Hurlstone Point: Beautiful Coastal Walk From Bossington in Somerset

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If you look at Exmoor National Park closely on a map, you might notice a piece of land above Bossington in Somerset that juts out slightly into the Bristol Channel. This is Hurlstone Point – and it’s home to a beautiful coastal walk.

Hurlstone Point connects to part of the South West Coast Path, which means you can enjoy incredible sea views and a closer look at the craggy cliffs that dominate the coastal terrains of the UK. Safe to say, we loved it here!

You’ll also discover an abandoned coastguard lookout at Hurlstone Point, which was built in 1900 and manned permanently until after World War II.

Abandoned coastguard station at Hurlstone Point — *The abandoned 20th-century coastguard lookout at Hurlstone Point in Somerset*

Since then, it’s fallen into ruin and disrepair but it’s still an interesting landmark to discover during your walk.

You can even take a peek inside, which makes for an interesting photo opportunity and offers unique views across the coastline.

Views from inside the abandoned coastguard station at Hurlstone Point in Somerset — *Views from inside the abandoned coastguard station*

Hurlstone Point Walk From Bossington: What You Need To Know

If you’re going to walk to Hurlstone Point from Bossington in Somerset, then the best place to park is at the National Trust car park in Bossington.

NT members can park for free (you’ll need to scan your membership card at the machine). While non-members will need to pay either £2 for 2 hours or £5 for all-day parking. Conveniently, there are toilet facilities at this car park as well.

From the car park, it’ll take you roughly 20 minutes to walk to Hurlstone Point.

Along the way, you’ll cross a small wooden bridge and part of the River Horner, before following a track through some shady woodlands towards the viewpoint.

Don’t forget to stop and admire the coastal views as you head higher and higher up the coastal path!

*Stunning coastal views from Hurlstone Point in Somerset*

Once you arrive at the coastguard lookout, you can simply take in the views and either turn around and head back down to the car park, or continue walking along the South West Coast Path towards Minehead.

Please note that the coastal path becomes very narrow with steep drops on one side once you go past the coastguard station. So please be careful walking here.

Still, the views certainly make up for it!

South West Coast Path near Hurlstone Point in Somerset — *Part of the South West Coast Path near Hurlstone Point*

Nature Notes: Wildflowers At Hurlstone Point

During our walk from Bossington to Hurlstone Point, we saw a wide variety of grasses, shrubs and trees.

But as we visited in the spring, we also saw lots of wildflowers along the way. Here are a few that particularly stood out to us during the walk.

Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum)

Wild garlic at Hurlstone Point — *Wild garlic in flowering season near Hurlstone Point*

Flowering season: April to June
Natural habitat: Shady woodlands and hedgerows
Key identifiers: White flowers with six petals and a strong smell of garlic in the air nearby

I love wandering through British woods in the spring months because you’ll often see (and smell) wild garlic growing in abundance here.

I find it especially interesting because your nose will catch the strong scent of garlic before you even notice the flowering plants. And there was certainly a strong smell of garlic on the way to Hurlstone Point!

According to The Woodland Trust, wild garlic is an ancient-woodland-indicator plant, which could mean that the woods near Hurlstone Point are a rare and special habitat within the UK.

Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus)

Common Gorse at Hurlstone Point — *Common Gorse as seen near Hurlstone Point*

Flowering season: January to June
Natural habitat: Heaths and coastal grasslands
Key identifiers: Needle-like leaves and bright yellow flowers in spring and summer

During our recent adventures to Exmoor National Park, we saw row upon row of Common Gorse scattered across the heaths and coastal paths.

As we were visiting in spring, the bright yellow flowers helped us to identify the Gorse plants, which were growing right to the top of the rocky cliff faces.

Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima)

Flowering season: April to July
Natural habitat: Coastal cliffs, shingle beaches, sand dunes and inland marshes
Key identifiers: Round and pink clover-like flowers growing out of patches of foliage

Once we’d arrived at the abandoned coastguard lookout at Hurlstone Point, we saw several Sea Thrift plants hugging the cliff face.

Thrift or Sea Thrift is sometimes also called “Sea-pink” and “Cliff Clover” as the plants favour coastal areas within the UK. We recognised it as we actually have it growing in our garden would you believe?

Other Things To Do Near Hurlstone Point

If you’re looking for more things to do once you’ve finished your walk at Hurlstone Point, then here are a few top things to do nearby that might interest you.

Relax on Bossington Beach

Bossington Beach is a long pebble beach, which runs from Hurlstone Point to the harbour at Porlock Weir.

You’ll be able to see the beach from the viewpoint at Hurlstone Point and it’s accessible on foot from close to where you started your walk.

As such, a walk or perch on Bossington Beach makes for a relaxing end to your coastal walk.

Visit Porlock and Porlock Weir

Porlock used book sale — *Second-hand book sale at the Porlock Visitor Centre*

Porlock, a charming little village in Somerset, is just 1.5 miles away from Bossington.

Porlock is home to a variety of independent boutiques, gift shops and tea rooms, so it’s well worth a visit.

Porlock Weir is another 1.5 miles away from Porlock itself and is also a charming village to visit.

This time, you can enjoy sea views and wander around the little harbour found here.

Take in the views from Dunster Castle

Dunster Castle and the Watermill are managed by the National Trust, which means members can visit for free.

Here, you’ll find a 600-year-old castle perched on top of a wooded hill.

You can enjoy a rustic riverside walk within the castle’s vast grounds, as well as panoramic views across the surrounding countryside.

The nearby village of Dunster is also well worth exploring where yet more charming shops and tearooms await.

Enjoy various things to do in Lynton and Lynmouth

If you’ve got longer to spend in this area, then you might also like to check out the little villages of Lynton and Lynmouth in Devon, which are roughly a 30-minute drive from Bossington.

These villages are connected to each other via their historic cliff railway and are home to yet more independent shops and tearooms.

Sunset at Valley of the Rocks in Devon — *Sunset at Valley of Rocks near Lynton and Lynmouth in Devon*

You’ll also find another stunning coastal walk near Lynton and Lynmouth, which passes the Valley of Rocks.

This is a stunning natural landmark to admire. You might even spot a herd of courageous mountain goats nearby who climb the rocky cliffs within this area.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the Hurlstone Point walk from Bossington and other things to do nearby. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, then please comment below and we’ll reply asap.

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