Exmoor
The Exmoor National Park, named after the River Exe, is a national park in the English counties of Devon and Somerset. To the north it borders on the Bristol Channel. The varied rock coastline is interspersed with narrow, wooded ravines.
It was founded in 1954 and covers an area of 692.8 km ². The fall of 2011 he was recognized as a light reserve of the International Dark Sky Association International Dark Sky Park as ( IDSP in silver), and since then also called Exmoor International Dark Sky Reserve. It was the third such area in the United Kingdom. The core zone covers 8,313 ha, the critical buffer zone 9,828 ha in the center of the park. There is also the Norman Lockyer Observatory is located.
Inland spreads behind a border area with farms of a small valleys ( " combes " ) intersected high level moorland, which is often shrouded by mist or fog. It is located on an average altitude of 300 m; the highest point is Dunkery Beacon with 519 m. Exmoor is shared by two ridge and is a watershed. The rivers Barle and Exe flow south to the English Channel, while Lyn and Avill flow north to the Bristol Channel.
The undeveloped moorland is an open, treeless moorland, where blueberries, a local delicacy, and bracken grow. On the coast contrasts pink purple blooming heather to bright yellow gorse. In the middle of Exmoor to Simonsbath around, is the former royal hunting forest, now an extensive grass moorland. In most Exmoor red deer live in England.
Dunkery Hill with Dunkery Beacon
About half of the approximately 10,500 inhabitants live in the villages distributed over the area, of which the largest Lynton, Dunster, Porlock and Dulverton are. The churches in some villages as Parracombe, Porlock, Culbone and Brendon are dedicated to Celtic saints.
The agricultural use based on sheep and cattle. On the fertile soils of the Vale of Porlock ( Porlocker Valley) and the areas in the Brendon Hills also farming is operated. A major economic factor in the region is tourism. In many places you can ride the Exmoor ponies. This wild moorland pony is Britain's oldest pony breed. One of the attractions in Exmoor National Park, for example, the clapper bridge Tarr Steps.