West Exmoor, Devon

West Challacombe Bothy

Signs for West Challacombe Bothy and footpaths to Combe Martin village (half a mile away) and Little Hangman Hill (a quarter of a mile away), Devon

Check availability

M	T	W	T	F	S	S

Prices are shown for available check-in dates based on the number of nights selected. If your chosen date does not show a price, please select a different number of nights from the drop-down box.

A remote bothy near a dramatic part of the South West Coast Path, on the edge of the Exmoor National Park.

Guests
4
Bedrooms
1
Acorn rating
BothyWhat's this?
Number of dogs welcome
2
Reference
GSW012
This basic stone bothy is a great base for walkers exploring the North Devon coast. It’s just five minutes from the South West Coast Path, in a remote spot surrounded by fields – a quiet place to spend the night.

The bothy is a small, one-room shelter with a wooden sleeping platform. You can leave your tent at home but should bring all the other things you need to camp, including sleeping mats and cooking equipment. There’s no electricity, lighting or heating, and the parking space, flushing toilet and water source are 400 metres away, across two rough and hilly fields.

You’ll be on the fringes of the Exmoor National Park, surrounded by lush countryside, rolling hills and dramatic coastline. Here, the coast path meanders through moorland, where golden beaches are in hidden coves below the craggy cliffs. The National Trust cares for about half of the Exmoor coast and your stay will contribute to conservation work in the area, including the land surrounding the bothy, where we’re working to restore the farm to nature.

Combe Martin village is a 20-minute walk away, with shops, places to eat and a sandy beach. A hike up the steep Hangman Hills nearby gives expansive views of the coast and on a clear day you’ll be able to see as far as Wales.

For a walking holiday exploring this stretch of coast, you can book other bothies along the coast path. First, head to Heddon Orchard Bothy (sleeps four, dog friendly), then either Berry Lawn Linhay Bothy (sleeps four, dog friendly), Foreland Bothy (sleeps four, dog friendly) or Butter Hill Barn (sleeps six, dog friendly).

Layout

Ground floor: Stone room with a wooden sleeping platform (3.6m wide and 2.1m deep) for up to four adults.

Outbuilding: Flushing toilet and tap with drinking water in an outbuilding 400m away from the bothy, near the parking space.

Outside space

Unenclosed field, wetland and woodland.
What is a bothy? Bothies are stripped back accommodation in remote locations. Simple structures, they offer a 'camping with walls' experience. All of our bothies are self-clean and do not include caretaking.

In keeping with the ethos of a bothy stay, we ask our guests to leave West Challacombe Bothy in a clean and tidy condition for the next guests. Thank you.

Facilities: The building with a flushing toilet and tap with drinking water is 400 metres away from the bothy, across two fields with uneven tracks. There is no shower.

Parking: There is a parking space for one car 400 metres away from the bothy, across two fields with uneven tracks. The toilet is near the parking space. It is not possible to drive directly to the bothy.

Luggage: There is no offloading or parking possible directly outside the bothy. Please make sure you can carry all your equipment, including drinking water, to the bothy.

Bedding/linen: No bedding or linen are provided in bothies.

Heating: No heating is provided.

Electricity and lighting: There is no electricity or lighting in the bothy. The trail to the bothy is not lit, so please bring a torch. We recommend arriving in daylight.

Dogs: There is no enclosed garden and there may be animals in the surrounding farmland.

Transport: The nearest train station is in Barnstaple. If you're planning a holiday without your car, we recommend using Traveline to find public transport options before booking to check availability on your chosen dates.

Please note: For your safety, please do not cook inside the bothy.

There are two National Trust holiday cottages near the parking space and toilet, West Challacombe Cottage (sleeps four) and West Challacombe Manor (sleeps five).

You can stay in bothies and bunkhouses on a walking holiday along the South West Coast Path. This route goes through the Exmoor National Park from Combe Martin, past Heddon's Mouth, to Lynmouth. It's approximately 7 miles from West Challacombe Bothy to Heddon Orchard Bothy. Then head to either Berry Lawn Linhay Bothy (about 7 miles away), Foreland Bothy (over 8 miles away), or Butter Hill Barn (a bunkhouse with a few extra comforts, about 7 miles away). It's possible to take public transport from Barnstaple Rail Station to Combe Martin and Lynton to complete this route, but please research your journey before booking to check availability on your chosen dates.

Heddon Orchard Bothy

A bothy set deep in the wilds of Heddon Valley, approximately 7 miles from West Challacombe Bothy. Sleeps four, dog friendly.

Berry Lawn Linhay Bothy

This camping barn is perched on some of England’s highest cliffs on the South West Coast Path, with views over the Bristol Channel. It's about 7 miles from Heddon Orchard Bothy and doesn't have parking. Sleeps four, dog friendly.

Foreland Bothy

A coastal bothy on the South West Coast Path, only a mile from the local pub and about 8 miles from Heddon Orchard Bothy. Sleeps four, dog friendly.

Butter Hill Barn

A rustic barn conversion with bunkbeds, a shower and a log-burner. It's about 7 miles from Heddon Orchard Bothy. Sleeps six, dog friendly.

Search for bothies

St Mark's Bothy, Brownsea Island, Dorset

St Mark's Bothy, Dorset

A bothy near the shore on Brownsea Island, with sea views, a simple kitchen and a shower room. Sleeps five.

Peppercombe Bothy, Devon

A coastal stone hut with sea views for miles. It's on the path to a pebble beach and eight miles from the sandy beach at Westward Ho! Sleeps four, dog friendly.

Holme Wood Bothy, Loweswater, Lake District

Holme Wood Bothy, Cumbria

A bothy set just metres from the shores of Loweswater in the Lake District, with a basic kitchen area and wood burner. Sleeps four, dog friendly.

West Challacombe Manor and West Challacombe Cottage next door, with their shared garden in front, Devon

Holiday cottages near West Challacombe Bothy

If you'd like a few more comforts, or for friends and family who would like to stay near you in a holiday cottage, there are two National Trust cottages at West Challacombe. West Challacombe Cottage sleeps four and West Challacombe Manor is a historic manor house that sleeps five.

Your stay will contribute to conservation work on the Exmoor coast.

The rolling fields and woods in the countryside surrounding West Challacombe Manor and Cottage, Devon

We've begun work to restore the farmland at West Challacombe to nature.

To create a haven for wildlife and people, we've planted 20,000 trees and created a wetland in front of the bothy. Leaving space for species-rich grassland full of wildflowers to spread across the farm, we're creating a much more biodiverse landscape.

Coastal woodland, with a river running through and streams of sunlight breaking through the canopy

Article

Landscape-scale conservation on West Exmoor

Landscape-scale conservation, with its huge benefits for nature and wildlife, is a focus for our West Exmoor ranger team. Find out about 3 of our current projects here.

As well as walking trails from the front door, there's more to discover within driving distance. The 3-mile sand beach at Woolacombe is half-an-hour's drive to the west, or head to Ilfracombe for the ferry to Lundy, an island full of wildlife, including puffins. The ancient woodland of Heddon Valley is to the east, with walks to Heddon's Mouth where the river meets the sea between some of England's highest cliffs, and the secluded shingle beach at Woody Bay, surrounded by tree-covered cliffs.