A break in Minehead offered the opportunity to bag the three summits nearby. It is possible to walk between the three but in this case we decided it would be easier to drive to Dunkery Beacon and Selworthy Beacon and then get dropped off for Periton hill and an easy walk back into Minehead.
G/SC-001, Dunkery Beacon
There are two good car parks for Dunkery Beacon, we chose the higher one located at TA24 7AT with a slightly longer walk in but less height to climb.
The path up to the beacon if very obvious and even though we were in cloud it is not a problem to follow. The beacon is very obvious and there is plenty of room to operate although the ground around the beacon is very stony and difficult to get pegs into.
Journey Details
Date – 29th May 2018
Postcode – TA24 7AT
Parking – SS 903 419
Radio – Kenwood TH-D74 + 50W PA on 2m
Antenna – 2 ele yagi
Band – 144 FM
Contacts – 9
SOTA points – 2
Group – Myself, Belinda & Jacob
G/SC-005, Selworthy Beacon
The drive to Selworthy Beacon is not easy as there isn’t a nearby postcode that I could find on the right road. Just have to do it the old fashioned way and use a map! TA24 5LB will get you one the right road but it’s still quite a way from the parking.
Once parked it is a short walk over to the beacon where there is plenty of room to set up. Being a bit lower than Dunkery Beacon it is a bit more difficult to get out but I still managed to log six contacts which isn’t bad for a Tuesday morning.
Journey Details
Date – 29th May 2018
Postcode – TA24 5LB
Parking – SS 923 478
Radio – Kenwood TH-D74 + 50W PA on 2m
Antenna – 2 ele dipole
Band – 144 FM
Contacts – 6
SOTA points – 1
Group – Myself, Belinda & Jacob
G/SC-006, Periton Hill
It’s a short drive back into Minehead and out to Periton Cross for the walk up Periton Hill. The A39 is fairly busy making it difficult to stop there so it is easier to stop in Hopcott Close, TA24 5TA. There is room to park in the close, the walk up the hill starts on the other side of the A39 which is accessible from the close.
The route up the hill is fairly obvious. Once you reach the top path, the highest point is set back on a second path behind the trees so I decided to operate on the more northerly path which has a better takeoff towards the North and East. This point is at 292m so well within the AZ.
I soon made six contacts which I was happy with as it’s such a low hill. I only saw one other person out walking on the hill, the tourists preferring the pleasures of Minehead. From the summit I walked back into Minehead via the town centre which was certainly a contrast to the peace of the hill!
Journey Details
Date – 29th May 2018
Postcode – TA24 5TA
Parking – SS 955 457
Radio – Kenwood TH-D74 + 50W PA on 2m
Antenna – 2 ele dipole
Band – 144 FM
Contacts – 6
SOTA points – 1
Group – Myself
