Within the archive, we have gathered a lovely collection of material on Exmoor’s rivers and streams. One of our earliest microstudies is Noel Allen’s The Waters of Exmoor. Published by the Society in 1978, it charts the flora and fauna supported by our rivers and describes the history of how man has shaped and used these essential waterways of the moor.
The artist Richard Blackmore has recently published a book of his beautiful drawings to illustrate the course of the Exe and the Barle across the Exmoor landscape, and we have added this to our library alongside works of fiction such as Henry Williamson’s ‘Salar the Salmon’.
This year, we received our first truly digital donation to the archive. This is the work of David Jury, who has created a comprehensive website to record all the rivers and streams of Exmoor. His work offers a remarkable resource for researchers and enthusiasts. David is the recipient of this year’s Exmoor Society Archive award in recognition of his recording of rivers. In his words:
“Exmoor would not be the same without its many waters. They rise on the Chains and the Brendon Hills, rushing northward to the Bristol Channel or flowing more gently south towards the English Channel. In their journeys, they carve the valleys, shape the land and give Exmoor much of its character and charm. During my walks, tracing the rivers from source to mouth, I took thousands of photographs. I wanted to share that beauty with others, and so the Exmoor Waters and Rivers website was born.”
Text: Lisa Eden – Deputy Chair and Archive Volunteer
Image: David Jury
