Tarr Steps, Somerset
★★★★★
Ancient stone footbridge across the River Barle on the south side of Exmoor National Park, part of a woodland nature reserve
Photo Tour (13 images)
Management
Exmoor National Park
Location
1.3 miles from the B3223, near Liscombe; TA22 9PY
What is certain is that the bridge has been at least partially rebuilt many times, hundreds maybe, since every few years it is damaged by floods, by water-borne trees knocking off some of the top slaps - the most recent such repair was in summer 2023.
The bridge lies at the south end of the Tarr Steps Woodland Nature Reserve, which encompasses ancient oak woodland, on both sides of the river, upstream for nearly a mile. The reserve can be explored by a 1.1 mile loop path, along the river banks, crossing via the steps, and at the other end on a metal footbridge.
The steps are one of the best-known ancient sites in Exmoor and are often visited; reached by a narrow lane on the north side near the village of Liscombe, 1.3 miles from the B3223.
Access
The Tarr Steps are right next to a ford over the River Barle, where the water is typically 1 to 2 feet deep and the floor is uneven and stony, so this is no longer a regular vehicle route. The place can be accessed by road from either side, along narrow country lanes, but there is no parking on the western approach. Instead, on the east side the bridge is provided with a large parking area, 1,500 feet from the river; closer vehicular approach is restricted for residents of a guesthouse, Tarr Farm Inn, which overlooks the steps.
The Steps
The bridge is 180 feet across and has 17 main stepping stones, the top of which are around 3 feet above the usual water level. All from the local bedrock, the reddish-brown Pickwell Down Sandstones Formation, from the Devonian period. In recent years steel cables have been installed across the river a short distance upstream, to trap large tree branches that might otherwise have damaged the bridge, though these can sometimes be overwhelmed during particularly high floods.
The Nature Reserve
The 33 acre nature reserve contains the sloping woodland of the Barle River valley, where the trees are mostly sessile oak, with lesser occurrences of sycamore, hazel and ash where thicker, richer soils have accumulated, plus beech on the higher, drier elevations. As is often the case with Exmoor valleys, the shady, moist conditions around the river result in a good variety of liverworts, lichens and mosses. The reserve is managed by the Woodland Trust and is especially pretty in spring, when the ground is carpeted with bluebell flowers.
