Your questions answered about
Access to Exmoor National Park
Introduction
Tourists have been coming to Exmoor for at least two hundred years. They have come to admire tile scenery and enjoy the atmosphere of being 'away from it all'. Many have come to walk. In 1994 visitors to Exmoor accounted for an estimated 1.4 million visitor days. Some of these were tourists staying on Exmoor; others were visitors on holiday elsewhere whilst others simply came for a day out
When the motorway was first built it was thought that Exmoor would be inundated by visitors but this did not happen and there is no evidence to show that visitor numbers are increasing. Most places are now well served with roads so visitors from the Midlands can just as easily go to Brecon Beacons or the Lake District as come to Exmoor and as easily drive past Exmoor and on to Cornwall.
What has happened is that visitors have become more mobile. Nearly every family has its own motor car and visitors are no longer confined to honeypots where they were previously taken by coach or to the limitations of excursions and public transport. In 1994 86% of visitors came to Exmoor by private motor car. Although more than 50% of visitors came to Exmoor with the main intention of walking, 27% came intending to drive around sight-seeing. Even the walkers often drive about looking for a place to walk.
Roads
Many of Exmoor's roads are narrow, winding and in places steep. In order to limit congestion and prevent traffic spoiling the quiet of the countryside and detracting from the wild nature of the moor, ENPA works with other authorities including Devon and Somerset County Councils to control the use of Exmoor's roads. Roads are designated according to function as shown below and signposts are put up directing traffic over the most sustainable routes.
Congestion and car parking
Some of Exmoor's small towns, Dulverton, Dunster and Lymnouth in particular, suffer badly from congestion and parking problems.
Dunster - a case study
Dunster is the archetypal medieval village with castle, priory church and working water mill as well as streets of old houses, Yarn Market and pretty packhorse bridge, all set against a background of beautiful hilly countryside. People flock in their thousands to Dunster to visit the historical village but also to browse in gift shops and enjoy a cream tea in one of the 23 tea shops that now exist in the village.
These days most people visit Dunster in their cars or by coach. The streets are narrow and there is little appropriate space to turn into parking lots. Dunster's problems have been building up over many years as traffic and demand for parking space has increased.
It is ironic that the large number of visitors' cars are harming the very character and charm of the place that they are coming to see. The memories that people take away, at times, are of traffic and parking problems rather than an enjoyable visit to a unique historic village. Double yellow lines, traffic lights and marked parking places have all been used to try to alleviate the problem but they detract from the look of the village as well. The problem is aggravated by the fact that many residents do not have parking spaces for their own vehicles and resent their traditional parking spots being taken over by visitors.
In a Survey carried out in 1993, visitors were asked if anything had spoiled their visit. About half said 'yes' and of these 70% quoted problems caused by traffic. 10% referred to difficulties with parking. less than half the visitors parked in the main car park provided but drove into and through Dunster to try to find a parking space on the road
While visitors are being irritated by the number of cars and the inability to park, other more drastic problems are being caused by traffic. During August up to 5000 cars a day pass through the main streets of Dunster. Many drivers are hoping to find somewhere to park where they will not have to pay. Many go through the town and turn at the first available spot when they realise that they are not going to find such a spot. Besides the overcrowding and the danger to pedestrians, all of these vehicles are contributing to air pollution and causing actual damage to the fabric of the buildings.
For several years various answers to this ever-growing problem have been considered including making new car parks and even a bypass. These solutions, while easing the immediate problem, would do lasting damage to the setting and surrounding environment of the village. A short-term solution has been to instigate a park and ride scheme over summer weekends. Its viability has yet to be demonstrated.
In March 1996 consultations with the West Somerset District Council, Dunster Parish Council as well as the general public considered the following proposals.
- Managing traffic to improve conditions for pedestrians by making roads narrower and widening pavements
- Looking at options for dealing with through traffic including a by-pass
- Introducing a residents only parking scheme within the village
- Providing a park and ride scheme during the peak periods instead of building more car parks
- Undertaking a detailed survey of the historic fabric to provide a firmer basis for any physical changes to Dunster's environment
The consultation with the public resulted in overall support for the strategy and for some of the short-term traffic management initiatives. It was also proposed that signing should be improved to help people on foot and in cars find their way more easily and to try to ensure that cars do not go where they are not wanted. At the moment costings and a programme of work are being worked out. See Resources section for more details
Leave your car behind!
Besides over-crowding and parking problems in towns and villages, cars are also a problem on the narrow roads of the moor. On many roads it is difficult to pass save where there are passing places. Parking in the more remote areas of the moor can also be a problem. There may be nowhere to actually leave a car and isolated vehicles are easy targets for thieves. It would be much better if people left their vehicles at a central point and took public transport.
Until recently there has been a decline in the provision of public transport on Exmoor as in most rural areas. The NPA are keen to encourage the use of public transport so as to reduce the number of cars coming onto Exmoor and to that end they have worked with Somerset and Devon County Councils to develop local bus services.
Buses now travel on to Exmoor during the summer months from Barnstaple, Bridgwater, Exeter, Taunton and Tiverton. The popular coast service 300 links Ilfracombe, Lynmouth and Porlock with Minehead, Dunster and Dulverton. From those places visitors can take a 'Visitor' bus into the heart of the moor, to Exford or Simonsbath where there are superb walks. A bus timetable has been published which includes not only the times of the buses but also maps and walks which link with the buses.
Another way of restricting the motor car is by not providing more car parking spaces simply to cater for peak demand. This just encourages drivers. If they cannot find anywhere to stop and the word gets round then hopefully people will either not come at busy times or will leave their cars behind. This message can be reinforced by providing information which warns that there may be nowhere to park As one publicity leaflet puts it, 'Avoid the fuss, Take the Bus!'
Out on the moor in places like Porlock Common people used to park where they pleased. Now small car parking areas have been rationalised, some being enlarged a little and others blocked up.
Publicity for tourists produced through the Exmoor Tourist Association (ETA) and the Exmoor Area Tourism Advisory Group (EATAG) encourages people to avoid crowded areas and go to other places such as Wimbleball where there is plenty of activity and space, or to the Brendon hills which could also absorb far more people and even cars.
Tarr Steps - a case study
Creation of car parks can encourage the growth of honeypots rather than solve problems. Tarr Steps, a clapper bridge on the river Barle, is a popular spot with visitors including many local people. An initial carpark (1977) was re-organised to take the huge numbers of vehicles traveling to Tarr Steps on the steep narrow approach roads. In the summer months conditions are so bad that a farmer opens up a field to provide more parking.
Rather than encourage more and more people into the Tarr Steps bottleneck by providing car parks it would be better to try to persuade them to go elsewhere and visit Tarr Steps at a less busy time. For example, signs could be placed in advance stating that the car parks are full and encouraging people to go somewhere else. A park and ride scheme is another option but this would mean providing another place for cars to park.
Out and about
Walking has always been a popular activity on Exmoor .As early as the 1790s there was a well -worn tourist route along the coast from Minehead to the Valley of Rocks and beyond. In 1994 47% of visitors claimed that their main reason for coming to Exmoor was to walk. Some are serious long distance walkers or ramblers while others merely go for a short stroll. With the new emphasis on keeping fit walking has become even more popular and it is likely that this trend will continue. It is a trend encouraged and supported by the NPA.
Exmoor National Park Authority was the pioneer of waymarking footpaths and bridleways and now adapt their waymarks to the national pattern; accompanying guides include maps and details of the walks, significant features and wildlife. More than 90% of rights of way are now signed. Some walks have been designated with the permission of the owner of the land crossed. These are permitted paths. Alternatively there is simply de facto access to many open areas of the moor which means that people can generally walk where they like on the moor although there are no specific rights of way.
Horse riding is one of the traditional recreational activities on Exmoor, private riders accounting for about 75% of the activity on Exmoor, the remaining 25% being commercial horse riding. Some recent erosion problems on, e.g. West Anstey Common, Bat's Castle at Dunster and Dunkery Hill, are associated with group use such as hunting and trekking. Hunt-followers' vehicles also cause damage in some areas.
Cycling is a growing pastime both on and off road and new cycle trails have recently been opened and guidelines for good practice drawn up.
Both riding and cycling (mountain biking) are potentially more damaging ~ the landscape than walking although the present scale of mountain-biking leads to less erosion than walking and riding, but combined all add to the problem.
Activities which could potentially cause problems include car rallies, off-road motoring and climbing. The NPA does not encourage these.
Exmoor Access Forum
As a way of reaching agreement on access issues such as cycling, public transport and over -use of bridleways the NPA has recently set up a consultative body known as the Exmoor Access Forum. Members include representatives of the main users of the Rights of Way network and of the land-owning community and is a positive step towards reaching a consensus on the varied recreational use of the Park.
Resources available from Exmoor House
Please address requests in the first instance to:
the Education Officer:
Exmoor National Park Department, Exmoor House Dulverton, Somerset. TA22 9HL
- Exmoor National Park Plan 1991-1996 and Exmoor National Park Local Plan 1994 set out the Park policies relating to tourism. Photocopies of appropriate pages are available on request.
- Details of up-to-date statistics relating to tourism on Exmoor can be found in Questex 2.
- Public Transport Guide for Exmoor and West Somerset. Includes map, timetables and related information.
- Papers relating to Dunster traffic consultation.
- Mountain-bike guidelines.
Resources available from elsewhere
- Tourism in National Parks a guide to good practice. Countryside Commission, John Dower House, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL5O 3RA
- The National Trust, Holnicote Estate, Selworthy, Minehead, Somerset. TA24 8TJ
Can provide information relevant to tourism on matters relating to access , parking, walks etc. on the Holnicote Estate.