This is the highest point on Exmoor and
the highest point in Somerset at 1705ft. Its owned by the National
Trust and managed as a nature reserve. A footpath leads to the top
with spectacular views.
It lies just four miles from the Bristol Channel at Porlock.
The shortest route of ascent goes from the car park at Dunkery Gate,
and is just 1.2 km long.
Dunkery Beacon 1704 feet above sea level
image supplied by kind permission of Somerset Tourism, Somerset County Council
The heather-clad slopes of Dunkery Hill dominate the skyline. Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor at 519 metres above sea level, can also be reached by following a footpath just to the south of Webber's Post. At the summit there are numerous Bronze Age burial cairns. The open moorland supports the merlin (Britain's smallest bird of prey), red grouse, curlew, ring ouzel, rayen and the wild Red deer.
To ensure that the heather grows vigorously and is able to support a wide variety of wildlife, The National Trust manages the moorland by annual burning (swaling) and grazing by sheep.
Dunkery Beacon
Dunkery Beacon
Dunkery Beacon
Dunkery Beacon cairn
Exmoor ponies at Dunkery Beacon
View towards Dunkery Hill
Plaque on Dunkery Beacon
Dunkery comprises sandstone and literally means means rocky hill.
Duncery beacon wasa fire sigbal station in medieval times.
It is said that on a clear day you can see sixteen counties from Dunkery Beacon.
Dunkery from Luccombe
image supplied by kind permission of Somerset Tourism, Somerset County Council
This large hill forms the highest part of Exmoor's central ridge. It has a chain of summits capped with Bronze Age barrows, at Rowbarrows, Kit Barrows, Robin How and Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor's highest point at 1,705ft (519m). There are easy walks to the summit from informal car parks at Dunkery Gate and Rex Stile Head. The Beacon was the site of a former fire beacon and is still occasionally used for celebratory bonfires. A cairn commemorating the giving of the area to the National Trust and a toposcope (viewfinder) mark the summit. There are extensive all-round views on clear days.
OS Grid Reference: SS8941 |
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