Holnicote Estate

Exmoor National Park


The 50-sq-km Holnicote Estate sweeps southeast out of Porlock, taking in a string of impossibly pretty villages. Picturesque Bossington leads to charming Allerford and its 15th-century packhorse bridge. The biggest village, Selworthy, offers eye-catching Exmoor views, a cafe, a shop, and cob-and-thatch cottages clustering around the village green.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Exmoor National Park attractions

1. Exmoor Owl & Hawk Centre

1.32 MILES

Catch the owl and bird-of-prey flying show (2pm), book your own hour-long private flying session (from £45), or have the kids hitch a half-hour ride on…

2. Porlock Weir

3.44 MILES

Porlock Weir's stout granite quay curves around a shingly beach, which is backed by pubs, fisherfolks' storehouses and a scattering of seasonal shops. The…

3. West Somerset Railway

3.56 MILES

The steam trains of this vintage railway are a fine way to see the Somerset countryside. The 20-mile route runs from it's base at Minehead to Bishops…

4. St George's Church

4.88 MILES

Dunster’s beautiful church dates mostly from the 15th century and boasts an intricately carved fan-vaulted rood screen. Just behind the church is a 16th…

5. Dunster Castle

4.99 MILES

Rosy-hued Dunster Castle crowns a densely wooded hill. Built by the Luttrell family, which once owned much of northern Exmoor, the oldest sections are…

6. Watermill

5.02 MILES

Most of the original cogs, wheels and grinding stones continue to rotate in this working 18th-century mill. There's a picturesque riverside tearoom…

7. Cleeve Abbey

8.97 MILES

Most visitors buzz straight past tiny, tumbledown Cleeve Abbey, but it’s one of the best examples of traditional Cistercian architecture in southwest…

8. Tarr Steps

9.6 MILES

Exmoor's most famous landmark is an ancient stone clapper bridge shaded by gnarled old trees. Its huge slabs are propped up on stone columns embedded in…