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Snowdrop Valley near Exmoor House, Wheddon Cross

About fifteen minutes’ walk from Exmoor House lies the lovely River Avill, which, from its source near Dunkery Beacon, follows a twisting course down to the Bristol Channel near Dunster. Very picturesque in its own right, the Avill Valley really comes into its own in the spring, when the riverbanks are carpeted in snowdrops.

Such is the fame of this phenomenon that this section of the Avill is known locally as Snowdrop Valley, and people come from miles around every spring to take a look. In fact, Snowdrop Valley has become so popular that during Snowdrop Valley time a park-and-ride scheme, making use of special pint-sized buses, operates from Wheddon Cross. The walk down to the valley is very pretty, but it's steep and the path can be quite muddy and slippery. So if you don’t fancy walking the whole way, you can just nip across the road to the park-and-ride bus stop.

Though the computer screen can’t really do the colours justice, the pictures here hopefully give some idea of why Snowdrop Valley has them packing on those buses.

It’s impossible, of course, to say exactly when the snowdrops will be on show, but if you come to Exmoor House in February you may strike it lucky. If you don’t, you’ll just have to make do with fantastic views from Dunkery, Exmoor ponies grazing on Winsford Hill, the chance of seeing wild deer - you know, just the usual stuff.