Exmoor National Park

Exmoor National Park (1954): Heather Moor, Wooded Combes, Red Deer, Native Exmoor Ponies And The Highest Sea Cliffs In England On Its Coast. It Was Europe'S First International Dark Sky Reserve (2011). Dunkery Beacon, 519 M, Is The High Point. · Exford, England

Exmoor is a small, quiet national park on the Somerset and Devon border, created in 1954. It is not mountains: the high point, Dunkery Beacon, is 519 m. What you get is open heather moor, steep wooded combes and a sea coast with the highest cliffs in England. It suits walkers, drivers who like empty lanes, and anyone after dark skies, because in 2011 it became Europe's first International Dark Sky Reserve. Wild Exmoor ponies and red deer live here. Two days is a good length for a first visit; one day only skims it. Be honest about the weather: the moor can sit in cloud and fog while the coast is bright, and wind and rain arrive with little warning. Lanes are narrow, with passing places and few signal bars. There is no railway, so a car or the sparse buses are needed. Summer weekends bring crowds to Dunster, Lynton and Tarr Steps, but the high moor stays empty most of the year. Bring proper boots and a waterproof, whatever the forecast says.

Moorland and sea-cliff national park straddling Somerset and Devon, with Exford and Dunster as bases, Dunkery Beacon at its top and a coast from Porlock to Lynmouth, Exford, England, United Kingdom

The national park is open all year and has no gates, so the moor, the coast path and most viewpoints can be reached at any hour. Visitor centres at places such as Dunster, Dulverton and Lynmouth keep their own hours, usually daytime and shorter in winter, and some close from late autumn to spring, so confirm before you go. Cafes, pubs and Tarr Steps car park services run longest in July and August. Dunster Castle and other paid sites have set seasons and winter closures. For stargazing the best hours are after full dark on clear, moonless nights in autumn and winter, when the sky is far better than anywhere near a town.

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