Climbs 600 m and descends 595 m, topping out at 250 m and dropping to 5 m. Measured along the mapped route.
What you walk on, by distance (from OpenStreetMap way types).
Four axes rated 1–5 — the single rating above is only the headline.
The official start by the giant map sculpture on Minehead seafront, climbing onto wooded Exmoor cliffs past Selworthy Beacon to the thatched harbour hamlet of Porlock Weir.
Places on this leg with a full history, and free audio guides you can read or hear.
Minehead to Porlock Weir is 10.0 miles (16.1 km). Allow about 5 h 18 min of walking, before stops.
Stage 1 climbs about 600 m and descends about 595 m, with a high point of about 250 m. On the South West Coast Path the ascent, not the distance, is what decides how long a day takes — the route repeatedly drops to sea level and climbs straight back out.
It is graded moderate. Rated out of five: physical demand 2/5 (Modest), terrain 3/5 (Moderate), navigation 2/5 (Modest), remoteness 2/5 (Modest). On the SAC hiking scale it is T2 — some steep, rough or uneven ground.
By distance the surface is footpath 65%, bridleway 18%, track 14%, road & lane 3%. Percentages come from the mapped way types along the route.
March to October is the usual window for this leg. Outside it, daylight is short, some estuary ferries stop running and cliff-top wind and rain make an exposed route much harder work.
Water on this stage is moderate. We map 4 refill points on the leg — mostly pubs, cafés and taps in the villages the path passes through. Shade is minimal: this is open cliff-top walking, so carry more than you think in summer.
Highlights on this leg are Minehead start sculpture, Selworthy Beacon, Exmoor cliff woods. It also passes 1 place we cover in depth: Minehead & the Start Sculpture. There is 1 free audio guide between them.
Steep climb out of Minehead.