The settlement pattern of scattered hamlets and villages, with a few small towns on the coast and around the inland margins, reflects the topography, climate and past land ownership of Exmoor. About half its population of around 10,500 live in these towns and villages, the largest of which are Lynton, Dunster, Porlock and Dulverton.
Man has continuously occupied parts of Exmoor since the end of the Ice Age (c. 8000 BC) but early occupation was seasonal hunting and shepherding on the higher land in summer, with a return to the shelter of lowland and coastal valleys in the winter. In the Bronze Age (2000-650 BC) period of warmer drier climate the settlers enclosed plots of land and built houses up on the higher moorland. During the Saxon and medieval period these hilltop enclosures were often succeeded by farmstead and village development in the valleys below. The dedication of churches to Celtic saints at Parracombe, Porlock, Culbone and Brendon suggests that these villages were centres of early Christianity. Many larger settlements on the edge of Exmoor developed in Saxon times and expanded with the medieval woollen industry or as market centres. Traditional Exmoor houses were simple, solidly built to withstand the elements, and generally constructed of local materials. Their roofs were usually straw thatched - now often replaced by slates or tiles - with walls of stone rubble or cob (a mixture of mud, straw and dung).
ALLERFORD (SS9046)
Allerford is a hamlet in Selworthy parish on the National Trust's Holnicote Estate. A picturesque and much photographed fifteenth-century packhorse bridge spans Aller Brook. The old, thatched school is now the West Somerset Rural Life Museum. There is a working smithy, shop, small car park and toilets. Nearby is Piles Mill, a National Trust study centre with the mill open to the public.
BARBROCK (SS7147)
A village in Lynton and Lynmouth parish. There is a memorial to those who lost their lives there in the 1952 flood disaster. To the east is the notorious Beggars Roost Hill, a steep and stony track long used for motor trials.
BLACKMOOR GATE (SS6443)
This is a busy crossroads at the junction of the A39 and A399 named after the former landowners, the Blackmore family, which included the Exmoor novelist, R. D. Blackmore. The former station on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway is now an inn, and there is a car park and picnic area.
BOSSINGTON (SS8947)
A picturesque hamlet in Selworthy parish, on the National Trust's Holnicote Estate. Distinctive cottages with chimney stacks and bread ovens bulging from the facades line the single street. There are good walks along the Coast Path to Hurlstone Point and Porlock Marsh and superb views from Bossington Hill. There is a car park, toilets, picnic area and tea gardens in season, and a wildlife park and medieval chapel at nearby Lynch.
BRENDON (SS7648)
This large parish (population, with Countisbury, 209) includes the heathland of Brendon Common. The village straggles along the East Lyn valley with the church nearly two miles away. The church was moved from Cheriton in the eighteenth century and is dedicated to St Brendan, the much-travelled Irish saint who is reputed to have discovered North America.
BRENDON HILL (ST0234)
Here are remains of the once prosperous iron mining industry, including a miners' chapel at Beulah and ruins of mines, cottages and the steep mineral railway incline running down to Comberow. Car parking is at a lay-by near Raleigh's Cross and it is necessary to explore on foot. Access to Burrow Farm engine house is from near the Naked Boy prehistoric standing stone along the edge of the track bed of the former mineral railway.
BRIDGETOWN (SS9233)
Bridgetown is a hamlet alongside the River Exe on the A369, which includes an old mill, packhorse bridge and a cricket pitch with a thatched pavilion. A peaceful walk leads along the river towards Winsford. Parking is in a lay-by from which a bridge crosses to the cricket pitch. There is a pub and rock faces carved with the dates when the turnpike was cut along the valley in the 1820s.
BROMPTON REGIS (SS9531)
A large parish (pop 407) extending from the Haddeo valley up to the ridge of the Brendon Hills. It includes Wimbleball Lake, the village of Withiel Florey and the hamlets of Bury and Gupworthy. This quiet village has a pub, shop and tea rooms and nearby is the restored Pulhams Mill with craft workshop.
BURY (SS9427)
Bury is best known for its picturesque bridge and ford, but it is best not to attempt to cross either with a vehicle. It is a good starting point for walks up the beautiful Haddeo valley to Wimbleball Lake or up the rough, old and sunken Haddon Lane to Haddon Hill.
THE CHAINS (SS7342)
A wild moorland ridge with its highest point at Chains Barrow - 1,599ft (487m). A path leads along the southern edge of the ridge between Exe Head and Pinkworthy Pond, which dams the headwaters of the River Barle. The pond was created for landowner John Knight around 1830 but its purpose is unknown. Here is Exmoor's most extensive area of blanket bog; typical plants include deer sedge, cotton grasses, cross-leaved heath, bog asphodel, sundew and heath spotted orchid. Access is usually via the B3358 west of Simonsbath and Shallowford south of Barbrook.
CHAPMAN BARROWS (SS6943)
This collection of 11 barrows which form Exmoor's largest group of Bronze Age burial mounds. They lie mostly on Challacombe Common, known locally as Homer Common. An agreement with the landowner gives access on foot along the Bronze Age ridgeway to Exmoor's tallest standing stone, the Longstone, and to Longstone Barrow. On a clear day you can see most of North Devon, Bodmin Moor and three more National Parks: Dartmoor, Brecon Beacons and the Pembrokeshire Coast. Access is via a long track up from Parracombe or along the wild Chains ridge.
CLOUTSHAM (SS8943)
Cloutsham is a working farm on the National Trust's Holnicote estate. It was a hunting lodge of the Acland family, designed in the ornate rustic style popular on estates in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It looks over Cloutsham Woods to the northern slopes of Dunkery Hill, and the meadows near a ford in the woods are popular for picnics. The nearest parking is at Webber's Post to the east or Stoke Ridge to the west and the road through the valley is narrow, winding and precipitous.
COMBE MARTIN (SS5747)
Combe Martin (pop 2,451) is a classic linear settlement, reputedly having the country's longest village street. Characteristic 'sunken lanes' cut into the valley sides away from the street to the medieval strip fields and sites of former silver mines. Lying mostly outside the National Park, the village provides many services, including shops, cafes, restaurants, bank, health centre and National Park Centre. The beach and nearby Wild Pear Beach have great geological interest and lie within the National Park.
COUNTISBURY (SS7449)
A tiny hilltop settlement with a church, old coaching inn and car park. There are superb walks on the Foreland, with views down Countisbury Hill to Lynmouth, to the Iron Age rampart on Wind Hill, and along the cleave above the spectacular wooded East Lyn gorge.
COUNTY GATE (SS7948)
Set on a windy ridge between the East Lyn valley and the Bristol Channel on the A39 between Devon and Somerset. The old gatehouse is now a National Park Centre with car park and toilets. There are views to Doone Country and this is a good starting point for exploring that area or the Glenthorne Estate, with steep trails to a pinetum and stony beach with fascinating geology.
COUNTY GATE (SS7948)
An Iron Age fort spectacularly situated on top of a natural hillock in the Barle valley. It is beside a popular walk running along the bottom and side of the valley between Simonsbath and Braddymoor.
CULBONE (SS8448)
Culbone church, dedicated to St Beuno, is reputed to be the smallest parish church in England. It has Saxon parts and there are many legends surrounding its ancient history. The cottages, formerly part of the Lovelace estate based at Ashley Combe, are in the style of Voysey. Its chief charm is its setting - deep in a shady, wooded combe on the side of the Bristol Channel - and was inspiration for Coleridge's Kubla Khan. There are no public roads to the village and access is via the Coast Path from Porlock Weir or the toll road at Ashley Combe.
DOONE COUNTRY (SS7944)
The area centred around Badgworthy Water is famed as home of the legendary Doones, a family of seventeenth-century outlaws. Legend placed the Doones in the deserted medieval settlement in Hoccombe Combe, a tributary of Badgworthy. The valley of Blackmore's famous novel Lorna Doone, however, more closely resembled Lank Combe, another tributary. A visit to both combes requires a 5-mile (8km) walk from Malmsmead. Badgworthy Water marks the boundary between Devon and Somerset and runs through beautiful heathland and an ancient woodland of crooked oaks. There is a car park, toilets and natural history centre at Malmsmead, and teas are available in season at Malmsmead or Cloud Farm. One mile along a riverside walk from Malmsmead is the tiny church at Oare where Lorna Doone married Jan Ridd, the hero of the novel.
DULVERTON (SS9127)
A busy little town (pop 1,347) acting as a service centre for southern Exmoor. It lies in an attractive setting where the deep and wooded Barle valley broadens into meadows before joining the Exe. A medieval bridge spans the river near the former workhouse, now the National Park Authority's offices. There is a National Park Centre adjoining the Heritage Centre, which has an art gallery and displays about Dulverton and the surrounding woodlands. There are many shops and services, including bank, chemist, library and health centre. Early closing is on Thursday.
DUNKERY HILL (SS8941)
This large hill forms the highest part of Exmoor's central ridge. It has a chain of summits capped with Bronze Age barrows, at Rowbarrows, Kit Barrows, Robin How and Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor's highest point at 1,705ft (519m). There are easy walks to the summit from informal car parks at Dunkery Gate and Rex Stile Head. The Beacon was the site of a former fire beacon and is still occasionally used for celebratory bonfires. A cairn commemorating the giving of the area to the National Trust and a toposcope (viewfinder) mark the summit. There are extensive all-round views on clear days.
DUNSTER (SS9943)
Dunster (pop 948) is one of the most visited places on Exmoor. It has all the features you would expect of an English medieval village, including an ancient castle, priory, dovecote, yarn market, inn, packhorse bridge and mill - plus the modern scourge of busy road traffic. Its once prosperous woollen industry died in the eighteenth century, since when the village has been locked in a time warp. The main attraction is the National Trust castle, former home of the Luttrell family. However, the whole village and the lush countryside surrounding it are equally worth exploration. The National Park Centre shares displays with the National Trust and the Crown Estate, the major landowners in the area. Services are mainly tourist oriented, with a plethora of gift and tea shops.
EXFORD (SS8538)
Exford (pop 399) is an attractive village set around a green. It acts as a service centre for central Exmoor, and its tourism is mainly based on hunting and riding.
HORNER (SS8945)
This hamlet in Luccombe parish has pleasant gardens and is convenient for the beautiful walks along Horner Water. The woods form part of a National Nature Reserve, a stronghold for red deer, and contain ancient pollarded oaks with rare lichens.
HUNTER'S INN (SS6548)
Hunter's Inn is set in a picturesque location in the deep, wooded Heddon Valley. There is a National Trust Visitor Centre, car park and toilets. There are relatively level paths forming a popular walk either side of the river to the small, rocky beach and lime kiln at Heddon's Mouth.
LANDACRE BRIDGE (SS8136)
This medieval bridge spans the River Barle, where it runs through Withypool Common. The combination of water, moorland and resident Exmoor ponies make it and nearby Sherdon Hutch popular picnic sites for locals. There is no formal parking or facilities and there can be a haphazard 'free for all' on busy days.
LARKBARROW (SS8242)
The ruins of this isolated farm were used for firing practice during World War II. It is surrounded by miles of open, rolling grass moorland, and is one of the best places to experience remoteness and tranquility on Exmoor. A track runs through from Alderman's Barrow or Larkbarrow Corner to Badgworthy Water, and there is open access to this boggy and tussocky terrain.
LEE BAY (SS6949)
A small, rocky and sheltered bathing beach, popular with visitors to Lynton and Lynmouth. It is part of the Lee Abbey estate and there is a charge for the toll road and car park. There are toilets, a tea garden in season and an unusual chapel in a former lime kiln.
LUCCOMBE (SS9144)
Luccombe (pop 173) is a pretty National Trust village of old cottages, with a beautiful church and thatched shop.
LUXBOROUGH (SS9837)
Luxborough (pop 201) is a scattered village with pub, church and car park. It is a good centre for exploring the forested parts of the Brendon Hills, with walks over the Chargot estate to Kennisham, over Croydon Hill to the deserted village of Clicket, or across the open heaths of Withycombe and Rodhuish Commons.
LYNMOUTH (SS7249)
Lynmouth is probably the busiest attraction in the National Park, but the tourism is seasonal and winter is quiet. Its attraction derives chiefly from its spectacular setting at the mouths of the wooded gorges of the East and West Lyn rivers, hemmed in by gigantic cliffs. Few sit on the pebbly beach but jet skiing, boat trips and surfing are popular when conditions are favourable. There are many gift shops and eating places, a National Park Centre, two museums to the 1952 flood disaster which made the village famous, and the equally famous cliff railway to Lynton.
LYNTON (SS7149)
The National Park's main town (pop with Lynmouth, 1,658) and service centre with a variety of facilities including plenty of car parking. The buildings are mainly Victorian, of local stone and terracotta roof tiles and a variety of architectural designs, including Swiss-style balconies and carved barge boards. The Lyn and Exmoor Museum has a collection devoted to Exmoor's social history.
MONKSILVER (ST0737)
An attractive village (pop 103) which straddles the National Park boundary. Nearby is Combe Sydenham Country Park, with a sixteenth-century house which was home of Elizabeth Sydenham, second wife of Sir Francis Drake. There are pleasant walks over rolling farmland to Nettlecombe Park and superb views from Bird's Hill.
NETTLECOMBE (ST0537)
Nettlecombe (pop 180) is a scattered settlement with a beautiful church and a sixteenth-century court, once the home of the Trevellyan family and now a study centre. The park contains superb old oak trees and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
NORTH HILL (SS9547)
North Hill overlooks Minehead, with superb views across the Bristol Channel. The coastal heath is a blaze of colour in August. At Moor Wood are the remains of a World War II tank training ground and radar station. Here also is a car park, picnic area and the starting point for numerous walks.
NUTCOMBE BOTTOM (SS9842)
A car park and picnic area with access for the disabled and centre for walks and mountain bike rides around the Crown Estate's forested hills to the south of Dunster. The Douglas firs in nearby Broadwood are Britain's tallest stand of trees, and there are superb views over Dunster and the coast from Bat's Castle Iron Age fort.
PARRACOMBE (SS6644)
Parracombe (pop 310) is a village boasting an inn, shop and two churches. The ancient St Petrock's church is now redundant, but retains a perfectly preserved eighteenth-century interior.
PORLOCK (SS8846)
Porlock (pop 1,332) is an attractive village with old thatched cottages and a mixture of other buildings. It is also a local service centre with a range of shops and facilities, including a modern visitor centre. Worth a visit are the ancient parish church dedicated to St Dubricius and the museum based in the medieval manorial dower house. Porlock Hill, notorious for its steepness, can be by-passed by a toll road. It crosses the heathland of Porlock Common, from where there are beautiful views to Porlock Bay and Dunkery.
PORLOCK WEIR (SS8647)
A picturesque hamlet and former working harbour, enclosed by lock gates. The gates are now used mainly to flush pebbles from the harbour entrance, which cuts through the shingle ridge. Porlock Weir is on the Coast Path and a starting point for walks to Culbone or Porlock Marsh. There is a car park, toilets, pub, restaurant and shops.
ROBBER'S BRIDGE (SS8246)
A popular picnic spot on Weir Water, accessible via a narrow, steep and winding road from the A39 near the top of Porlock Hill or the equally narrow road from Oare. There is a tiny road bridge, reputed to be the site of a Doone robbery. A path and short boardwalk for wheelchairs runs from a car park over private ground by agreement with the landowner.
SELWORTHY (SS9146)
Selworthy (pop 518) is a village famed for its thatched cottages, mostly in National Trust ownership but privately tenanted. The beautiful whitewashed church overlooks a green where there is a National Trust shop, toilets and a tea shop. There are miles of walks on the wooded hillside behind, with superb views across the Vale of Porlock and along the coast from Selworthy Beacon, where there is a wheelchair trail.
SIMONSBATH (SS7739)
A nineteenth-century village created by the Knight family, who bought the area from the Crown as part of the former Royal Forest of Exmoor. There is a car park, toilets and picnic area at Ashcombe. It is a popular starting point for walks along the River Barle and the meadow by the river is also popular for picnics. There is a pub, shop and tea rooms.
TARR STEPS (SS8632)
This ancient 'clapper' bridge across the River Barle is a popular tourist attraction. The bridge is of primitive construction, with large unmortared slabs of stone resting on one another, and is the largest example of its type Its age and history are unknown, except for the fact that it has been restored several times in recent years, following flood damage. The river and the valley woodlands are Sites of Special Scientific Interest and abound with wildlife. Pleasant footpaths run along the valley between Simonsbath and Dulverton. Car park and toilets are on a narrow road 400yd/m from the bridge. Parking for the disabled and refreshments are available nearer the bridge.
THE VALLEY OF ROCKS (SS7049)
This rocky valley to the west of Lynton is arguably the most spectacular scenic location on Exmoor. There are many legends surrounding the rock formations, the remains of prehistoric settlement and the herd of wild goats. It is reached by an easy walk from Lynton, along Lee Road or North Walk, part of the Coast Path. Public footpaths around the valley provide spectacular views, particularly from South Cliff and Hollerday Hill. There are toilets and refreshments in season.
WATERSMEET (SS7448)
Watersmeet is a popular beauty spot at the junction of the East Lyn and Hoaroak Water. The rivers flow through deep wooded gorges with numerous footpaths and bridges, all well maintained by the National Trust. The Trust has a visitor centre and tea gardens at a former nineteenth-century fishing lodge with access for disabled visitors (by appointment) and toilets. Otherwise there is a short but steep walk down from the car park on the A39 or a mile and a half walk up river from Lynmouth. The gorge is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and there are rare ferns, flowers and trees.
WEBBER'S POST (SS9043)
Named after a huntsman and once a meeting point for staghounds, Webber's Post is now a popular car park and viewpoint. There are views over Horner Woods to Cloutsham and Dunkery. The National Trust has provided a wheelchair trail through self-seeded pine trees on the ridge alongside the East Water valley.
WIMBLEBALL LAKE (SS9630)
One of the West Country's largest reservoirs, managed by South West Water and supplying a large part of Devon and Somerset. The 161ft (50m) high dam runs across the River Haddeo, a tributary of the Exe. It is accessible on foot from Haddon Hill, where there is a car park, toilets, heathland walks and Exmoor ponies. There is also a car park at Bessom Bridge at the northern end of the lake, where there is a nature reserve. The main facilities are at Cowlings, where there is a recreation area, refreshments tin season), fishing and sailing (via the Wimbleball Sailing Club). Paths extend for about 10 miles (16 km) around most of the lake shore.
WINSFORD (SS9034)
Winsford (pop 270) is a pretty village with several bridges and a ford over the Winn Brook and River Exe. There is a garage, shop, toilets, tea garden and a popular thatched pub.
WINSFORD HILL (SS8734)
Winsford Hill is a heath-covered common, managed by the National Trust. The three Bronze Age Wambarrows mark the highest point, with good views to Dunkery, Dartmoor and the Blackdown Hills. It is a popular place to see the pure-bred Exmoor ponies of the well-known Anchor herd. At Spire Cross there is a standing stone is inscribed 'Caratacus Nepus', which means a relative of Caratacus, possibly the British leader who resisted the Roman invasion. However, the stone appears to have been inscribed centuries after his death. It once lay broken but now has a small shelter to protect it.
WITHYPOOL (SS8435)
Withypool (pop 196) is a small village with pub, shop and toilets in a beautiful setting overlooking the Barle valley and heathland of Withypool Common.
WOODY BAY (SS6748)
The hamlet of Woody Bay was once destined as a tourist resort, but it is now a quiet residential area. A steep track runs to a rough slipway and a small beach with a lime kiln, lime burner's cottage and the remains of a pier. Hanging Water stream runs down thickly wooded cliffs to a waterfall, and there are legends of ghosts, probably put about by smugglers. A car park high above the beach gives access to the Coast Path.