Museums · South West England
Porlock Hill
In or near Porlock.
Porlock Hill is a road west of Porlock, Somerset. It is part of the A39, connecting Porlock to Lynmouth and Barnstaple in Devon and is the steepest A-road in the United Kingdom, approaching 1 in 4 (25
Geoff Royle — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Minehead · 9.6 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Porlock Hill is a road west of Porlock, Somerset. It is part of the A39, connecting Porlock to Lynmouth and Barnstaple in Devon and is the steepest A-road in the United Kingdom, approaching 1 in 4 (25%) in places. A toll road is available which connects the same two endpoints at the top and bottom of the hill at an easier gradient.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2024
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: North Exmoor SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Exmoor Coastal Heaths SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Porlock Hill is a road west of Porlock, Somerset. It is part of the A39, connecting Porlock to Lynmouth and Barnstaple in Devon and is the steepest A-road in the United Kingdom, approaching 1 in 4 (25%) in places. A toll road is available which connects the same two endpoints at the top and bottom of the hill at an easier gradient.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
There was no practical transport west of Porlock in the 18th century. In 1794, the poet Robert Southey wrote that such a route was considered "the end of the world". In 1812, the local community was fined for not maintaining a good road, and builders were employed to construct a suitable route. The road opened in 1843 when a stagecoach travelled from Lynton to Porlock successfully. Shortly after the road opened, a local landowner, Mr Blathwayt, decided to build a toll road further north at a more relaxed gradient of 1 in 14 (7%). The toll road was not successful initially as horse-drawn traffic could cope with Porlock Hill, but became popular owing to the increased popularity of the motor…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.2069, -3.6054
- District
- Somerset
- Parish
- Porlock
- Postcode
- TA24 8QH
- Parliamentary constituency
- Tiverton and Minehead
- Nearest railway station
- Minehead — 9.6 km
- Official site
- explore.osmaps.com
Sources
- wikipedia: Porlock Hill (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Porlock Phone Box Gallery
Galleries · 0.5 km
Porlock Art Den
Galleries · 0.6 km
Church of St Dubricius, Porlock
Historic churches · 0.7 km
Churchgate Gallery & Framing
Galleries · 0.7 km
Porlock
Towns & cities · 0.7 km
Porlock Caravan Park
Caravan parks · 0.7 km
Melody Art Gallery
Galleries · 0.8 km
Sparkhayes Camping Site
Campsites · 0.8 km
The Oily
Museums · 0.8 km
The Gables
B&Bs · 0.8 km
Dovery Manor Museum
Museums · 0.9 km
Doverhay Reading Room And Cottage Abutting North End
Stately homes · 0.9 km
Nearby
📷 3Galleries · South West England
Porlock Phone Box Gallery
Porlock Phone Box Gallery — a gallery in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 3Galleries · South West England
Porlock Art Den
Porlock Art Den — a gallery in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic churches · South West England
Church of St Dubricius, Porlock
Church of St Dubricius, Porlock — church in West Somerset, England, UK.
📷 3Galleries · South West England
Churchgate Gallery & Framing
Churchgate Gallery & Framing — a gallery in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
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Porlock
Porlock — village and civil parish in Somerset, England.
📷 5Caravan parks · South West England
Porlock Caravan Park
Porlock Caravan Park — a caravan park in england south west.
Where to eat & stay near Porlock Hill
Places to stay
📷 5Caravan parks · South West England
Porlock Caravan Park
Porlock Caravan Park — a caravan park in england south west.
📷 5Campsites · South West England
Sparkhayes Camping Site
Sparkhayes Camping Site — a campsite in england south west.
📷 5
📷 5
📷 5Caravan parks · South West England
Burrowhayes Caravan Park
Burrowhayes Caravan Park — a caravan park in england south west.
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Horner Wood Scout Campsite
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Places to eat & drink
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The Old Ship Aground Public House
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Queens Hall, Minehead
Queens Hall, Minehead in England South West, United Kingdom.
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Luttrell Arms
Luttrell Arms in England South West, United Kingdom.
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📷 7Cafés · South West England
Castle Coffee House
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Porlock Hill?
- Porlock Hill is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode TA24 8QH), in the parish of Porlock.
- What is Porlock Hill?
- Porlock Hill is a road west of Porlock, Somerset. It is part of the A39, connecting Porlock to Lynmouth and Barnstaple in Devon and is the steepest A-road in the United Kingdom, approaching 1 in 4 (25
- How do I get to Porlock Hill?
- The nearest railway station is Minehead, about 9.6 km away. Drivers can use postcode TA24 8QH.
- Is Porlock Hill a protected site?
- Yes — Porlock Hill is part of the North Exmoor SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Exmoor Coastal Heaths SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- How do I get to Porlock Hill?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode TA24 8QH. It sits within the Tiverton and Minehead parliamentary constituency.