There’s a quiet drama to Exmoor in autumn that makes it one of the most unforgettable times to stay.
The landscape softens into warm golds and deep russets, the air turns crisp and clear, and the pace of life slows gently with the season. It’s a time for walking, wildlife watching and fireside evenings.
For guests seeking space, atmosphere and a closer connection to nature, autumn offers something truly special.
One of the defining experiences of autumn on Exmoor is the annual deer rut.
As the season turns, the valleys come alive with the haunting, echoing calls of red deer stags competing for dominance. It’s a raw and powerful sound: primal, dramatic and completely unforgettable. From West Hollowcombe Farm, guests often hear the rutting calls carry across the valley at dawn and dusk particularly on still autumn mornings when the mist lingers low in the valley.
With patience, sightings of stags, hinds and young deer are common across the surrounding landscape. It’s one of nature’s great seasonal spectacles and one that unfolds right on the doorstep.
Autumn also brings renewed life to Exmoor’s rivers and streams.
After late summer dryness, the brooks begin to bubble and flow once more, their sound carrying gently through woodland valleys and along walking routes. Paths around Tarr Steps, Withypool and the river valleys feel especially atmospheric at this time of year with fallen leaves underfoot, filtered light through thinning canopies and the steady soundtrack of moving water beside you.
It’s walking at its most immersive and restorative.
For early risers, autumn rewards in extraordinary ways.
As the sun rises later in the morning, the valley often fills with low mist slowly lifting as the first light spills across the hillsides. From the farm, dawn can be a breath-taking spectacle: golden light catching the fields, deer moving quietly through the valley and the entire landscape glowing in soft autumn colour.
It’s a photographer’s dream and a moment of stillness that defines the season.
As the days shorten, evenings become something to savour. Light the log burner, cook a slow supper or simply sit with a glass of something warming as darkness settles across the moor. On clear nights, Exmoor’s dark skies return in full force offering exceptional stargazing as winter approaches.
Autumn invites you to slow the pace and enjoy the farm at its most peaceful.
With cooler temperatures and fewer visitors, autumn is one of the best seasons for outdoor pursuits. Walkers can enjoy miles of moorland and woodland routes, while riders benefit from quieter bridleways and dramatic seasonal scenery.
Wildlife is active, the air is fresh and every outing feels rich with atmosphere.
Meanwhile, another quieter miracle begins to unfold across Exmoor’s woodland floors.
After the late summer rains and cooling air, mushrooms and fungi appear in remarkable abundance pushing through moss, clustering along fallen logs and dotting the forest floor in an extraordinary variety of shapes, colours and textures.
From delicate toadstools and bracket fungi to towering parasols and vivid waxcaps, it’s a season that transforms woodland walks into something almost storybook in feel. It truly feels like nature’s larder laid out across the landscape, a reminder of the richness and diversity that thrives beneath the trees.
Set deep within Exmoor National Park, West Hollowcombe Farm offers an ideal base for autumn escapes. With four self-catering cottages, far-reaching valley views and direct access to the surrounding landscape, it’s a place to experience the season in comfort and calm. Whether visiting for wildlife, walking or simply time away, autumn brings a depth and beauty that’s hard to match.
From the echo of rutting stags to the glow of dawn light and the sound of bubbling brooks, autumn on Exmoor is immersive, atmospheric and deeply memorable.
We’d love to welcome you to experience it.
Space to be together - set deep in Exmoor
West Hollowcombe Farm, Broad Lane, Hawkridge, Exmoor National Park, TA22 9QL
