Visit Simonsbath Places

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The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Simonsbath

  

Simonsbath Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Simonsbath

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Simonsbath history

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Simonsbath House

Simonsbath House was built in 1654 by James Boevey, the warden of the Royal forest of Exmoor. For 150 years his was the only house in the forest, which consists largely of moorland. Grade II listed building is now a hotel and outdoor activity centre.

Sale by the King

On 4 July 1815 an Act of Parliament was passed to enable the Inclosure of Exmoor. After the Forest had been split into allotments, 12/22nds of the whole remained the property of the King, equating to 10,262 1/4 acres, and was formally allotted to him as his personal property.

Purchase by John Knight

The highest bidder was John Knight of Lea Castle, Wolverley, Worcestershire, whose bid was £50,122. Knight set about converting the Royal Forest, covering land now within the Exmoor National Park, into a huge industrial mining complex with canals and railways together with an agricultural estate.

19th-century expansion

The small hamlet developed in the 19th century when more houses were built along with St Luke’s Church (1856), providing a centre for the population. At around the same time as the construction of the church, a mine was developed alongside the River Barle.

Purchase by Fortescues

The Fortescue family reversion of the Simonsbath estate comprises about 20,000 acres of Exmoor. The estate was purchased from Sir Frederick Knight, following the early death of his only son Frederick Sebright Winn Knight, JP, Deputy Lieutenant of Somerset, in 1879, aged only 28, by Viscount Ebrington, the future Hugh Fortescues. It is thought he was motivated in his purchase by his great fondness for stag-hunting.

Sold by Fortescues

In 1927 the eastern part of the estate, comprising 1,745 acres, was sold to the industrialist Sir Robert Waley Cohen (d.1952), who had leased Honeymead since 1924, including the farmsteads of Honeymead, Pickedstones and Winstitchen. The remainder of the estate continued to be held by the Fortescues until after the death of the 5th Earl in 1958, when the latter’s eldest daughter and co-heiress, Lady Margaret Fortescue (b. 1923), sold much of the Simonsbath estate, together with much of the two Fortescue estates centred on Challacombe and West Buckland, to pay large death duties. The properties sold were as follows, per the sales particulars headed “The Challacombe Estate and part of the Exmoor Estate, North Devon” dated 18 September 1959: EXMOOR Driver Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Driver Cottages, Driver Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Pinkery Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Hoar Oak Herding, Lynton and Lynmouth Exmoor Forest Hotel, Simonsbath, Exmoor Emmetts Grange Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Wintershead Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Wintershead Cottages, Wintershead Farm, Exmoor 1 Wintershead Cottages, Simonsbath, Exmoor Horsen Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Wintershead Cottages, Horsen Farm, Exmoor 2 Wintershead Cottages, Simonsbath, Exmoor Driver Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Driver Cottages, Driver Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Pinkery Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Hoar Oak Herding, Lynton and Lynmouth Exmoor Forest Hotel, Simonsbath, Exmoor Emmetts Grange Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Wintershead Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Wintershead Cottages, Wintershead Farm, Exmoor 1 Wintershead Cottages, Simonsbath, Exmoor Horsen Farm, Simonsbath, Exmoor Wintershead Cottages, Horsen Farm, Exmoor 2 Wintershead Cottages, Simonsbath, Exmoor KENTISBURY Breadwick Farm, Kentisbury Northbrook Cottage, Breadwick Farm, Kentisbury Bridwick Cottage, Breadwick Farm, Kentisbury Wistlandpound Farm, Kentisbury Breadwick Farm, Kentisbury Northbrook Cottage, Breadwick Farm, Kentisbury Bridwick Cottage, Breadwick Farm, Kentisbury Wistlandpound Farm, Kentisbury CHALLACOMBE Westland Farm, Challacombe Little Rowley, Westland Farm, Challacombe Whitefield Barton, Challacombe Twitchen Farm, Challacombe South Swincombe Farm, Challacombe Home Place Farm, Challacombe Shoulsbarrow Farm, Challacombe Buscombe Farm, Challacombe Rooksfoot Cottage, Shoulsbarrow Farm, Challacombe Barton Town Farm, Challacombe Challacombe Mill Farm, Challacombe Twineford Farm, Challacombe Withecombe Farm, Challacombe North Swincombe Farm, Challacombe North Barton Farm, Challacombe West Barton Gate Smallholding, Challacombe East Barton Gate Smallholding, Challacombe Ring Of Bells Inn, Challacombe Bickfont Smallholding, Challacombe School House, Challacombe Village Hall, Challacombe 2 Church Cottages, Challacombe Westland Farm, Challacombe Little Rowley, Westland Farm, Challacombe Whitefield Barton, Challacombe Twitchen Farm, Challacombe South Swincombe Farm, Challacombe Home Place Farm, Challacombe Shoulsbarrow Farm, Challacombe Buscombe Farm, Challacombe Rooksfoot Cottage, Shoulsbarrow Farm, Challacombe Barton Town Farm, Challacombe Challacombe Mill Farm, Challacombe Twineford Farm, Challacombe Withecombe Farm, Challacombe North Swincombe Farm, Challacombe North Barton Farm, Challacombe West Barton Gate Smallholding, Challacombe East Barton Gate Smallholding, Challacombe Ring Of Bells Inn, Challacombe Bickfont Smallholding, Challacombe School House, Challacombe Village Hall, Challacombe 2 Church Cottages, Challacombe It was a decision she said in 2001 that she then regretted, but had been advised at the time not to burden the remaining estate with the large borrowing required to meet the tax bill. She did, however, retain what she termed “the heart of the Exmoor estate” and started to farm this land in-hand using her own employees, not renewing tenancies on farms when they expired. She established five large flocks of sheep and two large cattle herds, the latter based at Cornham and Simonsbath Barton. Simonsbath sawmill was closed down as it was unprofitable. In 1989 Lady Margaret handed over the family estates to her daughter the Countess of Arran, who, later on, sold the remainder of the Simonsbath estate, namely the Barton and Cornham, to John Ewart, a keen follower of the Staghounds, whilst Exmoor National Park purchased much of the moorland. Some of the houses, however, were retained where occupied by retired Fortescue employees.

Sold by Ewart

Ewart offered Simonsbath Barton estate for sale via estate agents Savills and Strutt & Parker in June 2006. The land was generating £378,333 per annum in government farming grants and subsidies. Also included was a five-bedroom house, another of four bedrooms, and a range of buildings and cottages.

Simonsbath toponymy

The name is frequently met with in the West of England, “especially in connection with old boundary lines” The -bath element in this place-name is easily accounted for: the Old English bæth signified “water, a pool”

Simonsbath geography / climate

Simonsbath is 1,250 feet (381 m) above sea level in the valley of the River Barle. It lies on peaty soils over rocks dating from mid Devonian to early Carboniferous periods. The mean annual temperature is 8.3 °C (47 °F)

You can visit Simonsbath places with Walkfo Simonsbath to hear history at Simonsbath’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Simonsbath has 6 places to visit in our interactive Simonsbath map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Simonsbath, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Simonsbath places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Simonsbath & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 6 audio facts unique to Simonsbath places in an interactive Simonsbath map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Simonsbath Places Map
6 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Simonsbath historic spots	Simonsbath tourist destinations	Simonsbath plaques	Simonsbath geographic features
Walkfo Simonsbath tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Simonsbath

  

Best Simonsbath places to visit

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Simonsbath has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Simonsbath’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Simonsbath’s information audio spots:

St Luke’s Church, Simonsbath St Luke’s Church is a Church of England church in Simonsbath, Exmoor, Somerset. The church was designed by Henry Clutton and built in 1855–56. It has been a Grade II listed building since 1959.

Simonsbath House Grade II listed building is now the Simonsbath House Hotel, and outdoor activity centre. It lies in the valley of the River Barle and on the Two Moors Way footpath.

Cow Castle Cow Castle is an Iron Age hill fort 5.75 kilometres (4 mi) West South West of Exford, Somerset, England within the Exmoor National Park. It has been added to the heritage at Risk register because of the risk from bracken.

Visit Simonsbath plaques