The Holnicote Estate is one of the largest and most diverse countryside properties owned and managed by the National Trust. The 5026 hectare estate gives you the opportunity
to discover picturesque villages, woodland,
farmland, moorland, coastline, archaeological sites and a wide array of wildlife, including > many species that are rare in the UK.
Most of the estate can be explored using
more than 240km of bridleways and footpaths.
Interpretation sign on the Holnicote Estate
The Holnicote Estate covers 5042 hectares
(12,500 acres) of Exmoor National Park and includes the high tors of Dunkery and
Selworthy Beacons, with breathtaking views in all directions. Its traditional
cottages and farms are grouped in and around the villages of Selworthy, Allerford, Bossington, Horner and Luccombe.
Holnicote Estate Yard
The estate also covers four miles of coastline between
Porlock Bay and Minehead, where the SW
Peninsula Coastal Path begins. There are over 100 miles of footpaths
to enjoy through the fields, woods, moors and villages. The area is noted
for its diversity of wildlife and many rare species can be found in the Horner
and Dunkery National Nature Reserve.
Holnicote Estate Yard
The Holnicote Estate includes 4 miles (7km ) of coastline which include steep cliffs, a shingle beach, maritime grassland and saltmarsh.
In 1996 a major storm breached the shingle bank and a large area of saltmarsh is now developing . This habitat attracts many birds in susbstantial numbers including redshank, curlew, herron and oystercatchers
Half of Holnicote Estate is moorland and heathland. This area is managed by a combination of grazing and seasonal burning. The result is a patchwork of different aged heathers which suppors a wide range of wildlife including Britains's smallest bird of prey the Merlin. On the edge of the upland th heath fritillary butterfly, which is extremely rare, lays its eggs in bracken litter and the catepillars feed on cow wheat.
Holinicote House
Holnicote was inherited by the Acland family in 1745. Selworthy became part of the estate in 1802 when Sir Thomas improved living conditions for the tenants by creating the Green, removing form buildings and adding outside toilets. . The estate has been owned and managed by the National Trust since 1944.
Holinicote House
The Estate has more than 170 cottages and 144 farms
Holinicote House
The Holnicote landscape includes a wide variety of buildings and structures from Bronze Age burial cairns to farm buildings and more than 170 houses and cottages.
The National Trust has a local housing policy whereby the cottages are let to people who already work and live in the area. Most of the houses are found in the four villages of Selworthy, Allerford, Bossington and Luccombe. The buildings are maintained by a skilled team of craftsmen based at Holnicote.
Many of the cottages are very old and some were originally medieval farmhouses. The tall chimneys, which help to draw up wood smoke in the sheltered valley, are a distinctive feature of many of the buildings.
Holnicote is rich in archaeological sites including Bronze Age hut circles, Iron Age enclosures, Medieval villages, ancient packhorse bridges, water mills and an early iron-smelting complex.
Blackford Dovecote built in the 13th or 14th centuary is one of the oldest buildings on the estate.
There are 14 farms on the Holnicote estate, some of these are in the fertile valley and others on the edge of the moorland.
sheep and beef production are the main farm activities but some arable crops are grown on the fertile land. Many of the farms now diversify into other activities
The woods at Holnicote are very varied ranging from conifers to ancient woodland. The woods at Horner are part of a national nature reserve established in 1995.
it was once an important charcoal producing area.
Otters are quite common on the Estate.
One of Britain's rarest butterflies, the Heath Fritilbury, breeds, in this part of Exmoor. You may be lucky enough to see this insect during its flight period in early June.
You are welcome to wander freely over all the open moorland and woodland on tp Holnicpte Estate. Please respect the peace and wildness of this magnificent coussffyside. Please do not light fires or barbecues. Remember camping or overnight parking is not allowed on N.T. property.
The National Trust's leaflet showing walks on the Estate is available from me tea-room at Horner and from the N.T. shop and Information Centre in the village of Selworthy.
Holnicote
Estate
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