Seven fascinating facts about Exmoor you didn’t know

Exmoor National Park is a very popular place to visit and you won’t find many places that are as interesting to explore. If you were thinking of experiencing it for yourself on a day out, then treat yourself to some useful information before you set off. It’s a great day out for when you stay in our Woolacombe holiday cottages, in one of the South West’s more picturesque and appealing areas. Home to Europe’s highest and lowest tides The Bristol Channel comes only second to that of the Bay of Fundy in Canada for the title of highest and lowest tides in the world, meaning that Exmoor claims the title for Europe. Records shows that the biggest range is a spectacular 45ft! Remote land is Exmoor’s middle name Due to the sheer height and steepness of the cliffs on the Exmoor shoreline you will not find any landward access between the six mile stretches from that of Heddon’s Mouth in Combe Martin and Countisbury to Glenthorne therefore making it the most remote in England. Exmoor's rocks are on the move…. Slowly! Roughly 350 million years ago you would have found the majority of Exmoor’s rock located in the southern hemisphere; this is where they were formed. They moved due to continental drift. If we were to look forward another 100 million years we would find that Exmoor will be located north of the Arctic Circle! Home of the UK’s oldest breed of horse With only a few hundred of this special breed left on Exmoor and worldwide combined the Exmoor pony finds itself more endangered than that of the giant panda (not found on Exmoor!). Exmoor ponies are the closest breed left that can be connected to the wild horses that originally meandered in Britain in prehistoric times. Britain's longest path starts at Exmoor Starting in Minehead, the South West Coast Path, which ends in Poole, is the longest National Trail in England and Wales, totalling a lengthy 613 miles. That means it would take the average walker roughly 40 days to walk the entire distance of the path. Exmoor has a rare butterfly One of Britain’s rarest breeding butterflies, the heath fritillary butterfly, can be found on Exmoor. They were previously known as 'woodman's followers' due to their regular appearance in coppiced woodland shortly after the trees had been cut. As there’s not much coppicing these days the butterflies find solace in the similar conditions produced by the changes in the heathland and the move according to the changing conditions. Exmoor has high altitude beech trees It is a fact that the Beech tree grows at greater altitudes on Exmoor than any other location in Britain. You can find some trees growing as high as 1200ft above sea level in Simonsbath, and in hedgebanks they can grow as far as 1500ft above sea level! Image: Philip Kendall under Creative Commons.

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Honey Pot Cottage
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Honey Pot is a beautiful, compact cottage ideal for couples. Honey Pot is dog-friendly and fully equipped for a comfortable break in North Devon.

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Primrose Lane Cottage

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Located in the courtyard, Honeysuckle Cottage is dog-friendly and ideal for families of up to 4.

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Sea View Cottage

Sea View cottage is a superb, dog-friendly holiday cottage with stunning views across the North Devon coast. Ideal for families of 5. The bedrooms have the amazing view across the Sterridge valley and the Bristol Channel to Wales

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Sunalways Cottage
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Sunalways Cottage is a spacious, family-friendly cottage sleeping 5 with beautiful views of the Sterridge valley. The vaulted ceilings give a large bright spacious living area

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Fisherswood Cottage

Fisherswood Cottage is a large and spacious cottage with beautiful vaulted ceilings. Sleeping up to 5 guests.

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Forest View  Cottage
Forest View Cottage

Forest View Cottage is a large, spacious cottage ideal for large families. This cottage is dog-friendly and can sleep up to 6 guests.

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Meadow Sweet Cottage
Meadow Sweet Cottage

Meadow Sweet is dog friendly and the largest cottage at Smythen Farm. Book this cottage early as its well sort-after for large families or 2 families sharing. Meadow Sweet boasts stunning views across the Sterridge Valley.

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