Minehead is ideally situated for Exmoor, Dunster and its famous Castle being only two miles away and Porlock, of the dreaded Porlock Hill only 5 miles distance ( Porlock Hill is the only free white knuckle ride in the West Country as anyone who has drove down it will tell you. )It is also stated that the phrase " a person from Porlock " originated when Samuel Taylor Coleridge, once woke up with a complete poem clear in his head. He started to write down "In Xanadu did Kublai Khan a stately pleasure-dome decree Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea. He had written about 50 lines when there was a knock on the door, and a person from Porlock; called about some minor matter. When the man had gone Coleridge ,sat down to write the rest of the poem but couldn't remember it, which is why this great work remained unfinished. Doone Country', is also very near Minehead in fact if you wish to visit Exmoor as I am sure you will then yes Minehead is a perfect location for you. you can find out all about wonderful Exmoor please click here The first mention of Minehead is yet again in the 'Domesday Book' in 1087 and the name Minehead is of Celtic origin.

After the 'Norman Conquest,s the area fell under the stewardship of the 'Mohin Family who,s seat was Dunster Castle. Until the 15th century farming was the main industry but when trade with Ireland flourished the sea became the dominant feature with the port not only used for trading goods but with the development of a fishing industry Minehead, first came into prominence as a seaside resort with the advent of Isambard Kingdom Brunels, famous West Country railway 'The Great Western'; which allowed City dwellers the opportunity, to vacate the City and visit such places as Minehead for their annual holiday,s . Minehead is the headquarters of the wonderfully restored west somerset railway a must for children and steam train enthusiasts alike the original line was of broad gauge track devised by the extraordinary and brilliant engineer Isambard Kingdom -Brunel ( broad gauge which meant the track was 7ft wide instead of 4ft 8½ was far superior to the 4 ft 8½ narrow gauge, but unfortunately for Brunel to much of the excising track had been laid in narrow gauge, that its was not economically viable to convert to broad gauge so broad gauge despite being superior had to go and in 1882 it was converted to narrow gauge) The terminus at Minehead was opened in 1874 by the West Somerset Railway Company in 1876 it was absorbed by the Great Western Railway for whom I K Brunel was the resident engineer.

The line was closed in 1971 when a certain Dr Beeching, savagely shut great parts of the country,s railway system particularly rural lines with absolutely no regard for the hardships this would cause to people living in the rural area,s. But in Somerset common sense prevailed and Somerset Council brought the line and leased it to the original owners West Somerset Railway who gradually lovingly and accurately restored it and opened it section by section until it was the fully restored original railway of the 18th century and is today a delight to travel on( if nostalgia is your trip then this is the trip for you ) the service runs from Datchet to Minehead daily and there are eleven fully restored stations along the route.

The engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was of Anglo-French origin his father Marc Brunel being French and his mother Sophia Kingdom was English and the amalgamation of both the surnames gave us the unforgettable name Kingdom- Brunel . Isambard was born in 1806 a only son he was to arrived just in time to take part in the industrial revolution that was about to sweep Britain. Isambard lean't his engineering skills at a very early age for his father was a exceptional engineer in his own right who built the very first Thames tunnel at Rotherhide and he specially designed a 'shield'. Which is the forefather of the giant modern tunnel boring machines one see,s today.But it was not long before the apprentice was teaching the master and to say he was before his time is a understatement, the legacy this fine engineer left can be seen all over the West Country from the Royal Albert bridge, crossing the Tamar at Saltash, to the "Box"railway tunnel when constructed, the Box Railway tunnel was the longest railway tunnel in the World.

Isambard Kingdom-Brunel designed the famous Clifton, suspension bridge at Bristol. who's span was the longest span of any suspension bridge ever constructed at that time and also in Bristol lies, the S S Great Britain which was the first iron steamship and also the first large passenger ship to use the innovative screw propeller and it was designed by Isambard Kingdom -Brunel in 1843.

After the 2nd World War Britain was still a pretty austere place to live. However there were signs of better times ahead. And Sir Billy Buttlin was quick to see Mineheads potential in the early 50,s and opened a holiday, camp in Minehead and Minehead rang to the cheerful cry of "morning campers". A lot of people thought this choice of location was an mistake for on the camps doorstep was South West Somersets greates attraction Exmoor, what a rival! The holiday, camp however was a great success and during its hey day the 50s and 60s thousand,s of excited families arrived for their week or fortnight of fun in the sun. Unfortunately with the advent of cheap holidays abroad the holiday camp industries has declined though still in existence to a lesser degree today. However Exmoor has never lost its attraction and today many people still flock to South West Somersets enduring attraction. One interesting  fact is that Butlins, has experienced a revival in recent times, and with the Spanish resorts getting rowdy, crowded and more expensive Buttlins is once again a favorite with parents with young families.!

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