Stoodleigh Beacon

Rising above the Exe Valley near Tiverton, this modest Tump marks the high point of the ridge between the rivers Exe and Batherm. It offers a pastoral character typical of Mid Devon, providing clear views northward to the plateau of Exmoor and southeast toward the Blackdown Hills.

• •The name derives from the Old English 'stod', meaning a herd of horses, and 'leah', a clearing, while the 'Beacon' suffix refers to its historical use as a site for signal fires within the county's warning network.
• •From the 301-metre summit, walkers can look across the Iron Mill Stream valley to the southern fringes of Exmoor, with the distinctive heights of Anstey Common and Molland Common visible on the horizon.
• •While it technically qualifies as a Tump by rising just above the 300-metre contour, the ascent is a gentle affair conducted primarily through a network of ancient, high-hedged lanes characteristic of the Devon heartland.