UK Mountains
Selworthy Beacon
309M
1012FT
About Selworthy Beacon
Perched above Minehead, this coastal Marilyn offers panoramas of the Bristol Channel that are arguably too good for the minimal effort required. It’s a heather-clad haven where the South West Coast Path almost reaches the summit, but settles for a scenic compromise instead.
Key Statistics
Rank
34th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Exmoor
Prominence
?
192.1m
Nearest Town
Allerford
Geology
You are trekking across the Hangman Sandstone Formation, a sturdy layer of sandstone that forms the very foundation of this hill.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SS918479
Latitude
51.2195°N
Longitude
3.5495°W
Did You Know?
- •Standing at 308 meters, this is a designated Marilyn, meaning it has a drop of at least 150 meters on all sides—not bad for a hill you can practically drive up.
- •The beacon was historically part of a chain of signal fires used to warn of approaching invaders, though today it mostly signals that you’ve nearly reached Minehead.
- •Much of the surrounding land belongs to the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate, which covers over 12,000 acres of diverse Exmoor landscape from moorland to coast.
- •On a clear day, the views across the Bristol Channel reveal the Welsh coastline so clearly you can almost hear the distant debate over whether it's going to rain there first.
- •The road leads almost to the very top, meaning you’ll likely find yourself standing at the summit, windswept and triumphant, only to be overtaken by a retiree in a Honda Jazz who didn't even break a sweat.