Tarr Steps
Outdoor Activities
Tarr Steps is a 17-span clapper bridge across the River Barle on Exmoor, with a car park and toilets nearby and a circular walk affected by a bridge closure.
A bridge of stone slabs
Tarr Steps is a clapper bridge over the River Barle, built entirely from large stone slabs and boulders in 17 spans. At 59 yards (54 metres), the Exmoor National Park Authority calls it by far the longest of the 40 or so clapper bridges left in Britain. The top slabs weigh up to two tons each, and the largest is over 2.4 metres long. It is a Grade I listed structure and a scheduled monument.
Nobody can say when it was built. It was first mentioned in Tudor times but may be much older. The name ‘Tarr’ is thought to come from the Celtic word ‘tochar’, meaning ‘causeway’, and local folklore says the Devil built it.
Floods and repairs
The Barle is not tame. The river has silted up over the last century and now often comes over the stones in flood. Floodwater badly damaged the bridge in December 2012, after fallen trees broke the steel wires meant to protect it, and carried away part of it again in November 2016. The slabs are numbered so they can be lifted back into place, and stones of up to two tonnes have been washed as far as 50 metres downstream. If heavy rain has fallen, check the National Park Authority before you drive out.
Getting there
Tarr Steps lies about four miles north-west of Dulverton and about 2.5 miles south-east of Withypool. The Authority describes an on-site car park and toilets, with just a gentle walk down to the bridge. The wooded Barle valley is worth exploring for its wildlife, and the heathland of Winsford Hill nearby is home to wild ponies.
Walking and the Hinds Pitt closure
The Exmoor Explorer Walk is the short circular route from the bridge. It relies on a second crossing upstream at Hinds Pitt, and that footbridge has been closed since May 2025 until further notice because of structural failure, so the circuit cannot be completed. You can still follow the Barle upstream on either bank as far as Hinds Pitt, then return the way you came. The Authority recommends the Knaplock Wood side, the east bank, for short walks, and the west bank for the Two Moors Way. Check the Authority’s path news before you plan a route.
Where to stay near Tarr Steps
Sample dates: 16 October 2026 - 18 October 2026. Adjust below to see live prices for Somerset.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a car park at Tarr Steps?
- Yes. The Exmoor National Park Authority describes an on-site car park and toilets, with a gentle walk down to the bridge. Check the Authority's website for current parking arrangements before you travel.
- Can I still walk the circular route from Tarr Steps?
- Not as a full circuit. The footbridge at Hinds Pitt upstream has been closed since May 2025, so the Exmoor Explorer circular walk cannot be completed. You can follow the Barle upstream on either side as far as Hinds Pitt and return the same way.
- Can the bridge be damaged by floods?
- Yes. The river often comes over the stones in flood, and stones of up to two tonnes have been washed up to 50 metres downstream. The slabs are numbered so they can be put back. Check the Authority's website after heavy rain.
- How old is Tarr Steps?
- Nobody knows for certain. It was first mentioned in Tudor times but may be much older.