| Coleridge Way | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Length | 51 mi (82 km) |
| Location | Quantock Hills,Exmoor National Park, Somerset, England |
| Trailheads | Nether Stowey/Lynmouth |
| Use | Hiking |
TheColeridge Way is a 51-mile (82 km)long-distance trail in Somerset andDevon, England.
It was opened in April 2005, and the route links several sites associated with the poetSamuel Taylor Coleridge starting fromColeridge Cottage atNether Stowey. Originally the route finished atPorlock but on 21 May 2014 an extension toLynmouth was launched.[1] Walkers have the option of continuing along theSouth West Coast Path into theValley of the Rocks and Poets Shelter.
The footpath iswaymarked. It starts in theQuantock Hills (England's firstArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty), passing through the villages ofHolford,West Quantoxhead andBicknoller before moving onto theBrendon Hills, withinExmoor National Park, through the villages ofMonksilver,Roadwater, andLuxborough, acrossLype Hill toWheddon Cross. The route then crosses an area of moorland atDunkery Hill to the woodland village ofHorner and moves towards the coast atPorlock on theBristol Channel. From here the route climbs through Worthy Woods before descending into the Doone Valley passingOare,Malmsmead,Brendon andWatersmeet before finishing by the Pavilion National Park Centre inLynmouth where it intersects with the South West Coast Path. The landscapes include heathland, moorland, deciduous and coniferous woodland, farmland, deeply wooded valleys.
In May 2007 The Coleridge Bridle Way was launched providing a horse riding route between Nether Stowey andExford and includes over 4 miles (6.4 km) of bridleways.[2]
Most of the Way is an easy walk, though there are several sections that are moderate. (One small lane on the way between Roadwater and Wheddon Cross is hazardous when wet, which it often is.) The initial section out of Porlock is challenging and may prove a problem for elderly walkers. Some of the maps and guides to the path are dated in that they may omit features that have changed, such as the addition of road.
In 2008 the Way was selected byThe Times as one of Britain's best autumn walks.[3]
51°12′31″N3°34′44″W / 51.20861°N 3.57889°W /51.20861; -3.57889