Dulverton is a small but thriving rural town with a rich and varied history. It was built around the River Barle, in West Somerset, but close to the Devon border. Dulverton provides a range of shops - the majority of which are independent - offering a wealth of local produce and essential wares. It is also home to the Exmoor National Park HQ which operates from the former workhouse.

There are also holiday cottages, a Hotel, and B&B's within the area. It is a short drive from some of the most spectaclar moorland walks, and horse-riding trails that the West Country has to offer, as well as the famous Tarr Steps clapper bridge.

We look forward to welcoming you to our town for Dulverton Folk Festival, and hope that you will either linger longer, staying a few days extra; or return at other tims during the year to explore this fantastic area. You will see from our sponsors some of the range of businesses in the area, and hope that you will support them as they support us for the festival.

To give you a flavour of Dulverton and it's history, here is some blatantly copied text from Wikipedia (well, no point re-inventing the wheel is there?!)

Some of Wikipedias Information about Dulverton...

The name Dulverton was first recorded in 1084 as dieglaford-tun meaning "hidden ford"-tun; In the Domesday book, it was recorded as Dolvertune and suggests it was a royal manor before the Norman Conquest.

The town lies below the iron age hillforts of Oldberry Castle, Mounsey Castle and Brewer's Castle.

The manor was granted to the Turbervilles by William I and in the late 12th century they gave the church and some land to Taunton Priory. The remainder of the manor passed to the Shete family. The parish of Dulverton was part of the Williton and Freemanners Hundred.

The Middle Ages saw continued growth and the establishment of fairs and markets, with several small industries based upon the traditions of upland farming and the wool trade. These include related works such as laundries: originally used for the washing of sheep fleeces in the leats feeding the wide and fast-flowing River Barle, the surviving 19th-century industrial laundries continue to provide a service to surrounding businesses. The market house in Fore Street, which is believed to date from 1760, was converted into the town hall in 1866, with the porch and external double staircase being added in 1930 by Sir Albert Richardson.

The manor was held by the Sydenhams, who had acquired it in 1568, until 1858 when it was sold to the Earl of Carnarvon.

Exmoor House was built as the Dulverton Union Workhouse in 1855. It is now the headquarters of the Exmoor National Park Authority.

The town lies in the deep, wooded valley of the River Barle, at an ancient route convergence and river crossing. The river and the Barle Valley are both designated as biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. The river passes under the Tarr Steps a prehistoric clapper bridge possibly dating from 1000 BC. The stone slabs weigh up to 5 tons apiece. According to local legend, they were placed by the devil to win a bet. The bridge is 180 feet (55 m) long and has 17 spans. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. The other bridges over the Barle include the five span Barle Bridge which is medieval in origin. It has double rings on the downstream side and single rings on the upstream side. It was repaired in 1624, and subsequently widened in 1819 by John Stone. It was further repaired in 1866 and in 1952–1953 after flood damage. The 18th century Marsh Bridge was altered in 1866 when the central pier was removed and an iron bridge inserted. The parapet was destroyed in 1952 and reconstructed in steel in 1979. Towards Brushford the River Barle is crossed by the New Bridge dating from 1870, which led to Pixton Park, which was the home of John Dyke Acland and his wife Harriet Acland and later the family of Evelyn Waugh and Auberon Waugh.

The other major river in the parish is the River Exe, which is on the parish boundary with Brompton Regis, which is crossed by the medieval Chilly Bridge and Hele Bridge, and the 18th century Weir Bridge.

In between the town centre and the river is a large recreation meadow which recently underwent renovation by locals (including the pupils of Dulverton Middle School) supported by a Barclays Bank New Futures Scheme.

South of the town is Briggins Moor a biological Site of Special Scientific Interestwhich provides an example of unimproved mire of a type which is restricted to south-west England and Wales and which has been significantly reduced in extent in the recent past. Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea) and Meadow Thistle (Cirsium dissectum) are abundant. There is a large colony of the Marsh Fritillary butterfly (Eurodryas aurinia).

If you want to read more please visit the Wikipedia page, especially for all the links and references that have been removed to make the text more easy to read here!