Exmoor Society

The Exmoor Society was formed initially to protest about the proposed afforestation of the Chains in 1959 and later to save the moorland from ploughing and fencing. Although successful in these tasks there are still threats to the moorlands today but they are more complex and difficult to solve as the Society's recent report, 'Moorlands at a Crossroads', shows. There are also new pressures on Exmoor including changes in farming and climate and their impact on the wildlife; increasisng recreational demands and development and problems in the delivery of rural services. The Society continues to monitor these changes and campaigns for sustainable solutions.

As well as seeking to conserve as much of the wild moorland and heritage as possible the Society wants:

• family farms to survive and thrive and craftsment to be rewarded for their skilled work 
• villages to be places where Exmoor people can earn a living and afford to live
• people to enjoy Exmoor

The Exmoor Society's offices at Parish Rooms, Dulverton -extensive historic library of Exmoor books, archival and photographic records. Space to browse. Steep steps to negotiate. Open weekdays 10am to Ipm all other times telephone for appointment. Tel: 01398 Exmoor National Park Authority335 or Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Web Site: www.exmoorsociety.org.uk

The Exmoor Society will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The Society came into being as a result of proposals to afforest The Chains at the heart ol Exmoor in 1958.

As a result of its intervention the proposals were dropped but threats to the moorland continued. During the 1960s the Society produced an influential pamphlet "Can Exmoor Survive?" that mapped the extent of the moorland vegetation and the rate of its loss, mainly through ploughing and fencing. The Society continued to campaign vigorously through the next two decades about the conflict of two Government policies, one giving grants to farmers to plough up moorland and the other, in contrast, encouraging the importance of the retention of heather and grass moorland rare in southern Britain.

The introduction of management agreements in the early 1980s pioneered on Exmoor, led to the suite of agri-environmental measures that continue today. Meanwhile the Society began to turn its attention to other issues particularly in relation to planning and other threats that affected Exmoor's special qualities.

The Society continues to campaign for the protection of Exmoor and particularly highlighting the quality of its landscape, wildlife and historic environment, and has set up a Landscape Advisory Group to drive forward an important agenda for conservation. It emphasises the importance of producing evidence and commissioned the important Report, "Moorlands at a Crossroads" in 2004 that first alerted the downward trend of the quality of Exmoor's moorlands and the decline in profitable hill farming.

At the same time the Society encourages people's enjoyment and understanding of this very fragile area by an extensive educational programme, walks, talks ar debates. During 2008 it will be producing a bumper Exmoor Review celebrating its 50th edition.

Today, the Society a conservation charity, has a membership of over 2000 and is the third largest National Park Society, even though it is one of the smallest National Parks. It is dependent on a lively membership and encourages people who want to keep Exmoor special to join it and help in its varied work. Members receive two Newsletters and an Annual Report, plus the Exmoor Review, and have the opportunity of joining local Groups Operating out of Parish Rooms in Dulverton. The Society has a finet library of Exmoor books and an extensive archive and photographic records.

Visitors are welcorme the Parish Rooms on weekdays between 10 am and 1pm and other times by appointment. Tel: 01398 Exmoor National Park Authority335, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it web site: www.exmoorsociety.com

See also: www.exmoorsociety.org.uk

Contributed by: John Jenkins