22/05/2026
We have a lot of history here in the Royal Oak - the stories are all displayed in the bar for everybody to see.
Did you know that not only did RD Blackmore stay here but also Dwight D Eisenhower was here whilst planning the D-day landings. He had a lovely time riding over the moor with the landlady of that time. His letter of thanks for her generous hospitality is proudly on display. Also Maxwell Knight (whom author Ian Fleming based his James Bond character ‘M’ on) owned the pub in the 1930’s with his wife Gladys Poole.
Come pay us a visit and learn all about the history of this charming 18th century public house.
Withypool Common | Miles of open sky and nothing but moorland
Wild grasses ripple across Withypool Common under a vast Exmoor sky. Rolling hills fold into one another, the landscape stripped back to its most elemental — earth, wind, and an ancient sense of space.
Withypool Common is one of Exmoor's great open stretches, a place where you can walk for miles without meeting a soul. The common sits above the village of Withypool, where the River Barle curves beneath a medieval bridge. R.D. Blackmore stayed at the Royal Oak Inn here while writing Lorna Doone, and it's easy to see why the landscape caught his imagination.
If you could spend a whole day on Exmoor with no plans, where would you go first?
🏠 Stay nearby: https://www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk/stay-in-withypool/
📷 Photo: Neville Stanikk
