Nearest train station: Minehead
About an hour’s walk from the gorgeous Exmoor village of Simonsbath lie the ruins of Cow Castle, an old Iron Age fort.
Cow Castle is adjacent to the River Barle, with the walk following the banks of the river through lush Exmoor hills and woodland, before arriving at a pool next to the wall ruins where you can decamp, have a picnic and swim in the water up to a depth of around 1.5 metres.
Cow Castle is a well-known entity and the walking route is popular among Exmoor hikers, who often end their routes with a well-earned drink at the Exmoor Forest Inn in the village of Simonsbath. The walk is truly stunning, starting with a small gorge before passing the ruins of Wheal Eliza, an old mine cottage with an interesting back story and then passing through some very Tolkien-esque woodland before arriving at the swim spot. It’s a really special place for an Exmoor wild swim!
How to Get to Cow Castle on the River Barle
We’ve provided detailed instructions on how to get to this beautiful Exmoor wild swimming spot by various means of transport below, as well as general travel information nearby.
By car
Enter the postcode TA24 7SH into your sat nav, which will take you The Exmoor Forest Inn in Simonsbath. Parking is available just beyond the pub in the form of Ashcombe Car Park, which is just left off the B3223 a few hundred metres beyond the pub.
From here, walk down to the bottom of the hill just beyond the pub where you’ll see signage directing you to Cow Castle. You can opt to traverse the first stage of the walk through a wooded path area or by hugging the River Barle for the first few hundred metres.
The walk is pretty clear from here, with the first initial waypoint being the Wheal Eliza cottage ruins which stands over the River Barle in what looks like a small gorge:
Following the path onward, you’ll then walk through a gate and head down to a wooded glade, the moss-ridden trees looking like something lifted straight out of a Tolkien-inspired glade:
Follow the path around the river and you’ll soon reach Cow Castle, which is hard to miss with the ruins of an old brick wall leading up a hill. It’s at the foot of this wall where you can find one of Exmoor’s best wild swimming locations…
…And here’s Helen enjoying a refreshing dip in the water after our walk. Take care not to slip on the rocks when entering the water, and don’t be surprised to find little freshwater fish nibbling at your toes!
By public transport
There aren’t really any public transport links that take you to Simonsbath, with the 401 bus passing through some neighbouring Exmoor villages only being run in August and September. It is best to drive or if you’re up to it, cycle.
By bike
Exmoor is a cyclist’s dream, with plenty of quiet routes with varying degrees of incline and length being great options. In and around Simonsbath, there are plenty of mountain bike routes with this route in particular taking in the neighbouring village of Withypool passing Cow Castle on the way.
What else is nearby Cow Castle?
You can keep walking beyond the ruins of the wall where the trail connects the River Barle to White Water.
Another nearby Exmoor wild swimming spot is Landacre Bridge.