GOLDEN WALKS ...... POINTS OF INTEREST Celebrating 50 years as a National Park

Tarr Steps SS 868322 Winsford Hill SS 892320 Tarr Steps is a 17 span clapper bridge (a bridge Winsford Hill and its southern extension, South made of unmortared stone slabs), the longest Hill, are leased and managed by the National ON of its kind in Britain. It was first mentioned Trust. It is home to the Anchor herd of Exmoor T

Dulverton to Tarr Steps TIVE R in Tudor times but may be much older. The ponies. The pure-bred ponies have an anchor river has silted up over the last century and brand mark – the symbol of the Acland family often now comes over the stones in times of who once preserved the breed in the former flood. The bridge has had to be repaired several Royal Forest of Exmoor. The ponies are free times as stones of up to two tonnes have been living and are thought to be a race of wild washed up to 50 metres downstream. horse rather than a breed.

Tarr Steps Woodlands SS 866323 The woodlands around Tarr Steps were made a National Nature Reserve in 2004. They are ...... internationally significant for the mosses, OGRAPHY BY BRIAN PEARCE PRINTED MASLANDS ,

EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK T liverworts and lichens found here including a Exmoor became Britain’s eighth National Park in type of moss found in burrows, which appears 1954 and these walks were designed to celebrate Y PH O to glow in the dark. The woods have a its Golden Anniversary. YNDS A L

spectacular display of bluebell carpets in Y The National Park covers 267 square miles of springtime. Dormice live amongst the mature Somerset and Devon. It is a landscape of great hazel, blackberry and honeysuckle and otters variety: from rugged, towering cliffs to gently rounded hills, wooded valleys, colourful heaths, feed on fish, eels and amphibians along the The ancient bridge of Tarr Steps is a well-known visitor wild grass moors and farming hamlets and it is attraction but the beautiful wooded valley of the unpolluted, unmodified river. A popular home to nearly 11,000 people. circular footpath route, known as the Jubilee River Barle is also worth exploring for its wildlife. For further information contact Exmoor National Combined with the heathland of Winsford Hill and Trail, runs upstream of the bridge. Park Centre, Dulverton: Tel 01398 323841 E-mail : [email protected] its wild ponies, this makes a varied walk. Website : www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk

UTHORITY PUBLISHED 2005 DESIGN BY HEN R ARK A P TIONAL EXMOOR N A © walk number 12 12 MAP EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK WALK DIRECTIONS

Lynton Scale1: 50000 SHEET Nos SS Minehead The map section below is taken from the Walk up to Bank Square at the towards Tarr Steps. This leads through a Combe Martin Porlock 1 top of Fore Street. Bear right gateway and drops towards woodlands. Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL9 Simonsbath cular walk Dunster around the church, up the steps to Go through the gate at the bottom, fork The area is also covered by the Ordnance Devon its side and left into the lane. Follow right and cross the small bridge to Tarr Exford Survey Landranger Map 181. Somerset purple Restricted Byway sign to Steps. Broford. Continue uphill along the 1 Kilometre main track. Cross Tarr Steps clapper bridge, maps 5 1 Mile Dulverton bear round to the left for a few A mile from Dulverton, pass metres on the road then take the drive 2 the track to Marsh Bridge on marked with a Public Bridleway sign 5 4 your left and go through the gateway leading upwards to the right in the 6 ahead. Stay on the waymarked route direction of Hawkridge. This soon 3 across a field, forking right amongst becomes a track. the gorse signed Broford/Winsford. 32 Go through the gate and along the Follow the blue Bridleway lane to a junction with a tarmaced 6 waymarks upwards through two road. Turn left along the road. After gates, over the hill and down to half a mile turn left into a field via a Parsonage Farm. Go through a gate and hunting gate with blue Public past farm buildings. Continue down the Bridleway Mounsey Hill Gate. Keep farm drive to where it meets a tarmaced Licence No.100024878 to the left of the field, past road.

31 ved . Highercombe Farm to a gate onto y with the permission Of controller of Her e v

12 mile ci r moorland. Cross the road and go through 7 the gate into a field. Keep ahead 7 following signs and yellow waymarks All rights rese r Take the track straight ahead.

2 3 On meeting the road, turn right, over the fields to Hawkridge. At the 30 cross the cattle grid and keep straight houses, turn left down the road. Keep ahead on the moorland of Winsford the church on your right following the

8 yright 2005 . Hill alongside the hedgebank for 50 track straight ahead towards Dulverton. yards, then drop diagonally to another The lane opens to fields and continues wn co p road and cattle grid. down through woods to Castle Bridge.

29 © Cr o 1 . Cross the cattle grid and bear Cross the stone bridge. Keep the 4Paths info:Layoutleft along 1 01/04/2011 the 14:33 Pagetrack. 1 After 50 8 river on your left, following the y Of c e yards bear right along the track path through woodland for two miles Paths down to Marsh Bridge.

28 Status Public Public Restricted of Path: This product includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance Su r Dulverton Majesty's Stationa r Footpath Bridleway Byway Who can Walkers only Walkers Walkers use them: Horse riders Horse riders 86 87 88 89 90 91 Cyclists Cyclists Carriage Drivers 12 miles (20 kilometres). 6 hours. Start point: National Park Centre in Dulverton Waymark Yellow Blue Purple Moderate. Only two significant climbs and relatively easy to navigate. Tarr Steps colour: accessible via Moor Rover. Please contact them on 01643 709701 for more details Pubs and cafés at Dulverton and Tarr Steps. WC There are public toilets at Dulverton All our wooden signposts are made using timber from and Tarr Steps car park. Under close control at all times. sustainably managed woodland in Exmoor National Park WC