Horner's corners

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Our view

"On the trail of Exmoor's red deer in the woodlands under Dunkery Beacon."

Walk directions

Leave the National Trust car park in Horner village past the toilets and turn right to the track leading into Horner Wood. This crosses a bridge and passes a field before rejoining Horner Water. You can take a footpath alongside the stream instead of the track, they lead to the same place. Ignore the first footbridge, and continue along the obvious track to where a sign, 'Dunkery Beacon', points to the left towards a second footbridge.

Ignore this footbridge as well. Keep on the track for another 100yds (91m), then fork left on a path alongside West Water. This rejoins the track, and after another 0.5miles (800m) alongside the track is another footbridge.

Cross to a path that slants up to the right. After 200yds (183m) turn left into a smaller path that turns uphill alongside Prickslade Combe. The path reaches the combe's little stream at a crosspath, with the wood top visible above. Here turn left, across the stream, on a path contouring through the top of the wood. After a dip and climb, it emerges into the open and arrives at a fine view over the top of the woodlands to Porlock Bay. It joins a bridleway near a lone pine with a bench.

Continue ahead on the bridleway's grassy track, with the car park of Webber's Post visible ahead. Alas, the deep valley of the East Water lies between you and your destination. So, in 55yds (50m), fork down left on a clear path back into birchwoods. This zigzags down to meet a larger track in the valley bottom.

Turn downstream, crossing a footbridge over the East Water, beside a ford. After about 60yds (55m) bear right on to an ascending path. At the top of the steep section turn right on a small sunken path that climbs to the right to Webber's Post car park.

Walk to the left, round the car park, to a path to Horner. (Or you could take the grey-surfaced, easy-access path immediately to the right.) The path runs immediately below the 'easy access' one. Just after the concrete sculpture where easy access turns back, bear left on a wider path, soon passing a wooden shelter hut. Again fork left on a wider path to keep ahead down a wide, gentle spur, with the deep valley of the Horner Water on your left. As the spur teepens, the footpath meets a crossing track signposted 'Windsor Path'.

Turn right for perhaps 30 paces, then take a descending path signposted 'Horner'. Narrow at first, this widens and finally meets a wide, horse-mangled track with wooden steps; turn left down this into Horner.

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Location

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Broad paths, with some stonier ones, steep in places

Landscape - Dense woodland in steep-sided stream valleys

Dog friendliness - Off lead, but be aware of deer and horse-riders

Parking - National Trust pay and display car park (free to NT members)

Toilets en route - At car park

Walks in Somerset Dog-friendly walks in Somerset

About the walk

Horner takes its name from the Saxon hwrnwr, a wonderfully expressive word meaning snorer, that here describes the rumble of the stream in its enclosed valley. Above the treetops, Webber's Post is a splendid viewpoint out across the Bristol Channel. What Mr Webber stood there to view, though, was...

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Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

About the area

Somerset remains rural and unspoiled, and ever popular areas to visit are the limestone and red sandstone Mendip Hills rising to over 1,000 feet, and by complete contrast, to the south and southwest, the flat landscape of the Somerset Levels. Another popular spot, the Quantocks, once the haunt of poets Coleridge and Wordsworth, are noted for their gentle slopes, heather-covered moorland expanses and red deer.