Minehead put-in
Minehead Harbour sits on the Bristol Channel below North Hill, at the western end of Minehead's seafront, sheltered by a pier that curves eastwards to shield the basin from northerly winds. It marks the start of the South West Coast Path, the 630-mile National Trail that runs from here to Poole in Dorset.
North Hill rises immediately behind the harbour, forming part of the eastern coastal edge of Exmoor National Park. The Bristol Channel here has the second-largest semidiurnal tidal range in the world.
The western approaches of the Bristol Channel fall within the Bristol Channel Approaches Special Area of Conservation, a 5,850 square kilometre site designated in 2019 to protect harbour porpoise; the site is recognised as a winter area of importance for the species across the Celtic and Irish Seas.
Nearby
Coffee shop on Quay Street beside the harbour, open since 2023.
On North Hill; non-members may join on site, but the site does not accept caravans.
Conditions to check
The harbour is entirely tidal and dries at low water, exposing the seabed to about a quarter of a mile seaward of the pier end; entry is best made within 2.5 hours either side of high water.
SourceThe harbour is shared with local commercial fishing boats, trip boats and seasonal charter angling vessels, alongside around 47 leisure moorings.
SourceSubmerged ruins lie close offshore to the north and north-north-west of the harbour, marked by unlit beacons.
SourceStrong south-easterly winds can raise a noticeable swell within the harbour around spring tides, for about 90 minutes either side of high water.
SourceOther launches nearby
2 launches within 357m- 118m north
- 357m south
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