Our verdict
The classic Exmoor combination — thatched village at the bottom, 1,000-foot beacon at the top, and this lovely climb through the woods in between. Do it as a loop from Allerford and earn your cream tea at Selworthy properly.
The deep band of oak, holly and towering conifers that wraps the hillside between Allerford's packhorse bridge and Selworthy's yellow-washed church. A web of zig-zag paths climbs through the trees to Selworthy Beacon and the coast path above.
National Trust woodland on the Holnicote Estate. Dogs on leads near the ponies and stock that graze the hill above.