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Find Us
The maps and text below give directions to our Doone Valley Trekking centre at Cloud Farm.
But first, a quick, and important note... The easiest way to get to Doone Valley Trekking is via the A39 Minehead to Lynton Road. However, if you are approaching from the east (Minehead), this road does take you up Porlock Hill, the steepest in England at 1 in 4, with hair-curling bends. For heavily laden vehicles, especially those towing a horse box, it might be more advisable to follow route 3 below and come via Wheddon Cross, Exford, and then north across Exmoor. This brings you out on the A39 but at the top of Porlock Hill without the hard work! It's also a very scenic (and quite quick) route and shows what Exmoor is all about.
Click on the SEE MAP links in the text below to open a new window containing a full size view of the area being described.
Approaching via the M5
There are four options when coming off the M5 - SEE MAP.
Route 1. You can leave at Junctions 23 or 24 and come on the A39 via Bridgewater, Minehead and Porlock (and up the hill!). It would normally take you about 1 hour to get to the Doone Valley via this route. It is a relatively easy drive, but can get clogged up in Bridgewater, and the drive can spin out to nearer 2 hours.
Route 2. You can leave at Junction 25 and come through Taunton, though this can often lead to hold-ups – Taunton on weekends and bank holidays is to be avoided at all costs! This route up the A358 to the A39 at Williton is generally no quicker than going through Bridgewater.
Route 3. You can leave at Junction 26 and come through Wellington. From there it's a drive across country and through some enchanting small villages, first via the B3187 to Milverton and Wiveliscombe, then via the B3186 to the crossroads just before Elworthy. Up to here it's a slowish and sometimes twisty drive, taking about 20 minutes. From here however, it is a remarkable quick, and beautiful, drive to the Doone Valley - SEE MAP. At the Elworthy crossroads turn left and follow the B3224 to Wheddon Cross; from here continue straight on to Exford. At the green in Exford take a right turn up the hill past the Post Office, bear right and then left at the next two juctions and thence follow the signs to Porlock. This is a wonderful drive as it takes you through the heart of the Exmoor National Park, over cattle grids, through pony and sheep-dotted moorland and onto the main A39 at the top of Porlock Hill. This whole journey can take as little as 40 minutes, and even in busy times it is relatively uncluttered with traffic.
Route 4. The final option is to come off the M5 at Junction 27 and come on the A361 onto the Tiverton by-pass. Then turn up the A396 and go either directly to Wheddon Cross and Exford as described above, or cut off the A396 onto the B3222 to Dulverton (a lovely place), and thence via the B3223 to Exford. This will take you about the same time as option 3.
Whichever way you come, once on the A39 top road, it's straightforward to get to Cloud Farm and the Doone Valley - SEE MAP. The turning from the A39 down into the valley area is marked by a signpost to Oare and the Doone Valley, but be warned it's a small, easily-missed turning. If you do overshoot, there's the County Gate carpark to turn round in some 400yds (sorry, metres) further on!
You will descend into the valley area and come to Oare - SEE MAP. Turn right at Oare Church and follow the road for about 1 mile (oh alright... 1.5 km) until you come to the clearly marked driveway entrance on the left to Cloud Farm. You have ARRIVED. Don't worry... familiarity, as you return year after year, will soon make the journey seem like second nature!
Approaching from the South-West
The best approach is via Barnstaple, though be warned, its ring road isn't really one! It can take quite some time to get around all its islands, especially at peak holiday times. The town is prone to seize up with anything slightly more than normal traffic. The A39 turning to Lynton lies to the west of Barnstaple, and comes off the A361 Ilfracombe road. About 30 mins along the road, you will come to the first (Barbrook) turning to Lynton - SEE MAP. We would recommend that you take this turning, go down into Lynmouth and come back out on the A39 signposted to Porlock and Minehead. From there follow the directions given above - SEE MAP
However, the more intrepid amongst you might like to continue past Barbrook and on to the Simonsbath crossroads approximately 2 miles down the road. Go straight over the junction following signs to Rockford, Brendon and Leeford - SEE MAP - and from there descend into the East Lyn River valley. This is a gorgeous drive, but the road is often single-track and you do need to be accomplished at reversing! Directly after Brendon, lies Malmsmead, and just over the Packhorse Bridge is the right turning to Cloud Farm.
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