The magic of Exmoor National Park lifts the spirit and inspires the mind. This tranquil landscape of coast and moor has long drawn writers, poets, and artists—some born here, others who came seeking inspiration. Many well-known figures have made Exmoor their home, drawn by its peaceful rhythm, timeless values, and stunning natural beauty.
While staying in Dunster, Cecil F. Alexander, wife of the Primate of Ireland, began writing the beloved hymn “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” Her words—“the purple-headed mountain, the river running by”—are believed to describe Dunkery Beacon in late summer, when the moorland blooms into a sea of purple heather. The phrase “all creatures great and small” truly comes to life here—just as it did then.
A young Beatrix Potter once called the medieval village of Dunster “truly picturesque.”
Arthur C. Clarke, born in Minehead, may well have found inspiration for his visionary ideas under Exmoor’s unpolluted, star-filled skies or amid the dramatic landscapes of the Valley of Rocks.
In the heart of the moor lies Winsford, the birthplace and childhood home of Ernest Bevin, a key political figure and founder of the National Health Service.
The harbor town of Watchet famously inspired Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Poets Shelley, Keats, and Wordsworth also sought the park’s serenity.
Notable painters drawn to Exmoor’s beauty include Sir Alfred Munnings, Lionel Edwards, Cecil Aldin, Fred Hall, A.R. Quinton, Caruthers-Gould, and Donald Ayres.
From Exmoor’s western edge came “Tarka the Otter” by Henry Williamson, and Clovelly—childhood home of Victorian author and social reformer Charles Kingsley—inspired his children’s classic “The Water Babies.”
R.D. Blackmore’s novel “Lorna Doone” is set in the nearby Doone Valley—a place where you can still find the famous water slide.
Exmoor does more than inspire—it shapes remarkable people. None more so than during the heroic lifeboat launch of “Louisa” in 1899. When stormy seas made launching from Lynmouth impossible, 100 townspeople and a team of 20 horses hauled the lifeboat 13 miles—up the 1-in-4½ Countisbury Hill, across the 1,423-foot-high moor, and down Porlock Hill—to launch at dawn and save lives.
In 1952, the Lynmouth Flood claimed 35 lives. Amid the devastation, local acts of courage and compassion stood out. (Read the full story – click here.)
Come and stay. Rest a while. Breathe deeply. Marvel at the wide skies, the starlit nights, and the timeless scenery of Exmoor. Let the landscape calm your mind—and who knows, it might just awaken your imagination too.