Dunkery Beacon Exmoor
Dunkery Beacon is the highest point on Exmoor and the highest point in both Somerset and the Exmoor National Park, a summit of 519 metres above sea level on the central moorland of Exmoor whose combination of the open heather moorland, the panoramic views and the accessibility from several directions makes it the most visited summit in the national park. The views from the beacon extend on clear days to Wales, the Mendip Hills, the Quantocks and the Bristol Channel coast in a panorama that encompasses the full extent of the southwest peninsula and the northern Somerset coast.
The walk from the Webber's Post car park near Cloutsham provides the most popular approach, a straightforward moorland path through heather and across the characteristic deep peat of the Exmoor central moors that takes approximately forty-five minutes to the summit cairn. The summit cairn marks the highest point and the open country in every direction, unobstructed by trees or buildings, provides the complete Exmoor moorland experience in its most concentrated form.
The red deer herds for which Exmoor is most celebrated are frequently visible on the moorland around Dunkery, particularly in the early morning and evening when the deer descend from the higher ground to graze in the valley below. The autumn rut, when the stag roaring can be heard across the moorland in October, is the most dramatic season for red deer watching and the Dunkery area is one of the most reliable sections of Exmoor for observing the spectacle.