Dunkery Beacon

The highest point in Somerset and Exmoor at 519m, Dunkery Beacon is reached via several approach roads from the north, with the ascent from Wheddon Cross via Dunkery Gate being the most commonly ridden cycling route. The approach from the A396 at Wheddon Cross begins immediately with 10-12% ramps before easing on the moorland flanks, then biting again in the exposed upper section where the road deteriorates to rough tarmac and the gradient reasserts at 13-15%. The summit itself is open moorland without a road — the cycling objective is the highest tarmac point on Dunkery Gate road, approximately 480m. Exmoor's moorland character is distinct from Dartmoor: the vegetation is denser, the lanes more enclosed in the valleys, and the views northward across Exmoor toward the Bristol Channel coast are exceptional. This climb sits technically on the Somerset side of the Devon-Exmoor border but is universally included in South West cycling itineraries and frequently combined with North Devon coastal routes.