Exmoor - Porlock Hill And Around

Now, here I stand upon Porlock Hill
With the coastline of Wales like a Christmas cake frill;
The icing of clouds, as they plummet and peak,
Mirrored in the blue of the Channel so sleek.
From Hurlstone to North Hill; through the Vale so green,
To Minehead and Watchet; from Berrow to Brean;
With the Conygar Tower under Grabbist until,
On and upwards to Croydon and then Brendon Hill

And afar, in the distance, the Quantocks-ridge spine;
And away even further the Blackdowns recline!
The eye is then brought back to Dunkery heights
With rolling moor ridges and wooded combe sights!
Over Ley Hill and Stoke Ridge to Nutscale and more;
Over Lucott to Larkbarrow, down to Brendon and Oare;
And with Hawkcombe Head, Whitstones and Pitcombe Head near;
And before Culborne Stables the cliffs disappear!


by C Matthew Shadbolt


Sadly Matthew passed away at the beginning of February
He will be greatly missed on Exmoor.

My Exmoor Scrapbook

I came to Exmoor at the beginning of the very hot summer of 1976 and like so many others fell under the magic of its charm. Working firstly at the Anchor Hotel at Porlock Weir whilst in the same ownership as the Porlock Vale Equitation Centre, in its time one of the finest riding schools in the country.
I then moved from the coast to the rustic heights of Wheddon Cross; to the Carnarvon Arms at Brushford where the rivers Barle and Exe meeting at 'Blackpool' for the delight of the fisherman to the centre of hunting at Exford. From there to the gentle streams and thatch at Winsford and then the depths of Devonshire lanes at Molland and finally in the village of Withypool.

I have written this book of verse and yarns about my days on Exmoor and I hope you may find
something to relate to in its pages