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Home Place on Exmoor

Walk 1. The Prehistoric Chains Walk 2. The Upper Barle and Cow Castle Walk 3. Watersmeet and Arnold's Linhay Walk 4.Bull Lighthouse and Mortehoe Walk 5. Heddons Mouth and the Roman Fort Walk 6. Withypool and the Tarr Steps Walk 7. Brendon Common & Valley Walk 8. Dunkery

Walk Seven- Brendon Common A 3hr circular walk that encapulates the best of Exmoors open moor land, descending into wooded valleys with fast flowing streams, and a tradition hunting Inn for lunch.

The Route:Parking by the sign post to Rockford at dry bridge on brendon common. Follow the path across the moor, egnoring the path that leads to the right carry straight on to the trig point . Carry straight, spectacular views across the bristol channel lie ahead of you, start descending , cross a small gully, the path leads you to the corner of a stone wall, keeping the wall to your left descend towards Shilstone farm, the path winds down the hill to the bottom where you ford a small babeluing brook ascend a little to a sign post where you bear left to the farm. Walk between the farm houses and head for the gate straight infront of you adjacent to Shilstone cottage, go through the gate and head across the field heading for the sign post on the horizan on the other side of the field. At the post turn left following the hedge down the hill to the road. Over the stlye and descend a few stone steps on to the road, turn left head to the bottom of the hill, continue a little way up the other side of the valley just past a yellow grit box on your right take the signposted path throught the woods to your right to "Rockford". Follow the path down through the woods with the stream to your right. As the path drops more steeply the stream starts to cascade down the hill forming many waterfalls. Before joining the road at the bottom its worth noticing the old water mill on your right. At the road turn left and head into Rockford. Why not stop for a drink or snack at the Rockford Inn, opposite and slightly to the right of the Inn you will notice a little wooden bridge, cross the bridge over the East lyn, turn left by a National Trust sign and then imedieally right to Brendon. Follow the river up stream past a cottage , along between two high stone walls keep to the main path to the left, you continue through the lower slopes of an ancient oak woodland and then descent to the side of the river along an old cobbled road, past another cottage to the road. Turn right and across the bridge into the village. here we turned right and headed for The staghunters for an excellent lunch and Pint of Exmoor Ale. After lungh retrace your steps to the bridge this time walking up a small lane besides Brendon House (to your right if coming from the pub) continue up the long windy hill out of the village, cross a cattle grid and back on to the common. Go straight ahead following the sign post "Brendon common 1 1/4" the track leads you to a hedged field to your left, (TAKE CARE NO OBVIOUS PATH) in the hedge there is a metal gate, stop and turn 45 degrees or so to your right where you notice another hedged field, strike off across thre moor to meet the corner of the field enclosure ahead of you. Keeping the hedge to your right follow the boundry , the hedge becoming a wall, after a while the hedge turns to form the corner of a field, stop following the hedge and instead head straight on across the open moorland leaving the wall to your right. In a short distance you hit a grass track , follow the track along a gully, as you reach the brow of the hill you will see the trig point, head towards it along the track . From the trig point retrace your steps to the car.

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