Exford

Exford is a small village on the River Exe at the centre of Exmoor National Park, in the area of Somerset Council. It is on the Somerset side of the moor. The 2011 census gave a population of 405, so cottages here mean real quiet, with moorland close at hand rather than a town round the corner.

Distances help with planning. Exford is 7 miles north-west of Dulverton and 10 miles south-west of Minehead, and the hamlet of Lyncombe lies less than a mile away. The B3224 runs through the village and is the main route across Exmoor, so a car gets you onto the moor without a long detour. The village also sits on the Samaritans Way South West and the Celtic Way (Exmoor option), both long-distance routes that give walkers a ready-made line across the moor.

The bridge over the river was built in 1930 on a medieval site. The Church of St Mary Magdalene, formerly the Church of St Salvyn, has a tower dating from the 15th century. It is Grade II* listed and stands a short walk from the village. Exford suits a stay built around Exmoor itself: walking from the door, driving across the moor on the B3224, and returning to a village small enough to know within an hour.