Exmoor Farmyards

The farming year on Exmoor required seasonal movement of animals to make maximum use of grass growth during the summer months and to provide the livestock and cultivated crops with shelter from Exmoor’s climate during the winter months. The farmyards were clearly influenced by the model farms of the mid-19th century whose buildings were arranged in a logical sequence to maximise output. The upland topography was utilised in the form of bank barns which were terraced into the hillside so that the upper floors could be entered from ground level and the lower floor from the yard. The steep slopes provided a sufficient head of water for waterpower to be harnessed to drive the threshing machines.