| Day 16 - Exmoor |
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| Copyright Famocon Tours 2001 |
| Exmoor comprises villages, farms, fields, commons, streams and open moorland - it is spectacular whether you are driving or walking. On this trip we were not able to do a lot of walking as the walking paths were mostly closed because of foot and mouth restrictions - mind you, the animal disease had not reached Exmoor and nobody had bothered to tell the sheep which were frequently found walking on the roads. We drove first to the Tarr Steps, the site of a BC pedestrian bridge. We thought about making the crossing next to the steps but the three feet of water halfway across acted as a disincentive. We then drove around the long way to Winsford Hill to see the ancient Caratacus Stone. From there we journeyed through Wheddon Cross, Brendon Hill, Elworthy and Washford until we reached the coastal areas of Watchet, Blue Anchor and Minehead. Minehead was a farming community before it became a major port for herring fishing and wool trading. The disappearance of the herrings, a couple of great fires and the silting up of the harbour caused a bit of a slump. Luckily tourists discovered the town in the early 1800's and so many came to visit that the railway was built. And the name? - nothing actually to do with mining - it is of Celtic origin meaning mountain. From Minehead we detoured to Dunster to explore both the village and the castle which dates from Norman times. The castle has wonderful grounds and excellent panoramic views of the countryside and the coast. The castle rooms are in good shape and well run. There is also good tourist shopping in Dunster. Keep an eye out for the old Yarn Market structure (built in 1609) at the top of the village square. We walked all around Dunster taking in the shops and the historic houses and streets. We were impressed by St George's Church and grounds, which go back to the early 1400's. We continued back along the coast heading west via Wooton Courtenay and Luccombe to Porlock. The town of Porlock is a flatland nestled between hills and the Bristol Channel. A mile long shingle ridge normally keeps the sea out but not in 1996 when it washed through and created a new tidal lagoon between the town and the sea. On the way out of Porlock you can take the extremely steep road up Porlock Hill or you can take the toll road around the coast which makes a less steep climb up the next hill. We opted for the toll road and were able to pull over for some terrific photos of the distant town and shingle beach as well as the impressive coastline. Oare and Malmsmead were next on our route before we reached Lynton and Lynmouth. Both of these villages are literally steeped in history and are a must to explore. Check out the rivers, the canal, the gorge, the harbour and the cliff railway. Again, there are plenty of shops to stick your head into. It was here that we started stocking up on fudge. Clotted cream fudge to be exact, although there are at least 50 flavours that all sound good. We then headed back to the cottage over the moors by way of Simonsbath. We were told that there are so many roads criss-crossing over the moors that the headlights of lost tourists can be seen well into the night. On our way back we saw herds of deer and wild Exmoor ponies. These ponies apparently first appeared about 130,000 years ago, which was about 30,000 years before man came to Britain and started hunting the ponies. The herds dwindled, more particularly after 1800, until only about 50 of the little fellows were left by 1950. Since then, conservation efforts have pushed their numbers back up to safer levels. |
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