Exmoor National Park

Exmoor
National Park
The Exmoor Flag unveiled at the West Somerset Railway Station in Minehead on 29 October 2014.
State	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
County	Somerset, Devon
Districts	West Somerset, North Devon, Mid Devon
Settlements	Withypool, Exford, Simonsbath, Wheddon Cross, Lynton, Lynmouth, Luxborough, Dulverton
Highest point	Dunkery Beacon
- elevation	519 m (1,703 ft)
- coordinates	51°09′45″N 3°35′19″W / 51.16250°N 3.58861°W / 51.16250; -3.58861
Lowest point	Sea level
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Area	692 km2 (267 sq mi)
Geology	Devonian, Carboniferous
Plants	Oak, Ash, Hazel, Lichens, Moss, Fern
Animals	Exmoor pony, Exmoor Horn, Whiteface Dartmoor, Cheviot sheep, Red deer, Merlin, Peregrine falcon, Eurasian curlew, European stonechat, Dipper, Dartford warbler, Ring ouzel
National Park of England	1954
Management	Exmoor National Park Authority
- location	Dulverton
- coordinates	51°02′27″N 3°32′54″W / 51.04083°N 3.54833°W / 51.04083; -3.54833
IUCN category	V - Protected Landscape/Seascape
Website: http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/

Exmoor is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simonsbath. Exmoor is more precisely defined as the area of the former ancient royal hunting forest, also called Exmoor, which was officially surveyed 1815–1818 as 18,810 acres (7,610 ha) in extent. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and 55 km (34 mi) of the Bristol Channel coast. The total area of the Exmoor National Park is 692.8 km² (267.5 sq mi), of which 71% is in Somerset and 29% in Devon.

The upland area is underlain by sedimentary rocks dating from the Devonian and early Carboniferous periods with Triassic and Jurassic age rocks on lower slopes. Where these reach the coast cliffs are formed which are cut with ravines and waterfalls. It was recognised as a heritage coast in 1991. The highest point on Exmoor is Dunkery Beacon; at 519 metres (1,703 ft) it is also the highest point in Somerset. The terrain supports lowland heath communities, Ancient woodland and blanket mire which provide a habitat for some scarce flora and fauna. There have also been reports of The Beast of Exmoor, a cryptozoological cat roaming Exmoor. Several areas have been designated as Nature Conservation Review and Geological Conservation Review sites.