Walking on Exmoor and the Quantock Hills

Menu Home About the site News and updates Exmoor and the Quantocks Introduction to the walks ► The Exmoor coast: west ► The Exmoor coast: east ► Western Exmoor ► Central Exmoor: north ► Central Exmoor: south ► The Brendons to the coast ► Bampton and the lakes ► The Quantock Hills ► Further afield Useful links Index of places and themes GPX files About the author Madeira Contact

Central Exmoor: south of Winsford This page covers the inland area south from Exford and Winsford, down to Dulverton, Anstey Moor and Molland. The area is dominated by the rivers Barle and Exe and to a lesser extent Dane’s Brook, all of which converge within a short distance of Dulverton, Exmoor’s historic ‘capital’ and an ideal walking base. The landscape is a mix of open moorland and high grazing land broken by the deep, often wooded river valleys. The most popular walking area is the triangle between Dulverton, Winsford and Exford, but the lesser-visited areas around Molland and the Ansteys are no less interesting. A few walks in this area cross open moorland without clear paths. Note there is a path closure in 2024 on the River Barle that affects walks 58 and 59: details are here. The work is expected to be completed at the end of October 2024, then the path will be on the west side of the river. Click the walk name to download the route. Read the walk safety information, and click for a key to the symbols used on the sketch maps in the instructions.  57 Wheddon Cross to Dulverton via Winsford ♦♦♦ 10.5 mile linear, bus connection 58 Exford to Dulverton via Withypool and Hawkridge ♦♦♦ 13 mile linear, bus connection 59 Withypool and Tarr Steps ♦♦ 7.3 mile circular 60 Winsford and around Winsford Hill  ♦♦ 8 mile circular 61 Winsford, Tarr Steps and the Punchbowl ♦♦♦ 9.2 mile circular, short stretch of open moorland 62 Dulverton and Winsford ♦♦♦ 12.4 mile circular 63 Dulverton and Tarr Steps ♦♦♦ 10.7 mile circular 64 Dulverton, Hawkridge and the River Barle ♦♦♦ 10.7 mile circular 65 Molland and Twitchen ♦♦ 7.7 mile circular, short stretch of open moorland 66 Molland and Anstey Common ♦♦♦ 8.5 mile circular, short stretch of open moorland 67 Dulverton, East and West Anstey ♦♦♦ 10.8 mile circular 68 Dulverton, Brushford and Chilcott  ♦♦ 8.3 mile circular 69 Dulverton and Bury ♦♦♦ 9 mile circular 70 Dulverton to Bampton ♦♦ 6 mile linear, bus connection More walks from Withypool in ‘Western Exmoor’, and from Winsford in ‘Central Exmoor-North’. All text, photographs and maps © Stan Lester 2023