Blackmoor Gate
Encyclopedia
Blackmoor Gate, the western gateway to Exmoor National Park, sits on the watershed between tributaries of the rivers Yeo and Heddon
nearly 305m (1000 ft) above sea level. It has long been a crossing of tracks – an ancient ridgeway following the former moorland ridge from the heights of Exmoor
down to the sea at Mortehoe. The road from Lynton to Barnstaple crosses here at a low point of the ridge, as did the former Lynton & Barnstaple Railway
. The former station
is now 'The Old Station Inn' - a licenced restaurant.
Until the middle of the 19th century, open moorland ran to the east of the road between here and Parracombe
with a gate onto the moor at this point. The name comes from that of the Blackmore family who owned this and much more land elsewhere around Parracombe. R. D. Blackmore
, author of the famous Exmoor book Lorna Doone
, stayed in the area during his childhood. His grandfather was rector of Combe Martin
.
River Heddon
The River Heddon is a river in Devon, in the south of England. Running along the western edges of Exmoor, the river reaches the North Devon coast at Heddon's Mouth...
nearly 305m (1000 ft) above sea level. It has long been a crossing of tracks – an ancient ridgeway following the former moorland ridge from the heights of Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
down to the sea at Mortehoe. The road from Lynton to Barnstaple crosses here at a low point of the ridge, as did the former Lynton & Barnstaple Railway
Lynton and Barnstaple Railway
The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway opened as an independent railway in May 1898. It was a single track narrow gauge railway slightly over long running through the rugged and picturesque area bordering Exmoor in North Devon, England. Although opened after the 1896 Light Railways Act came into force,...
. The former station
Blackmoor Gate railway station
Blackmoor, situated near to Blackmoor Gate at the western boundary of Exmoor National Park, was a station on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line that ran through Exmoor from Barnstaple to Lynton and Lynmouth in North Devon. The station opened with the line on 11 May 1898, and...
is now 'The Old Station Inn' - a licenced restaurant.
Until the middle of the 19th century, open moorland ran to the east of the road between here and Parracombe
Parracombe
Parracombe is a rural settlement near Lynton, in Devon, England. It is situated in the Heddon Valley, on Exmoor.A number Bronze Age barrows exist nearby, along with several other small earth-works throughout the parish. Beacon Castle and Voley Castle both Iron Age Hill forts are situated nearby...
with a gate onto the moor at this point. The name comes from that of the Blackmore family who owned this and much more land elsewhere around Parracombe. R. D. Blackmore
R. D. Blackmore
Richard Doddridge Blackmore , referred to most commonly as R. D. Blackmore, was one of the most famous English novelists of the second half of the nineteenth century. Over the course of his career, Blackmore achieved a close following around the world...
, author of the famous Exmoor book Lorna Doone
Lorna Doone
Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor is a novel by Richard Doddridge Blackmore. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly around the East Lyn Valley area of Exmoor....
, stayed in the area during his childhood. His grandfather was rector of Combe Martin
Combe Martin
Combe Martin is a village and civil parish on the North Devon coast about east of Ilfracombe. It is a small seaside resort with a sheltered cove on the edge of the Exmoor National Park...
.