Towns & cities · South West England
Porlock
Porlock — village and civil parish in Somerset, England.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 3 h–6 h
- Nearest railway station
- Minehead · 8.9 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
About
Porlock is a town, city, village or settlement in the United Kingdom. Recent population estimates put it at around 1,355 people. Address: TA24. Wikidata describes it as: "village and civil parish in Somerset, England". Coordinates: 51.2088°, -3.5956°.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2024
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Official information
Porlock Vale is a scenic area within Exmoor National Park, known for its beautiful moorland, rivers, and rugged coastline. It offers a variety of outdoor activities such as walking, cycling, and kayaking, making it a popular destination for adventure enthusiasts and those looking to relax in nature.
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 is a coastal village in Somerset, England, 5 miles (8 km) west of Minehead. At the 2011 census, the village had a population of 1,440. In 2017, Porlock had the highest percentage of elderly population in England, with over 40% being of pensionable age as of 2010.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
East of the village is Bury Castle, an Iron Age hill fort. There is evidence for 10th or 11th century origin for the name Porlock as Portloc or Portloca meaning enclosure by the harbour, from the Old English port and loca, and in Domesday Book the village was known as "Portloc". Porlock was part of the hundred of Carhampton. The area has links with several Romantic poets and R. D. Blackmore, the author of Lorna Doone, and is popular with visitors. The visitor centre has exhibits and displays about the area. Also on display are the bones of an aurochs, discovered on Porlock beach in 1999.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.2088, -3.5956
- District
- Somerset
- Parish
- Porlock
- Postcode
- TA24
- Parliamentary constituency
- Tiverton and Minehead
- Phone
- (01643) 863150
- Population
- 1,355
- Nearest railway station
- Minehead — 8.9 km
- Opening
- Monday to Saturday: 10am-12.45pm
- Official site
- www.porlock.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q1225604 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Porlock (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Porlockweir.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Churchgate Gallery & Framing
Galleries · 0.0 km
Church of St Dubricius, Porlock
Historic churches · 0.1 km
Melody Art Gallery
Galleries · 0.1 km
Porlock Art Den
Galleries · 0.1 km
The Oily
Museums · 0.1 km
The Gables
B&Bs · 0.1 km
Dovery Manor Museum
Museums · 0.2 km
Doverhay Reading Room And Cottage Abutting North End
Stately homes · 0.2 km
Porlock Phone Box Gallery
Galleries · 0.2 km
Sparkhayes Camping Site
Campsites · 0.3 km
Porlock Caravan Park
Caravan parks · 0.3 km
Porlock Hill
Museums · 0.7 km
Porlock is a village located in the South West England region with a population of 1,355. Our guide lists several nearby attractions within reach.
At a glance
- Population
- 1,355
- Constituency
- Tiverton and Minehead
- Top categories near here
Things to see in Porlock
42 attractions within 12 km — showing the 24 most editorially-significant. Full guide: things to do in Porlock →
📷 5Archaeological sites · South West England
Alderman's Barrow at N of Almsworthy Common
Alderman's Barrow at N of Almsworthy Common — burial mound on Exmoor.
📷 5Beaches · South West England
Bossington Beach
Bossington Beach is a beach in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic churches · South West England
Church of St Dubricius, Porlock
Church of St Dubricius, Porlock — church in West Somerset, England, UK.
📷 5Historic churches · South West England
Culbone Church
Culbone Church — church in West Somerset, England, UK.
Flagship📷 5Stately homes · South West England
Doverhay Reading Room And Cottage Abutting North End
Doverhay Reading Room And Cottage Abutting North End — building in Porlock, Somerset, England, UK.
📷 5Reservoirs & lochs · South West England
Nutscale Reservoir
Nutscale Reservoir — reservoir in Somerset, England, UK.
📷 5
📷 5Archaeological sites · South West England
Porlock Stone Circle
Porlock Stone Circle — stone circle in Porlock, Somerset West and Taunton, England, UK.
📷 5Harbours & ports · South West England
Porlock Weir harbour
Porlock Weir harbour — harbour in Somerset, England, UK.
📷 3Archaeological sites · South West England
The Whit Stones: two standing stones 230m west of Whitstone Post
The Whit Stones: two standing stones 230m west of Whitstone Post — archaeological site in Porlock, Somerset West and Taunton, England, UK.
📷 3Museums · South West England
Dovery Manor Museum
Dovery Manor Museum — a museum in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 3📷 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.
📷 3Galleries · South West England
Churchgate Gallery & Framing
Churchgate Gallery & Framing — a gallery in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 3Galleries · South West England
Melody Art Gallery
Melody Art Gallery — a gallery in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 3Manor houses · South West England
Worthy Manor
Worthy Manor — Grade II listed building-listed manor in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 3Historic bridges · South West England
Culbone Lodge, And Adjoining Bridge Over Sunken Roadway On East Front
Culbone Lodge, And Adjoining Bridge Over Sunken Roadway On East Front — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 3Historic bridges · South West England
Allerford New Bridge
Allerford New Bridge — scheduled monument-listed bridge in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 3Memorials & monuments · South West England
Liberator Monument
Liberator Monument — a memorial in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 5Museums · South West England
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
📷 5Museums · South West England
River Horner
River Horner — a museum in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 7B&Bs · South West England
Tudor Cottage
Tudor Cottage — a bed-and-breakfast in england south west.
📷 5Nearby
📷 3Galleries · South West England
Churchgate Gallery & Framing
Churchgate Gallery & Framing — 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
Melody Art Gallery
Melody Art 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.
📷 3📷 5Where to eat & stay near Porlock
Places to stay
📷 5📷 5Campsites · South West England
Sparkhayes Camping Site
Sparkhayes Camping Site — a campsite in england south west.
📷 5Caravan parks · South West England
Porlock Caravan Park
Porlock Caravan Park — a caravan park in england south west.
📷 5Caravan parks · South West England
Burrowhayes Caravan Park
Burrowhayes Caravan Park — a caravan park in england south west.
📷 7B&Bs · South West England
Tudor Cottage
Tudor Cottage — a bed-and-breakfast in england south west.
📷 7B&Bs · South West England
Cross Lane House
Cross Lane House — a bed-and-breakfast in england south west.
Places to eat & drink
📷 7Historic pubs · South West England
The Old Ship Aground Public House
The Old Ship Aground Public House in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · South West England
Queens Hall, Minehead
Queens Hall, Minehead in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 7
📷 5Historic pubs · South West England
Luttrell Arms
Luttrell Arms in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 7
📷 7Cafés · South West England
Castle Coffee House
Castle Coffee House — a café in england south west.
More towns in this region
Flagship📷 10Towns & cities · South West England
Shoscombe
Shoscombe — village and civil parish in Somerset, UK.
Flagship📷 10Towns & cities · South West England
Tarrant Keyneston
Tarrant Keyneston — village and civil parish in Dorset, United Kingdom.
📷 5
📷 5Towns & cities · South West England
Arne
Arne — village in Purbeck, Dorset, United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Porlock?
- Porlock is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode TA24), in the parish of Porlock.
- What is Porlock?
- Porlock — village and civil parish in Somerset, England.
- How do I get to Porlock?
- The nearest railway station is Minehead, about 8.9 km away. Drivers can use postcode TA24.
- Is Porlock a protected site?
- Yes — Porlock is part of the North Exmoor SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Exmoor Coastal Heaths SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Porlock free to visit?
- Yes, Porlock is free to enter.
- How do I get to Porlock?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode TA24. It sits within the Tiverton and Minehead parliamentary constituency.