Hidden haunts and secret places in Exmoor

Straddling West Somerset and North Devon, Exmoor is a special corner of England with stunning coast and country scenery – visitors are often surprised by its sheer space and tranquillity.

The region is dominated by the National Park which stretches along the coast from near Minehead in the east to Combe Martin in the west and inland to Dulverton. It’s also surrounded by beautiful scenery including the Quantock and Brendon Hills, North Devon’s gentle rolling countryside, the fictional home of Tarka the Otter, and West Somerset’s mellow farmland and tranquil villages.

Exmoor is home to some of the West Country’s best kept secrets - hidden along the coast are the smallest church, highest sea cliff and longest village in mainland Britain as well as waterfalls, remote smugglers coves and shipwrecks.

All these landmarks and many more can be seen from the challenging but beautiful Exmoor section of the South West Coast Path. Starting in the sandy resort of Minehead, at 630 miles it’s the UK’s longest national trail The West Somerset Coast Path leading walkers eastwards from Minehead to Watchet’s harbour and beyond through marshy meadows, offers gentler views inland.

Just two miles along a steep woodland track from Porlock Weir and still in regular use, 800 year old Church of St Beuno at Culbone is just 35ft long by 12ft wide and seats thirty people while further west Exmoor’s magnificent unspoilt coastline embraces steep, rugged ‘hogs-back’ cliffs including Great Hangman, which rise to around 800ft/244m.

Further along the coast, the twin towns of Lynton and Lynmouth are linked by a unique water powered Victorian cliff railway while just beyond is the Valley of Rocks, home to wild goats and fascinating rock formations with names such as Rugged Jack and Devil’s Cheesewring.

The coastal village of Combe Martin is reputedly the longest in England with a two-mile high street. Its also home to the Pack O’ Cards pub built in the 17th century from the winnings of a card game to represent a pack of cards with features denoting the four suits and royal picture cards.

Seeing Stars on Exmoor – 2009 Year of Astronomy
Exmoor has some of the darkest skies in the country and is the ideal place to discover more about astronomy with its spectacular starry skies. To celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009 and to raise awareness of the beauty and conservation of dark skies, Exmoor National Park, in partnership with Tiverton and Mid Devon and North Devon astronomy societies will be hosting an exciting series of events, most of which are free.

Events start on 21 March with a chance to observe the planet Saturn and learn how to navigate around the night sky while on 27 June visitors might be able to view the sun through a special Hydrogen Alpha telescope and on 25 July there’s an Astro Camp Out under the stars.

New Mineral Line Conservation Project
Heritage sites on the old Mineral Railway Line, an amazing legacy of Victorian engineering which carried iron ore via a 1:4 incline from the Brendon Hills in Eastern Exmoor down to Watchet Harbor, are being conserved as an example of West Somerset’s industrial past. Historic sites, including the Langham Engine House and Incline, should be open to visitors by the summer.

Exmoor National Park
Most of the Exmoor area enjoys National Park status (267 square miles); huge stretches are also owned by the National Trust or protected as Nature Reserves and Heritage Coast, which guarantees natural beauty of the highest order.

With its open heather-clad moorland, dramatic coastline and peaceful woodland combes, the National Park is a beautiful place of great contrast and stunning scenery. Known for its free roaming red deer and rare breed of wild ponies, it’s also a living landscape with abundant wildlife and many picturesque villages and small towns.

Much of the park comprises high rolling moorland where sheep and cattle graze with the highest point at Dunkery Beacon (1,704ft/519m). Other areas feature steep, wooded valleys or combes with clear flowing brooks and streams supporting a wide variety of plants and animals including otters, kingfishers, goosanders, salmon and trout.

Dotted across the landscape are farmsteads, hamlets and villages with old stone cottages, thatched houses, ancient churches and old packhorse bridges. These are the main centres since Exmoor has few towns. Inland perhaps best known is the medieval village of Dunster with its castle dating back to the 13th century, along with Dulverton, Exford and Simonsbath.

After several years hard work by the Moorland Mousie Trust, the Exmoor Pony Centre opened near Dulverton dedicated to the conservation of this ancient rare breed. Visitors can meet the resident ponies and learn more about their history and environment as well as take a ride on an Exmoor pony over the moorland. moorlandmousietrust.org.uk.

Doone and Tarka Country
Exmoor’s most famous combe lies in Doone country, midway between Lynmouth and the pretty historic town of Porlock. Visitors can retrace the footsteps of novelist RD Blackmore’s ill-fated heroine Lorna Doone and imagine the poignant scenes from the book as they explore this stunningly beautiful part of Exmoor. Their trip wouldn’t be complete without a tour of St Mary’s Church at Oare where Lorna was tragically shot by Carver Doone during her wedding to John Ridd.

Also set in Exmoor is the much loved story of Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson, which was first published eighty years ago in October 1927 to great acclaim. It was the inspiration behind the creation of the 180 mile Tarka Trail, a recreational walking/cycling route which stretches from the western side of Exmoor down to the northern slopes of Dartmoor.

Coleridge Way and Exmoor Activities
With over 1,000 miles of footpaths and bridleways walking and horse riding are the two major activities on Exmoor. Both are very well catered for with numerous waymarked routes, holidays dedicated to each with optional guides and accommodation with stabling for riders wishing to bring their own horse.

Following in the footsteps Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the romantic poet who made his home in the region during the late 18th century, the Coleridge Way is a 36-mile waymarked walking trail which links Exmoor National Park and the Quantock Hills. It starts in the village of Nether Stowey and finishes on the coast at Porlock. coleridgeway.co.uk.

Coleridge was a passionate walker and composed much of his poetry while tramping across the countryside. The trail passes close to the isolated farmhouse where he wrote Kubla Khan while a short diversion leads to the Bell Inn at the ancient seaport of Watchet where, legend says, the poet started to write the ‘Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner’. He was joined in Somerset by William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy, who rented a much larger residence at Alfoxton Park, now a hotel, just three miles walk from Nether Stowey.

Following the success of the Coleridge Way, a similar horse riding route has been developed linking the Quantock Hills and Exmoor for the first time, both of which are superb horse riding areas. The Coleridge Bridleway starts in Nether Stowey and crosses the Quantock and Brendon Hills before reaching the open moorland of Exmoor to finish at Exford. About 33 miles long, it is a challenging three-day ride through stunning scenery with open panoramic views and deep wooded combes.

For the long distance walker there are the South West Coast Path and Two Moors Way. The latter links Exmoor and Dartmoor and starts, or ends, from the Tarr Steps - one of the most mysterious stone bridges in Britain built over the River Barle. The original dates back to medieval times or earlier; local legend says it was built by the devil as a place to sunbathe!

One of the best ways to gain an overview of Exmoor is to take a Wildlife Safari; Land Rovers take small groups on an exciting 2.5 hour on and off road experience across open moorland, along wooded valleys and literally through streams in search of wild ponies, deer and other wildlife. Exmoor rangers also offer guided seaside and moorland walks.

Other popular activities include mountain biking, bird watching, angling (sea, coarse and fly-fishing) and windsurfing, sailing and canoeing on Wimbleball Lake. There are also several bird of prey centres offering falconry experience courses or hawk walks.

Exmoor has a great cultural history reflected in the many heritage attractions, museums and arts and crafts centres. Families might also enjoy a nostalgic trip on the West Somerset Steam Railway which runs between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard, the longest standard gauge steam railway in England, take a cruise on the historic paddle steamer from Minehead or visit to one of the farm and wildlife parks.

Fairs, Festivals and Bizarre Re-Enactments
Exmoor is home to some bizarre re-enactments which have been taking place for hundreds of years, such as the hobby horse events in Minehead and Combe Martin, based on ancient Pagan festivals. The Hunting of the Earl of Rone at Combe Martin takes place annually over the late May Bank Holiday weekend. It starts on the Friday evening when villagers begin hunting for the Earl and he's ultimately captured on the Monday in a nearby wood, escorted to the sea and thrown in the water! Much revelry takes place with a parade of grenadiers, a captain and his band of followers, hobby horse and a donkey ridden backwards by the Earl.

North Devon and Exmoor’s Walking Festival, 30 April-8 May, encompasses a programme of guided and speciality walks both inland and along the coast, while from 3-11 October Exmoor will celebrate its fresh natural produce with a major food and drink festival. The Two Moors Festival of Music takes place during the autumn from 8-18 October followed by Dunster by Candlelight and Dulverton by Starlight over the weekend of 4-6 December when both towns come alive with musical entertainment, carol singing and a visit by Santa Claus.

For more information, log on to exmoor.com and visit-exmoor.info.