| Habitat | Woodland leading through to open moorland |
| Grid ref/postcode for main car park | |
| Toilets | None |
| Directions | Coming into Minehead …. St Michael’s Road into Moor Road into Hill Road. A little way after a camping site on the right at the brow of the hill is a right turn off onto a wide concrete area. This is the car park for Moor Woods. |
| Accessibility | Open all year. Public roads and lands |
Some of the more special birds to be seen around North Hill are the Dartford Warblers and Crossbills. Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Wood Warblers and Red Kites can also be seen as well as the usual Moorland and Woodland birds like Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Ravens. winter Thrushes. Cuckoos can also be heard and sometimes seen here.
Suggested walks
Short circular walk ½ mile. When entering the Moor Wood car park on the left you will see 2 wooden posts. Go between these and follow wide path along the top of the hill. At a Y junction fork right until you reach Arnold’s & Diana’s bench. When on the bench (facing seaward) in front of you to the right is a track this is the one you want (not the steep downhill track in front of you). You will come to a small concrete parking area with a bench, where there is a concrete road leading up hill, take this road and at the top you are back in the car park.
Longer circular walk under 2 miles. Park in the top section of the Moor Wood car park. At the far end of the top car park on the left is a concrete road going downhill. Take this road. At the bottom of the road you will come to another large concrete area with a bench. Turn right here and in a short distance you will pass a building on the left (old radar station). Continue straight ahead for around ½ mile. You will pass a small horse trough on your right. Then you come to a cross road, turn right. Go up a steepish slope and there is a narrow track off to the left (fields on left woodland on right), take this. Follow through the woods to a small gate. Go through this and turn right onto a wide track. Follow this up hill and over a cattle grid. (If you turn right after the cattle grid you are back in the lower section of the Moor Wood car park, go left and you are in the main car park). Or instead of right after the cattle grid turn left towards Hill Road. Go straight over the road (note there is an apple tree here where food is put for the birds – you might see 4 different Tits, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker here) onto a narrow path passing the apple tree, at T junction* turn right up a narrow track that runs parallel with the road. This comes out opposite the entrance to the car park.
*A longer walk is to turn left at the T junction, heading down hill, parallel to the road. When it come out onto a wide parking area turn right. This comes out by the covered reservoir. Take the right hand path (Jim’s Path) uphill. This comes out on Hill Road opposite the Moor Wood Car Park.
Nightjars
Nightjars are heard and seen in various spots off Hill Road. Best time is a still evening in July. Just over first cattle grid is a wide track on the left alongside a field. On foot follow this round to the right and out of the woodland to the start of the open moor, wait and listen. Off to the left just before the Memorial Hut, at the far end of Hill Road, is another place for them. Perhaps a good place to sit in the car and listen.
Other local places for Nightjars are Nutcombe Bottom and Webbers Post.
Visits
August 2019. The proposed outing to Chetsford in August was changed to North Hill following an uneventful recce to Chetsford. We had an enjoyable walks through both moor and woodland and saw 22 different species of bird.
Species seen North Hill August 2019