The 10 best hikes in the Exmoor National Park

The 10 best hikes in the Exmoor National Park

The best hikes in the Exmoor National Park show one of the wildest and most diverse landscapes in England

I had my first experience with Exmoor in my youth when I read an illustrated child version of Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor. The historical adventure novel plays in the 17th century and shows a lawless clan (DOONES) that roams through a wild landscape (Exmoor).

The novel is essentially a love story with a pinch of kidnapping, revenge and rebellion - everything a little boy dreams of adventures and dreams of saving virgins in a book (especially in one with pictures).

Years later I hiked through the Doone Valley during a family vacation and was fascinated by the essential beauty of the raised bog. It is a spacious landscape from Moorland, forests, valleys and arable land, which can sometimes feel remarkably empty under their large sky.

The wildness, calm and the Cream Teas from Exmoor are reminiscent of Dartmoor in many ways. But with an exciting coast of high cliffs that rise over the Bristol Channel, Exmoor offers another element in its landscape, which strengthens its references as one of the leading hiking destinations in England.

For this reason, we have put together the best hikes in the Exmoor National Park, an inspiring area of ​​England with an extraordinary variety of landscapes.

Best hikes in the Exmoor National Park

The Exmoor National Park was declared a national park in 1954 and extends over an area of ​​693 km2 with over 1,000 km walking and riding paths as well as some excellent hiking trails.

From coastal hikes to coal-black cliffs to extensive hikes to lonely Moorland, we have selected the best hikes in the Exmoor National Park.

Further information on activities and accommodations in Exmoor can be found on the website of the national park.

1. Valley of the rocks

Distance: 5.8 km (3.6 miles) duration: 2 hourly swivel level: medium

Steve Heap/ShutterstockThe Valley of Rocks hike conveys the feeling of a lost world

This atmospheric circular hiking trail leads along the coastal border of the park and through a rugged valley that used to housing the river Lyn until it changed his course to Lynmouth. In its keel water, the river left the scary Valley of Rocks, which inspired writer like Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth.

The highlight of the route is the pointed-angle Devon-Stein Castle Rock, which is enthroned over the adorable bay of Wringcliff Bay. On a clear day, the scenery is idyllic, but when the fog absorbs, the landscape takes on the feeling of a lost world directly from Arthur Conan Doy's classic novel.

2. Starting

Distance: 6.4 km (4 miles) Duration: 2 hourly difficulty: Light to medium

Billy Stock/ShutterstockThe medieval village of Dunster

Near the eastern borders of the park, high on a hill in Somerset, Dunster Castle is located with a view of the seductive medieval village Dunster. The path begins in the village and leads to a number of sights such as a churchyard, a restored tithe barn from the 16th century and a marketplace from the 17th century, all of which are guarded by the imposing castle.

The path then leads from the village to the south and crosses the Avill River before closing a tour of the surrounding landscape, which includes a wildlife park and a hill fortress from the Iron Age. Here you can expect impressive panoramic views on Dunster Castle, the Bristol Canal and South Wales as well as inland on the Quantock Hills and the hilly Exmoor.

3. Horner-Holz

Distance: 7.8km (4.8mi) duration: 2-3 hourly difficulty: moderate

Martin Fowler/ShutterstockThe bubbling Horner water

This extraordinary hike along a well -kept riding path explores the Holnicote Estate and the surrounding 800 hectare Horner Wood, one of the best preserved old oak forests from Exmoor and a designated place of special scientific interest.

Horner Wood is one of the best places in the park to observe wild animals, with red deer, butterflies and birds (including funerals, forest leave singers and woodpeckers), all of which are likely to be seen. The forest is also a refuge for over 400 types of mushrooms, 200 types of lichen and 14 types of bats.

The last part of the hike follows the Horner River, also known as Horner Water, through the hamlet of the same name, where you can (should) take a break in the Horner Tea Garden for lunch, scones or cakes (or all three).

4. Doone-Tal circuit

Distance: 8.8 km (5.5 miles) Duration: 2 hourly difficulty: light to medium

Helen Hotson/ShutterstockThe bridge and the ford near Malmsmead in the Doone Valley

The mystical Badgworthy Valley - also known as Doone Valley - is the home of the DOONE family in the novel and offers a number of peaceful walks and historical sites. When you have read the book, it is easy to recognize the Exmoor landscape that inspired RD Blackmore's classic history.

When I visited the Doone Valley, I completed a route from the Cloud Farm Campsite to Malmsmead. The circular route we have selected leads through the famous valley and an extensive loop through the landscape over the hamlet of Oare and the gentle hills of County Gate, where Devon and Somerset meet.

Davidyoung/ShutterstockThe bogs above Doone Valley

The National Trust website also recommends a number of alternative hikes around the Doone Valley.

5. Dunkery Beacon

Distance: 10 km (6.2 miles) Duration: 2-3 hourly difficulty: Light to moderate

DWB photography/ShutterstockWild ponies on Exmoor

With 519 m (1,703 feet), Dunkery Beacon is the highest point in Exmoor and Somerset on the summit of Dunkery Hill. On the way to the summit, it is very likely that you will see one or two Exmoor ponies.

According to the Exmoor Pony Society, which was founded in 1921 to preserve the rare horse breed today, the Exmoor Great Britain's oldest local pony breed is and is considered practically unchanged compared to the original wild ponies that have been roamed in Great Britain years ago.

Tom Meaker/ShutterstockThe summit of the Dunkery Beacon

The summit of the hill is marked with a large striking pile of stone and offers a phenomenal 360-degree view. On a clear day you can see to Dartmoor in the south, east to the Mendips and Quantock Hills, north over the Bristol Canal to South Wales and west beyond the Schachbrettfeld from North Devon to the rocky jump from Hartland Point in the northwest tip of the coast of Devon.

6. East Lyn River

Distance: 11 km (6.8 km) Duration: 3-4 hourly difficulty: Light to medium

Alt = "Watersmeet in the Exmoor National Park"Tom Meaker/ShutterstockThe confluence of East Lyn River and Hoar Oak Water at Watersmeet

The East Lyn River, who rises high above Exmoor, flows along the East Lyn Valley in Devon to the charming village of Lynmouth. This popular eighth path begins in Lynmouth and follows the river upstream to Rockford before leading back to the coast.

The path crosses the river near Watersmeet, where the rivers East Lyn and Hoar Oak come together. Watersmeet House has served teas since 1901 and shouldn't really be missed.

The Rockford Inn, remote in the remote Brendon Valley, is also an alternative - or additional - pit stop halfway.

7. TARR steps

Distance: 11.7km (7.3MI) Duration: 3-4 hourly difficulty: Moderate

Julian Gazzard/ShutterstockTARR levels

The gentle hike along the winding river Barle and through deep forests is a fixed favorite among the visitors of Exmoor. The steps, an old folding bridge, which was built entirely from large stone slabs and boulders, date from around 1000 BC. BC and are the longest of its kind in Great Britain.

According to legend, the huge plates (with a weight of up to five tons) were placed by the devil to win a bet with a local giant. The route meanders along the river before it bangs through Withypool and rises to enjoy a wonderful view over Exmoor.

8. Elwill-Bay

Distance: 11.9 km (7.4 miles) Duration: 3-4 hourly difficulty: Means

Charlesy/ShutterstockView over the Moorland towards Elwill Bay

This impressive coastal tour is followed by a part of the South West Coast Path before turning towards the mini summit of the Holdstone Hill (347 m/1,139 ft).

Apart from a spectacular sea view over Elbert Bay, the path leads through an enchanting forest along a pretty brook and over fields with heather, which is the most bright purple in July and August.

Most who complete the tour end up in the Hunter’s Inn, which serves a number of hearty pub classics as well as light snacks, snacks and hot and cold drinks.

9. Porlock bay

Distance: 13.6 km (8.5 miles) Duration: 4-5 hourly difficulty: Medium -uded

Alt = "Porlock Bay and Heide in Exmoor"Helen Hotson/ShutterstockSunset over the Bay of Porlock

The coast of North Devon between the port of Lilliputan at Porlock Weir and the rugged hurlstone point is a classic cliff hike. The area houses a mixture of salt and fresh water swamps with a rich wildlife and impressive pebble beaches that extend under winding cliffs.

The route follows parts of the South West Coast Path and hiker who come here in July and August, with that the bogs are flooded with a touch of purple heather.

The prescribed method to mark the end of the hike is to relax on the terrace of the Porlock Weir Hotel with a view of the water of the bay.

10. Two-mohear-path

Distance: 36km (22.4mi) Duration: 2-3 Tage skill: difficult

Peter Turner Photography/ShutterstockThe Two Moors Way crosses Exmoor and Dartmoor

The Two Moors Way is an unofficial long -distance hiking trail, the Exmoor and Dartmoor crosses. It is a different approach to the experience from coast to coast when the hiking trail crosses 188 km (117 miles) from the coast of North Devon to the south Devon coast.

The Exmoor part of the path is roughly dismantled by the national park, which runs between Lynmouth on the coast of North Devon and the village of Hawkridge, one of the oldest communities in the bog. This section is usually divided into three manageable day hikes with a length of between 10 km and 20 km.

The course naturally shows the best of Exmoor when he crosses the park and happens on the way the Doone Valley and Tarr Steps. The path then leaves Exmoor and continues south via Dartmoor via Ivybridge to Wembury on the coast of South Devon.

Main picture: Helen Hotson/Shutterstock

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