"Sittin' on the dock of the bay"
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Minehead

Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, 21 miles (34 km) north-west of the county town of Taunton, 12 miles (19 km) from the border with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National Park. The parish of Minehead has a population of approximately 11,981 making it the most populous town in the West Somerset local government district. This figure includes Alcombe, a suburban village which has been subsumed into Minehead.

There is evidence of human occupation in the area since the Bronze and Iron Ages. Before the Norman Conquest it was held by Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia and after it by William de Moyon and his descendants, who administered the area from Dunster Castle, which was later sold to Sir George Luttrell and his family. There was a small port at Minehead by 1380, which grew into a major trading centre during the medieval period. Most trade transferred to larger ports during the 20th century, but pleasure steamers did call at the port. Major rebuilding took place in the Lower or Middle town area following a fire in 1791 and the fortunes of the town revived with the growth in sea bathing, and by 1851 was becoming a retirement centre. There was a marked increase in building during the early years of the 20th century, which resulted in the wide main shopping avenue and adjacent roads with Edwardian style architecture. The town's flood defences were improved after a storm in 1990 caused flooding.

Minehead is governed by a town council, which was created in 1983 and has been part of the West Somerset local government district since 1974. In addition to the parish church of St. Michael on the Hill in Minehead, the separate parish church of St Michael the Archangel is situated in Church Street, Alcombe. Alcombe is also home to the Spiritualist Church in Grove Place. Since 1991, Minehead has been twinned with Saint-Berthevin, a small town close to the regional centre of Laval in the Mayenne département of France. Blenheim Gardens, which is Minehead’s largest park, was opened in 1925. The town is also the home of a Butlins Holiday Park which increases Minehead's seasonal tourist population by several thousand.

There are a variety of schools and religious, cultural and sporting facilities including sailing and wind surfing and golf. One popular ancient local tradition involves the Hobby Horse, or Obby Oss, which takes to the streets for four days on the eve of the first of May each year, with accompanying musicians and rival horses. The town is the starting point of the South West Coast Path National Trail, the nation's longest long-distance countryside walking trail. The Minehead Railway was opened in 1874 and closed in 1971 but has since been reopened as the West Somerset Railway.

Local authority: Somerset County Council

OS Grid Reference: SS971459

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Things to see and do in and around Minehead

  • West Somerset Railway
  • Minehead Eye
  • K's Entertainment Centre
  • England Coast Path National Trail
  • West Somerset Sports & Leisure Centre
  • Dunster Museum and Doll Collection
  • Dunster Castle
  • Dunster Water Mill
  • Dunster Forest and Estate
  • Ranscombe Farm Restaurant
  • Blue Anchor Railway Museum
  • Home Farm
  • Exmoor Falconry and Animal Park
  • Exmoor Owl and Hawk Centre
  • Nightjar Twilight Walk on the Holnicote Estate

Tourist Information

Dunster
National Park Centre
Dunster Steep
Somerset
England
TA24 6SE

Phone 01643 821 835
Email NPCDunster@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk

Photos are automatically tagged by geographic coordinate proximity and/or are submitted by website visitors, and may not necessarily be specifically of Minehead.

Weather

Forecast for Sunday 20 May

06:00


Chance of rain 0%
Max temp. 10°C
(feels like 9°C)
Wind 2mph, gusting to 3mph.
SSW
Pressure 1023
Humidity 74%
UV Index
Air Quality

09:00


Chance of rain 0%
Max temp. 15°C
(feels like 14°C)
Wind 1mph, gusting to 2mph.
E
Pressure 1022
Humidity 70%
UV Index
Air Quality

12:00


Chance of rain 0%
Max temp. 17°C
(feels like 16°C)
Wind 1mph, gusting to 3mph.
E
Pressure 1022
Humidity 63%
UV Index
Air Quality

15:00


Chance of rain 1%
Max temp. 19°C
(feels like 18°C)
Wind 1mph, gusting to 3mph.
SE
Pressure 1020
Humidity 55%
UV Index
Air Quality

18:00


Chance of rain 3%
Max temp. 17°C
(feels like 16°C)
Wind 2mph, gusting to 3mph.
SW
Pressure 1020
Humidity 61%
UV Index
Air Quality

21:00


Chance of rain 1%
Max temp. 14°C
(feels like 13°C)
Wind 1mph, gusting to 1mph.
WSW
Pressure 1020
Humidity 75%
UV Index n/a
Air Quality
Five Day Weather

Nearby coastal places and features

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Accomodation in and around Minehead

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