Selworthy Beacon is a hill and Marilyn of Exmoor in Somerset, England. It lies within the boundaries of Exmoor National Park, to the north of the village of Selworthy and northwest of Minehead. A road leads to the top, where there is a National Trust plaque and a view of the south coast of Wales across the Bristol Channel.[1] The South West Coast Path also climbs the hill and ends slightly shy of the summit.[2][3]

Selworthy Beacon
Selworthy Beacon from Porlock Weir
Highest point
Elevation	308 m (1,010 ft)
Prominence	193
Parent peak	Dunkery Beacon
Coordinates	51°13′13.69″N 3°32′59.98″W
Geography
Selworthy Beacon
OS grid	SS918479
Climbing
Easiest route	Hike

Geography

Selworthy Beacon is located in northern Somerset in southwestern England, about 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Minehead, north of the village of Selworthy.[4] Selworthy Beacon is one of three peaks in Somerset, the other two being Dunkery Beacon and Periton Hill.[5] Its elevation is 1,013 feet (309 m).[6] Behind the hill, there are precipitous cliffs.[7] Selworthy Beacon is situated within the National Trust-owned Holnicote Estate. Nearby are the Macmillan Way, Coleridge Way, and a fourteenth-century tithe barn. A signposted walking route to the hill goes through a wooded area of Allerford and Holnicote Plantations,[6][8] and is 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Porlock.[5]

History

Near the summit are a series of cairns, thought to be the remains of round barrows,[9] and the British Iron Age Bury Castle.[10] The round cairns have been scheduled as an ancient monument.[11] In the sixteenth century, Selworthy Beacon was (as its name implies) the site of a beacon to warn of impending invasions.[2] The mausoleum of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland is located about 0.25 miles (400 m) from Selworthy Beacon.[4]

Wildlife

Typical coastal plants are present, such as Sea Campion and Thrift (Armeria maritima), as well as gorse and heather (Calluna vulgaris).[2]

References

External links

• 360 degree video from Selworthy Beacon on the South West Coastal Path