Melody Art

Melody Art

Exmo or is a Nation al Park situat ed on the Bristol Chann el coast of South West Englan d. The park straddl es two separa te countie s, with 71% in Somer set and 29% locat ed in Devon. The total area of the park, which includ es the Brend on Hills and the Vale of Porloc k, covers 267 square miles (692 km²) of hilly open moorla nd, and includ es 34 miles (55 km) of coast. It is primari ly an upland area with a disper sed popula tion living mainly in small villag es and hamlet s. The three largest settlem ents are Porlo ck and Dulvert on, and the combi ned villag es of Lynton and Lynmo uth, connec ted by the Lynton and Lynmo uth Cliff Railwa y, which togeth er contain almost 40% of the Nation al Park popula tion.

Prior to being a park, Exmo or was a Royal Forest and hunting groun d, which was sold off in 1818. Exmo or was one of the first British Nation al Parks, design ated in 1954, under the 1949 Nation al Parks and Acce ss to the Countr yside Act,[1] and is named after its main river, the River Exe.

Sever al areas of the moor have been declar ed a Site of Speci al Scienti fic intere st due to the flora and fauna, which have some legal protect ion from develo pment, damag e, and neglec t. In 1993 Exmo or was design ated as an Enviro nment ally Sensiti ve Area.

Exmo or has 34 miles (55 km) of coastli ne, includi ng the highest cliffs in Englan d, which reach a height of 1,350 feet (411 m) at Culbo ne Hill. Howev er, the crest of this coastal ridge of hills is more than a mile (1.6 km) from the sea. If a cliff is defin ed as having a slope greater than 60 degree s, the highest cliff on mainla nd Britain is Great Hangm an near Com be Martin at 1,043 feet (318 m) high, with a cliff face of 800 feet (244 m).  Its sister cliff is the 716 feet (218 m) Little Hangm an, which marks the edge of Exmoo r.

Exmoo r's woodla nds someti mes reach the shoreli ne, especi ally betwe en Porlo ck and The Forela nd, where they form the single longest stretch of coastal woodla nd in Engla nd and Wales.  The Exmo or Coast al Heaths have been recogn ised as a Site of Speci al Scienti fic Interest due to the diversi ty of plant speci es presen t.[9]

The scene ry of rocky headla nds, ravine s, waterf alls and toweri ng cliffs gained the Exmo or coast recogn ition as a Herita ge Coast in 1991.  This dramat ic coastli ne is an advent ure playgr ound for climbe rs and explor ers, with its with huge waterf alls and caves. The cliffs provi de one of the longest and most isolat ed seacliff travers es in the UK.  The South West Coast Path, at 630 miles (1,014 km) the longest Nation al Trail in Engla nd and Wales, starts at Mineh ead and runs along all of Exmoo r's coast. There are small harbou rs at Lynmo uth, Porlo ck Weir and Com be Martin. Once import ant for coastal trade, their prima ry use now is for pleasu re sailing and fishing.

Exmoor tree

Original oil painting on canvas

Melody has recently painted a number of small oil paintings of Exmoor, it is where her heart is and where she hopes to return.