Use of Drones

You must comply with the drone code and UK law at all times. If your drone contains a camera, then it is a legal requirement to have the correct ID, labelling and training. It is up to the drone user to ensure they are acting lawfully and responsibly.

On Exmoor, a major concern about drones is disturbance to wildlife (especially deer during the rut) and livestock. The noise, motion and appearance of a drone is easily perceived as a threat by animals.

Policy & Guidance on the Use of Drones and Model Aircraft within Exmoor National Park (pdf)

The use of drones is becoming commonplace for both personal and commercial use. There are rules governing their usage and it will be your responsibility to be aware and adhere to the current regulations surrounding drone usage when operating them within the National Park.

When it comes to the use of drones in commercial projects, all commercial operators (i.e., film/tv/advert production, aerial survey contracts, photography etc.) must have landowner permission to film. Therefore, if you wish to use a drone on Authority owned land, you will need to contact the Authority’s estate department to obtain permission to film, take off and land. This activity requires the drone operator/production company to have an Authority issued licence. Without it, filming will not be possible.

It is also worth noting that the Authority can only give permission for you to film on its own land. If you wish to take more sweeping aerial shots that venture beyond the Authority’s ownership or simply film on land that is not owned by the Authority, you will need to contact the relevant landowner(s) for their permission. Please note that the Authority cannot share any landowner information or contact details.

Click on the map below to have a look to see the ownership of the Exmoor National Authority.  Use the buttons on the right to open other layers which will include the aerial photography layers or  click on the pictures at the bottom to navigate to those locations.

Exmoor National Park Authority owns an extensive and complex estate, comprising 4,700 ha of moorland, heath and hill farmland (most of which is let to tenant farmers) and includes 534 ha of woodland. This equates to roughly 7% of the land within the national park designation. Within the estate the Authority owns historic buildings, archaeological sites, historic railways, offices, National Park Centres, an Outdoor Education Centre, toilets, car parks and picnic sites. In total, the estate is made up of 70 assets.