Exmoor trip

EXMOOR

Total length: about 200 miles
Time till the first recommended stop: about 2 hours (you can of course stop en route!)
Number of places to visit: 5-7
Time to Bristol from the last stop: about 1h30min

* castle
* river
* sea coast
* rocks, mountains, moors
* sheep, horses (lots!)
* ancient bridge

Take M5 South up to exit 27, A361 (direction Tiverton)

After 6 miles, near Tiverton take A396 North (direction Minehead, Dulverton).
It is a tricky exit; I think. There are TWO separate exits to A396; yours is the second. (I made a mistake once or twice!)

After about 10 miles on A396, exit to B3223 (direction Dulverton, Lynton)

In about three miles you enter Dulverton where you might make a stop (nice town).

Continue on B3223 north (direction Lynton, Withypool). Right after you exit the town, the road is particularly nice (and narrow!)

I personally always stop about 1 mile from Dulverton on this road, to see the fantastic mountainous river Barle
( http://www.whatsonexmoor.co.uk/villages/dulverton.htm ) ( http://www.whatsonexmoor.co.uk/pictures2.htm )

Continue on B3223 north; about 5 miles from Dulverton turn LEFT on an unmarked road, direction

TARR STEPS

which will be another mile West.

Unlike the previous place of interests, this is A MUST to see. You can also have a very nice cream tea there!

    http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=7385

After this, it will be ALL scenic route. Drive carefully: do not run over sheep which walk around!

Return back to B3223, continue North-West (direction Withypool, Simonsbath, Lynton)

When you reach T-junction with B3224, continue left (west) towards Simonsbath, Lynton.

At Simonsbath, continue North (direction Lynton) on B3223

At Lynton, go to visit the

VALLEY OF THE ROCKS

    http://www.walkscene.co.uk/England/Devon/Lynmouth1.htm

and then go and visit the nearby town of

LYNMOUTH

    http://www.whatsonexmoor.co.uk/villages/Lynton.htm

This is the furthermost point of this trip.

From Lynmouth, take A39 East, direction Porlock, Minehead. It's very beautiful but zig-zagging 19 miles road.

En route, you may want to visit

SELWORTHY

It is about 3 miles after Porlock, but before Minehead (sharp turn left; don't miss it!)

    http://www.britainexpress.com/counties/somerset/az/Selworthy.htm

MINEHEAD is worth visiting too.

    http://www.somersetriviera.com/onlocation/minehead.asp

If you still have time, also visit

DUNSTER VILLAGE (1 mile south of Minehead on A396)

    http://www.britainexpress.com/villages/dunster.htm

and visit the CASTLE and GARDENS (the castle you can skip in fact, to be honest. But not the gardens. )
if it is still open. (I still visited the gardens FREE when they were closed! there's no closed gates...)
        http://www.britannia.com/history/somerset/castles/dunstercast.html

and the MILL
        http://freespace.virgin.net/bale.dunster/dunster.htm

From Minehead, the fastest way to go to Bristol is to take A39 further West (direction Bridgewater)

But at Williton at the roundabout you should turn RIGHT on A358 south (direction Taunton), which is slightly longer but much faster way to M5 then following A39 all the way till Bridgewater (my personal experience). And at Taunton follow the directions for M5 (you'll pass a few roundabouts), which you'll enter at exit 25, and then go North to Bristol.