Out on the moor
Self-catering on Exmoor: farmhouses, barns and estate cottages
More room, more silence, more mud, and a car for everything.
Away from the coast the self-catering changes character completely. Instead of a converted cottage on a slope you get a farmhouse with a yard, a barn conversion with a field behind it, or an estate cottage at the end of a track, and the nearest neighbour is a quarter of a mile off.
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The valleys close in
Brendon and Rockford, in the East Lyn valley above Watersmeet, put you on the river with an inn walkable and Lynmouth four or five miles down the road. Martinhoe and the Heddon Valley, west of Lynton, are quieter still - hanging oak woods, a very empty stretch of coast, and an inn at the bottom of the valley. Parracombe and Barbrook sit on the road out towards Blackmoor Gate and are the most convenient of the outlying options.
The valleys within a few miles of the coast - Brendon, Rockford, the Heddon - keep you close enough for an evening in the village and far enough for the quiet. They are also the mildest ground in bad weather: the woodland gives shelter that the open moor does not, and the lanes are lower and less exposed to ice.
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The high moor
Simonsbath, Exford and Withypool are in the middle of Exmoor, ten to fifteen miles from the sea. This is where the moorland properties are - farmhouses that have been letting for generations, some of them on working farms with stock in the yard. It is the right base for riding, for long moorland walks and for the red deer rut in October, and the wrong base for a beach holiday.
Higher up the trade changes. The barns and farmhouses on the moor above Simonsbath and Exford sit in real space, with the dark skies and the deer that come with it, and they are twenty minutes of single-track lane from anywhere. In summer that is a pleasure; in a wet January it is a decision.
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What to check before booking
- The track. Some properties are half a mile down an unsurfaced lane. Fine in July, a different proposition in February in a low car. Ask directly.
- Heating and fuel. Stone farmhouses are cold from October to April. Establish what the heating is, whether a stove is included and whether wood is provided or bought.
- Water. Some moorland properties are on a private supply or a borehole. Perfectly normal, worth knowing.
- Signal and internet. Assume neither works in a combe until told otherwise, and get it confirmed if you need to be reachable.
- Stock and dogs. A farm with sheep in the field has rules about dogs, and they are not negotiable.
- Drying. A boot room, a utility or a stove matters more than any other feature here.
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Living out there for a week
Plan the shopping as an event rather than an errand. Barnstaple, South Molton or Minehead on the way in, a pannier market mid-week, and the village shop for milk. The nearest pub may be four miles away, which is either a pleasant walk or a designated driver depending on the weather and the party.
Take a paper map and a torch. The lanes are unlit, unsigned at some junctions, and satellite navigation will confidently route you onto a farm track. Both are also the reason the sky here is as dark as it is - Exmoor was the first International Dark Sky Reserve in Europe, and a moorland cottage in winter is the best seat in it.
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Who it suits
Groups and extended families, because the properties are big enough to hold everyone and there is nobody to disturb. Walkers and riders, because you start on the moor instead of climbing to it. Dog owners, because there is space and usually a field. And anyone who came here to be somewhere quiet, which out here is not a marketing claim - see staying outside the villages for the serviced equivalent.
It suits people who want the week to have a base rather than a schedule - long walks from the door, a fire in the evening, and no particular need to be anywhere by seven. It suits families with dogs particularly well, and it suits a two-night break rather less.
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Getting the week right
A moorland self-catering week runs differently from a village one. The rhythm most people settle into is an early start onto the moor while it is quiet, a long walk or ride, and an afternoon back at the property rather than driving somewhere else. Building the day around one outing rather than three is the difference between a restful week and a lot of time in the car.
The other adjustment is food. With the nearest shop several miles off, a week out here works best cooked from a full larder, and that means treating the arrival shop as part of the journey rather than an afterthought.
Common questions
Is self-catering on Exmoor better than staying in the villages?
For groups, walkers, riders and dog owners, usually yes - more space, more quiet and direct access to the moor. For anyone who would rather walk to a pub in the evening, the villages win.
What should you check before booking a moorland cottage?
The state of the access track, what the heating is and whether fuel is included, whether the water is on a private supply, mobile and internet signal, and whether there is somewhere to dry boots.
Do moorland properties have mobile signal?
Often not, particularly in the combes. Assume none until the owner confirms otherwise, and get it in writing if you need to be reachable.
How far is the nearest shop from a moorland cottage?
Frequently several miles. Do a full supermarket shop in Barnstaple, South Molton or Minehead on the way in and top up from village shops and the pannier markets.
