching off the coast path toward Court House and East Wood I decided to call it a day as by this time I had experienced rain, sleet, snow and hail as the storms came and went.  There were some spells of bright sunshine and clear blue sky which allowed me to take some photos although it was difficult to keep the camera steady in the very strong wind.

I plan to visit Kilve again and walk a circular route from the beach car park along the England Coast Path to Quantock’s Head, inland to East Quantoxhead then back via East Wood and St. Mary’s Church.  Hopefully the weather will be better next time!