Exmoor - Landscape, Coastline, Rivers, Wildlife, Places of interest

National park in Somerset and Devon, SW England, UK; area 686 km²/265 sq mi; established in 1954; occupies coastline between Minehead and Combe Martin Bay; highest point, Dunkery Beacon, 520 m/1707 ft; Brendon Hills (E); known for its ponies; major tourist area.

Exmoor National Park is a national park situated on the Bristol Channel coast of Devon and Somerset in South West England. Exmoor is one of the first British National Parks, designated in 1954, and is named after its main river, the River Exe. Several areas of the moor have been declared a Site of Special Scientific interest.

Landscape

Uncultivated heath and moorland cover about a quarter of Exmoor landscape. The moors are supported by wet, acid soil above a mixture of rock types including sandstone, slate, shale and limestone, mostly laid in the Devonian period. The highest point on Exmoor is Dunkery Beacon, at 519 m (1704 ft), also the highest point in Somerset.

Although Exmoor is usually associated with moorland, there are also cultivated areas including the Brendon Hills, which lie in the east of the national park.

The park was featured on the TV programme Seven Natural Wonders twice as one of the wonders of the West Country.

Coastline

Exmoor has 55 km (34 miles) of coastline to the north, some of the highest coastline on the British mainland. The dramatic scenery of rocky headlands, ravines, waterfalls and towering cliffs gained the Exmoor coast recognition as a Heritage Coast in 1991. The Exmoor Coastal Heaths have been recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the diversity of species present.

Exmoor is special for its coastal woodlands, including 16 km (10 miles) of cliff between Porlock and Countisbury where the trees spread right down to the beach in places. The South West Coast Path, at 1052km (630 miles) the longest National Trail in England and Wales, starts at Minehead and runs along all of Exmoor's coast.

Rivers

There can be up to 2000 mm (80 inches) of rainfall per year on the higher ground, due to clouds formed by warm damp air from the Atlantic Ocean. There are about 483 km (300 miles) of rivers on Exmoor.

Rivers on Exmoor include the Exe, Avill, Barle, Bray, Heddon, East Lyn and West Lyn.

Wildlife

Sheep have grazed on the moors for more than 3000 years, shaping much of the Exmoor landscape by feeding on moorland grasses and heather. Traditional breeds include Exmoor Horn, Cheviot and Whiteface Dartmoor and Greyface Dartmoor sheep.

Exmoor ponies can be seen roaming freely on the moors.

Red deer have a stronghold on the moor and can be seen on quiet hillsides in remote areas, particularly in early morning.

The famous Beast of Exmoor is reputed to haunt the moor, with many sightings since the 1960s.

The moorland habitat is also home to hundreds of species of birds and insects. Black Grouse and Red Grouse are now extinct on Exmoor.

Places of interest

Lynmouth, where the East and West Lyn rivers meet, was the site of the 1952 flooding disaster. Withypool is a picturesque village in the Barle Valley (Exmoor's largest river). It is situated in the heart of Exmoor National park and was mentioned in the Domesday Book.