Nicki lives in West Somerset and gives us a locals guide to this lovely dog-friendly walk via Kilve Beach. It takes around an hour but add more time for a cream tea break and a paddle in the sea, or maybe a spot of fossil hunting.
- Park at East Quantoxhead next to St Mary’s Church and Medieval Barns that are part of East Quantoxhead Court House grounds.
- Walk past the Duck Pond, then turn left and walk past the Old Mill thatched cottage toward Kilve.
- Carry straight on over fields toward Kilve church, approx. ¾ mile.
- Cross stream/river and walk past Kilve Church on your right-hand side and through a farmyard. Turn left down the lane that takes you toward Kilve beach. (This is roughly half way and you could stop off at Chantry Tea Rooms for refreshments (or a cream tea!)
- Carry along the lane on the right and you will see Kilve Cricket Club/Ground straight ahead. Stop to look at the Oil extractor (erected here for the conversion of shale to oil but the company was unable to raise enough money and this is now all that remains of the Somerset oil boom) then take a left through the gate and bear right towards the beach. Here dogs can have a drink and cool off in the fresh water river that forms a pond area and runs down to the sea.
- Continue from the beach back to coast pathway up the hill and through the gate following along the coastline.
- Turn left back toward East Quantoxhead (here you can take a small detour right to see the ruins of an old lime kiln) where you can see East Quantoxhead ‘Court House’ in the distance. Continue for approx. half a mile fairly straight until you come to a stone seat on your left, next to river. Turn right back the same way past the Old Mill, the Duck Pond to the car park.
Have a look at some more of our favourite short walks on Exmoor you can enjoy with or without your pooch, and also some dog-friendly accommodation if you want to stay a little bit longer.
