Here in the heart of Exmoor National Park we don’t really have what you might think of the as the normal ‘tourist season’. So there are no traffic jams on the roads and it’s unusual to see crowds of people. Exmoor is a lovely, relaxing destination for all seasons and could absorb many more visitors without seeming crowded at all. I keep banging the drum about this, and for good reason: quite a few people have told us that they’ve avoided visiting in July and August because they thought that everywhere would be too busy and all the Exmoor accommodation would be fully booked. It ain’t necessarily so, folks!
Would we holiday here, if we weren’t already lucky enough to live in this beautiful area? Well yes, we would. Here are just a few reasons why:
The pace of life is relaxed – Exmoor is a real escape from everyday stress.
There is a remarkable range of excellent accommodation (including Exmoor House Wheddon Cross) and great places to eat (including, again, Exmoor House Wheddon Cross!).
Exmoor is astoundingly lovely, with an incredible variety of scenery: from wild coastline, to rolling farmland, to pretty villages, to pleasingly bleak moorland.
There is plenty to do: visit National Trust and English Heritage properties, enjoy some fantastic walking, cycling and mountain biking (you can hire an electric bike from http://www.exmoorunplugged.co.uk/ if you want to make the ride a bit easier), fishing, golf, horse riding, some great attractions (although, hooray, no theme parks – who needs them when we’re surrounded by such real-life beauty?)… and a range of festivals and other events take place during the year. For more ideas, visit http://www.visit-exmoor.co.uk/must-see-and-do
OK, so we know the English weather is never entirely predictable – but that’s just part of the fun. You can see some of my suggestions for things to do on a rainy day at http://exmoorhousewx.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/things-to-do-on-around-exmoor-when-its.html
If you need another reason to visit Exmoor, here’s a great incentive: the Exmoor Guineas promotion. Find some excellent special offers at http://www.visit-exmoor.co.uk/guinea - including some from - er – Exmoor House Wheddon Cross.
If you’ve never been to Exmoor, now is an excellent time to visit. If you have, then you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Take a look at our facebook page for photos of things to see and do on Exmoor, some of our favourite walks, and more: http://www.facebook.com/ExmoorHouse/photos
Showing posts with label attractions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label attractions. Show all posts
Saturday, 4 August 2012
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Things to do on & around Exmoor when it's raining
Exmoor is fabulous for walking and cycling, as you know. But, this being England, you may get some rainy days during your stay (or there may be days when you’d rather take it easier but still get out and about). With this in mind, here are some suggestions for other things to do…
There are plenty of interesting towns and villages to mooch around, for example Dulverton, Dunster, Watchet, Porlock and Lynton/Lynmouth.
National Trust properties in the area include Dunster Castle, just a few miles down the road from us; Coleridge Cottage (at Nether Stowey in the Quantocks – recently refurbished and now with more rooms open); Knightshayes Court near Tiverton; Arlington Court near Barnstaple (so much to see, you can easily spend the whole day here).
How about a safari on Exmoor? The drivers know where to take you for the best chances of seeing wildlife, even if the weather’s not that good. There are several safari companies; the ones nearest to Exmoor House are Barle Valley Safaris and Red Stag Safari. They may be able to pick you up from our door.
Museums? At Watchet there is the Boat Museum and the Market House Museum. Allerford has the West Somerset Rural Life Museum – a fascinating glimpse into the past, including a Victorian schoolroom. In Porlock, Dovery Manor and the Exmoor Classic Car Collection are both recommended. The Bakelite Museum at Williton was described by some of our guests as ‘quirky, eccentric and amazingly interesting’.
A trip on a steam train might be just the ticket. The West Somerset Railway operates services between Minehead and Bishop’s Lydeard. Day Rover tickets allow you to hop on and off at any station; you can buy the tickets at a discount from us here at Exmoor House. There’s something of interest at every station stop and some great views en route, including a different perspective on Dunster Castle. My favourite bit is where the railway line hugs the coast: it feels incredibly remote.
Other interesting places to visit? To meet many creatures great and small, there’s Tropiquaria, near Watchet, as well as the Exmoor Zoo, Bratton Fleming (which even has its own Exmoor Beast) and the Owl and Hawk Centre near Allerford. A bit further away, you could visit Quince Honey Farm at South Molton in Devon, for all things bee-related; or the Willows and Wetlands Centre at Stoke St Gregory to discover the huge part that willow has played in people’s lives on the Somerset Levels through the years and the sheer variety of things that can be made out of willow.
Just a few ideas, then... hope they'll be useful!
There are plenty of interesting towns and villages to mooch around, for example Dulverton, Dunster, Watchet, Porlock and Lynton/Lynmouth.
National Trust properties in the area include Dunster Castle, just a few miles down the road from us; Coleridge Cottage (at Nether Stowey in the Quantocks – recently refurbished and now with more rooms open); Knightshayes Court near Tiverton; Arlington Court near Barnstaple (so much to see, you can easily spend the whole day here).
How about a safari on Exmoor? The drivers know where to take you for the best chances of seeing wildlife, even if the weather’s not that good. There are several safari companies; the ones nearest to Exmoor House are Barle Valley Safaris and Red Stag Safari. They may be able to pick you up from our door.
Museums? At Watchet there is the Boat Museum and the Market House Museum. Allerford has the West Somerset Rural Life Museum – a fascinating glimpse into the past, including a Victorian schoolroom. In Porlock, Dovery Manor and the Exmoor Classic Car Collection are both recommended. The Bakelite Museum at Williton was described by some of our guests as ‘quirky, eccentric and amazingly interesting’.
A trip on a steam train might be just the ticket. The West Somerset Railway operates services between Minehead and Bishop’s Lydeard. Day Rover tickets allow you to hop on and off at any station; you can buy the tickets at a discount from us here at Exmoor House. There’s something of interest at every station stop and some great views en route, including a different perspective on Dunster Castle. My favourite bit is where the railway line hugs the coast: it feels incredibly remote.
Other interesting places to visit? To meet many creatures great and small, there’s Tropiquaria, near Watchet, as well as the Exmoor Zoo, Bratton Fleming (which even has its own Exmoor Beast) and the Owl and Hawk Centre near Allerford. A bit further away, you could visit Quince Honey Farm at South Molton in Devon, for all things bee-related; or the Willows and Wetlands Centre at Stoke St Gregory to discover the huge part that willow has played in people’s lives on the Somerset Levels through the years and the sheer variety of things that can be made out of willow.
Just a few ideas, then... hope they'll be useful!
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