Exmoor
Sign in to saveExmoor () is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simonsbath. Exmoor is more precisely defined as the area of the former ancient royal hunting forest, also called Exmoor, which was officially surveyed 1815–1818 as in extent. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and of the Bristol Channel coast. The total area of the Exmoor Nati
Key facts
- Protected area.name
- Exmoor National Park
- Protected area.iucn_category
- V
- Protected area.image
- File:Malmsmead Hill, Exmoor - geograph.org.uk - 80944.jpg
- Protected area.image_caption
- Typical moorland scenery on Exmoor
- Protected area.image_map
- Exmoor National Park UK location map.svg
- Protected area.map_caption
- The national park boundaries
- Protected area.location
- United Kingdom (South West England)
- Protected area.area_km2
- 692
- Protected area.established
- 1954
- Protected area.governing_body
- Exmoor National Park Authority
- Protected area.website
- http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Elevation
- 519
- Image
- PorlockVale.jpg
- Width
- 20
- Length
- 65
Show 2 more facts
- Commons category
- Exmoor
- inception
- 1954-00-00
via Wikidata · CC0
~31 min read
Article
22 sectionsContents
- National character area
- Exmoor National Park
- Geology
- Geography
- Coastline
- Rivers
- Climate
- History
- Establishment of royal forest
- Wardens
- Wool trade
- Ecology
- Flora
- Fauna
- Beast
- Government and politics
- Sport and recreation
- Places of interest
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Exmoor () is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simonsbath. Exmoor is more precisely defined as the area of the former ancient royal hunting forest, also called Exmoor, which was officially surveyed 1815–1818 as in extent. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and of the Bristol Channel coast. The total area of the Exmoor National Park is , of which 71% is in Somerset and 29% in Devon.
The upland area is underlain by sedimentary rocks dating from the Devonian and early Carboniferous periods with Triassic and Jurassic age rocks on lower slopes. Where these reach the coast, cliffs are formed which are cut with ravines and waterfalls. It was recognised as a heritage coast in 1991. The highest point on Exmoor is Dunkery Beacon; at it is also the highest point in Somerset. The terrain supports lowland heath communities, ancient woodland and blanket mire which provide habitats for scarce flora and fauna. There have also been reports of the Beast of Exmoor, a cryptozoological cat roaming Exmoor. Several areas have been designated as Nature Conservation Review and Geological Conservation Review sites.
Gallery (24)
On the map
3 mapped locations