Minehead holiday - days out by train (or car)?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

We're off to Minehead for our family holiday at the end of June this year (I say family, although we are all adults).

19th June (too early?) - Paddle Steamer trip
1st July (too late?) - Boar trip on "Balmoral"

http://www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/bdisp.htm?port1=minehead&port2=

[Brucey]

We're off to Minehead for our family holiday at the end of June this year (I say family, although we are all adults).

19th June (too early?) - Paddle Steamer trip
1st July (too late?) - Boar trip on "Balmoral"

http://www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/bdisp.htm?port1=minehead&port2=

Nice idea, but I can't travel on leisure boats anymore (after an incident in France where a pleasure cruise boat I was travelling on almost capsized).

[JayMac]

1st July (too late?) - Boar trip on "Balmoral"

Never been on a Boar trip. Is 'Balmoral' a friendly pig? 

[Phil]

I know someone who went on a boar trip up the Severn

[JayMac]

What? They took a pig on their surfboard to ride the bore? 

[thetrout]

I would say a Visit to Dunster station is well worth seeing... It's a lovely little station ran by friendly folk... You can get some tea and biscuits for about 40p... The station is done up nicely and looks fabulous in the summer, and a single into Minehead on the steam service isn't too expensive either (Takes about 10 mins). You do have to pay for parking there, but that is about 10p!

Dunster Castle is also worth a visit if period estate is your kind of thing...!

[Brucey]

Returned back from our holiday a few days ago.  Weather was excellent, so we spent quite a bit of time on the beach and doing walks.

My original plan was to leave at some stupid hour on the Friday and park somewhere in either Exeter or Tiverton and then do a Devon Day Ranger.  I was particularly interested in trying out the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line (as it was both a line and part of the county I've never been to).  Anyway, this never materialised as I had a meeting in Bristol and had to sort out something with the flat (what a lovely way to start my holiday!)

Next day we took the train to Dunster.  Unfortunately I timed it wrong so we ended up on the DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)   Had a walk round Dunster - lovely village with plenty of pubs!  Looked at going into the castle, but none of us were that interested to justify the ^9 each.  We walked home along the coast, which is a great walk albeit having to avoid flying golf balls from the golf course!

We then drove up to Lynmouth - not realising that the journey involved Porlock Hill.  I don't think my dad read the signs when driving up the hill "1 in 4 gradient, use LOWEST gear".  So he approaches the hill in third gear and stalls the car   I drove us home and that was quite an experience - going downhill in first gear!  The views during the journey were spectacular.  Lynmouth was a quiet little village with some good shops.  Climbed to the top of the cliff railway on foot - what a huge drop.  Will post some photos of this when I've looked through them.

Didn't quite make it to Valley of the Rocks as we didn't quite put enough money in the parking meter.  Putting more on would have meant walking down then back up the cliff!!

Thanks again for all the suggestions and I'm pleased that they came in really handy.

[Mookiemoo]

Slightly OT but I remember going to somerset as a kid (must have been about 8 or 9) - was our first family holiday other than the caravan in north wales.

Was before the M5 was extended I believe

We stayed in watchet and my abiding memory is of some road - no idea froom where or to where - with the steepest blinking hills and escape hatches and a blinking big drop off the side of the car.  I was terrified

I suspect if I drove the same road now, would not bother me but all I did was lie on the back seat (was before rear seat belts) in a ball with my eyes closed until we got off that road.

Any idea which one it was?  Since I'm going to be in the general area, I'd like to revisit it to quell a 30 year memory

[Chris from Nailsea]

Sounds like Porlock Hill! 

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

Sounds like Porlock Hill! 

lol the reason that i will not go west of alcombe on my route :-)