Orchard Yurt, Allerford

Looking for somewhere special to eat during your stay?

Porlock Weir Hotel
Situated by the harbour in Porlock Weir, Porlock Weir Hotel provides the perfect spot to eat, drink and relax whilst enjoying the beautiful sea views.
The stylish dining room is the perfect choice for lunch or dinner no matter what the weather is like outside with chef Miguel using seasonal ingredients from local suppliers.
In warmer months you can enjoy alfresco dining on the terrace, the perfect spot for watching the world go by. The wood fired pizza cooked on the terrace is delicious.

Reeves, Dunster
Another place to go for something special is Reeves Restaurant in Dunster. Set in the centre of the historic village of Dunster overlooked by the castle, they serve delicious food and drink.
Booking in advance is essential and a highly recommended place to eat

PUB FOOD

Porlock
The Ship Inn (Top Ship) in Porlock is a historic 13th century coaching inn, situated at the far end of the village and offers a great selection of food 7 days a week.

The Bottom Ship at Porlock Weir is situated next the historic harbour and is a the perfect spot to enjoy lunch or dinner whilst enjoying the amazing sea views.

The Royal Oak is recently under new ownership and has just started offering food. Breakfast is served from 8am-10am Tuesday to Sunday, lunch & dinner daily with roast on Sundays.

Minehead & Dunster
Minehead has many places to eat in or take away. The Old Ship Around next to the harbour provides a great atmosphere and good selection of food. 

The Queens Head Inn in Holloway Street, situated just off The Avenue in Minehead offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere and serves an excellent choice of pub food and real ales.

The Luttrell Arms, Dunster sits in the heart of the medieval village and is a 10 minute drive. With roaring log fires, cosy bars and elegant yet informal dining areas it is a great choice to stop off before or after exploring the village. For something special there is the award winning Psalters restaurant, or if you prefer more informal a choice of lounge bars or garden.

Wider Exmoor
The Blue Ball Inn, a historic coaching inn at the top of Countisbury Hill, is a great choice to stop on the way to Lynmouth. With low ceilings, blackened beams and stone fireplaces it is full of olde-worlde charm and provides a great selection of food and drinks.

The Exmoor Forest Inn, Simonsbath, sits at the very the heart of Exmoor and has recently re-opened with new owners serving beef and lamb from their own organic hill farm. With many stunning walks on the doorstep, this is another great choice for lunch or dinner in a warm and welcoming Exmoor Inn.Wider Exmoor


TEA ROOMS

Periwinkle tea rooms at Selworthy is a 10-15 minute walk, set on the green in the centre of the village. After you have filled up on cakes visit their gift shop in clematis cottage and venture up to the iconic white church on the hill to see the breath-taking views across the Porlock Vale.


Horner tea rooms in the hamlet of Horner is another great option. Whilst there visit the newly opened farmshop at Horner Farm. There are many walks around the ancient woodlands of Horner woods to walk off the consumed calories.


Kitnor tea rooms at Bossington is your third option. In the picturesque hamlet on Bossington. Visit on your way down to the beach. There is a circular walk taking you through the woods from Orchard Escapes Exmoor.

There are plenty of places to visit and activities to do nearby.

Places to visit

Dunster Castle & Watermill
Run by the National Trust in the historic village of Dunster just a 10 -minute drive. A great day out for all the family to see the ancient castle & country home with dramatic vistas and subtropical gardens. Afterwards stroll around the village and browse the many gift shops and eateries.

Lynton & Lynmouth
The delightful coastal villages of Lynton & Lynmouth have much to offer. A cliff railway joins the two villages – the only full water powered railway in the UK. Sit and enjoy fish & chips by the sea in Lynmouth, play some mini golf or take a coastal boat cruise from Lynmouth harbour. Take the cliff railway up to Lynton and meander around the gift shops or pay a visit to the quaint Lynton cinema. A short drive or walk on from Lynton takes you to the Valley of the Rocks with amazing coastal views and dramatic scenery it is a must do on your Exmoor visit.

Valley of Rocks
This fascinating valley is a U-shaped dry valley that is parallel to the sea. It lies about ½ mile to the west of Lynton. It is well known for its feral goats that roam freely and often quite hair-raisingly on the jagged cliff edges. It is thought that during the Ice Age the ice sheet prevented the East Lyn River from reaching the sea on its normal route and was diverted westwards. When the ice sheet retreated the river was able to resume its original path, leaving this valley riverless. Over the years the valley has silted up to become the U-shape we now see, not caused by a glacier. It is well-known for its unusual rock formations and caves.

Bossington Beach
A gentle 45 minute or brisk 30-minute minute walk from Orchard Escapes Exmoor is the chocolate box village of Bossington with its peaceful pebble beach. Sit on the shore and listen to the waves rippling over the pebbles or venture up to Hurlstone Point with spectacular views looking down onto the beach and further along to Porlock. If you want to unwind this is certainly the place to go.

Tarr Steps
The iconic Tarr Steps is a clapper bridge across the River Barle and thought to be medieval in origin. Each of the stone slabs weigh up to two tons each.
A great spot to visit for a walk along the river. Visit Tarr Farm Inn for a bite to eat or drink after your walk.

Dunkery Beacon
The highest point on Exmoor. If you are feeling energetic you can walk from your base at Orchard Escapes Exmoor climbing up to 1705 feet above sea level. For amazing views where on a nice day you can see across the Bristol Channel to Wales. If you don’t fancy the 1705 feet climb you can drive most of the way and just make the shorter walk to the top

Dunster Beach
Dunster Beach is a short 10 minute drive from us.
Dog friendly all year round. Views across the Bristol Channel to Wales.
From here you can walk along the coast to Blue Anchor and grab an Ice cream or quick bite in the cafe on the front.

West Somerset Rural Life Museum
Just a 5 minute walk to the village of Allerford. This village museum run by volunteers is well worth a visit. Brimming with all kinds of interesting things from years ago.

Exmoor Zoo
Exmoor zoo is a 45 minute drive but a great chance to admire the beautiful Exmoor landscape along the way.
Explore the zoo trail and discover animals up close and personal. There are also many experiences to choose from. If you are passionate about animals, this is the place for you.

Exmoor Adventures
We are so lucky to be only a 10-minute drive from the hub of Exmoor Adventures based near Porlock Weir. Operating since 2009, Dan and his team offer a range of fantastic & unforgettable experiences including archery, coasteering, kayaking, paddle boarding and much more. If you fancy getting off the beaten track and enjoy the fun of biking, they also offer mountain bike and e-bike hire.

Exmoor Coaster Bus
Provides a switchback ride on an open top bus along the spectacular coastline running from Doniford to Lynmouth and more recently Ilfracombe. Running through the summer & restricted times through the winter months. You can catch the bus in the village of Allerford and ride to your choice of drop offs along the way. A chance to relax and enjoy the amazing views.

Wildlife safaris
Explore the magic of Exmoor with a choice of escorted wildlife tours. Daphne & Richard run Exmoor Wildlife Safaris, ride in a landrover defender 110 to see the beautiful Exmoor ponies, red deer and learn about the local history.
Andrew Turner runs red stag safaris and, another great choice to see Exmoor Wildlife taking you across the wildest and most stunning parts of Exmoor in his landrover discovery.

Exmoor Pony Centre
The iconic Exmoor Pony is the oldest native pony breed in Britain.
The Exmoor pony centre gives you the chance to meet the ponies and learn more about them. It also offers the chance to ride an Exmoor pony and caters for all standards of riders up to a max weight of 12 stone.

Wimbeball Lake 
A 30-minute drive gets you to Wimbeball lake. If getting on the water is your thing this is the place to visit. Run by southwest lakes trust they offer instructor led classes for kayaking, wind surfing, canoeing, paddle boarding or if you’re more competent equipment hire.
If getting in the water isn't your thing a walk around the edge of the lake to the dam is a perfect way to spend a few hours

Golden Retriever Experience
A truly unique experience to spend a few hours with over 30 Golden Retrievers.
Treat your partner or friend to a special experience with these loving dogs, play catch, have cuddles. It is like nothing else you’ll have experienced before.
Due to popularity you will need to book in plenty of time to secure your place. Just a 10 minute drive from us.

If you enjoy walking you will be absolutely spoilt for choice on Exmoor. So many places to explore. It is a walker’s heaven. There are many routes and paths you can take from your base at Orchard Escapes Exmoor. We are close to the South-West Coast Path and you can head towards Minehead or Porlock Weir from here.

We can provide you with maps of local routes or look on Instagram and follow #porlockwalks. Visit Exmoor also provides details of short and long-distance local walks.