History of Exmoor

Exmoor has a long history of people finding ways to survive in this wild and often inhospitable region. There is evidence of people hunting and gathering in the area during the Mesolithic period. During the Neolithic period, people started managing animals and growing crops on farms and areas of cleared woodland. It is believed that the late Neolithic period also saw the start of extracting mineral ores to make metal weapons, tools and ornaments – a practice which continued into the Bronze and Iron ages.

Exmoor is scattered with signs of ancient civilisations, including an earthen ring near the village of Parracombe which is believed to be a Neolithic henge dating back to 5000-4000 BC, and the Iron Age hill fort of Cow Castle, where White Water meets the River Barle. Nearby, the prehistoric clapper bridge of Tarr Steps crosses the River Barle near Withypool. Each stone slab of this English Heritage listed building weighs five tonnes.

During the Middle Age, sheep farming for the wool industry became widespread on Exmoor. The wool was generally spun into thread on isolated farms before being collected by merchants to be woven, dyed and finished in Dunster and other towns. In the mid-19th century, a mine was developed by the River Barle, first for copper and later for iron. There is a Victorian water-powered sawmill in the village of Simonsbath which was returned to working order after it was damaged in floods, and is now used to make signs, gates, stiles and bridges for the park. Exmoor became a national park in 1954, under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act.

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