Hare and Hounds, Exton

From the house, an easy 400m stroll down the lane takes you to the Badgers Holt pub, open Fri-Tues evenings.  The pub can also be reached via a delightful walk through the farm and woods opposite the house or a slightly longer stroll down to and along the river Exe.  The food is home made and very tasty and the generous portions will ensure you have the energy for the steep walk back up the hill at the end of the night!  

If you're feeling energetic, the village of Winsford (3km), with its excellent pub, can be reached on foot via a number of routes and makes for a good circular walk with sustenance. 

There are a wealth of options for lunch, afternoon tea and evening meals a short drive away in Dulverton (6.5 miles).  

Takeaway options include Thai and fish & chips at Dulverton and pub grub from The Rest and Be Thankful at Wheddon Cross (4.5 miles).

Carnarvon stores in nearby Brushford sells excellent home made pies, fresh and frozen vegetables and other accompaniments as well as high quality ready meals.

Most major supermarkets (including Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose and Morrisons) will deliver to the house, or why not take the stress out of self catering with recipe boxes from Mindful Chef or frozen ready meals from Cook, both of which deliver.  

The Hare & Hounds is ideally placed to explore Exmoor National Park on foot or by bike, with beautiful walks and bike rides (road, mountain bike and gravel biking) from the door.  The owners would be happy to provide recommendations and GPX files.

Wimbleball Lake is a short drive or cycle away (4 miles) and is well worth exploring.  Open year round, it offers a wealth of activities for both adults and children, including kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, archery, walking and cycling.  There is also a café on site.

Fly fishing is available year round at the nearby Exe Valley Fly Fishery (15 min drive) and for much of the year at Wimbleball Lake.  There are also abundant opportunities for river fishing in the Exe and Barle and for sea fishing, including boat excursions from Minehead, Watchet or Porlock Weir (all within a 30 min drive).

The beautiful village of Dunster, with its castle, gardens, watermill and dog friendly beach is a 20 minute drive away and can also be visited using the bus service, which runs from the bus stop 500m from the house.

For something a little different, why not try a distillery tour and gin tasting at the Exmoor Distillery, blueberry picking at Exmoor Blueberries or a wildlife safari with Red Stag Safari (all within 15 mins drive).

Exmoor's best known walking spots, including Dunkery Beacon and Tarr Steps are just a short 15 minute drive from the house.  Tarr Steps can also be reached on foot, with a 15-20km circular walk taking in a lunch stop at the Tarr Farm Inn.

Two bridleways run from the house, one down to the River Exe and the other quickly onto open hills.  Both provide short walks to give the dog a run around before breakfast, or facilitate longer walks including a circular pub walk to The Royal Oak in Winsford.  There is also a footpath through the farm opposite the house, which leads through dog-friendly woodland down to the Badger's Holt pub or enables a circular walk through fields (some with sheep). Energetic guests have enjoyed the walk to Dulverton, where there are tea rooms and pubs for fuelling up before the walk back.  A bus service also runs from Dulverton back to the bottom of the village lane.  It's unlikely you'll see a soul whilst using any of these paths.

The beautiful village of Dunster, with its castle, gardens, watermill and dog friendly beach is a 20 minute drive away and can also be visited using the bus service, which runs from the bus stop 500m from the house.

The nearest sandy/bathing beaches are at Minehead and Blue Anchor, both a 20-25 minute drive from the house.  Blue Anchor is dog-friendly.