Brendon

The first village you reach having crossed the border into Devon on the Coleridge Way, Brendon is set in a pleasing position along the banks of the rushing River Lyn, at the point it leaves the moors to enter Gorge Country.

History tells us of the Brendon Valley being a wild and lawless place (hence the Lorna Doone links) and Brendon 300 years ago was little more than a rugged outpost as high up the valley as most people would venture. Today, having followed the trails of woodsmoke from the ridge, descend the steep hillsides to drop into Brendon where you will find a rather tranquil spot strung along a narrow strip of green river pastures below the high moors around it.

The Staghunters Inn is the centre of a village that today only holds around 150 residents.  The Inn is certainly authentic Exmoor, and the relics of the areas hunting culture hang on the walls, yet it is a friendly place, famous for its regular live folk nights and once a year as the location for the Exmoor Folk Festival. The Guardian newspaper places it in its top 10 pubs in North Devon and Exmoor and those staying here will enjoy a night with the locals eating local meat and game washed down with Exmoor Ale. There is little else in the village but then this is part of its charm – you can still see the old high arched medieval packhorse bridge that crosses the river here, but the parish church is actually around 750 feet above the hamlet and quite a feat of engineering, constructed in 1738 from stones from the former church at nearby Cheriton which were moved over the valley here - worth the climb if you want to build up an appetite before that game pie!