I'm going on a cider hunt, 5.7 miles
If you're walking alone or only have one car, most walks are circular, returning to where you parked. Where public transport exists, linear or point-to-point walks open up more opportunities to explore.
This walk uses the bus service from Watchet to Dunster on the Somerset Coast with a return to Watchet following the King Charles III Coast Path.
The Coast Path through Somerset is 80 miles long, starting high up on Exmoor beyond Porlock to the West, and ending at Brean Down.
This is a gentle, flat-ish taster of the path with the reward being the most magnificent cider pub, one that you might have walked past previously!
I urge you to go in.
The Pub: Pebbles Tavern, Watchet
Last visit: March 2026
Pebbles Tavern is the sort of place you duck into for a quiet half‑pint and somehow end up mentally forwarding your post.
It’s tiny, it’s charming, and it has more character than some entire towns can manage. CAMRA keeps handing it awards — and it surely deserves one for its amazing interior.
From the pavement you might decide to stroll past in search of somewhere that looks a bit more “normal.” Watchet has other fine options — The Star’s beer and food are rightly praised — but skipping Pebbles would be like walking past a treasure chest because the lid looked a bit knackered.
Inside, it’s a cider pub at heart, with 10–20 options chalked up at any given moment, plus a cracking ale and gin selection for good measure.
But labels don’t really capture it.
Pebbles is a community pub in the truest sense: warm, eccentric, unpolished in all the right ways, and run with the kind of passion that can’t be faked. It’s another reminder of why pubs matter — for the people, the stories, and in this case the pints taste as if they’ve come straight from the orchard.
Its one room is small, but somehow it fits everything in: musicians tuning up in the corner; dogs claiming floor space; families ferrying pie and chips from next door; that one bloke with mud on his legs who always knows a shortcut across the Quantocks (guilty); a quick game of poker; and regulars who feel like part of the fixtures.
It’s cosy, a little chaotic, and absolutely wonderful. You'll make friends here.
You have to visit!
Pub Information
| WEBSITE | https://pebblestavern.shop/ |
| ADDRESS | 24 Market Street, Watchet, TA23 0AN. |
| PHONE | 01984 633215 |
| WHAT3WORDS | ///cleans.widget.presented |
| PARKING | Harbour Road is the town’s main car park. The bus station, train station and toilets are here (///ranch.sweetly.finalists). There's a small car park almost opposite Pebbles. |
| LOCATION | Watchet is a small town with harbour on the Somerset Coast, off the A39 inbetween Bridgwater and Minehead. Samuel Taylor Coleridge was inspired to write The Rime of the Ancient Mariner here. |
| HANDY FOR | The South West Coast Path starts/end up the road in Minehead, and Dunster is a must-visit medieval village with 200 listed buildings and a magnificent castle. |
The Walk: Quick View
There are multiple ways to consume the route described below.
- Either follow the online instructions, or download and print a copy of the route.
- If you have the OS Maps app, you can follow a saved route directly in the App.
- Or download the GPX file for use on your chosen GPS-based navigation application.
Walk Information
| START/FINISH | See ‘Public Transport’ below. Walk START is the Bus Stop called Dunster Steep on the A39 outside Dunster. Walk FINISH is Pebbles Tavern, 24 Market St, Watchet, TA23 0AN. 01984 633215. |
| PARKING | Harbour Road is the town’s main car park. The bus station, train station and toilets are here (///ranch.sweetly.finalists) |
| GRID REFERENCE | SS 994 441 is the location of Dunster Steep Bus Stop. |
| WHAT3WORDS | ///ruled.behave.jousting is the location of Dunster Steep Bus Stop. |
| DISTANCE/TIME | 5.7 miles / 9 km; approx 2.5 hours |
| ASCENT | 560 feet / 170 metres |
| PATHS/TERRAIN | Tarmac at Start, Finish & Blue Anchor seafront. Pebbles along Dunster Beach. Grassy & woodland paths. Some kiss gates. |
| DIFFICULTY | Generally easy, some diversions as path prone to erosion. |
| PUBLIC TRANSPORT | This walk assumes you’ll take the bus from Watchet to the walk start at Dunster Steep Bus Stop. Bus Line 28 for Minehead stops at Watchet Bus Stop. Alight at Dunster Steep outside Dunster. |
| TOILETS | Watchet main car park, Harbour Road. At Dunster Beach, go left as soon as you reach the beach, rather than right for the walk start. Options in Blue Anchor too. |
| OTHER PUBS TO VISIT | In Dunster, the Luttrell Arms is legendary. The Stags Head further into Dunster is worth the walk too. In Watchet, The Star is very well regarded for both beer and food, and has celebrated its 25th year in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. |
Overview
This is a simple, point-to-point walk using the bus from Watchet to Dunster, then following the coast path from Dunster Beach back to Watchet. The map indicates how to get to the beach from the Dunster Steep bus stop.
The walk returns to Watchet via the well signposted King Charles III Coast Path, following the line of the pebble beach as far as the traditional English holiday resort of Blue Anchor. Then back onto the coast path for the walk over to Watchet.
Directions
- Take the Bus Line 28 from Watchet Bus Stop on Harbour Road, the main town car park. Request a stop called Dunster Steep, which is c.7 miles away.
- Use the underpass when you leave the bus to cross the A39. You’re heading towards the coast from here, through the hamlet called Marsh Street.
- On the other side of the road, take the footpath along the A39 in the direction of Minehead. After 50 metres, take the first right-hand turn into Marsh Street, which heads towards Dunster Station.
- Follow this lane past some thatched cottages, and on to Station Road to the right. It’s signposted. You’ll soon see a junction to the right to Sea Lane, signposted Dunster Beach and the King Charles III Coast Path. This is your initial target. (Sea Lane crosses the railway and you’ll see Dunster Beach station to your left. Depending on the season, you can catch a train from Watchet to here if you prefer that to the bus.)
- Follow this path to the beach. When you reach the beach, you’re turning right towards Blue Anchor and Watchet, but note that there are toilets and a seasonal café a little way to the left.
- From here, life is easy – you’ll follow the Coast Path all the way back to Watchet.
- Beyond Blue Anchor, in some places along this coast the sea cliffs have become unstable, and you’ll see that the Coast Path may be diverted from your maps as a result. Don’t worry, everything is well signposted & safe. These paths are well managed by the Somerset Volunteer Coast Watchers.
- As you leave the coast path and join the road on the approach to Watchet, you’ll see the last evidence of coastal erosion on this walk, with what was once a thoroughfare for cars now closed off to traffic. It’s clear for pedestrians. Follow the road down into town and you’ll see the red coloured door frame and window of Pebbles Tavern on your left.
Notes
The coast of Somerset is wonderfully varied and via the King Charles III Coast Path you're able to walk its entire length.
Public transport is pretty good, even in the more remote parts to the West, beyond Porlock on Exmoor, so you're able to plan linear walks like this one.
If you fancy a multi-day walking challenge to tackle the entirety of the 80 miles of the coast of Somerset, there's an annual walking festival that sorts the logistics for you, organised by members of Somerset Council.
Take a look here if you're interested in the 80 miles in 8 day challenge, and I'll look forward to meeting you in person!
The best pub walks are meant to be shared.
If you’ve followed this route, found a better path, got lost, uncovered a standout pint somewhere else, or simply have a story to tell, I’d be delighted to hear from you.
This site is as much about shared discoveries as it is about the walks themselves.
Add comment
Comments