Avill Valley - Dunster Exmoor

The Avill valley runs from the eastern slopes of Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor, down through the villages of Timberscombe& Dunster to the sea, into the Bristol Channel. The valley offers spectacular scenery of unspoilt countryside and moorland. The area abounds with wildlife including wild ponies and Red Deer.

The popular hymn ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ was written on Grabbist Hill by Mrs Cecil Frances Alexander in 1848. The purple headed mountain refers to Grabbist Hill and the river running by is the Avill. 

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings.

The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate, He made them, high or lowly, And ordered their estate.

The purple headed mountains, The river running by, The sunset and the morning That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun, The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water, To gather every day.

He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well.

The River Avill flowing throgh Snow Drop Valley

The River Avill flowing through Snow Drop Valley

Part of the Avill Valley is called Snowdrop Valley

Contributed by: J.James