Cornwall and Exmoor by Motorcycle: The A39, Porlock Hill and the Coast Road to Land’s End

The West Country is a long ride from most of Britain, and that is part of its charm: once you are past Taunton, the roads empty out and the landscape gets wilder by the mile. This route links the two best riding areas in the far south-west. Day one takes in Exmoor, where the A39 climbs and plunges along the top of the coast, then crosses the moor itself. Day two follows the A39 Atlantic Highway into Cornwall and finishes on the coast road from St Ives round to Land's End. All in, it is about 400km (250 mi).

Day one: Exmoor (about 150km / 95 mi)

Minehead to Porlock (about 10km / 6 mi). Start at Minehead, the eastern gateway to Exmoor, and ride west on the A39 to Porlock, a small village under the hills.

Porlock Hill (about 2km (1.2 miles) / just over 1 mi). Just past the village, the A39 turns uphill and becomes Porlock Hill, famous as the steepest A-road in the UK. It climbs roughly 220m (725ft) in under a mile and reaches about 1 in 4 (25%) on the steepest part, with two tight hairpins near the bottom and escape lanes for runaway vehicles on the way down. On a bike it is short and dramatic: hold a steady throttle in first or second gear and do not stop on the hairpins if you can help it. If you would rather not, a private toll road climbs the same hill at a gentler gradient through woodland from Porlock; there is a charge, and it is narrow.

Porlock Hill to Lynmouth (about 20km / 12 mi). At the top, the A39 runs along the open moor near the edge of the cliffs, with views across the Bristol Channel to Wales. It is a fast, flowing road, with ponies and sheep grazing beside the tarmac and cattle grids at the edges of the moor. The descent into Lynmouth down Countisbury Hill is another steep, long drop to the sea. Lynmouth and Lynton, its twin up on the cliff, are linked by a water-powered cliff railway; stop for a coffee by the harbour.

Across the moor (about 70km / 45 mi). From Lynmouth, ride inland and south across the heart of Exmoor on the B3223 through Simonsbath and the B3224 toward Exford and Wheddon Cross. These are the best riding roads on Exmoor: open moor, deep wooded combes and village pubs, with long views and little traffic outside holiday weekends. Dunster, with its castle and medieval yarn market, is a short drop back to the coast near Minehead.

West to Barnstaple (about 50km / 30 mi). Finish the day riding west along the A39 back past Lynton and on to Barnstaple, or take the B3358 across the southern edge of the moor through Challacombe.

Day two: the Atlantic Highway and west Cornwall (about 250km / 155 mi)

Barnstaple to Bude on the A39 (about 60km / 37 mi). Beyond Barnstaple, the A39 is signed as the Atlantic Highway. It is a main road, fast and well surfaced, with a few good sweeping sections between Bideford and Bude and the sea appearing between the hills. Clovelly, a steep cobbled village (closed to vehicles) is a short detour.

Bude to Tintagel along the coast (about 35km / 22 mi). From Bude, leave the A39 and take the minor roads south along the coast through Crackington Haven to Boscastle, a tiny harbour in a steep valley, then on the B3263 to Tintagel and its clifftop castle. These are proper Cornish lanes: narrow, high-hedged, steep in and out of every cove, with blind bends and tractors. Take them slowly and they are some of the most rewarding roads in England.

Tintagel to St Ives (about 90km / 55 mi). Rejoin the A39 to Wadebridge, then use the A30 or the A39 and minor roads to cross to the far west. Padstow, on the Camel estuary, is a short detour for lunch.

St Ives to Land's End on the B3306 (about 30km / 19 mi). The B3306 west from St Ives through Zennor, Morvah and Pendeen to St Just is the finest coast road in Cornwall: a twisting ribbon of tarmac across granite moorland with the Atlantic on your right, old mine engine houses on the cliffs and stone walls lining the road. It is narrow and blind in places, and busy with cars in summer, so ride it early or late. From St Just, it is a short ride to Land's End and Sennen Cove.

The roads

West Country lanes need care. High hedges hide oncoming traffic, many lanes are single track with passing places, and mud, gravel and cow muck collect in the centre. Caravans and camper vans fill the main roads in July and August, and the A30 into Cornwall can be very slow on summer Saturdays. The moor roads have cattle grids and free-roaming ponies, sheep and cattle. Speed limits change often, with average-speed cameras on some main roads, and 20mph limits in many villages.

When to go

May, June and September are ideal: long days, warm weather and quieter roads than the school holidays. The far south-west is mild all year, but winter brings wind and rain off the Atlantic, and Exmoor can be cold and foggy on top when the coast is clear.

Extension: Dartmoor

If you have a third day, Dartmoor sits between Exmoor and Cornwall and has some of the best moorland riding in the south. The B3212 and B3357 cross the moor and meet at Two Bridges, with open tors, ponies and long views on both. Princetown, high on the moor, is a good stop. Watch for animals on the road and for low cloud on the tops.

Where to stay

For Exmoor, Porlock, Lynton and Dunster all make good bases; for Cornwall, St Ives, Penzance or a farm stay near St Just suits the far west. Book early for school holidays. See our Cornwall and Devon biker hotels. For more of Britain's best roads, see the best motorcycle roads in the UK, and if you are crossing into Wales on the way, the Brecon Beacons guide is on the way north. Our riding in the UK page covers the rules for visiting riders.