A Fab Weekend Visit to Beautiful Minehead, England
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On a recent visit to England, I asked some British pop star friends if they could show me a cool English beach town. I’d seen their photos over the years of family vacations at small cabins on the beach, grandchildren exploring tide pools, eating ice cream cones, and exploring wooded areas. So they booked us a weekend break in Minehead. Minehead is located in Somerset, on the Bristol Channel, across from Southern Wales. It’s about 180 miles from Central London and 42 miles from Glastonbury, in case you happen to be attending the festival!
If you don’t have a car, check Trainline for the best ways to get to Minehead.
I ended up being pleasantly blown away by how incredibly pretty, charming, and picturesque this part of Southern England is! It was one of those great, rare times when a place you’ve pictured as being pretty good far exceeds all expectations!
We visited these beautiful places during our British seaside holiday: Minehead, Watchet, Dunster, and Lynton/Lynmouth. They are all within a half-hour’s drive of each other.
My fellow Beatle fans need to know that the “bit on the train” portion of A Hard Days Night was filmed in this area!
Where to Stay
Coastguard Cottage #3 Air BnB – Minehead
In Minehead, we booked an Air BnB called Coastguard Cottage #3. It is a 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath house right across the street from the beach. The house has a large, tropical garden in front. The living room and one of the bedrooms look out towards the beach and have ocean views!
It’s a comfortable house with a full kitchen. The bathroom with a shower is downstairs. Upstairs, there is a teeny tiny water closet. If your legs are short enough, you can close the door while you sit on the toilet! 😀
The house is a short walk from Minehead’s “downtown” area, which has many local pubs, restaurants, and shops. You can also walk along the shore to more restaurants.
Video Tour of Coastguard Cottage #3
Dunster Beach Chalets – Dunster
Dunster Beach is a private site containing 230 chalets. All of the chalets are privately owned, but many are available for rent. There is a cafe and minimart onsite as well as a golf course nearby. The area behind the chalets is a wooded area with lovely trails.
If you’re looking for peace and quiet with fresh air and nature this is the place!
Check out the live beach cam in Dunster!
The North Cliff Hotel – Lynton
This charming, traditionally English hotel has stunning views over Lynmouth Bay! The hotel is steps from the Cliff Railway and the restaurants and shopping of Lynton and Lynmouth.
What to Do
Enjoy the Scenery on the Drive – Kauai or England?
One thing I absolutely did not expect from my British Seaside Holiday was to feel like I was on the island of Kauai in Hawaii!! We lucked out with a warm, sunny weekend in the 80’s. Driving along the little hillside and beachfront roads, I was stunned by the lush green hills, complete with ferns and even some palm trees scattered around. Also the many colors of the ocean, ranging from turquoise to a deep sapphire blue. Topped with a gorgeous blue sky with some puffy white clouds! Absolutely gorgeous!
Breaking up the Kauai feel (or actually, maybe this would happen in Kauai) was our encounter with a massive herd of sheep filling the two-lane road we were on for as far as the eye could see! The sheep were too timid to pass in the other lane next to our car, so we were at a standstill for a good 5 minutes before their shepherd (on a tractor) and a few sheepdogs could move the flock forward. For this city girl, it was magical and hysterical!
The Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway
The Cliff Railway connects two towns, Lynmouth at the bottom of the hill and Lynton at the top. Signs in the town describe the area as England’s “Little Switzerland.” The railway was opened in 1890 and is the UK’s only fully water-powered railway and one of only three in the world. The Cliff Railway (like Los Angeles’ Angels Flight Railway) is a funicular.
Riding in the old-time railway cars is fun, but the highlight of the experience is definitely the views!
Pretend You are Small
Go ahead and truely feel like a kid again in the giant chair at the top of the Cliff Railway! 😀
Shopping
The beach towns of Minehead, Lynmouth and Lytton have plenty of fun shops to browse! Lots of jewelry and handmade unique items.
Where to Eat
Golden House Chinese Restaurant – Minehead
Very good, basic Chinese food!
The Jubilee Cafe – Minehead
Charming cafe on the Minehead beachfront, complete with a miniture golf course in front! And I actually got a crumpet there! It’s not just a myth that England has crumpets!
The Bell Inn – Watchet
The Bell Inn is a traditional British pub with a bar, fireplace, and good food. When I visited, there was even a Great Dane there! What’s not to like?
DriftWood Cafe – Blue Anchor Bay
1930’s Seafront Cafe with great breakfasts!
Cliff Railway Cliff Top Cafe – Lynton
This cafe at the top of the Cliff Railway has so many delicious options! The Cornish Pasty (pictured below) was the best I’ve ever had! Soft, flaky crust and delicious filling! We also got traditional homemade scones with clotted cream and jam. Delicious!
In Summary
Though I can’t guarantee you’ll experience the same Hawaiian Island feel I had while visiting this beautiful area, I am confident you’ll enjoy the peace and quiet, slower pace of life, and seaside atmosphere. Please let me know if you have any other recommendations for what to see/do or where to stay in the Minehead area! Thanks for reading!
This looks like such a lovely, calm holiday. I do love the coastline of the UK (although somehow I have never been to Minehead, Lynmouth or Lytton!) But what a lovely looking area! I am extra glad you got to experience the sheep…and of course crumpets and Cornish pastys!
It’s funny that sometimes the UK coast can look so tropical and inviting… and then half a day later you might have giant gloomy clouds and be cold again. It’s part of the reason people love the sunshine so much when it is out!!
There’s so much unexpected beauty in England – Dunster cottages look amazing, too!
Some pretty good places on your pop star friend’s list to visit. Impressed.
I love England, and I totally agree with you that it could be Hawaii! I feel like the Brits try really hard to complain about their weather so much, so that they keep these gorgeous secret places to themselves! Adding it to the bucket-list!
Great read! Stunning views. I would love to visit. You’re right – it definitely does give a Hawai’i vibe on a sunny day!