Things to do around Exmoor on a rainy day
Make your own Sunshine on a Rainy Day!
There’s so much more to do indoors and around and about the cottages, even when the skies are grey
Our local climate is much milder than many places in the UK and rain is often fast moving, thanks to our proximity to the coast, but even at the height of the season, rain is a possibility – so it’s good have a few rainy-day hacks close at hand. Get Outdoors – Grab your brolly and windcheater and brave the wet stuff:
Shop ‘til you drop
Thankfully, we’re not blessed with malls and precincts in these parts, but there’s still plenty of shops and stores unique to our area. Whether it’s eco-inspiration at ‘Our Precious Earth’ or something exclusive for the home at ‘Tom Deer of Dunster’, our welcoming local businesses are a great place to stay dry!
If something more vintage tickles your fancy, there’s antiques, reclamation and curio shops around the area, including ‘Paraphernalia’ in Minehead and the sprawling ‘Chris’s Crackers’ on the A39 near Dunster. We also are home to several good charity stores in Minehead.
Eat, drink and be merry
Exmoor’s Inns are legendary. From tiny pubs with bags of character such as ‘Pebbles Tavern’ in Watchet to village inns such as the warm and friendly ‘Stags Head’ in Dunster, you’re bound to find something to your liking.
If pubs aren’t your cup of tea, why not enjoy a cuppa, cake or light bite at one of our tea shops? Chock full of homemade goodies, local brews and a haven for weary feet, we particularly like ‘Charlie Fridays’ in Lynton, ‘Tessa’s’ in Dunster and ‘Periwinkle Cottage’ at Selworthy Green.
For something a little more formal, enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner at a local restaurant or bar. For lunch and dinner, it’s important to book ahead of time (even off-season) especially at ‘Reeves’ of Dunster, ‘Woods’ of Dulverton or ‘Fausto’s’ in Minehead.
On the rails in Somerset and North Devon
While most of Exmoor has been without a networked rail connection for many years, there’s still places you can enjoy life on the rails.
The local West Somerset Railway is open from March to October and throughout its 26 miles gives breathtaking views across the surrounding area and a true taste of yesteryear.
Over in the west is the famous ‘Lynton Cliff Railway’, a unique water powered funicular that thankfully connects the twin villages of Lynmouth on the coast and Lynton atop the cliff. A short ride gives outstanding views, but you’ll likely need a brolly at either end as you make your way to the car or coffee shop!
Head towards Barnstaple on the A39 and you’ll find the narrow-gauge Lynton and Barnstaple railway. Again, it’s a short hop between restored stations, but there’s plenty to find out about its fascinating past and audacious plans for the future.
If model railways are more your idea of fun, there’s a stunning scale model layout on Watersmeet Road in Lynton too.
Skate with mates at The Minehead Eye
This Tardis of a building close to Minehead station is home to one of the best indoor skate and scoot venues in the south west. There’s also a climbing wall, excellent café, a regular calendar of events and an amazing recording studio for budding musical talent.
The Minehead Eye is an excellent resource for the younger communities in West Somerset and is great for visitors too.
Grab a bargain at a market
There are few traditional markets remaining in Somerset, but over the border in mid Devon, there’s two great markets where both day-to-day bargains and buried treasures can be found. Expect to spend around an hour getting to these markets and take it easy when the weather’s bad, especially on the A39 and A396.
We particularly like the South Molton undercover Pannier Market with over 70 stalls and is open each Thursday and Saturday. Tiverton’s Pannier Market is expanding rapidly and is now open every day except Wednesday and Sunday. It’s very much a local affair, but there’s plenty of things to see and do, especially around lunchtime.
Whilst you’re in the southern part of our area, a visit to Bickleigh Mill, a few miles south of Tiverton is a must-do. On a rainy day, you can spend hours in their shop, restaurant and enjoying their events. Bickleigh is dog friendly and there’s plenty of parking too.
Delve deeper into our regional history at a museum
There are few places in England that have such a fascinating history based around agriculture and feeding the nation. Tourism was relatively late in arriving in these parts, so much of local area was used for crops, sheep farming and seafaring.
There are lots of small museums and heritage centres to choose from within the region, but we’ve listed a few of our favourites below.
Within 15 minute drive
Dunster Memorial Hall and Museum – find out much more about the history of the village and view the specially curated dolls collection, the largest outside of the V&A.
Minehead Museum and Visitor Centre – a brilliant collection of local photography and historical artefacts.
Around 30 minute drive
Dovery Manor Museum, Porlock – A fascinating insight into the town of Porlock, its history and the effect of the motor vehicle on the development of the town and weir.
Dulverton Heritage Centre – An insight into the capital of Exmoor, it’s place in the hearts of tourists from the 19th and 20th century.
Watchet East Quay and town museums:
- Market House Museum – A collection of artefacts, amazing photography and local historical assets in the beautiful grade II listed quayside market house.
- Watchet Boat Museum – A conservation museum dedicated to Watchet’s fascinating maritime past.
- Watchet Radio Museum – A personal collection of equipment and artefacts, underlining Watchet’s importance in broadcasting history.
Around an hour in the car
Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall – An interesting display recounting the horror of 15th August 1952 and the optimism as the town recovered and rebuilt.
Bampton Heritage Centre – A fascinating insight into the important former market town of Bampton and its connections to nationwide travel, tourism and the railway industry.
Many of these museums are staffed by volunteers so opening hours will vary by season and even the weather. Follow the links provided and visit them on social media prior to travelling.
Discover our rich history at a National Trust property
Whether or not you’re a member, our local National Trust properties are open much of the year and offer a unique insight into local land and property owners in the recent past. Each of the properties offers something different for everyone, however our top three are:
Within a few minutes:
Dunster Castle and working Watermill – a fascinating day out, welcoming over 250,000 visitors each year.
Allow an hour in the car:
- 2 – Knightshayes Gothic Revival Mansion and gardens near Tiverton
- 3 – Fyne Court near Taunton
Learn something new about a brew
If you’re over 18, you’re bound to enjoy a few hours in the company of a craft brewer such as the Cottage Beer Project or at Exmoor’s very own Distillery in Dulverton. These passionate people are not just experts in their field but are ambassadors for everything that’s great about our region and the local lifestyle. Tours and tastings at both venues will need to be booked in advance, so checking out the MetOffice for any damp days during your stay is recommended.
Visit a small and cosy cinema
There’s now more cinematic choice than ever in the local area, thanks to community groups, small businesses, and charities. As guests at our cottages, you’re also more than welcome to join local cinema nights in venues across the area, including at Dunster’s historic Memorial Hall.
Two brilliant venues for a great audio-visual movie experience are:
The Avenue Cinema in Minehead
Lynton Cinema on Lee Road, Lynton
Enjoy some traditional seaside fun
Splat a rat or grab a plush toy in the Arcade (Spelled as The Arkade) in Minehead. If you’ve got a bag of bronze, you can also try your luck with the two pence pushers or even a historic penny arcade machine. It’s harmless fun for kids (and big kids) plus you’re right opposite the beach when the sunshine returns!
Grab a bag of chips and park on the prom! Who hasn’t sat in their steamy cars watching the rain pelt down with a bag of chips in hand? Well, here in Minehead we’re fortunate to enjoy great chippies both on the seafront and tucked away in side streets and back waters so you can re-live those childhood memories!
Wrap up and give the beach a spruce. You’ll have packed for changeable weather, so why not get that cagoule out of the backpack, and grab a litter-pick-stick, clean bags and gloves from Minehead Visitor Centre or Our Precious Earth. Our local pickers regularly stop over 500 individual items reaching the sea in a relatively small beach clean area, giving a real sense of accomplishment to all those involved.
Stay in and chill out or warm up?
Hot tubs
There’s nothing like a hot tub, warmed to 39 degrees with the effervescent bubbles soothing your aching muscles. Each of our hot tubs is checked for freshness every day, so your daily dip is guaranteed to be just the ticket to ensure complete relaxation. Stay at The Old Sweet Shop, Pilgrim Corner or Stone Barn to enjoy one a hot tub holiday.
Feel at home with a real fire
We’ve all got those people in our lives who are always cold! There’s nothing like a log burner to warm those tootsies and make your relaxation complete. We’ll provide a starter pack of logs and kindling, so on cooler days, you can get the home fires burning on arrival. Stay at The Old Sweet Shop, Pilgrim Corner or The Oval in Dunster to enjoy a real fire.
Netflix
If you can’t find anything on 100 sky channels, we’ve installed Netflix on each of our living room Smart TVs to ensure you can finish off that boxset, watch the latest release or just Netflix and chill…
Board games
Whether it’s a jigsaw to keep your brain guessing, a game of frustration to keep you all on your toes or even an evening of Monopoly to test the strength of any relationship, you’ll find a selection of board games in each cottage.
Super-fast Wi-Fi
If you need to work, search, surf, socialise or simply catch up with the news, each of our cottage enjoys super-fast broadband throughout most rooms. With speeds all exceeding 50mbps, there’s usually plenty of capacity for all the group to be doing something different on their devices – if an online diversion is needed!
Cooking up a storm with local ingredients.
We’re blessed with local farm shops, streetside carts selling farm-fresh ingredients and local delicatessen selling tasty treats. If you love to cook, you’ll find each of our fully equipped kitchens perfect for pottering with pans or rustling-up something for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you don’t want to cook, our private chef will do the hard work for you – but this will need planning ahead. If the weather changes, then simply eat al-fresco on your patio or in the garden.
