Exmoor Forest Inn

Minehead, Somerset
Inn
+44 (0)1643 831341
Visit owner's website

From
£125 - £170
per night

Enjoy a local ale or cider near the highest point on Exmoor for grand walking and cycling, with seasonal food and comfortable bedrooms

11 rooms

Rooms sleep 2 – 3

Children welcome

Pets welcome

The Experience

You’re in a valley beside a babbling brook in an old fishing lodge that’s been transformed from a crumbling inn into a warm, light and welcoming space. Walks and cycles start from the door and you can puff up to Dunkery Beacon (1,705 feet) for stunning panoramic views. Return to a friendly bar where walkers rub shoulders with residents and locals and dogs are part of the picture. Funky art adorns the walls, there’s a lounge for sitting by the fire and a dining room for some good home-cooked food.

Head chef Ben uses the freshest organic meat from the owner Ed’s farm, which produces beef, lamb and venison. If you’re staying the night then breakfast is hearty: Hikers full English with a vegetarian version, home baked sourdough, River Exe or home smoked salmon and trout, organic scrambled eggs, yogurt and homemade jams.

In summer enjoy Otter Brewery ales or local gin in the suntrap garden.

We think you'll love

The wonderful walks and cycles from the door with grand views over Exmoor
Visiting pretty Lynmouth or Lynton and discovering their fascinating history
Returning to such delicious food and comfortable bedrooms

You should know

Phone signal is intermittent on the moor but the inn has fast broadband inside
No lunches served on Monday to Wednesday

Essentials

EV charger
Swimming pool
Hot tub
Garden
Open fire / woodburner
Breakfast included
Breakfast available
Meals available
Vegetarian meals
Parking on premises
Free parking nearby
Accessible by public transport
WiFi
Spa
Central heating
Limited mobility
Wheelchair access
Mobile reception
Hob
Bar
Barbecue
Licensed premises
Paid parking nearby
Air conditioning
Relaxation areas
Tennis court
No smoking
Credit cards
Working farm
Owner has pets
Pets welcome

Family friendly

Baby monitor
Books and toys
Children welcome
Babies welcome
Stair gates
High chair
Fire guard
Cot available

Nearby

Pub/bar within 3 miles
Restaurant within 3 miles
Shop within 3 miles

Activities

Bikes available
Food courses
Kayaking
Other courses
Sailing
Surfing
Wild swimming

Pricing

Nightly price: from £125

1 Family room for 3: £170
3 Twin/doubles: £160
7 Doubles: From £125

Information

Booking information

Check in: 4pm-10pm
Check out: 8am-10am
Other details: Minimum stay: 2 nights at weekends.
Closed: Never.
No smoking: Smoking not permitted anywhere in the property.
Property: This property is part of a working farm or vineyard.
Meals: Starters from £7.50. Mains from £15. Sides from £4. Puddings from £7.50. Lunch served Thurs-Sun.

Reviews

Recharge your batteries with great views, big skies, amazing food and poor phone signal. It's lovely...and I'll be going back with my bike or walking boots.

Gwen, Sawday's Inspector Mar 2022

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Location

The neighbourhood

On the side of the only (but very quiet) road and surrounded by trees with uninterrupted views onto the moor, this feels remote indeed. The nearest other places to eat and drink are in Lynton or Lynmouth (9 miles). Dunster village (National Trust) is worth exploring for its medieval buildings and wonderful castle - a half-hour drive. Surfing beaches are 25 miles away, Barnstaple 18 miles.

Local points of interest from Edward Greenall

Our organic hill farm is home to over 300 wild red deer, some of the largest and most impressive specimens in the UK. October and November is the best time to visit to experience and photograph the rut, when majestic stags battle to claim hinds.
The Inn was reputed to be a local haunt for smugglers and bandetti (bandits) in the 1800s and inspired R.D. Blackmore in his romance of Exmoor, Lorna Doone. The Inn was the famous setting for the rescue of Tom Faggus, the highwayman, by his mare ‘Winnie’.
The Simonsbath Festival runs in May and June and attracts fantastic performances (classical music, theatre, concerts, and literary discussion). If your planning to visit then, its well worth checking out what’s going on next door in St Luke’s Church.
Other local events include the Exford Show, our local agricultural show where you will see the famous Exmoor ponies competing to be best in show and other local rare breeds such as the Exmoor Horn sheep. The show takes place outside Exford every August.
We welcome dogs and horses to the Inn. Horse livery is available nearby and we can provide contacts for guests to rent horses for trekking on the moor. Horse tie up and hay nets can be arranged whilst guests are having lunch.
Our head chef Ben, is an enthusiastic forager and we periodically arrange foraging workshops followed by a culinary feast. We can also help arrange foraging walks for our guests with an experienced guide.

Introducing

Edward Greenall

Ed the landlord, is also a farmer, plus a doctor in emergency medicine at Plymouth hospital. He's charming and extremely friendly. He took over the inn in May 2021 and transformed it. His farm surrounds the pub and he breeds pedigree Galloways and Aberdeen Angus cross cows and Scottish Blackface sheep. Manager Jess has a hospitality background - she and a small team look after you very well indeed.

Exmoor Forest Inn

Children welcome

Pets welcome

Your enquiry details

Direct with the owner

Enquire through Sawday's

The Experience

We think you'll love

You should know

Essentials

Accommodation

Pricing

Information

Reviews

The neighbourhood

Edward Greenall

Exmoor Forest Inn

Children welcome

Pets welcome

Enquiry details

Your enquiry details

How to book

Direct with the owner

Enquire through Sawday's

The Experience

We think you'll love

You should know

Essentials

Accommodation

Pricing

Information

Reviews

The neighbourhood

Edward Greenall

Taking you to Exmoor Forest Inn