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Exmoor Character Cottages

 
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For families

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Minehead

Minehead has a lovely long sandy beach and a promenade offering traditional seaside attractions. The pebble beach near the harbour is over a mile long, with views across the Bristol Channel to Wales. The South West Coastal Path starts in Minehead, and goes all the way to Poole in Dorset. You can’t miss it – there’s a huge sculpture of a pair of hands holding a map. For more organised activities, Butlin’s is a short walk away and offers events for all the family which can be purchased on day passes www.butlins.com/day-visits/minehead/

West Somerset Railway

The steam train runs from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard, near Taunton. If you go the distance – the longest in England – you’ll see the sensational views of the Quantock Hills, farmland, coastline and views over Exmoor National Park. Each station on the route is worth a look. There are always special events on the line, depending on the time of year, including Steam Galas and rover tickets, first class dining on the Quantock Belle and Christmas Thomas specials for the kids. www.westsomersetrailway.vticket.co.uk/

Pony trekking

Ponies are one of the defining features of Exmoor’s rugged landscape. To see ponies being cared for by the charity the Exmoor Pony Centre, visit the centre in Ashwick, Dulverton. http://www.exmoorponycentre.org.uk/ If you want to ride, try the Brendon Manor Riding Stables for horses and ponies suitable for everyone from the novice to experienced rider. www.ridingonexmoor.co.uk

Tropiquaria

For fun for all the family, visit Tropiquaria Animal & Adventure Park in Washford village. It’s a great day out for adults and children of all ages. Hold a snake or tarantula in the Tropical Hall and see a wide range of fish in the aquarium. There’s outside play with a full-size pirate ships, an Indoor Play Castle, puppet show and many animals all around the grounds. Don’t miss the lemur monkeys! www.tropiquaria.co.uk/

Swimming

You’ve come to the seaside so you’ll probably want to go swimming at some point. During the summer months when the sea is warm you have wide sandy beaches to sunbathe on before you take that dip. Minehead beach has sand and is very popular. Dunster beach of pebbles has great views and lovely restored beach huts. Blue Anchor is a large flat sandy beach, with plenty of parking and views for miles. And when you’ve tired of that and the steam train running along the coast, relax in the much-feted café. Porlock Weir has a tiny pebbled beach at the ancient harbour. Further afield, Kilve beach is famed for its fossils and Woolacombe has a sandy beach. For more information on beaches, please go to www.classicguide.co.uk/beaches-in-somerset.html where you’ll find all the information you’ll need to know.

If you want a large heated pool with slides and wave machines, then try Butlin’s where you can purchase day passes. www.butlins.com/day-visits/minehead/

Cycle hire

Exmoor features miles of way-marked bridle paths and forest tracks suitable for mountain biking. You can hire bikes for all the family from Pompeys Cycles in Minehead from £18 per day. We have bike racks at The Old Sweet Shop and Stone Barn. Please note that bikes are stored at your own risk and there is no cover for any of your property under our building insurance policies. This is also the case if you have taken insurance from a third-party holiday lettings agency. www.pompyscycles.co.uk

And finally, in Minehead, try the Hairy Dog in The Avenue which has an enormous climbing frame with rope bridges, slides and ladders for children of all ages. www.thehairydog.co.uk/playground

Further afield is Puxton Park

Close to Weston-super-Mare is Puxton Park, a newly opening family run adventure park. This is described by local Mumsnetters as a “not to be missed” attraction. Set in 40 acres of countryside, you’ll find mini golf, a miniature railway, falconry, farmyard animals who you can feed and pet throughout the day, a milking parlour, owl encounters and much more. Be sure to bring your wellies and be prepared to get stuck in down on the farm! www.puxton.co.uk

If it rains

As well as a whole host of outdoors activities, there’s plenty to keep the children occupied in the event of wet weather. You’ll find plenty of board games and DVDs in your cottage, but we can also suggest lots of indoor activities.

Bowling

The Hollywood Bowl in Taunton has 21 lanes, off peak pricing before noon on weekdays and you can reserve online or by phone (essential in school holidays). www.hollywoodbowl.co.uk

Exmoor Owl and Hawk Centre

On a wet day, Exmoor Owl and Hawk Centre is a short drive away at Porlock Vale. There are indoor shows with birds of prey, as well as horse riding and even alpaca treks. www.exmoorfalconry.co.uk

Soft Play

You’ll find soft play and coffee facilities at The Hub, a community based facility in Minehead – the perfect solution for letting off some steam in case of bad weather.
www.thehubminehead.org.uk/softplay/

At Taunton there’s a huge play warehouse, AJ’z with a dedicated area for under threes as well as larger equipment for older children. www.ajzactivitycentre.co.uk

Minehead Eye

This is a much-loved facility for kids and families. There’s a Skate Park, climbing wall and bouldering wall, music studio and IT suite. And a free modern café too. The walls are a particular favourite with families. From 10-12 every day there’s a ‘Diddy Dudes’ session for kids aged 7 and under with three bouncy castles, scooters and trampolines. Definitely worth checking out if it’s going to be a rainy day. www.mineheadeye.co.uk

Butlin’s

Don’t forget you can buy day passes to Butlin’s at Minehead which has plenty of indoor activities. www.butlins.com/day-visits/minehead/

Other things to do…

For walkers
For historians/National Trust members
Explore the area
Go further afield

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Exmoor Character Cottages

We love Exmoor. It’s a beautiful and often overlooked part of the country. As a guest once wrote in a Visitors’ Book: “We asked ourselves why we had driven past Somerset for years when everything we wanted and more was here.” To one side is the sea and inviting beaches, to another purple heather humming with bees on the moor, plus magical ancient woods... READ MORE

 

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Our properties

Pilgrim Corner
The Oval Dunster
The Old Sweet Shop
Stone Barn
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info@exmoorcharactercottages.co.uk

© 2018 Exmoor Character Cottages.
All Rights Reserved.

Exmoor Character Cottages is the trading name of Greenfields Property Management Limited, registered in England and Wales, no. 08685017. VAT no. GB 307 4376 08. Registered office address: 17 Aldersmead Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1NA

Privacy Policy

“

Everything about The Old Sweet Shop - the kitchen, the bedrooms, the lounge with its log burner, the hot tub, and the quality and attention to detail throughout - more than met our high expectations set by Pilgrim Corner next door... I'm sure that Minehead's Old Sweet Shop will appeal to 'allsorts' - but, hopefully, not 'hundreds and thousands' of them! Ideally, we'd love it to remain our little 'iced gem'.

Duncan & Elaine Peberdy, February 2018
VISITORS BOOK, THE OLD SWEET SHOP

"Our first trip to Dunster and The Oval, both were fantastic! What a brilliant family holiday – we will be back! The house is spacious, we had five adults and a two-and-a-half-year-old grandson and we felt very comfortable. The location is a great base, with easy access to the beach, the steam railway and Exmoor. The village is lovely, with a number of great places to eat. We are planning to return."

The Allsopp family & Biscuit the dog, August 2018
VISITORS BOOK, THE OVAL DUNSTER

"We are not sure where to start…what an amazing place to stay! Stone Barn is amazing. Everything is done to perfection, from the kitchen utensils to towels and bed linen. There was nothing we needed….it was in a cupboard or drawer. The hot tub was such a treat and was used every evening by us. We ventured out every day and we all had our favourite. Thank you for an amazing week in a perfect location and the amazing Stone Barn, we loved every minute."

Julie, Karl, Harry, Sam & Emily,
August 2018
VISITORS BOOK, STONE BARN

"Amazing spacious cottage with a spectacular garden. Everyone was catered for, from two babies to eight adults and a dog! The little touches and attention to detail made our stay all the more enjoyable. It’s not often I have all my children under one roof, thank you for the memories we’ve made."

The Clan from the Fens, July 2018
VISITORS BOOK, PILGRIM CORNER

"Thank you so much for a truly wonderful stay! The cottage itself is just so gorgeous and every corner is so well done. It you feel immediately at home. We thoroughly enjoyed the garden and hot tub, especially with the beautiful weather. We would love to come back and highly recommend a stay here. Totally in love with Exmoor, the surrounding villages and of course The Old Sweet Shop! Thank you again!"

Helen & Ben, June 2018
VISITORS BOOK, THE OLD SWEET SHOP

"Wow!! What a wonderful place. We had a fantastic four days, we couldn’t have wanted for anything – everything was thought of. The family came away for our mother’s 80th birthday and it was perfect – lovely and peaceful – just what we all needed. The cottage is outstanding, and the garden is beautiful. Lovely walks were had by all! We will return and will highly recommend to others. Thank you."

The Williams family, April 2018
VISITORS BOOK, PILGRIM CORNER

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Exmoor Character Cottages Privacy Policy


Exmoor Character Cottages is the trading name of Greenfields Property Management Limited. We own four luxury self-catering holiday cottages in Minehead and Dunster. We hold contact details (name, address, email and phone numbers) and guest information specific to a booking (number of guests, number and ages of children, number of pets, any special requirements) to ensure we meet our clients’ holiday needs. We never share that information with third parties. Guests can request to be added to our marketing list for occasional communications, we never add that information without written consent. Financial information is not stored digitally and kept for a limited time purely to manage Security Deposits.

If you have a query regarding our Privacy Policy or how we process personal data, please contact us by emailing info@exmoorcharactercottages.co.uk.

We can also be reached by mail at our registered office address: 17 Aldersmead Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1NA

ENDS