3 days ago
Two little-known national parks in southwest England, southern France
The wild moorland landscape of Exmoor. — Photo by Alan Rogers
READERS may well ask: where I have been for the last two months?
To be truthful, I have been spending my time in Exmoor National Park, southwest England and in the Camargue, a national park in Provence, southern France.
Having visited these national parks many times before, my recent visits were even more interesting thanks to my Sarawakian friend who accompanied me.
My eyes and mind were opened by my friend's inquisitive approach, asking pertinent questions on the landscapes, flora, fauna, and traditions of these two regions.
It became apparent to me that what I have taken as granted in these regions needed detailed explanations for she did not settle for less and it made me realise that, although knowing Sabah pretty well and living in Sarawak for almost two and a half years, I relied on her knowledge for the recognition of flora and fauna there.
The shoe now was on the other foot.
These two national parks are as little known to urban dwellers in both England and France as indeed are the Malaysian national parks to Malaysia's urban folk.
This week, I shall take you to explore my local Exmoor National Park, and my next column will be on the Camargue, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, in France.
Exmoor National Park
Exmoor covers 693 square kilometres, with 71 per cent of its land in the county of Somerset and 29 per cent in the neighbouring county of Devon. Located in coastal districts bordering the Bristol Channel and extending southwards inland, it is essentially an upland area with a dispersed population living in small villages and hamlets.
Geologically this upland is made up of Devonian and early Carboniferous rocks comprising an admixture of gritstone, sandstone, slates, shales, limestone, siltstone, and mudstone moulded into a plateau-like pattern and bisected by deep cut steep sided river valleys.
Although Exmoor escaped direct glaciation from the European ice masses of the Pleistocene glacial icesheets (about 1.4 million to 12,000 years ago) its northern edge was tickled by the very last ice sheet with a lobe of ice that extended from south Wales, south westwards along the Irish Sea to the Isles of Scilly in Cornwall.
As Exmoor was located on the periphery of the ice sheets, it experienced periglacial (tundra-like) conditions with deeply frozen ground. When the permafrost thawed, vast volumes of meltwater were released creating very large powerful rivers, most of which flowed southwards excavating deep valleys.
The rivers Barle and Exe are such rivers. The former is a tributary of the latter and is best viewed from the medieval stone bridge in the once market town of Dulverton.
Both river valleys have been declared as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Exmoor, with its 55km of coastline facing the Bristol Channel, possesses the highest sea cliff in mainland Britain at Great Hangman measuring 250 metres in height. This national park's highest point is at Dunkery Beacon (519 metres).
Climate
Sited in the southwest of England, Exmoor experiences a wetter but milder climate than the rest of the UK with a lower temperature range than most of England as it is influenced by the sea. The rain is associated with the Atlantic's southwesterlies and westerly winds with heavy downpours on the higher moors.
These upland areas with farms located in the valleys can be very bleak in winter with an annual average of 23 days of snow and six days in the coastal areas.
Exmoor has an annual average of 1,019mm of rain per annum. With climate change in rapid progress, snowfall and rainfall are likely to be less and temperatures steadily rising.
Flora and fauna
Twenty-five per cent of the landscape is covered by heath and moorland with some moors displaying a wide variety of grasses and sedges while others are blanketed with heather (Erica).
Many of the deep valleys, as opposed to the moorland tops, display a mixture of broadleaved oak, ash, hazel, and conifer trees.
England's highest beech forest exists at 350 metres and the high hedgerows see beech trees growing up to 490 metres.
Two species of whitebeam (Sorbus) are unique to Exmoor.
Animals have shaped the landscape of Exmoor for very many centuries.
Sheep have grazed this area for over 3,000 years feeding on moorland grasses and heather shoots.
There are three breeds of sheep unique to Exmoor, distinguished by the length of their woollen fleece to keep them warm in wintertime.
Wild Exmoor ponies roam these moorlands and are considered the closest breed to the feral horses remaining in Europe.
These ponies are rounded up once a year for a veterinary check over.
Sadly, nearly half the pony stock was killed because of military operations on the moors preparing for the D Day landings in Europe towards the end of World War 2.
Red deer also roam freely on the moors, and I know of a particular valley where I can always see them graze on the hillside slopes.
While protected from hunting since 2004, from huntsmen with stag hounds, many are accidentally killed by passing traffic.
Wild red deer in Exmoor. — Photo by John Shortland / Wikimedia Commons
To see a stag with his entourage is a sight to behold and to view two stags fighting each other with their antlers during the rutting season is quite a spectacle.
Once black grouse and red grouse freely roamed this area but are no longer seen through a reduction in moorland heather management and an increase in tourist pressure. The specific avian species that can be seen are the peregrine falcon, merlin, curlew, stonechat, dipper, Dartford warbler, and ring ouzel.
Steeped in history
Nearly every village has a medieval church and often a Methodist or Baptist chapel with none more famous than the church at Oare frequently mentioned in RD Blackmore's book 'Lorna Doone; A Romance of Exmoor', written in the 19th century, and many older readers may remember from their schooldays.
Today a bronze statue of Lorna Doone is seen outside this national park's headquarters in Dulverton.
Neolithic man began to manage wild animals and plant crops besides clearing woodland in the valleys followed by early Bronze and Iron Age settlers.
Bronze statue of RD Blackmore's legendary character, Lorna Doone, in Dulverton. — Photo by Alan Rogers
Exmoor's earliest recorded mention was in the Doomsday Book of 1086 when it was declared as 'Exmoor Forest – a hunting place for the King'.
During the Middle Ages and even much later, sheep rearing for the wool trade dominated the local economy.
Wool was collected as spun wool from isolated farms by merchants to be auctioned at local markets such as in the very small town of Dunster.
There the old yarn market still occupies a bold place with its traditional wooden slatted roof and the castle on a hillock in the background.
Exmoor abounds in folklore, age old traditions and is quintessentially English and truly a real place to visit.
My honest suggestions to Malaysian travellers to the UK is to forsake the sights of London and its excessive lodging costs, and stay in my neck of the woods where you can find much cheaper accommodation and moreover enjoy natural scenery relatively unchanged by man.
I truly declare that I have no connections to the tourist industry. Camargue England Exmoor National Park France
