England · United Kingdom
Porlock Hill
A39Bossington to North Devon
One of the steepest A-roads in England, climbing from the Somerset coast onto Exmoor in tight hairpins.
The A39 up Porlock Hill is among the steepest main roads in the country, climbing from the Somerset coast up onto Exmoor in a series of 1-in-4 hairpins. Use a low gear, mind the brakes on the descent, and consider the gentler toll road if you’re unsure.
On the road
The road runs from Bossington, near Porlock, over Exmoor into North Devon. The hard part comes first. Out of Porlock the A39 climbs through two tight hairpins, and a warning sign gives the gradient as 1 in 4 (25%). Two escape lanes sit beside the descent for vehicles whose brakes fail. Caravans, lorries and anything towing are advised to stay off the hill, and cyclists are asked to get off and walk.
There is a gentler way up. A private toll road forks off the A39 just past the Ship Inn in Porlock. It was built for the lord of the manor in Victorian times. It runs for about 4 miles (6.5 km) through woodland and onto open moor. It is never steeper than 1 in 14 and rejoins the main road at Pitt Combe Head.
Up on the moor there are views across the Bristol Channel to Wales. County Gate, where Somerset meets Devon, has a car park, toilets and a small tearoom. It looks down into the East Lyn valley and Doone Country. The run ends with the long descent of Countisbury Hill into Lynmouth. It steepens to 1 in 4 for a short stretch near the bottom.
Scenery
Best seasons
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In these guides
Porlock Hill on the map11.7 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Steeper than 9 in 10 roads here in the catalogue.
Corners
busiest around mile 1Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%8 to 420 mPoints of interest1 stop
- Wind HillViewpoint11 mi in
Hazards
- Severe 1-in-4 hairpins
- Brake fade on descent
- Not for large vehicles
Sources
“One of the steepest roads in the country, it snakes quickly up on to Exmoor in a series of hairpins.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Routes for iPhone carries Porlock Hill offline, with live weather and a 7 day forecast.
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