An extensive range of
groceries and gifts
The Village Shop is situated in the centre of the village. It is open throughout the year, Monday to Sunday. The shop stocks a wide range of items including fresh fruit and vegetables, locally source diary produces, fresh bread, alcohol, soft drinks, household items, cards, newspapers and magazines, gifts, guide books and souvenirs!
You will also find seasonal products such as coal, logs and gas in the winter, to ice creams, fishing nets and suntan lotion in the summer.
We are passionate about local produce. Here at The Village Shop we strive to provide you with as many locally sourced and produced products as we can. The shop offers alcoholic products from Exmoor Ales, Wicked Wolf Gin and Exmoor Distillery. We get our meats from local supplier John May. We have lots of fabulous produced from across the area including Exmoor Tea, Coast to Moor Coffee plus a fantastic selection of local preserves from Brendon Hill Craft and confectionary from Exmoor Fudge Kitchen. We also have a local fish supply once a week.
There is a Post Office within the shop which has similar opening hours. You can also purchase lottery tickets and scratchcards, with health lottery tickets being sold from the Post Office.
The shop contains an Exmoor National Park information point which supplies information on local events, tours, safaris, maps and guides.
Let us provide your self-catering essentials
ready to pick up when you arrive!
If you are coming down to Withypool for your holidays, why not email sales@withypoolexmoor.co.uk your shopping list, so when you arrive your goods are ready to be collected. Support the local village shop and save time rushing around the supermarkets. Leaving you more time to do the things you love with the people you love.
No email account? Do not worry, you can Fax or Call us on 01643 831279 to place your orders.
Click to download a shopping list.
Post office
A post office is located in the shop and open 7 days a week
Accessibility
Facilities available for hard of hearing, visually and mobility impaired. Assistance dogs are welcome
Lottery
Euromillions and national lottery now available
Gift shop
Locally made gifts, books and produce
The Withypool Village Shop & Post Office is the central nervous system of the village. Like the tea rooms, it is a blend of essential rural utility and a “time capsule” of 20th-century history.
1. A Historic Lifeline
The shop has been serving the parish for generations. Historically, it was the primary source of supplies for the remote farmsteads scattered across Withypool Common.
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The “General Store” Tradition: In the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, it would have operated as a true general dealer, selling everything from animal feed and hardware to fabric and basic foodstuffs.
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Resilience: During the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis, which devastated Exmoor’s economy and closed the nearby school and petrol pumps, the shop remained a critical resource for the isolated community, helping the village maintain a sense of normalcy when travel was restricted.
2. The Iconic “Petrol Bowser”
One of the most photographed features of the shop is the single, vintage petrol bowser (pump) standing right on the pavement.
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While the tea rooms across the road have a set of three pumps, this lone pump at the shop serves as a reminder that this narrow village street was once a key refueling point for the first motorists brave enough to tackle the steep gradients of Exmoor.
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Like the others in the village, this pump is no longer operational but is preserved as a rare piece of industrial heritage.
3. Local Hub and Post Office
The shop doubles as the village Post Office, which is more than just a place to mail letters in a village of this size.
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The Social Center: It’s the unofficial newsroom of the village. For residents living in remote “combes” (valleys), a trip to the shop is often the main social interaction of the week.
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Exmoor Information Point: Today, it also serves as an official Exmoor National Park Information Point, stocking the specific local maps and guides needed for navigating the Two Moors Way or finding the hidden Withypool Stone Circle.
4. What You’ll Find Today
Modern Withypool Shop is famous for its focus on hyper-local produce. It is one of the best places to find:
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Exmoor Meat & Cheese: Sourced from local suppliers like John May or various Somerset dairies.
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Exmoor Ales & Spirits: They stock “Wicked Wolf” gin and “Exmoor Tea,” both produced within the National Park.
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Fisherman’s Supplies: Because the River Barle is a premier spot for trout and salmon, the shop has historically provided basic supplies for the anglers who frequent the banks near Bridge Cottage.