What is Exmoor?

Exmoor literally is 'the moor where the River Exe rises.' As the area of moorland has shrunk, it has become difficult to define the boundaries of Exmoor in terms of physical geography. To some it is easier to define as a political area, such as the former Royal Forest of Exmoor or Exmoor parish, centred around Simonsbath, or the National Park. To locals living around the edges of the National Park, Exmoor is always 'up over', suggesting that Exmoor proper is the upland parts of the National Park. It can be defined as an upland plateau of Devonian rocks divided by faulting from younger rocks on all sides. Geologists call this a 'horst block.' The Brendon Hills are included in this block and fall partly within the catchment of the River Exe but are historically not seen as part of Exmoor, being divided from the main plateau by the valleys of the rivers Avill, Quarme and Exe. Exmoor can, therefore, be considered as the upland between these valleys and the coast as far as Combe Martin but without any precise boundaries.

The plateau is slightly tilted towards the south and east. Rivers have cut into it so that it stands as ridges between the valleys. The main ridge runs from west to east across the middle of the National Park and includes Exmoor's highest point: Dunkery Beacon 519m (1704 ft). This is the 3rd lowest of the highest points in the National Parks: Snowdonia has the highest (Snowdon is 1085m [3560 ft]) and the Broads the lowest (Bath Hills 25m [82ft]).

The National Park includes the Exmoor plateau, Vale of Porlock and the Brendon Hills.

Area (estimated) 69,280 ha (171,189 acres) [267 sq mls]

20,091 ha (49,644 acres) [29%] in Devon

49,189 ha (121,545 acres) [71%] in Somerset

As the seaward boundary of the National Park was never defined, it can be argued that the foreshore, amounting to another 362.8 hectares, can be added to the National Park area.