Exmoor National Park Authority is the public body responsible for looking after Exmoor, the area of moorland, wooded combes and coastline that straddles the boundary between west Somerset and north Devon. Exmoor was designated a National Park in 1954, and the Authority that manages it has its headquarters at Exmoor House in Dulverton, on the Somerset side of the park. General enquiries are handled on 01398 323665 or by email to info@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk. For anyone using a business directory to find the organisation that governs how Exmoor is conserved, planned and opened up to visitors, this Authority is the responsible body.

The National Park covers around 267 square miles, the great majority of it in Somerset, with a smaller portion in Devon around the Lynton and Lynmouth area. Its character is varied: open heather moorland and grassland on the high ground, deep wooded valleys cut by fast-flowing rivers such as the Barle and the Exe, ancient woodland, traditional field patterns enclosed by beech-topped banks, and a stretch of the Bristol Channel coast that includes some of the highest sea cliffs in England. Exmoor is also home to the Exmoor pony, one of Britain's oldest native breeds, and to herds of wild red deer, the largest land mammal in England. It was designated an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2011, the first in Europe, which has made it a draw for stargazers and led the Authority to run a telescope hire scheme.

National Park Authorities in England have two statutory purposes set out in legislation: to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area, and to promote opportunities for the public to understand and enjoy its special qualities. Where those two purposes conflict, conservation takes priority under what is known as the Sandford Principle. Authorities also have a duty to have regard to the social and economic wellbeing of the communities that live within the park. Exmoor's Authority carries all of these responsibilities, which is why its work ranges from habitat restoration and archaeology through to planning control, ranger services, education and tourism support.

One of the Authority's most significant functions is planning. Within the National Park boundary it acts as the local planning authority, determining planning applications and setting planning policy through its Local Plan, rather than the surrounding district or county councils doing so. This is intended to keep development decisions consistent with the protection of the park's character, so the Authority assesses applications for new buildings, extensions, changes of use and agricultural development against policies designed to safeguard the area's appearance and tranquillity. For residents and businesses inside the park, that means planning enquiries go to Exmoor House rather than to Somerset Council, a point that catches some people out and is worth flagging in a business directory entry.

Conservation and land management make up a large part of the day job. The Authority works on peatland and mire restoration, woodland management, the recovery of species and habitats, and the upkeep of historic features ranging from prehistoric standing stones and burial mounds to medieval field systems and former mining sites. Much of Exmoor is farmed, and a great deal of conservation work depends on cooperation with the farmers and landowners who actually manage the ground, so the Authority engages with the agricultural community and with agri-environment schemes rather than owning most of the land itself. It does hold some land and assets directly, and runs the Pinkery Centre for Outdoor Learning, a residential base used for school trips and outdoor education.

Public access and recreation are managed by the Authority's ranger service. Rangers maintain the rights of way network, including footpaths, bridleways and permitted paths, and look after the signage, gates and stiles that keep the moor walkable. Exmoor sits on long-distance routes including the South West Coast Path and the Two Moors Way, which links Exmoor with Dartmoor and which marked its fiftieth anniversary in recent years. A duty ranger is contactable at weekends and on bank holidays during the day for problems out on the ground. The Authority also runs National Park Centres that act as visitor information points, and it publishes walking suggestions, an events programme and seasonal advice for people heading out onto the moor.

Governance follows the model used by English National Park Authorities. The Authority is run by a board of members drawn from three sources: councillors appointed by the relevant local authorities (Somerset Council, Devon County Council and the district councils whose areas touch the park), parish members representing local parish and town councils, and members appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to represent the national interest in the park. This mix is meant to balance local and national perspectives. The members set strategy and policy, including the statutory Exmoor National Park Management Plan, while the Authority's officers and chief executive handle the running of services. Committee papers and the membership list are published on the website.

Funding is a genuine constraint and deserves an honest mention. The bulk of the Authority's core income comes from a National Park Grant provided by central government through Defra, supplemented by income from its own activities, charitable donations and external project funding. National Park Authorities across England have faced real-terms reductions in core grant over an extended period, which has pushed Exmoor, like its counterparts, to seek more of its income from fundraising, partnerships and grants for specific projects. The Authority runs the CareMoor for Exmoor appeal to gather donations towards conservation and access work, including schemes such as sponsoring a gate or contributing to path repairs. Visitors should not assume that everything is funded from the public purse; a noticeable share now depends on voluntary contributions.

The communities inside the park matter as much as the scenery, and the Authority has to weigh their needs against conservation. Around ten thousand people live within the boundary, in villages and small towns such as Dulverton, Dunster, Porlock, Lynton and Lynmouth, and many depend on farming, tourism and small businesses. Affordable housing, the survival of local services, broadband and the seasonal nature of the visitor economy are real pressures in a protected area where new building is tightly controlled. The Authority works with parish councils and local businesses on these questions, supports the tourism sector that brings visitors and income, and runs or backs schemes aimed at sustaining the working landscape rather than turning the park into a museum piece. Dunster, with its medieval castle and historic yarn market, and the harbour villages along the coast are among the places where this balance between living communities and protection is most visible.

For the public, the website is the main practical resource. It carries detailed information for planning applicants, walkers and cyclists, schools and groups, tourism providers and businesses operating in or near the park. There are pages on the dark sky reserve and stargazing, on wildlife and where to see red deer, on the park's archaeology and history, and on how to volunteer. People can report a problem on a path, look up planning applications, find a National Park Centre or download walking routes. The site also sets out how to make a complaint or compliment, and how to submit Freedom of Information and data protection requests, in line with the Authority's status as a public body.

Taken together, Exmoor National Park Authority is the custodian of one of the South West's most distinctive protected areas and the planning authority for the land within its boundary. Its contact point at Exmoor House in Dulverton is well established, and its remit, balancing conservation against public enjoyment, is clearly defined in law. The practical caveats for a business directory user are two: planning matters inside the park are dealt with by the Authority rather than the surrounding councils, and the organisation increasingly relies on donations and project funding alongside its government grant, so its capacity in any given year reflects that mixed financial picture.

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