If the ponies that wander freely around Exmoor seem to act as if they own the place, there's a good reason. Exmoor ponies have occupied this area of North Devon and West Somerset longer than humans have. They are nearest breed Britain has to the original European wild horses and they are rarer than pandas.
Exmoor National Park's 267 square miles includes high moorland and 34 miles of coast with highest sea cliffs in England, coastal forests, secluded beaches and headlands. It has 300 miles of rivers and streams, leaping with salmon and trout. The otter population is on the increase and if you are very, very lucky, you may see some along a quiet riverbank. And Exmoor ponies (which graze wild but are actually owned by local people) are not the only prehistoric creatures here. Red deer have existed on Exmoor since prehistoric times and half the red deer in England live on the moor.
Walking and cycling are popular on Exmoor and wildlife watchers can literally go wild spotting 40 species of land mammals, 15 species of bats, 111 species of nesting birds nearly 1200 species of wildflowers and grasses.
