Dartmoor National Park & Exmoor National Park
This cosy National Trust bunkhouse can be found at Countisbury close to Lynton and Lynmouth on the North Devon Coast. Surrounded by the dramatic Watersmeet Valleys and Exmoor, it is perfect for accessing the South West Coastal Path and the Atlantic surf beaches. It is also great for those wanting to experience Exmoor's dark skies. Perfect for families, groups and walkers, the barn is just along the road from Exmoor Bunkhouse (also in this guide), so it can be used as an overspill for larger groups.
Base Lodge is your perfect base for exploring Exmoor, the Quantocks and North Devon. The South West Coast Path starts in Minehead and there is excellent mountain biking. Guided biking, navigational training, climbing, surfing, pony trekking and natural history walks can all be arranged. Base Lodge is clean, comfortable with self-catering and a cosy log burner.
An ideal base for anyone wishing to spend time on Dartmoor whether it is to walk, climb, cycle, kayak or just relax and enjoy the spectacular scenery. Fox Tor Bunkhouse is situated near the centre of the village of Princetown. Guests can book packed lunches and breakfasts.
The café has wood-burning stoves and provides lovely home made food cooked to order. Guided walks & mountain biking are available as is mountain bike hire.
Colehayes Park is a Grade II listed Georgian Manor on Dartmoor with 20 acre grounds and views over the rolling hills of the Devon. Perfect for school and university groups, large gatherings of family/friends and DIY weddings. It has a commercial kitchen for self-catering or meals can be provided. Friendly with a warm laid back atmosphere.
Harford Bunkhouse & Camping offers comfortable budget accommodation on the edge of stunning South Dartmoor. An ideal choice if you are planning to start the Two Moors Way walk from south to north. Run alongside a working Dartmoor farm, the bunkhouse offers dormitory style accommodation with self catering facilities for up to 50 people. The campsite is on two of the farm's meadows. There are also two camping pods and a cabin which sleep up to 6 people each.
A small, friendly eco-hostel in the centre of Moretonhampstead, Dartmoor National Park. Popular with cyclists, hikers, bikers, wild swimmers, artists and photographers, A beautifully converted stone stable, with solar-heated showers, kitchen, courtyard, BBQ and secure bike shed. High open moorland, rocky tors, ancient burial sites, stone circles, woods and clear rivers close by. Moretonhampstead has shops, cafés, art galleries and pubs. Cicerone LEJOG & Dartmoor Way cycle routes pass by.
A small family farm in West Somerset on the edge of Exmoor, Chitcombe Farm provides inexpensive, basic, warm & dry accommodation. Perfect after a day hiking on Exmoor, or training for an event. The Hay Barn, is a dormitory style open plan barn whilst The Cart Shed is an open plan chalet. Both have well equipped kitchens, bathroom with showers, seating areas and central heating. Beds are in bunks. BYO pillows and sleeping bag.
A mile outside the town of Dulverton on Exmoor, Northcombe Camping Barns nestle in the Barle river valley with good canoeing, walking and bridleways. A perfect base for groups on Exmoor. The barns sleep 16 and 28 in partitioned dormitories. Smaller groups can be catered for. Heated by wood-burning stoves with a well equipped kitchen, you just need to bring your own pillows, sleeping bags or duvets.
Foreland Bothy on the National Trust Foreland Point Estate on the Exmoor coast offers very basic accommodation, but rewards you with a fantastic location right on the South West Coast Path. Treat it like camping but without the tent, so you need to bring camping mats, sleeping bags and cooking equipment. There is a composting loo but no hot water. The perfect location for a night or two for those who want to explore the area on foot or want to escape technology in this wilderness under some stunning dark skies.
In secluded, native woodland on the eastern edge of Dartmoor, the cabin has been a hostel since the 1930s. Friendly and peaceful, with a homely living room, wood burner, self-catering kitchen, picnic tables, BBQ and fire pit. Walk straight from the door to Heltor and Blackingstone Rock or along the river to Fingle Bridge and Castle Drogo. Cross stepping stones to Dunsford village. Moretonhampstead and Chagford are nearby. On the LEJOG cycling route.
Close to the picturesque Ilfracombe Harbour, this clean and friendly hostel offers fantastic facilities for walkers, cyclists, surfers, families, schools and activity groups. Providing self-catering accommodation with great facilities including, communal lounge (free WiFi), bike/surfboard storage, drying area and free parking. Ilfracombe is full of cafés, galleries, shops and restaurants and is home to Damien Hirst's statue, Verity.
Owned and managed by the National Trust, providing comfortable, high standard accommodation, Exmoor Bunkhouse is the perfect base for families or groups visiting Exmoor National Park. Located at Countisbury, the bunkhouse is close to the Watersmeet Valleys and the North Devon coastal villages of Lynton and Lynmouth. Take part in the many activities Exmoor has to offer such as walking and horse riding or go surfing on nearby Atlantic coast beaches. Larger groups overspill at Butter Hill Barn (also in this guide).
Set in 30 acres on the North Devon coast, the farm boasts sea views overlooking Woolacombe, Lundy Island, Lee Bay, Ilfracombe, and the Welsh coast. A former stable block with all accommodation on ground level with raised sleeping areas with mattresses.BYO sleeping bag/bedding and warm clothing. There is a dining area and well equipped kitchen. Toilets/coin operated showers are in a nearby block. No stag/hen parties. Dogs welcome with sole use bookings. B&B, camping and a static caravan are also available on site.
Formerly a granary on a working farm, this eco-friendly bunkbarn is just 1km from Winsford Hill. Perfect for exploring Exmoor on foot, bike or canoe. Hot water, central heating & good WiFi included in price. Well equipped, open-plan kitchen/dinning with room for all. Large drying room & BBQ area. BYO bedding & towels plus shoes/slippers to protect feet from rough barn floor. Sole use at weekends (2 nights min). Rooms can be booked individually in the week.
The west country has two lovely National Parks in the form of Dartmoor National Park and Exmoor National Park. Both are famous for their ponies which roam wild on the moorland areas. Although smaller than other UK national Parks these two still pack a punch and are very much worth a visit.
Dartmoor National Park, is wholly in Devon and is famous for it’s granite tors, bronze age stone circles and areas of mystery. The mixture of wide open moorlands and deep river valleys results in a variety of habitats and thus a rich wildlife making the area a nature watcher’s paradise. The moor is dotted with market towns and medieval villages which contrast with the wilds of the moorland habitat surrounding them. Dartmoor prison is a famous landmark as well as Hay Tor a granite outcrop which offers spectacular views over the National Park and the south Devon Coast.
Exmoor National Park is partially in Devon and mostly in Somerset. It has a stunning coast line on the Bristol Channel. The small towns on Ilfracombe and Minehead sit right on the edge of the National Park and the coast has a number of National Trust properties which are open to the public. Exmoor National Park offers the visitor great cycling and walking within it’s stunning woodlands, beautiful moors. Rock pool lovers will be rewarded with stunning rock pools teaming with wildlife after Europes highest tides have receeded. Exmoor boasts the longest wooded coast in the UK as well as England’s tallest tree and the highest seacliffs on the British Mainland. You can explore Exmoor via the South West Coast Path which starts in Minehead or cross it on the Two Moors Way from Lynton. Exmoor National Park is also a dark skies reserve so perfect for stargazers who want to be guaranteed a properly dark sky.
