 Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset , England . It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel , 21 miles ( 34 km ) north @-@ west of the county town of Taunton , 12 miles ( 19 km ) from the border with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National Park . The parish of Minehead has a population of approximately 11 @,@ 981 making it the most populous town in the West Somerset local government district . This figure includes Alcombe , a suburban village which has been subsumed into Minehead . 
