Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor

On the last day of our stunning week in Exmoor National Park we headed out for a walk to Dunkery Beacon. Dunkery Beacon is the highest point in Exmoor and in Somerset and so offered amazing panoramic views of the surrounding moorland and coastline.

But before we reached it we had a long walk up through the open and beautiful landscape, the route we took was a little off the beaten track, so we didn't see any other people until we reached the top!

The Exmoor Coatsline: A Photo Diary

Just a quick little post today! During my holiday in Exmoor we went on a absolutely stunning walk along the dramatic cliffs of the Exmoor Coastal Path. I didn't take masses of pictures that day but I wanted to share the few I did take in a little photo diary as the views were so stunning! Hope you enjoy!

Walking the West Somerset Coast Path

During the middle of of holiday in Somerset we decided to venture away from Exmoor National Park for a day. We met up with my aunt and uncle near to where they leave and walked part of the West Somerset Coast Path.

Before we started walking we obviously needed some cream tea to start off our day! We visited the idyllic Chantry Tea Gardens for some tasty tea and scones in the sunshine.

A Morning with the Exmoor Ponies

As I am a huge animal, nature and wildlife lover, the beautiful herds of wild Exmoor ponies were definitely what I was looking forward to the most on our holiday in the National Park. The ponies are an iconic part of Exmoor's landscape and we came just at the right time of year to see all of the foals as well, adorable!

Walking The Valley of the Rocks

On the Monday morning of our family holiday in Exmoor we headed off on a walk through The Valley of the Rocks. The Valley of the Rocks is a dry valley with stunning rock formations along the Devon coastline. It was one of the most touristy places we visited on our holiday as it's a very popular walk, and for good reason. The route we took was fairly easy-going and didn't take too long to walk but still boasted amazing views over the sea. It's such a stunning area that many writers, poets and musicians have taken inspiration from it. The valley has featured in the works of William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and R. D. Blackmore. The poet Robert Southey described the valley as:

"the very bones and skeletons of the earth; rock reeling upon rock, stone piled upon stone, a huge terrific mass"

Visiting the Smallest Church in England

On the Monday of our holiday in Exmoor we set off on a walk down to Culbone Church, also called St. Beuno's Church, which is located in the tiny settlement of Culbone. As our holiday cottage was situated right at the top of Porlock Hill, we made our way down the steep, winding woodland paths towards the church. The walk there was really pleasant, the walk back up however, was slightly more challenging... (i.e. I literally though I was going to die...)

The church is thought to be the smallest one in England and can only fit 30 people inside! It is a grade 1 listed building with some parts of the church dating back to the 13th century. This absolutely beautiful and peaceful church was a delight to explore and I discovered nearly all the graves in the church yard belonged to the same two families. It is nestled among the steep woodland and there is no road excess to it, despite this the church still holds regular services

One Week in Exmoor National Park

Last week I headed off on holiday with my parents and our gorgeous border collie, Cassie. It was our first family holiday in years so I was really looking forward to it. We'd decided to go to an area of the UK we'd never visited before, Exmoor National Park!

For anyone who doesn't know Exmoor is a stunning area of moorland, woodland and coastline which is located in South West England. The National Park spans across areas of both Somerset and Devon and is well known for its breathtaking and dramatic views. It is also famous for its amazing wildlife including deer and wild Exmoor ponies (I will be doing a whole post about the ponies shortly!)

10 Reasons to Visit York

I may be a little bit biased, as York is my home town, but I think this is one of the best cities in England. It's a beautiful place and its full of history, so here are my ten reasons why you need to visit York asap.

1.The York Minster

(source)

The York  Minster is one of the most impressive and iconic sights in the city, so it's only right this should be number one on my list! It's one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe and its architecture, both inside and out, is absolutely jaw-dropping.

5 Places I Want to Revisit

I love the idea of travelling to new places and seeing new things. But there are also a few locations I've visited that I've fallen in love with so much that I'm desperate to go back there again! So here are my top five places that I can't wait to visit again in the near future.

1.Brisbane, Australia.

Local Adventures #2: The Yorkshire Sculpture Park

During the Easter holidays I visited the Yorkshire Sculpture Park for the day with my family. It is a huge open-air gallery featuring sculptures for artists such as Henry Moore, among many others. Despite living fairly close to the park this was my first visit and it really took my breath away! As well as all the amazing and inspiring outdoor sculptures the park is also a vast area of gorgeous Yorkshire countryside with an abundance of gorgeous farm animals and wildlife. Needless to say I went a little bit crazy with my camera here and took far too many photo's!

Brimham Rocks: Local Adventures #1

One of my New Years Resolutions was to get out and about more and start walking and exploring some of the amazing places that are near me. I spend so much time daydreaming and fantasising about all the countries I want to explore and places abroad I want to visit. But there are so many places full of natural beauty right on my doorstep that I don't spend enough time exploring. I'm lucky enough to live in the Yorkshire countryside and only have to look out of my bedroom window to see views of fields, woodland, sheep, cows ect. So I'm making an effort to spend my weekends and days off embracing all that Yorkshire has to offer; from the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors to beaches and seaside towns.

So first up, Danny and I headed off to the National Trust site of Brimham Rocks.

Winter Walks

There's something so refreshing about exploring the countryside. Especially when you've spent the majority of 2015 cooped up at your desk doing uni work!

Frosty puddles, snow falling and wildlife galore! Winter is one of the most magical and enjoyable times of the year to go walking and exploring (providing you wrap up warmly!) Some of the fondest memories of my childhood have been walks with my parents in the remote areas of Scotland, Wales, The Lake District and the North York Moors. However, I've been slacking and it's been a long time since I walked anywhere further than the fields where I take my dog. So I've decided it's time for a change! I'm planning to spend 2015 exploring more of the beautiful countryside I'm lucky to live near to. (This also helps with my New Years Resolution to get fitter. Two birds with one stone!)