 Exmoor was designated a National Park in 1954 , under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act . The Exmoor National Park is primarily an upland area with a dispersed population living mainly in small villages and hamlets . The largest settlements are Porlock , Dulverton , Lynton , and Lynmouth , which together contain almost 40 % of the park 's population . Lynton and Lynmouth are combined into one parish and are connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway . Exmoor was once a Royal forest and hunting ground , covering 18 @,@ 810 acres ( 7 @,@ 610 ha ) , which was sold off in 1818 . Several areas within the Exmoor National Park have been declared Sites of Special Scientific Interest due to their flora and fauna . This title earns the site some legal protection from development , damage and neglect . In 1993 an environmentally sensitive area was established within Exmoor . 
