The
Exmoor Coastline stretches for about thirty miles in and out of the inlets from
Minehead to Combe Martin, representing
the northern boundary of Exmoor. For much of the
way the cliffs are vegetated with long stretches of boulder beach where
attention to foot placement can distract the explorer from the spectacular view
of the hogback cliffs which rise to a thousand feet or more above the beach.
Here and there a buttress of sandstone, slate or shale has
resisted erosion to become a secure
bluff sometimes as high as two hundred and fifty feet. These provide excellent sport
for the climber as well as viewing platforms for bird watching and photography.
Rock suitable for climbing can also be found on the walls of
narrow inlets known locally as ‘Guts’.
These walls tend to be very steep. Occasionally the opportunity to climb or
view the landscape is provided by a detached stack or pinnacle situated on the
foreshore. Huge caves and waterfalls abound.
James Hannington.
The first recorded climber on The Exmoor Coast was James
Hannington who in 1869 became Curate at Martinhoe Parish Church. Hannington
constructed paths down the cliffs and climbed in the area six hundred and fifty
metres east of Highveer Point on routes up to severe grade. A huge cave there
has been named after him. His paths remain on the six inch OS maps but sections
of them have fallen into the sea. More.
Edward Alexander Newell Arber.
1870-1918
No known further exploration took place until 1903 when
Palaeobotanist E.A.N. Arber commenced a fifteen week geographical survey over a
period of seven years along the coast between Porlock and Boscastle. Some
ninety miles, much of which he covered on foot along the foreshore. In 1911 he produced ‘The Coastal Scenery of
North Devon’. He was not a climber but he believed that it would be possible to
traverse the entire coastline at sea level from Porlock to Boscastle with the
exception of the section between Woody Bay and Combe Martin which he considered
inaccessible except by boat.
Clement Archer.
During 1958 Clement Archer and Cecil
Agar commenced their exploration of The Exmoor Coastline. This produced many
hairy situations due to the extreme methods used such as swimming whilst roped,
and ascending steep vegetated cliffs with nailed boots and ice axe. In 1968
they attacked the inaccessible section between Woody Bay and Heddons Mouth
establishing a general line including some swimming. The documented account
remains the basic guide for those wishing to follow in their footsteps.
Cyril
Manning.
During 1963 Cyril Manning joined the
pair. He was a little more conventional and employed modern climbing skills.
Cyril and his future wife Pat were responsible for opening up much of the
inaccessible section, they were able to climb through areas where Archer and
Agar were forced to swim. Eventually only The Yellowstone area below The Valley
of The Rocks and the route onto The Flying Buttress under Martinhoe remained
unclimbed.
Terry Cheek.
In 1976 Terry Cheek who had been
climbing on the coast for about ten years met Cyril Manning who led him into
the inaccessible area between Woody Bay and Heddons Mouth, which had become
known as the ‘Inner Sanctuary’ and part of The Hidden Edge of Exmoor. He was
impressed by the area. As a walker spoilt by North Wales and The Lakes, he had
found Exmoor a little boring. Here was a hidden place with waterfalls up to
three hundred foot high, eight hundred
foot gullys, rock walls and zawn’s with vertical walls, waiting another twenty
years before they would be climbed. He served his apprenticeship under Cyril
and on the 6th April 1978 with three others set off traversing the entire coastline from
Foreland Point to Combe Martin. It took four and a half days to complete. They
managed to solve the problem of The Yellowstone and Flying Buttress. They did
not leave the route or swim and were self-contained throughout. Email.
During the past twenty years many
modern routes have been done on the rock that is within easy reach of the road.
Exmoor defends its hidden jewels far from the road with 1000ft hogback cliffs,
which are densely vegetated with gorse and thorn and no beach for access. This
along with the second highest tidal range in the world will no doubt continue
to deter all but the more determined climber.
Kes Webb.
Kes Webb who sometimes accompanied Archer eventually
completed The Traverse with Cyril Manning. He
continues to lead groups into the inaccessible sections keeping the
access routes open, finding new one’s and
replacing the rusting super-pitons as Archer named them. He informs each party
that more people have orbited the earth than have been where they are now
standing. This is probably true. He has a vast collection of colour slides
which is the only complete historic photographic record of climbing on the coast. He occasionally shows these at
local venues under the title of ‘The Hidden Edge Of Exmoor’, which is also the
title of a book, which he has written on the subject. The majority of slides
copied onto this site are his. Email.
Local climbers Simon Mooney and Norman Barnes have added a
large number of routes at Hurlstone Point and Sir Roberts Chair.
Martin Crocker.
What may be the final touch to the exploration of the
coastline has been completed by Martin Crocker who has put up high grade routes
along the entire length of The Exmoor Coast 1997 – 2003. A guide for the traverse and conventional
rock routes on The Exmoor Coast awaits publication.