Exmoor trip

[bushcraftbob]

Hello everyone

me and my brother are planning a two day hike with a nights wild camping on exmoor in April. We will be doing tent style (discreet!) camping and no fires. Can anyone recommend any little spots out of the way in the dunkery beacon region?

also what's the availability of drinking water on exmoor? I've drunk water many a time from natural springs and streams on dartmoor but this will be my first jaunt on exmoor.

cheers

 

[Elen Sentier]

If you hide up at a different spot each night and push off early in the morning you should be OK but tarp would be even better than tent. The notices say something about no permanent structure, a tarp and a bivi that moved on in the morning would be OK, I think. There's superb walking up Horner Woods, round Cloutsham Ball and round that side of Dunkery with lots of spots to stop and set up the bivi. Lots of deer to see (all 3 types if you're lucky) as well as masses of other wildlife. And it's super quiet. And you have real dark skies !!!

The water should be fine, I often drink it when I'm back on the Moor (grew up there).

If you stop off at either Dunster or Dulverton Exmoor Park shops they have some superb large-scale 1:12,500 walkers' maps for sale there that will really show you the old paths. the OS 1:25 doesn't manage all of them. Or go to www.croydecycle.co.uk and get them direct now so you can plan before you go.

The Horner/Dunkery map has some fab walks up through Horner Woods and they're should work for a bivi-up in. Take water up with you though as streams are a bit few and far between up there. You have the Horner water at the bottom and all round you but several hundred steep and woody feet down !!!

There are lots of other places too ... if you have the time do go and see Tarr Steps, amazing ancient clapper bridge.

Do PM me if you need more info etc. Looking fwd to seeing the pix IDC