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Exmoor is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, 2 miles NW of Simonsbath. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and 55 kilometres (34 mi) of the Bristol Channel coast. The highest point on Exmoor is Dunkery Beacon; at 519 metres (1,703 ft) it is also the highest point in Somerset. The total area of the Exmoor National Park is 692.8 square kilometres (267.5 sq mi), of which 71% is in Somerset and 29% in Devon.
Exmoor was designated a National Park in 1954, under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. The Exmoor National Park is primarily an upland area with a dispersed population living mainly in small villages and hamlets. The largest settlements are Porlock, Dulverton, Lynton, and Lynmouth, which together contain almost 40% of the park's population. Lynton and Lynmouth are combined into one parish and are connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway.
Exmoor has 55 kilometres (34 mi) of coastline, including the highest sea cliffs in England, which reach a height of 314 metres (1,030 ft) at Culbone Hill. However, the crest of this coastal ridge of hills is more than 1.6 km (0.99 mi) from the sea. If a cliff is defined as having a slope greater than 60 degrees, the highest sea cliff on mainland Britain is Great Hangman near Combe Martin at 318 metres (1,043 ft) high, with a cliff face of 250 metres (820 ft). Its sister cliff is the 250 metres (820 ft) Little Hangman, which marks the edge of Exmoor.
The scenery of rocky headlands, ravines, waterfalls and towering cliffs gained the Exmoor coast recognition as a heritage coast in 1991. With its huge waterfalls and caves, this dramatic coastline has become an adventure playground for both climbers and explorers. The cliffs provide one of the longest and most isolated seacliff traverses in the UK. The South West Coast Path, at 1,014 kilometres (630 mi) the longest National Trail in England and Wales, starts at Minehead and runs along all of Exmoor's coast. There are small harbours at Lynmouth, Porlock Weir and Combe Martin. Once crucial to coastal trade, the harbours are now primarily used for pleasure; individually owned sail boats and non-commercial fishing boats are often found in the harbours. The Valley of the Rocks beyond Lynton is a deep dry valley that runs parallel to the nearby sea and is capped on the seaward side by large rocks and Sexton's Burrows forms a natural breakwater to the Harbour of Watermouth Bay on the coast.
(Wikipedia)
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After a few days visit, I have to say that Exmoor national park is a hidden gem on the western coast of England. Stunning scenery and picturesque villages create a lovely combination of a peaceful place that is really worth visiting.
There are a lot of trails in the national park, both on the coast and in the hilly interior - and we of course tried a few of those.
RSPB Bempton Cliffs a splendid cliff top reserve and a wonderful place to see close up views of nesting sea birds. Today I observed lots of Gannets and Kittiwakes nesting. I did see 2 Puffins out at sea, but none on the cliff tops yet. I also heard a Skylark for the first time this year. Well worth a visit
"Crimson Cliffs Moonrise:" The previous moonrise photo I posted from Sedona was a fairly relaxed experience. This second image that I captured from the same evening was a lot more frantic, as it required me first packing up my gear from my first spot, then rushing to relocate to a different spot a drive and a hike away, then wanting to capture the moon precisely in this notch of rocks known as the Crimson Cliffs. What I did not know was all of the varied terrain involved in trying to acquire the best vantage point to view this transition, including several hillsides to go up and down, and washes to navigate, complete with lots of thorny plants to work through (even with long pants, my upper legs ended up looking like a cat clawed them when I was done), then trying to avoid tall visual obstructions, such as trees in the foreground. All in all, it turned out to be a bit more of a scramble than I had hoped, but I was extremely thankful that just as I was about to give up and turn back, I saw the moon come exactly through the narrow space between the rock pillars and also just in time before the sun completely set, giving the rocks an extreme red glow with that final light of the day. I hope you enjoy.
The last light of the day shines on a cliff face just east of the Royal Arches in Yosemite Valley casting the Sun’s warm glow on the cool Sierra Nevada granite. The enormity of the Sierra Nevada Batholith - the mass of granite that makes up the majority of the mountain range - never ceases to amaze me. Looking down upon its glacially carved and eroded shapes I ponder the vast geological tapestry that led to this superlative valley, and the forces still at work pushing them higher. While this narrow sunlit ledge is merely 1600 feet or so above the valley floor below, just half the height of its famous neighbor away to the west, El Capitan, it is quite dramatic in the spotlight.
"Lukee" a 1901 built Kerr Stuart is seen on the Red Cliffs Historical Steam Railway on 25th April 1999.
A series of images captured at RSPB Bempton Cliffs Yorkshire. A true haven for nesting Gannets and Puffins with the cliff faces heavily populated with nesting pairs. Several of the nests containing young but at this stage a little early to fledge. A really great day out and worth a visit to support the RSPB and take some great photographs.
Thanks for your visit and comments, I appreciate them very much! Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © Nigel Stewart
We walked the beach below the cliff in Wellfleet, MA. We came to the area where a section of the Beachcomber restaurant parking lot washed away in mid-August due to heavy rain. One car was taken with it, but nobody was hurt. The sand formations, though, were fascinating.