Exmoor lightly dusted in snow

Leaving the North Devon link road at the Tiverton junction, Helen and I take the scenic road  north beside the River Exe and make for Simonsbath and Brendon for a lunch at the 17th century Rockford Inn.

Log fire and a friendly welcome are there waiting for us. But before settling down we stretched our legs down beside the swift flowing river across  the wooden bridge opposite.

Rapid thaw in bright sun sending water across the road

Now in need of a good hose down

The Rockford Inn

This super little Devonshire pub is tucked out of the way down some of Devon's quieter lanes sandwiched between the hills and the sea. Today the East Lyn river was gushing with plenty of snow melt-water under a clear blue sky. Mid winter and no leaves on the trees allows more light into this steep sided valley. 

Very wet and windswept all across the moor and even on this Sunday weekend the Exmoor ponies are scarcely seen.  

The East Lyn River

From here the footpath leads on down to Watersmeet and Lynmouth

Watersmeet, Lynton and Exmoor lanes

Shadows lengthen, days shorten.
Up early to check the weather, treat the sliding pillars to a good few shots of  Molybdenum grease and venture north along Exmoor lanes
Off the M5, the north devon link road and A399 heads to Simonsbath, then the B3223 to Hillsford and A39 Watersmeet Road to Lynmouth. 

You could hear a pin drop this morning

The weather window chosen allows for some photo landscape attempts chasing shafts of sunlight between lovely fluffy white clouds. Dawn arrived quite pink like the previous evening but it was well past sunrise that I reached the mossy Beech hedges of high Exmoor.  The clear still air allows the distant smoke to rise in their grey/blue tints and blend so beautifully with the cobalt and cerulean colours.

Looking south towards South Molton

After Simonsbath the road backs west and descends into river valleys, the destination of Lynmouth something of an anti-climax because the drama is then soon over. Watersmeet is a place I have never seen before despite having lived in Devon a whole lifetime. It easily matches anything similar on Dartmoor and I shall have to take Helen another day.

Spot the birds nest

From Lynmouth I have to detour inland again to reach towards Ilfracombe due to a diversion in Combe Martin but soon find one of those tortuous lanes that I enjoy so much and which winds with many a steep hairpin bend to pass Smythen Wood along the way through Sterridge Valley.

Frost whitens the shady hollows

Making for home by the Simonsbath high road over Exmoor, I stopped to wonder at the wider landscape so peaceful. Yet another surprise this Monday morning as the baying of hounds and a lone trumpeting horn signalled the presence of the Exmoor Hunt somewhere quite close. I cannot say I am moved by the ethics of hunting but I felt that it added depth to the scene as it has done for many hundreds of years past and probably will continue to do well into the foreseeable future.

Wide open spaces

Exmoor ponies roam free

Towards Watersmeet

Waypoints and link to Google Map

The East Lyn River gushing down to the sea viewed here just downstream of Watersmeet

Route Map