Black Ball

The walk up to Black Ball from Minehead takes you through proper coastal moorland, climbing steadily until you're standing on one of the highest points along this stretch of the Somerset coast. The view back towards Minehead and along the coastline is genuinely impressive - on a clear day you can see across the Bristol Channel and watch the light play across the water.

It's less a destination and more a focal point on a longer walk. Most people tackle it as part of a route across the moors rather than turning up specifically for it, which is probably the right approach. The actual viewpoint itself is fairly bare - just a high spot with views - so you won't spend hours there. Thirty minutes is plenty, but the walk getting up is what makes it worthwhile. Families with younger kids might find the moorland walk itself tiring rather than the view being the draw, though older children who enjoy a proper hike will get something from it.

If you're staying at Minehead Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite or Butlins Minehead, it's a reasonable walk from either base - maybe forty minutes depending on your route. Hoburne Blue Anchor Holiday Park is slightly further out but still doable. The moorland around here is open access in most places, so there's no gate or admission fee to worry about. Go early if you can - the light's better and you'll have the place to yourself. Wind can be proper fierce up there, so bring layers.