Royal Oak Exmoor

About Royal Oak Exmoor

The Royal Oak stands beside the ford and packhorse bridges in Winsford, a village of thatch and cob that is often called the prettiest on Exmoor. The building began as a farmhouse in the twelfth century and has been an inn for a very long time, with a thatched roof, flagstones, beams and inglenook fires all present and correct.

Bedrooms are en suite and traditionally furnished to a four-star standard, split between the main inn and a quieter adjoining wing. Expect comfortable beds, good bathrooms and the general absence of noise that comes with a village of a few hundred people surrounded by moor.

The restaurant has been a regular fixture in the AA and Michelin guides, cooking modern British dishes from Exmoor lamb, beef and game, with a bar menu and local ales for those wanting something simpler. Winsford sits about as centrally as it is possible to be on Exmoor, with the village shop and post office a few doors away, Winsford Hill and its Caratacus Stone rising directly above, and Tarr Steps a three-mile walk across the moor. Riding stables are close by, and the dark skies overhead are among the best in the park.