Escaping to Devon and Exmoor - Day Four

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Day Four: Crossing Exmoor

From Mullacott Farm on the outskirts of Ilfracombe to Dunster just past Minehead, takes an hour and thirty minutes at a leisurely 40 mph in Bryony.

We could have gone along the coastal road, the A39, but previous experience tells us to avoid it. Twisty and often congested, it can be a nightmare at this time of year. The far more pleasant cross country route beckons - A3123 and A399 to Blackmoor Gate; across the moors on the B3358 via Simonsbath, before selecting the B 3224 to Exford and then the A396 down into Dunster. Watch out for that T junction at Exford onto the A396 though. Anything over 8m may struggle to make that turn in one go. It’s narrow, hemmed in tightly by old buildings.

The route is pleasant. A little ‘roller-coasty’ in places, a good test of my ability to rapidly change gears on narrow steep hill sections; but the sublime, sweeping moorland vistas, make it all worthwhile. Pink flowers line the hedgerows, pinkish-purple heather carpets the moorlands.

We arrive at 0930 at Dunster Castle (National Trust) and park up carefully on the end of a row, reversing in so that the bike racks overhang a grassy area and there is plenty of space opposite to park another car in front of us. We are facing down the exit roadway, a bonus. We have tried to choose a space as considerately as possible.

It wasn’t to the chief car park attendant’s liking though! Down the hill he comes to rap on the driver door window. “Could you please move and follow me back down the road to some designated Motorhome parking bays?”

This turns out to be a grassy slope right up against a small oak tree. As in touching the tree branches! When I explain that his designated position would be impossible for us to get out of, it falls on deaf ears. He is insistent. I explain I can’t make the turn back out onto the exit road. It will necessitate several forward – reversing manoeuvres, so tight is the turn. Then there is the drop off the other side of that road, just to complicate things. If anyone parks opposite us, we can’t get out anyway. He explains, assertively, that he will be in trouble if his team don’t maximise parking and that he has to ensure that everyone is parked up closely. I explain that motorhome rear ends swing outwards when turning, he reassures me he knows this but they will be parking us close today to get all the expected visitors in.

I know when I’m defeated. We park up, he walks off. I speak to the other attendant who promises to park a smaller vehicle next to us and to keep at least a car door width between that car and us (which, bless her, we later discover she did).

Dunster castle proves to be a stunning old building with a fascinating history. It’s location, high on a hill overlooking the surrounding hills and valleys, it is a good piece of geographical location.

Dunster high street proves charming and we explore the small shops selling various tourist wares, home furnishings and Ladies fashions before dropping in at The Cobblestones Café. What a warm welcome and with comfy sofa and high winged chair, decent Lattes and delicious fruit cake, we slump for an hour, reading the newspapers and resting our feet. By the way, dogs are very welcome here, positively fawned over in fact.

Back on the high street, we search out the hole in the roof of the ancient covered market, an accidental cannon shot during the English Civil War!

Back at Bryony, the turn out onto the road proves to be as difficult as anticipated, but we make it, eventually! Off to Minehead Tesco’s to do a food shop and diesel tank fill up before heading off along the coast to Blue Anchor, where we park for free along the sea front. There isn’t much there other than a few huge chalet parks, but with some locally bought portion of chips, a sea view, a shingle sand beach with crashing waves and breezy conditions, what’s not to like?

Driving down through Watchet is straight forward. Sadly, parking is not. It is not a motorhome friendly place and the only car park we could find has limited spaces. You would need to park across two bays and they are arranged in such a way, that whilst getting in would be easy, turning around to come out along the same road (the only option) would prove tricky.

By now its late afternoon, and sadly unable to park in Watchet, we decide to head for the Halse Farm camp site. In future, perhaps leaving the motorhome at Blue Anchor and walking the few miles along the SW coastal footpath over to Watchet and back again, would be a better option.

At the farm, we find flat pitches, clean facilities, lovely views across the site to the steep valley sides opposite and it strikes me with its open vistas and great open skies, it would be a perfect winter overnight stop for stargazing.

We fill up the water tank, fearing that the water pump might decide to throw another hissy fit and not work (see previous posts on our recent Cornwall trip).  All is well, the pump works. The have discovered the trick is to only fill it up to 75% full. In a week’s time, a new pump is being installed under warranty work.

 

Stargazing on Exmoor

If you are interested in stargazing and fancy a visit to Exmoor, the UK’s first designated dark sky area, then you can download a really useful leaflet from the National Park website.

Visit www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/stargazing to get the ‘Astronomers guide to Exmoor National Park Dark Sky Reserve’.

Written by Jo Richardson, from ‘Space Detectives’, the guide highlights the best places around the Park to set up telescopes, giving details such as vital dark sky meter readings, access and maps.

One of the few places in England where low levels of light pollution allow fabulous night sky experiences, Exmoor National Park was designated Europe’s first International Dark Sky reserve in 2011.

Here, within the reserve, the NPA, local landowners, councils, businesses and residents have worked hard to reduce light pollution levels.

Particularly recommended sites for stargazing are found near Brendon Two Gates on the B3223, between Lucon Cross and Exford, Dunkery Beacon and Webber’s Post.

More detailed mapping details can be found on OS Explorer Map 0L9 (Exmoor).

Note: The National Park does not allow motorhomes to stay in lay-bys overnight!