Holdstone Down, Combe Martin, EX34 0NP
Holdstone Down is one of the most rewarding hill walking destinations within easy reach of Woolacombe, rising to 349 metres above sea level on the edge of Exmoor and offering some of the most spectacular panoramic views in the entire South West from its open heathland summit. The approach from the small car park on the lane above Combe Martin takes you up through a landscape of gorse and heather that is spectacular in late summer when the purple flowers are at their peak, with the path climbing steadily to the broad open summit where the views suddenly open up in every direction.
On a clear day, the panorama from the top of Holdstone Down is genuinely breathtaking. Looking out to sea, you can follow the coastline from Hartland Point in the west all the way to Foreland Point at the eastern end of Exmoor. The Bristol Channel lies wide and blue before you, with the outline of the Welsh coast visible across the water and the distinctive silhouette of Lundy Island rising from the sea to the north-west. Behind you, the high moors of Exmoor stretch away in a patchwork of heather, grass and bracken, with occasional glimpses of the high tors visible on the clearest days.
The walk to the summit from the car park takes around forty-five minutes at a comfortable pace and involves some steep sections that reward the effort with increasingly impressive views as you climb. The return can be varied by looping around the southern flank of the hill through the valley below, adding around half an hour to the total walk time but providing a pleasant change of scenery on the descent.
The heathland of Holdstone Down is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is particularly rich in invertebrate life, with various specialist bees, beetles and butterflies associated with the heather and gorse communities. Red deer from the Exmoor herds sometimes descend to the lower slopes of the hill in the early mornings and evenings.
Holdstone Down is around a fifteen-minute drive from Woolacombe and represents excellent value for the effort involved.
