Exmoor House Wheddon Cross

Exmoor House, Wheddon Cross, Somerset: reviews of our guest house

2012-01-25T15:39:00.000Z

We’re famous! Well, getting there we hope… You may have spotted some reviews and mentions of Exmoor House in various publications (both in the paper-based press and online) over the last year. We love to blow our own trumpet(!) so in case you missed them, here are a selection of comments:

Exmoor Visitor 2011:
”Showing the way with their green credentials is the award-winning guest house Exmoor House in Wheddon Cross. In 2008 the business received a Best Performer award from Green Tourism and at the end of last year went on to achieve a Green Tourism Gold, the first one on Exmoor.”
The Exmoor Visitor is an essential (free) publication for anybody visiting the National Park; it's packed with useful information. We keep a supply at Exmoor House for guests to help themselves. The 2012 edition will be out soon.

Daily Post, June 2011:
In her article “Moor to Explore”, journalist Sarah Batley said:
”The house was once a tailor’s – there’s photos on the walls of the workers sitting cross legged on the cutting table. The comfy sitting room, with big squashy sofas and an honesty table laden with drinks, was previously the village reading room. Today owners Rosi Davis and Frank Velander run it as a thriving business – being right on the cross country Coleridge Way certainly helps. Frank, originally from Liverpool, used to be area manager for the YHA, so he knows what hungry ramblers need: a good feed. He makes his own bread and the breakfast showcases local produce, such as eggs with golden yolks from a neighbouring farm. We also ate in the first night, sampling the cheese tart that’s landed Frank prizes.”
The Daily Post is published in North Wales but articles are also syndicated to other areas: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/

Exmoor The Country Magazine, Autumn 2011:
Exmoor House featured in Simon Dawson’s article “On fire about food” (extolling the virtues of smoking):
“’I have a stove-top, hot smoker,’ Frank told me. ‘I love it and use oak chips for that very distinct oaky flavour and then maybe smoke a salmon fillet to make beautiful fish cakes, or a trout to make a gorgeous pate. But my favourite winter dish of all has to be smoked sausage cassoulet. Come in after a long walk and have a bowl of that and you feel as if you’ve conquered the world’.”
Simon continued: “Exmoor House is a complete and utter escape, a bolt hole from the stresses and hassles of everyday life. With no TVs, no internet access and little mobile reception, it’s a place to enjoy fresh, home-cooked Exmoor produce…”
There’s more information about the magazine (which is always a really good read), and updates about the area, at http://www.theexmoormagazine.com/

The Times, Saturday 29th October 2011 (Travel Section) 20 fabulous festive bolt holes:
”…At Christmas and New Year you can book the whole place for a house party, so not only do you get your own residence to share with family and friends but also – drum roll please Raymondo – someone else to do all the cooking and washing up… and with Exmoor on your doorstep there’s no excuse for not stepping out on plenty of bracing yomps o’er hill and dale.”
More info http://www.thetimes.co.uk/ (subscription necessary for this website)

The Wedding Genie’s blog, October 2011:
Julie says:
”I will let you into a little secret of a fabulous retreat which we think of as home away from home. Exmoor House in Wheddon Cross, Exmoor is just the most fabulous place to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or not! And eat the most delicious home made and home-grown produce you will ever taste…
What is also great if you want to hold your wedding reception somewhere a little more unusual and very homely please consider this an option. Frank will make you food to die for and you will have the run of the house. It is also a great place for a house party. I keep thinking about how Christmas would be here!! Pure heaven.”
Julie’s full blog post is here http://www.theweddinggenie.co.uk/venue/alternative-wedding-venue-exmoor-house/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%2BTheWeddingGenie%2B%28The%2BWedding%2BGenie%29
(and if you’re planning on getting married, do have a look at the rest of Julie’s site – she provides a fantastic range of wedding planning & organisation services, with great enthusiasm, professionalism, flair and friendliness)

What’s on Somerset, December 2011 – February 2012:
Exmoor for Less: Base Yourself at Exmoor House To Explore Our Wild West (Chris Inge).
Chris bemoans the fact that people tend to think of Exmoor as being in Devon, when most of it is in Somerset! He says:
”…ignore the lemmings and approach Exmoor through Somerset. If you stay at Exmoor House you’ll be just three miles from its high point, Dunkery Beacon…”
Chris continues, about Exmoor House: ”Nothing was too much trouble: an early cup of Earl Grey and the offer of cake; advice on walks; a phone call to book Sunday lunch at a busy pub. On the wall were credentials showing a wider, more considered professionalism: four stars from VisitEngland and a commendation for their walking and cycling facilities; gold in the Green Tourism Business Scheme and Best Performer in the 2008 Green Tourism Awards. I would add two others: one for the most comfortable bed I have slept in, ever, and a second for the most unexpected reminder of a kinder, nicer era: an honesty bar…”
Read the full review at http://www.whatsonsomerset.com/WOS%20ISSUE%2018.pdf - you can download the whole magazine – it’s a very useful resource covering events in the whole of Somerset. The review of Exmoor House is on page 6

Snowdrop Valley: February 2012, Wheddon Cross, Exmoor National Park

2012-01-12T16:16:00.000Z

Snowdrops make everyone smile – they’re such a welcome sign of Spring. Exmoor’s Snowdrop Valley in Somerset, once a well-kept secret, is becoming more well known, and deservedly so.

The narrow road to Snowdrop Valley will be closed to traffic during snowdrop time, but there is a park and ride service from Wheddon Cross village down to the valley and back. This year’s dates for the park and ride buses are 4th to 26th February, with the road remaining closed for a week after that. Of course, you don’t have to get the bus – it’s a beautiful hilly walk (walking boots or wellies essential!).

You can find more information at

http://snowdropvalleyupdate.blogspot.com/

http://www.wheddoncross.org.uk/snowdropvalley.htm

To get to Wheddon Cross, why not use the West Somerset Railway Snowdrops & Steam service? It runs on February 14th 15th and 16th and will be a great day out! For more details and bookings information, visit
http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/section.php?xSec=58&xPage=1

And while you’re here, you could have morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea at Exmoor House. We’ll be opening our lovely dining room as a tearoom and serving delicious food, all home-made with care and local ingredients. If there are going to be four or more of you, we recommend that you book in advance. Exmoor House is also open for dinner most evenings – booking is essential for this. Find more information about our food at http://www.exmoorhotel.co.uk/FOOD.HTM

Looking for somewhere to stay for a few nights for your Snowdrop Valley visit? Do check out our place: comfy accommodation, great value dinner bed & breakfast packages: http://www.exmoorhotel.co.uk/

No need to just take our word for it, though: here’s a link to What’s on Somerset magazine, where there is a review about us on page 6. http://www.whatsonsomerset.com/WOS%20ISSUE%2018.pdf

Hope to see you soon!

We love Taunton, Somerset’s county town: things to see, shopping, places to eat

2011-11-22T14:55:00.000Z

Since we moved to the country, the Big Metropolis for us is Taunton, the capital of Somerset. It’s our favourite place round here when we need to do a large shop or a large variety of shopping; more of shopping later, though, because there’s plenty else to tell. I temped in Taunton for a while when we first moved to Somerset, and during my lunch breaks I discovered some of its secret (and not so secret) places and things to see. Here’s a taster.

Vivary Park is great for a wander, well used but still peaceful, with lots of interesting corners. There are some gorgeous houses backing on to the park, at which I’ve cast many an envious look.

If you only have time to look at one of the churches in Taunton, make it St Mary Magdalene. The churchyard and surrounding streets are also very atmospheric, giving a feeling of what the town must have been like in the days before the car parks were needed.

The River Tone flows though the town (Tone-town, it must’ve been!) and it’s a nice stroll along the pathways at Goodland Gardens and French Weir. As I write this, there’s some renovation work going on by the riverside so not all the paths are accessible.

Through the archway at Castle Bow you’ll find a collection of historic and picturesque buildings. The castle itself contains the beautifully laid out Museum of Somerset, recently opened again after a massive redevelopment.

Shopping! The main retail areas in the town centre are the High Street, East Street, North Street and the adjoining arcades, where there are all the usual chain stores and independent shops too. There’s a good farmers market on the High Street every Thursday. For plenty of interesting individual shops, try the area around Middle Street and the back streets near the bridge, also Bath Place off the High Street.

Food is dear to our hearts, and we generally combine a visit to Taunton with a good lunch. Some of our favourite places to eat include The Sanctuary on Middle Street (their light lunch menu is very good value); Brazz on Castle Bow (part of The Castle Hotel); the Castle Green Inn (on Castle Green, would you believe?); the Flying Aubergine (great name!) by the river; there are many more too.

Find more information about Taunton, and a link to a heritage trail, at http://www.visitsomerset.co.uk/explore-somerset-towns-and-villages/taunton-p500243

Things to do on & around Exmoor when it's raining

2011-11-09T14:44:00.000Z

Exmoor is fabulous for walking and cycling, as you know. But, this being England, you may get some rainy days during your stay (or there may be days when you’d rather take it easier but still get out and about). With this in mind, here are some suggestions for other things to do…

There are plenty of interesting towns and villages to mooch around, for example Dulverton, Dunster, Watchet, Porlock and Lynton/Lynmouth.

National Trust properties in the area include Dunster Castle, just a few miles down the road from us; Coleridge Cottage (at Nether Stowey in the Quantocks – recently refurbished and now with more rooms open); Knightshayes Court near Tiverton; Arlington Court near Barnstaple (so much to see, you can easily spend the whole day here).

How about a safari on Exmoor? The drivers know where to take you for the best chances of seeing wildlife, even if the weather’s not that good. There are several safari companies; the ones nearest to Exmoor House are Barle Valley Safaris and Red Stag Safari. They may be able to pick you up from our door.

Museums? At Watchet there is the Boat Museum and the Market House Museum. Allerford has the West Somerset Rural Life Museum – a fascinating glimpse into the past, including a Victorian schoolroom. In Porlock, Dovery Manor and the Exmoor Classic Car Collection are both recommended. The Bakelite Museum at Williton was described by some of our guests as ‘quirky, eccentric and amazingly interesting’.

A trip on a steam train might be just the ticket. The West Somerset Railway operates services between Minehead and Bishop’s Lydeard. Day Rover tickets allow you to hop on and off at any station; you can buy the tickets at a discount from us here at Exmoor House. There’s something of interest at every station stop and some great views en route, including a different perspective on Dunster Castle. My favourite bit is where the railway line hugs the coast: it feels incredibly remote.

Other interesting places to visit? To meet many creatures great and small, there’s Tropiquaria, near Watchet, as well as the Exmoor Zoo, Bratton Fleming (which even has its own Exmoor Beast) and the Owl and Hawk Centre near Allerford. A bit further away, you could visit Quince Honey Farm at South Molton in Devon, for all things bee-related; or the Willows and Wetlands Centre at Stoke St Gregory to discover the huge part that willow has played in people’s lives on the Somerset Levels through the years and the sheer variety of things that can be made out of willow.

Just a few ideas, then... hope they'll be useful!

Walking on Exmoor: some walks we've done in summer and autumn 2011

2011-10-10T16:58:00.000+01:00

Recently we’ve discovered more new (to us) Exmoor walks which I’d like to share with you.

Withypool to Landacre Bridge: about 4.5 miles. Along the River Barle to the bridge, then back to Withypool via lanes and fields. It was a sunny late-summer day when we went, and the riverbanks were full of meadowsweet and montbretia, which made a stunning contrast with the bright blue sky. A small herd of Exmoor Horn sheep were totally unfazed, idly watching us as we walked through their field; the Exmoor ponies grazing near Landacre Bridge were similarly unbothered. Withypool’s pub, the Royal Oak, is cosy and homely, with local beers and great food.

Dulverton and Court Down: about 4 miles. Another walk that starts off by following the river. Be warned: the riverside path is closed at one point, after a landslide a couple of years ago. Follow the diversion signs and you’ll stay on the right track, emerging near Kennel Farm. There’s a leg-stretching climb up to the trig point on Court Down and a different perspective on Dulverton as you go back down into the village.

Dunster and Grabbist Hill: about 4.5 miles. Starts near Frackford Bridge, just outside Dunster on the road going up towards Wheddon Cross. There’s a longish climb up Grabbist Hill, fabulous views from the top and from Knowle Hill, a meander through plantations and finally a choice between a very (and I mean very) steep descent down towards Dunster and a less steep one (which, personally, I would choose next time!).

Hawkridge: about 3.5 miles. This one passes Tom Lock’s workshop (he’s known as the Antler Man; you’ll see why) and the church (worth a look: one of those charming, simple moorland churches with a lovely peaceful atmosphere). Then it follows an ancient trackway through fields and woods, emerging by Castle Bridge. You can also take a diversion to visit the remains of Brewer’s Castle, an Iron Age fort. A bridleway takes you along part of Dane’s Brook before meeting up with the original track to return to Hawkridge.

All these walks except the Dunster one are in ‘Shortish Walks on Exmoor’ (Robert Hesketh) published by Bossiney Books http://www.bossineybooks.com/

Food, glorious local food

2011-09-23T16:07:00.000+01:00

Have you booked your tasting platter lunch at Exmoor House? They’re every day of the Exmoor Food Festival (30th September to 9th October inclusive) from 12 noon to 2pm. To tie in with the Food Festival, I thought I’d tell you a bit about some of our suppliers. We buy local as much as we can; it makes sense in so many ways, from supporting other local businesses to reducing food miles to knowing where things have come from!

Meat comes from John May Butchers in South Molton. They sell top-class meat, including the great sausages and dry-cure bacon (with the rind on) that we serve at breakfast, very chickeny free-range chicken and well-matured beef. John May deals with carefully-selected farms in Somerset and Devon.

Frank of Star Fish is our man-with-a-van who visits the village. His fish comes from Newlyn and he’s very knowledgeable about its provenance and sustainability. Cornish pollack, mackerel, naturally-smoked haddock and kippers all go down very well with our guests.

Most of our milk, butter and cheese are supplied by Axe Valley Dairies (currently based in Williton). We use Kelway Farm mature cheddar (made near Glastonbury); Exmoor Jersey Blue (from Lydeard St Lawrence) and Somerset brie. Goat’s cheese comes from Diana Piercy, a smallholder based in the Exe Valley. She makes soft and hard cheeses, both delicious. Diana also runs smallholding courses: visit http://exmoorsmallholdingcentre.co.uk/ for details.

Vegetables and fruit can be more difficult, as not that much is grown around here – it’s more hill-farming country. However, depending on when you visit, your dinner might include some of my home-grown herbs or salad leaves - you can't get much more local than that! My salad crops weren’t very successful this year, although the herbs are still going strong, and seem particularly vibrant.

It’s been a good year for fruit, and we went to the pick-your-own at Runnington Farm near Wellington: our jam and pickle cupboard is now fully stocked again. We get surplus fruit and veg from neighbours when we can: we’ve had luscious blackcurrants, and champion marrows and red cabbage. Occasionally we manage to get our hands on some Exmoor whortleberries, which just have to be made into a pie, served with lashings of clotted cream. In the asparagus season, a visit to the farm at Withycombe is in order – what a treat. They often sell home-made elderflower cordial too. We’ve also bought various things from a lady over near Tiverton who grows fantastic potatoes and beetroot (to name but two).

A neighbour’s free-range hens provide us with lovely eggs. Exmoor honey has a wonderful deep flavour – you can often taste the heather. We get ours from Exmoor Pure Honey in Allerford, or from The Archer House in Dunster.

When it comes to drinks, there’s a great choice of excellent local producers and suppliers. We use tea, coffee and hot chocolate from D J Miles of Porlock, whose blends are made to suit the water round here. Local vintner Washfield Wines provides most of the wines on our list, apart from those actually made on Exmoor, which come from Dunkery Vineyard in Wootton Courtenay. Their sparkling Exmoor Brut has received rave reviews. The bottled beers on our honesty bar come from Exmoor Ales and Cotleigh breweries, both based in Wiveliscombe. And of course we have Somerset ciders, from Sheppy’s near Taunton. For soft drinks, there’s the Devon-based Luscombe Organic Drinks.

Hungry yet? Hope to see you for lunch during the Exmoor Food Festival. If you can’t make that, though, remember we’re open for dinner most nights throughout the year. Booking is essential for lunch or dinner – just give us a call!

More information about the Exmoor Food Festival: http://www.exmoorfoodfestival.co.uk/

A Feast of Autumn Festivals

2011-09-12T18:20:00.000+01:00

Autumn is festival time on Exmoor. Here’s a roundup of some things to look forward to…

Somerset Art Weeks, 17^th September to 2^nd October
http://www.somersetartworks.org.uk/

Exhibitions and events celebrating the work of around 400 artists, in over 100 venues across the county. Venues include Hestercombe Gardens, Muchelney Abbey and Fleet Air Arm Museum as well as cafes, village halls and hotels. All events are free, showcasing arts and crafts in just about every medium you could imagine.

Exmoor Food Festival, 30^th September to 9^th October

http://www.exmoorfoodfestival.co.uk/
A real feast, not simply a metaphorical one, the Exmoor Food Festival seems to get better and better every year. There is something happening morning, noon and night: everything from food walks to cookery workshops, from farmers’ markets to a jelly-eating competition. At Exmoor House we are doing Tasting Platter lunches every day of the Festival, from noon till 2pm: an opportunity to try some of our delicious food made with love and lovely local ingredients. Booking is essential – call us on 01643 842432. More details from our website: http://www.exmoorhotel.co.uk/festival.htm
If you can’t make lunch, do remember that non-residents are very welcome to book dinner at any time of year. And of course, Exmoor House is the ideal place to stay if you’re visiting the area.

North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival, 30^th September to 3^rd Octoberhttp://www.exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk/
Another one not to be missed! Walks for all ages, tastes and abilities, exploring Exmoor’s wonderfully varied terrain and maybe seeing some of our wildlife. To tie in with the Food Festival, some walks include food (a hearty breakfast or a traditional cream tea, anyone?) or include a pub stop. On several of the walks you may bring your dog.

The Two Moors Festival, 13^th – 22^nd October
http://www.thetwomoorsfestival.com/
Concerts and other musical happenings, as well as a series of talks, taking place all over Exmoor and Dartmoor. Many of the recitals feature up-and-coming young musicians. Some of the events are free (but do still need to be booked).

See you soon!

Somerset wanderings in the Brendons & by the coast

2011-08-18T17:06:00.000+01:00

The Brendon Hill Methodist Chapel (also known as the Beulah Chapel) celebrated its 150th anniversary on August 6th & 7th with an open weekend and an exhibition about its history. More info about the chapel can be found at http://exmoorencyclopedia.org.uk/contents-list/34-b/176-brendon-hill-methodist-chapel-beulah.html

We were there on the Sunday and joined a guided walk led by Phil Gannon. The weather was not the best so we had to cut the walk short, but we learnt some fascinating stuff about the West Somerset Mineral Line. It’s whetted our appetite to do one of the longer walks that are offered throughout the year – see http://www.westsomersetmineralrailway.org.uk/

Afterwards we went to Watchet for a wander round the harbour and a look round the very interesting museum in the old market house: more information at http://www.watchetmuseum.co.uk/ Then tea and cake at Chives café and deli (highly recommended!). Their website is at http://chives-deli.co.uk/

On to Binham Grange at Old Cleeve, where we’d been invited to a private viewing of the Gallery4Art summer exhibition. There’s an amazing collection of paintings, sculpture, ceramics, jewellery and much more by this group of local artists. It’s on until 29th August (open 1030 – 1700 every day). If the thought of browsing some beautiful works of art (many of which are for sale) isn’t incentive enough, there’s also a programme of workshops on various arts and crafts running throughout the event (booking is advised for these: visit http://www.gallery4art.co.uk/ ). You can also enjoy morning coffee, afternoon tea or a fabulous lunch at Binham Grange.

Dunster: more than tea and fudge

2011-07-11T11:12:00.000+01:00

The other week I talked about Minehead; this time I’m going to focus on Dunster, about six miles down the road from Wheddon Cross. If you’re staying with us, there’s a bus service several times a day and the bus stop is only a few yards away, so you don’t need to take the car.

Dunster deserves a good mooch around. It does indeed have many teashops (and several pubs), as well as shops selling fudge, chocolate, jewellery, clothes, books, crafts and souvenirs. We’ve had some great lunches in Dunster and have bought plenty of Christmas and birthday presents here, too.

Did I mention chocolate? If you’re a chocoholic, you need to visit The Chocolate House. More details at http://www.nutcombe-chocs.co.uk/ - and still on a confectionery theme: there’s a handily-placed weighing machine outside the fudge shop (check your weight before and after you’ve eaten the fudge?).

As with Minehead, though, look beyond the shops and eating places, and there’s much else to discover. The main streets of the village can get quite crowded with both people and traffic, but go just a little further and you’ll get an entirely different perspective and a real sense of the place’s history. A big attraction is of course the National Trust-owned castle - http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstercastle - perched above the village and looking out towards the coast. I recommend taking the time to look round the gardens as well as the castle itself. If you feel like a slightly longer walk, there’s a path to the watermill, with the old packhorse bridge (Gallox Bridge) and some real chocolate-box cottages nearby.

Another footpath near Gallox Bridge will take you round the back of the castle, through fields behind the High Street, to Dunster Steep (where you’ll find the Exmoor National Park information office and the main car park). Dunster’s historic Yarn Market is on the High Street at this end of the village; you can’t miss it.

With the Yarn Market Hotel on your left and the Luttrell Arms on your right, take the narrow street that leads up to The Ball (some handsome houses, and photo-perfect views of the village and castle) then from The Ball turn left along Priory Green. This will bring you to the Tithe Barn, recently restored and now used for community events, and the ancient dovecote. The church has plenty of interest, and there’s also a series of walled gardens, providing a peaceful respite.

Now, how about a cup of tea?

Minehead grows on us!

2011-06-24T13:51:00.000+01:00

When we first moved to West Somerset, the main attraction was Exmoor itself; we’d lived in cities all our lives and were ready for a change. Moving to a tiny village was certainly that! We enjoy village life: the sense of community, people looking out for one another, stopping for a chat with neighbours…

Minehead is our nearest biggish settlement; our first impressions were not that positive (OK to do a top-up shop, but rather resort-y). We now know that this was rather unfair. Scratch the surface and there’s a lot more to the place; you have to explore a bit to discover its character.

Yes, there are the chain shops you might expect to find in a town of this size, and the normal satellite retail estates with supermarkets and DIY-type stores. On the seafront (again, as you might expect) are amusement arcades, bucket-and-spade shops and all the ice cream, candy floss and chips you can eat.

Go further into town and you’ll also discover interesting, thriving independent shops among the usual suspects (if you’re staying at Exmoor House you can pick up a Minehead Shoppers Guide from us). On Friday mornings there’s a local farmer’s market.

Attractions and things to do include a long-established links golf course, the Regal Theatre and the West Somerset Railway. Butlins (you can’t miss it, with its millennium dome-type structure!) now has the only swimming pool in Minehead. Off The Avenue (the main street that goes down towards the sea) are the Blenheim Gardens, a pleasant place to mooch around, with a café in summer.

Along the promenade towards the harbour, passing old coastguard’s and fisherman’s cottages, you’ll find the start of the South West Coast Path, marked by a sculpture of hands holding a map. Past the harbour is a small nature reserve, leading on to hill and coastal walks. Go up to the old town and North Hill and you’ll get another perspective, with stunning sea views, more pretty old houses and cottages and the famous Church Steps. While you’re there, do visit the church itself.

For me, the main shopping streets, the beach area, the harbour and the old town all have completely different atmospheres; to get a true picture of Minehead you need to take the time to visit them all.

Exmoor in July: National Park celebrations, Minehead Festival, Dunster Fair - and a special offer from Exmoor House

2011-06-16T10:52:00.000+01:00

National Parks Week, 25 – 31 July

Exmoor is contributing a series of great events to National Parks Week. You can discover more about local history on a stroll around the fascinating village of Dunster or a tour of the water-powered sawmill at Simonsbath. Take a minibus tour to some of Exmoor’s archaeological sites or a guided walk to learn some of the secrets of the Old Mineral Line. Join an Exmoor ranger to search for red deer, or find out about the creatures lurking in seaside rockpools.

You can find more details at
http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/visiting/nationalparksweek/npwevents-exmoor.htm

Minehead and Exmoor Festival, 24 – 30 July

A varied programme of music by composers from Arensky to Verdi, at venues in Minehead, Dunster and Dulverton. The festival has been described as ‘an extraordinary achievement of wonderful music making’. Richard Dickins (from Imperial College and Royal College of Music) conducts.

The full programme is at
http://www.mineheadfestival.com/

Dunster Country Fair, 27th July

Held on the lawns of Dunster Castle, this is West Somerset’s biggest country fair. With displays of falconry, stunt motorcycles, horse and dog shows, laser clay pigeon shooting and archery, plus a funfair and children’s entertainment, food and drink – and not forgetting some retail therapy, with trade stands and a craft tent - there’s something for everybody.

More information at
http://www.dunstercountryfair.co.uk/wordpress/

Exmoor House July offer

At Exmoor House we're offering weekend dinner, bed & breakfast breaks (3 or more nights) for the same price as our midweek specials; that's from £174 per person for a 3-night stay. This offer applies to the last weekend in June and every weekend in July. See our website at http://www.exmoorhouse.com/ or call us on 01643 841432 for more information. Hope to see you soon!

A grand day out

2011-05-28T12:04:00.000+01:00

A favourite day out of ours is a trip on the West Somerset Railway. Riding the steam trains is like going back in time and gives a very different perspective on the countryside between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard. Watch out for Dunster Castle, nestled among the trees; further on the line hugs the coast for a while; there are also wonderful views of the Brendons and the Quantocks.

If you have the time, it’s definitely worth changing trains at least once to have a mooch around. All the stations are interesting in their own right; some have second hand bookstalls, gift shops, museums or cafés. However, there is a lot more to see beyond the stations themselves. For example, Watchet is a fascinating little town, there are beaches at Blue Anchor and Doniford (the latter with fossil formations), and medieval Cleeve Abbey is within walking distance of Washford station.

Last time we travelled on the railway we took with us the two little books of ‘Country Walks from West Somerset Railway Stations’ (by Audrey & Ron Short, updated by Malcolm & Natalie Short, published by WSRA – we bought our copies from the gift shop at Minehead station). We walked from Crowcombe Heathfield to Bishops Lydeard, stopping for a very good lunch at the Farmers Arms, Combe Florey. At Bishops Lydeard there was time for a circular walk around the village and tea at the station before getting our train back to Minehead.

You can now buy West Somerset Railway Day Rover tickets from us at a discounted rate when you stay at Exmoor House. There’ll be details on our website soon, or contact us for more information.

More about car-free travel on Exmoor

2011-05-16T11:58:00.000+01:00

Suggestions for car-free days out from Wheddon Cross was theme of my last blog post. Actually, it's perfectly possible (as some of our guests have done) to travel to Exmoor and all over the National Park by public transport, so that you don't need a car at all. Here's some food for thought...
For lots more ideas, covering the whole of Exmoor, check out Exmoor National Park's http://www.exploremoor.co.uk/ where you'll also find information about walking, cycling, riding and public transport, interactive maps and useful links.

A really useful service is the Moor Rover bus, which can pick you up and drop you off at any pre-arranged point within Exmoor National Park.

The minibuses have 8 - 16 seats and can carry bikes, wheelchairs and dogs; they can even be used to transport your luggage while you walk. From April to June the service is available for group bookings of 6 or more people. From July to September it operates every day, from 8.00am to 8.00pm and is available to individuals and groups. All journeys need to be booked at least a day in advance, by calling 01643 709701 (NB no booking service on Sundays). Visit http://www.atwest.org.uk/ for more details.

When you stay at Exmoor House Wheddon Cross we can give you details of the Exmoor walks we've done; we have lots of books and maps to borrow, plus information about walking and cycling (including cycle hire and walking guides) and the area in general. Other especially useful facilities here include a drying room and bike storage.

If you've been to Exmoor before, you'll know just what a beautiful and varied place it is - ideal for a brief escape, a short break or a long holiday. If not: what are you waiting for?

Give the car a holiday too!

2011-05-05T16:06:00.000+01:00

As part of our efforts to be more green, we've been looking into how people can give the car a rest for a few days while they're on Exmoor. Of course, there are lots of good walks you can do direct from Exmoor House, but if you use public transport you can go a bit further afield. Wheddon Cross has buses calling about six times most days (except Sundays).

Here are some suggestions for car-free itineraries:

Dunster
Bus no 399. There’s plenty to see in Dunster, also several good circular walks from the village. If you're feeling energetic, you could walk all the way back to Wheddon Cross (some of our guests did this a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it)

Dulverton
Bus no 399. There's a choice of circular walks in the Barle Valley and the village itself is worth exploring (interesting Heritage Centre and church, some nice shops, several good pubs and tearooms).

Porlock
Bus no 399 to Minehead then no 39 (or in summer, 300) Porlock and walk back to Wheddon Cross along the Coleridge Way; or walk to Porlock and get the bus back to Wheddon Cross.

West Somerset Railway
Bus no 399 to Minehead, West Somerset Railway to Bishops Lydeard and back (or to any of the other stops en route); bus back to Wheddon Cross from Minehead. There are walks from all the stations along the railway; some circular, some from one station to another.

Lynmouth (April - October)
Bus 399 to Minehead, then the 300 open-top bus to Lynmouth and back to Minehead; bus to Wheddon Cross.

In summer, there is also the Moor Rover bus - especially useful for walkers and cyclists. More about this another time...

Exmoor ponies in the spring

2011-04-19T17:43:00.000+01:00

At Exmoor House we’ve had several people staying who were going to the Exmoor Pony Centre to visit a pony they’d adopted. A free afternoon last weekend coincided with the centre's Easter open day, so we went along to have a look for ourselves: a chance to see some of these unique and fascinating little horses close up.

Some of the visitors were queuing to groom a patient pony until it positively gleamed; others took a ride round the field. The rest of the resident ponies were feeding, posing for pictures or basking in the sun. Most still had some at least of their thick winter coats, though I suspect they'll now be losing them rapidly.

The centre, with the Moorland Mousie Trust (Moorland Mousie is the pony protagonist of a children’s book) works ‘to promote and conserve the Exmoor pony’. Staff and volunteers help to re-home ponies, mainly excess young foals from the moor. As well as adopting a pony, there is the opportunity to sponsor a foal. In addition you can book a taster session to learn about caring for ponies, or a moorland ride.

No ponies on Winsford Hill that day; perhaps they were all at the centre! We carried on into Dulverton after our visit, calling in to the Town Mills (highly recommended) for tea & cake and visiting the Heritage Centre (lots to see, including this time a display of work by local artists and an exhibition about Exmoor Horn sheep).

It was a perfect sunny spring day: big skies, soft light, hazy shadows... The circular route we followed, from Wheddon Cross to Exford, on to Dulverton via Winsford Hill and Ashwick and back through Bridgetown, shows off some of the amazing variety of Exmoor's scenery.

Falconry and Farming on Exmoor

2011-04-09T13:53:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday this week the Exmoor Owl & Hawk Centre, near the picture-postcard village of Allerford, held an open day. We went along, and really enjoyed looking round.

The Centre has a good collection of owls and other birds of prey, but also alpacas, mini-pigs, ponies and miniature donkeys. There was an owl-flying demonstration and an opportunity for people to take a glove and some bait to try this for themselves (although the owls can be quite choosy about where they want to fly, and whose arm they want to land on!). It was a wonderful sunny day; although Rod Smith of the Centre says that their particular micro-climate means it's often sunny there when the weather is poor elsewhere in the area.

Other activities available include spending half a day or a full day getting to know the birds of prey and owls; also horse riding. There's an interesting display about the history of the farmstead, and about falconry, in the barn. The Centre also has a cafe selling drinks and snacks. A great day out for families.

Wednesday saw us in Porlock for the final Exmoor Awareness session this season (run by Exmoor National Park for tourism-related businesses). It's the first one we've managed to get along to, although every year we look at the programme and think how good all the sessions sound. Luckily they could fit us in at the last minute.

The theme was farming heritage, so there were presentations on how farming on Exmoor developed (I found the archaelogical perspective fascinating); local food production and how farmers are diversifying; a very entertaining personal view from a lady who married into a farming family, and discussion of how things could go in the future. As native townies now living in the country, we learnt a lot.

Unfortunately the planned post-lunch field trip to a local farm had to be cancelled but National Park staff organised a walk through Hawcombe Woods instead; we saw how the landscape has developed its unique characteristics through a combination of natural events and human activities - again very informative, and it was a great day for walking. It was also good to meet and network with other accommodation providers (and possible suppliers too).

We'll certainly try and make a few more of the Exmoor Awareness sessions next year!

Working together for tourism on Exmoor

2011-03-30T17:37:00.000+01:00

We were at the Exmoor Tourist Association’s annual general meeting last week, at the Tithe Barn in Dunster. Always good to catch up with others involved in tourism; it’s rare to have an opportunity to network face to face. Many of us accommodation providers seem to have more bookings this year than last so far, which is good news.

Antony Brunt, the ETA chairman, and others of our hard-working officers, do a lot of work in promoting Exmoor (for example by representing the association at the Outdoors Show, BoBI and other travel-related exhibitions). We’re lucky to have an excellent administrator / secretary / membership secretary, Rachel Kelly; and our president, William Theed, is another fine ambassador for the area.

MP Ian Liddell-Grainger was at the meeting to give us a talk before going off to the House of Commons. He’s also very enthusiastic about promoting tourism on Exmoor – though I wasn’t sure about his description ‘like Dartmoor, but with more people’! If we’re to compare the two Moors, then I prefer the definition that has been doing the rounds on twitter: Exmoor is the thinking man’s Dartmoor. Nothing like stirring things up a bit…

Dan James of Exmoor National Park updated us on what’s happening with the park authority and with the Exmoor Tourism Partnership: plenty of positive developments there. I was pleased to note that the National Park has some more new ideas in the pipeline about helping green businesses promote themselves.

A highlight of ETA meetings is always the catering! We had melt-in-the-mouth shortbread biscuits with our coffee before the meeting, and as usual there was a very good, imaginative selection on the lunchtime buffet. (Well, if you’ve been following our blog – indeed if you’ve seen our website – you’ll know that we’re constantly thinking about food, one way or the other).

After lunch Ross Edwards of EDF gave a presentation about the proposed nuclear development, Hinkley Point C. This is something that raises concerns on many levels, and Ross made it clear that, as a PR person, he is not an expert on the safety (or otherwise) aspect of the project. However, he gave us some interesting details about how EDF proposes to minimise adverse effects on the surrounding area during the building work. It’s early days yet, and there’s a lot more to be said on all sides; no doubt the consultation will run and run. I’ll make no further comment for the moment, but you can find the relevant documentation here:

http://hinkleypoint.edfenergyconsultation.info/Preferred_Proposal_Documents/Stage%202%20Update/Stage-2-Update-Consultation-final.pdf

If you're involved in tourism on Exmoor and aren't already a member of ETA, I'd urge you to consider joining. There are many benefits, including some good marketing opportunities, and we think the fee is very good value. For more details, visit

http://www.exmoor.com/join_eta.htm

A green celebration at Wheddon Cross on Exmoor

2011-03-18T13:03:00.000Z

Dick Strawbridge, of the TV series 'It's Not Easy Being Green' (and, more recently, Celebrity Masterchef) fame was the star speaker at a Carbon Neutral Exmoor Celebration last night.

Over a hundred people filled the Moorland Hall at Wheddon Cross to hear about green projects in six villages on Exmoor, which have been funded through the Low Carbon Communities Challenge. Exmoor National Park has an ambitious target: to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025.

Representatives from the communities of Roadwater, Parracombe, Wootton Courtenay, Porlock, Dunster and Wheddon Cross shared their experiences of the various projects, which included low carbon energy installations at village halls, a community-owned shop, an information centre and a sports ground.

We had a look at the Moorland Hall's newly installed wood-burning boiler, which keeps the building toasty warm. The hall now also has sheepswool insulation and a state-of-the-art heat recovery system. At our local pub, solar panels and a solar photovoltaic system have been fitted, also with the help of funding from the community project.

In fact Wheddon Cross may well hold the record for the widest range of green energy technologies on Exmoor: the new houses currently being built for local people have solar panels and the development will include some air source and ground source heat pumps. Some of our neighbours built their own eco-homes a few years ago.

Dick Strawbridge was very entertaining and down to earth; he and his family practise what they call 'practical self-sufficiency', which makes excellent sense. Many of the people at the meeting already try to be as green as they can, but I hope he wasn't only preaching to the converted. I think, though, that the celebration evening will have the desired effect of inspiring people to go that stage further and look at generating their own power or using more sustainable alternatives. It helps to know that others locally have been down this road and can offer the benefit of their experience.

The final part of the event was a visit to the Rest and Be Thankful pub, where Eric and Julie provided a great buffet and there was some Irish music (it was St Patrick's day after all). It was too dark to see the solar panels properly, but we've been able to see the installation as it progressed. Some networking and general good company finished the evening off nicely. A big thank you to all at Exmoor National Park who've worked so hard to help bring everything to fruition, against a very tight deadline.

Exmoor walks, a lovely little museum, a good pub and an auction

2011-03-13T12:53:00.000Z

We've had some lovely spring weather these last few days. The daffodils are coming on nicely, the herbs are growing well and there are ladybirds and bees in our garden. Good omens for the summer to come, we hope...

The West Somerset Rural Life Museum, in Allerford, had an open day this week and we went along to have a look. Several of our guests have been to the museum and really enjoyed it: we did too. The main room contains an exhibition of household items (much exclamation of 'oh, my mum used to have one of those!' as we looked round) as well as equipment from farms and other local businesses, all giving a good insight into day-to-day life in this area in years gone by. In the Schoolroom, children (and adults) can try their hand at writing on slates and look at Victorian textbooks, playground games and toys. There are even Victorian clothes so children can dress up for the full experience. Finish your visit by looking at the archive of local photographs and the outdoor display area. The museum is run by volunteers and they're always looking for more people to help, so if you live in the area and can spare some time, they would be delighted to hear from you.

While in Allerford (by the way, if you imagine the quintessential idyllic English village, it might look very like Allerford) we walked up through the woods towards Bossington, stopping to have a look at Lynch church. There are a good number of trails round here, for anything from a short stroll to a full day's hike.

Another walk we've done recently is from Challacombe over to the church at Barton Town: a good mix of woodland, fields and views of Exmoor hills and combes. Part of the reason for our visit to Challacombe was to visit the Black Venus pub for lunch, and we'd thoroughly recommend it: friendly atmosphere and good food in generous portions; a nice variety of things on the menu.

And speaking of food (which I often do): dinner for two at Exmoor House was one of the lots at an Auction of Promises held at the Wheddon Cross village hall on Friday. The auction was great fun, and raised money for the Golden Horseshoe endurance ride and the Dorset, Somerset & Devon air ambulances. We look forward to seeing our neighbours who won the dinner!

North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival, April - May 2011

2011-03-05T13:44:00.000Z

This is the 11th year for the very successful North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival. In 2011 the festival's split into two parts: from 29th April to 3rd May it will focus on North Devon, then from May 4th to 8th it covers Exmoor and the Quantocks.

I'm going to concentrate here on the second half of the festival, as it covers our home turf. The nearest walks to Exmoor House start from Webbers Post (Walk 5B High Beacons and Cairns; Walk 7D Flora and Fauna Discovery); Carhampton (Walk 6C: Dunster Breakfast Walk); Dunster (Walk 7A Vistas of Dunster and Dunkery; Walk 8A All Things Bright and Beautiful) and Allerford (Walk 5E Beacons, Look-outs and Coastal Combes).

In fact, though, we're more or less in the centre of the National Park here at Wheddon Cross, so the whole of Exmoor is within easy reach.

Wimbleball Lake is about 8 miles from Wheddon Cross and the Festival includes a Wimbleball Nature Discovery (Walk 7C). The nine-mile trail around the lake, part of which is included on this walk, is one of the few flat(ish) walks on Exmoor!

Wherever you walk on Exmoor, though, you really can't go wrong. There's wonderful scenery - and a huge range of it at that, from coast, to hills, to woodland, to farmland. Walking can be as challenging as you like, and with luck you might even see Exmoor ponies or red deer.

The Walking Festival gives a great flavour of the whole area, from meandering along the Barle to striding along the South West Coastal Path, from high open moorland to deep combes, from searching for deer to visiting ancient monuments and discovering the smallest church in England. Come along and see for yourself!

You can book walks, and find out lots more information, at http://www.exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk/

With the extra bank holiday falling during the Walking Festival, you might find it easier to take a longer break, and explore this beautiful area further. See you soon maybe?

Spring is on the way on Exmoor

2011-02-24T16:04:00.000Z

After a long cold winter, it seems spring is definitely on the way (or maybe I'm tempting fate by writing that!). These last few days have been much milder, and the daffodils are coming along well in our garden. The herbs are starting to wake up from their hibernation too, and soon we'll have beautiful fresh lovage, marjoram, chives and fennel (to name a few).

The snowdrops in Snowdrop Valley are still looking wonderful. Park & ride buses from Wheddon Cross continue for the rest of this week; the last day is this Sunday, February 27th. Do remember though that the road down to the valley will remain closed to traffic until March 6th - so between Feb 27th and Mar 6th, the only way to the valley will be on foot. Our dining room at Exmoor House will be open as a tearoom on most days until March 6th, serving cream teas (of course!), homemade rolls with a choice of fillings, hot soup, a selection of cakes, and more. Everything's homemade, including our delicious teacakes. Do remember too that you can book lunch at Exmoor House at any time of year (subject to availability) for groups of 4 or more people; we'll plan the menu to suit you.

In my last post I mentioned the Exmoor 4 x 4 Jaunt and Challenge, which is centred on Wheddon Cross during the weekend of March 19th and 20th. This popular event raises funds for the rugby charity Wooden Spoon. The off-road vehicles follow carefully planned routes, where the landowners have given them permission to go. You can see more detail about the event at http://www.4x4onexmoor.co.uk/

Also on March 19th and 20th, as well as March 24th - 27th, is the West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala. This year the Gala celebrates 35 years of the West Somerset Railway running along the former Taunton to Minehead Branch of British Rail. There'll be many visiting locomotives (including new types not seen before on this line), and plenty of attraction around railway to visit, including sheds and workshops. You'll find updates about the gala at http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/ssg.html
Whether you're a rail enthusiast or not, a trip on the railway is highly recommended. It's a scenic, tranquil journey between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard. Each station has something interesting to look at, and there are some good walks from the stations also.

At Exmoor House we have a special offer during the rest of February, and March: weekend dinner, bed & breakfast breaks are the same price as midweek breaks. Currently there are some rooms available for most dates, including during the events mentioned here. There's more detail on our website. Why not treat yourselves to a spring getaway? To make a booking, just give us a call!

Exmoor: have your cake and eat it

2011-02-06T15:35:00.000Z

We love living on Exmoor. Beautiful scenery, friendly communities, great local food...

Exmoor is truly a place where you can escape and get away from everything. The countryside is very unspoilt, with some extremely wildernessy areas; the roads are uncrowded and the pace of life is relaxed.

Yet, we seem to have it both ways (or have our cake and eat it too) because there's always something going on. Just to give you a few examples of things happening in the next few months:

Right now, it's snowdrop time, and each year there's an amazing spring display of these fabulous flowers, almost on our doorstep. Snowdrop Valley is just a mile or so from our village, Wheddon Cross. It's a pretty (but steep & sometimes muddy - appropriate footwear advised) walk down to the valley and back, or there are park & ride buses from the village car park.

And speaking of cake again: at Exmoor House we open our dining room as a tearoom during the day during Snowdrop Valley time, serving snacks, light lunches, hot & cold drinks and more. The park & ride, which runs until 27th February, is run by our local parish council, with support from the Exmoor National Park Authority and the Badgeworthy Land Company. Exmoor House tearoom will be open until 6th March (although after then we can still do prebooked lunches or meetings for groups of 4 or more people: just contact us if you'd like more details).

Later in March (19th & 20th) is Exmoor 4 x 4 Jaunt and Challenge, which raises money for charity. The West Somerset Railway's very popular Spring Steam Gala is on the 19th & 20th also, and then from the 24th - 27th.

April 29th sees the start of the North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival. It continues until May 8th, and includes a fantastic variety of walks that cover most of Exmoor. The extra public holiday, which will mean many people can extend their Easter break, fits in nicely with the Walking Festival.

More in May: the famous Golden Horseshoe ride, an endurance ride across Exmoor National Park, is an exciting spectacle. Many people come back year after year to watch or to take part. It's centred on Exford (5 miles from Exmoor House), is on May 15th - 17th and also includes social events, trade stands, demonstrations and a sponsored pleasure ride.

There are links to these events (and more besides) from our website http://www.exmoorhouse.com/
You'll also find lots of information about our award-winning guest house accommodation - including current special offers - and pictures of the snowdrops too.

Walking on Exmoor: some winter walks

2011-01-25T16:20:00.000Z

We've had some lovely clear, crisp weather on Exmoor this last week or so, and we've taken advantage of it to do some of our favourite walks:

- Down to Snowdrop Valley and back via a circular walk that takes us through farmland as well as woods and lanes. I can report that the snowdrops are coming along; there were a few splashes of white last Sunday, so should be looking good for the park & ride from Wheddon Cross (5th - 27th February).

- To Dunkery Hill, up to the top of Dunkery Beacon via the longer route, then heading continuing on towards the coast for some spectacular views (and often sightings of Exmoor ponies, though there weren't any around the other day)

- Along the shores of Wimbleball Lake. We walked up to the dam and back, from the car park, then the other day towards the nature trail. The full circuit of the lake (about 9 miles) is well worth doing too

- From Exford up to Room Hill and back; again, some amazing countryside views.

Heading into spring and early summer, this year's North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival runs from 29th April to 8th May and includes a range of fantastic walks for all abilities. More about this soon; you also see full details, and book walks, at http://www.exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk/

Snowdrop Valley 2011: stay at Exmoor House and see the snowdrops

2011-01-14T16:18:00.000Z

Snowdrop Valley, near Wheddon Cross, used to be one of Exmoor's best-kept secrets. Now the secret is out, and many people come back year after year to see the spectacular display of snowdrops, normally at its best in February. It's a welcome sign that Spring is on the way...

Here at Exmoor House, right in the centre of Wheddon Cross village, our dining room will be open as a tea room most days during Snowdrop Valley time (5th February to 6th March). We'll be serving hot drinks, cold drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), soup, light lunches, home-made cakes and scones, and more - hope to see you.

If you'd like to make a booking for a group, please contact us to discuss your requirements. Remember, too, that Exmoor House is open most nights for dinner (booking essential).

And why not stay on for a few days to explore this beautiful area further? Check out our website at http://www.exmoorhouse.com/ for details of our accommodation and special dinner, bed & breakfast packages.
The walk down to the valley and back is extremely pretty, but it is steep and can get very muddy. Allow at least 1.5 hours for the return trip and wear appropriate winter clothing and footwear.

There's a park and ride scheme for Snowdrop Valley, run by Cutcombe Parish Council with support from Exmoor National Park, the Badgworthy Land Company and Exmoor Farmers. Buses leave regularly from the village car park (by the Rest & Be Thankful pub); last bus back from the valley is at 4.35pm. This year the park and ride runs every day from Saturday 5th February until Sunday 27th February. Tickets cost £4 for adults, with concessions for senior citizens and children aged from 5 to 15 (under 5s travel free).

The bus route will be closed to all motor traffic except residents, and disabled drivers, who need to obtain a permit before entering the valley. For more details, visit the Wheddon Cross website at http://www.wheddoncross.org.uk/ or contact the Snowdrop Valley organiser on snowdropvalley@googlemail.com

Note that the road will stay closed for a week after the park and ride finishes, so from 28th February to 6th March you'll still be able to walk to see the snowdrops but there will be no buses running. Snowdrop Valley is privately owned and access is kindly granted by the Badgworthy Land Company.

Donations are always very welcome to help in the running of Snowdrop Valley, so that the village can continue to operate the park and ride in future years.

January special offer on Exmoor dinner, bed and breakfast breaks

2011-01-05T11:01:00.000Z

Happy new year! We decided to take a break ourselves over the festive season, and went visiting family and friends. Now we're back, refreshed and ready to welcome our guests to Exmoor.

To start off 2011, we've a special offer on dinner, bed & breakfast packages. It runs for stays starting from now until 24th January, and you can save up to £50 on our normal prices.

For example:

The special offer price for a 3-night break, with 3-course dinner, bed & breakfast, is £169.50 per person (normally up to £193.50). For a 4-night break on the same basis, it's £208 per person (normally up to £258).

All prices are based on two people sharing a double or twin-bedded room.

To take advantage of this special deal, you need to book with us direct; the offer's not available to book via our website. Just give us a call...

Look forward to hearing from you!

We've won a gold green award

2010-12-17T13:44:00.000Z

Here at Exmoor House we had our latest Green Tourism assessment a couple of months ago, and we got the results the other day. To our delight, we've achieved a gold award. In fact, we are the first accommodation provider on Exmoor, and the first guest house in Somerset, to do this. The only two other places in Somerset to have achieved gold so far are Wimbleball Lake, near Dulverton, and Tordown Bed & Breakfast, in Glastonbury. As well as accommodation and attractions, the awards cover other businesses such as pubs, information centres, tour operators, events venues and language schools.

We've always done our best to run Exmoor House in such a way that we minimise our effect on the environment. To me, as well as being something I really believe in, this is just plain old common sense. At the risk of sounding a bit jargon-y, the Green Tourism accreditation process is a very good way for businesses to benchmark themselves against a comprehensive set of standards.

The assessment visit is thorough, helpful and positive, with credit given where it's due and useful tips provided for how to improve where necessary. Green Tourism assess each business every two years, and since our last inspection in 2008 they had revised their assessment scheme criteria, making the standards even more rigorous. So it's even more pleasing that we've improved on the silver award we gained two years ago. Now we're shouting about it!

There's more information about the scheme at http://www.green-business.co.uk/

Winter on Exmoor

2010-11-28T12:46:00.000Z

It's pleasing to see that there's been quite a lot of media coverage about Exmoor recently. Johnny Kingdom's series about birds makes charming viewing (I particularly liked the shots of the wren colony that were apparently trying to break the record for the most birds to fit into one nesting box).

The November issue of Country Walking magazine carried an article on the Exmoor deer rutting season, as well as details of one of our favourite walks (from Simonsbath along the Barle Valley, via Cow Castle & Pickedstones) - where you can see deer if you're lucky.

BBC Countryfile magazine (December) has a comprehensive feature about Exmoor in winter, with a number of suggested walks and other things to do and see.

And Exmoor the Country Magazine's latest edition, as ever, includes some wonderful seasonal pieces, pictures and recipes. This time they also included a free supplement, Winter Wonderland, giving details of things happening soon (including Snowdrop Valley, in February) and Christmas gift ideas.

As I write this, there's a beautiful silvery dusting of snow on the fields, under a clear blue sky...

Why not pay us a visit?

Village life on Exmoor

2010-11-19T12:11:00.000Z

One of the interesting things, for us, about moving to the country is that there's always so much going on. In our small village there are lots of clubs and societies (which, because of the nature of our work, we don't manage to join in with much - though I did get to one of the WI meetings last year).

The village hall is very well used (drama groups, keep-fit classes, Parish council meetings, parties, exhibitions...) and for special occasions (Snowdrop Valley, the Exmoor Food Festival, the village fete) it becomes a cafe. Last week the hall hosted an IT clinic, with workshops and one-to-one consultations available. Along with many other local small businesses, we went there to get information and advice - and very useful it was too.

Speaking of local small businesses, there's so much enterprise here: crafts, web design, complementary therapies - you name it. Several of the craftspeople will be at an event held by one of our larger village businesses, the Rest and Be Thankful pub, next Wednesday (24th November). Their Christmas Fair is from 9.30am to 2.00pm and then again from 6.00pm to 9.30pm; there'll be jewellery, hand-crafted pens, cards & stationery, pictures and much more. There's also a tabletop sale at Cutcombe School this Saturday, 20th November; so plenty of opportunity for a bit of retail therapy and Christmas gift buying. Why not come on over?

Candlelight and starlight - early December on Exmoor

2010-11-13T11:16:00.000Z

The first weekend of December sees the very popular Dunster by Candlelight, when shops and restaurants in the Exmoor village of Dunster switch off their lights, and candle lanterns are lit instead. On Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th December this year, most of the village shops will be open in the evening and there'll be street entertainment, food stalls and more. The event starts at 5.30 on 3rd December with a candle-lighting procession, and shops will be open until 9pm on both evenings.

Dunster village won't be accessible to traffic on these two evenings and there's no parking allowed; there'll be park & ride buses from various places including Minehead and Wheddon Cross.

For even more merriment and festive shopping, there's Dulverton by Starlight. Dulverton's a unique little town with a good range of interesting shops and some lovely cafes and restaurants, and in December it's full of Christmas trees and twinkling white lights. Sunday 5th December is an extra-special day, when the fun starts with Father Christmas arriving at 2.30. There'll be carol-singing at 6.00 and a firework display at 6.30 (more entertainment is promised too, but the full programme will be available nearer the date).

Exmoor House at Wheddon Cross is a great place to stay if you're visiting Exmoor for either of these events - you can enjoy all the fun, do your Christmas shopping and then escape to a peaceful haven afterwards. The Park & Ride for Dunster village is only a very short walk away from Exmoor House. We've great-value special packages available.

Book your room now, or just give us a call if you'd like more information...

Snowdrops at Wheddon Cross

2010-11-05T11:20:00.000Z

Snowdrop Valley, near Wheddon Cross, is always a wonderful sight. The snowdrops are normally at their best in February (though obviously this depends on the weather!). It's about a mile and a half to Snowdrop Valley from the village and is a lovely - though quite steep and sometimes very muddy - walk.

If you don't fancy the walk, you can take the bus. Each year a park & ride service runs between Wheddon Cross car park and the valley; in 2011 the dates for this are Saturday 5th February to Sunday 27th February inclusive. Please note, though, that the road down to the valley willl stay closed until 6th March (so from 28th Feb-6th March you'll be able to walk down to the valley to see the snowdrops but the valley won't be accessible by motor transport).

For latest news about Snowdrop Valley, visit http://snowdropvalleyupdate.blogspot.com/ or the village website at http://www.wheddoncross.org.uk/

As usual, at Exmoor House Wheddon Cross we'll be opening our dining room as a tea room (or tearoom!) during the day at Snowdrop Valley time. We serve home-made cakes, scones and teacakes, lunches (e.g. ploughman's, filled home-made rolls, soup) and you can also enjoy Somerset ciders, local beers and a good choice of wines with your meal - as well as coffee & tea of course.

If you like the idea of a short break on Exmoor to see the snowdrops and explore the area, at Exmoor House we do special dinner, bed & breakfast packages. Lots more details on our website at http://www.exmoorhouse.com/ - we are also open to non-residents for dinner in the evening: come and try our fabulous food, all home-made using lovely local ingredients. Advance booking is essential!

Exmoor Pony Gatherings

2010-10-29T14:23:00.000+01:00

Autumn's the season when the free-living ponies on Exmoor are rounded up, inspected and the foals are branded to identify them. Each Exmoor pony herd has a different mark (for example, the Winsford herd's is an anchor). All the ponies have an owner and all are registered with the Exmoor Pony Society which, among other things, monitors and safeguards the ponies' gene pool (Exmoor ponies are listed as an endangered species). Amazing to think that these small horses are, in effect, prehistoric animals; sturdy and very well adapted to a moorland climate, they haven't needed to evolve any more.

The nearest herds to Exmoor House and Wheddon Cross roam around the Dunkery Beacon area, so you may well see ponies if you're walking up on Dunkery Hill. They seem happy to pose for photographs, but don't annoy them by trying to get too close, especially if they have foals with them.

You can learn more, and ride one of the ponies, at the Exmoor Pony Centre, near Dulverton, run by the Moorland Mousie Trust (it's necessary to book in advance to visit the centre because parking is limited).

Sports, entertainment and shopping!

2010-10-22T11:17:00.000+01:00

As ever, there's a lot happening on and around Exmoor. Here's a taste of some things coming up over the next few months...

Sporting
The Exmoor Beast (an annual charity fundraising cycle challenge) is on 31st October. This ride lives up to its name; it's definitely a beast of a challenge! Participants can do either a 100 mile or a 100 km route, both passing through some of Exmoor's finest scenery. The deadline for entries is midnight on 23rd October.

Entertainment
It's carnival season in Somerset! The biggest is Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival, on (you've guessed it) 5th November. The most famous part of it is the procession, with its illuminated floats, but there's much more going on besides.

Shopping (and entertainment too)
Dunster by Candlelight, this year on 3rd & 4th December, is another well-established tradition. The festivities begin with the Lantern Lighting Procession at 5.30 on the Friday; there'll be music and dancing in the streets and plenty of retail therapy/Christmas present choosing options. The village will be closed to traffic; there are park & ride buses (including from Wheddon Cross).

At Exmoor House, we've special offers in October and November - see our website for more info! Why not take a short break and enjoy some of the festivities... or just have a couple of days' relaxation?

Rum baba, anybody? (In which I discuss The Exmoor Files, by Liz Jones)

2010-10-15T14:29:00.000+01:00

The extracts of this book I’d read before – inevitably, the ones featured in the papers – gave the impression that it portrays Exmoor as a terrible, unfriendly place. Not really: it’s evident that the author does appreciate Exmoor’s beauty, and that she has made some good friends during her time here, as well as upsetting and offending some people. (’Tis ever thus with the media: when we lived in Worcester, I was intrigued to read in the local papers that all the residents of our street were being terrorised by hordes of rampaging students. I think we once heard somebody swear, rather mildly, on their way home from the pub, but can’t be certain that it was a student. Be that as it may though…)

If you’ve never been to Exmoor, do not be put off visiting by the fallout from this book. It is indeed one of the loveliest places on earth, and certainly the friendliest place we’ve lived in. Liz Jones’ main issues are not with Exmoor at all. She much prefers animals to people, including herself. Her chronic low self-esteem combines with a hope that one thing will make her life perfect (getting married? Moving to the country?), to ensure that she won’t be really happy anywhere.

The Exmoor Files is a good read; very funny in places, although cringe-inducing in others (she really lays herself bare, as you’ll know if you’ve read any of her columns). Some things should’ve been better checked – she refers to the Valley of Rocks as the ‘Valley of Stones’, and talks about ‘the’ Tarr Steps. And – wild goats on Dunkery Hill?

Jones writes well, though to me a jarring note is that she is always sat rather than sitting, stood rather than standing (why? why? as the author herself might ask). And some of the running jokes (calling Brian ‘Brain’ and her ex-husband’s flat a hovel) do wear thin.

I’m curious about another recurring motif (or obsession?): rum babas. Never seen one anywhere on Exmoor, Liz, though they’re good when done properly and have a Proustian effect on me, conjuring up memories of sunny holidays in France in the 70s. Maybe we should start featuring them on our menu, as the LJ Special.

Red deer rutting on Exmoor

2010-10-08T10:16:00.000+01:00

It's the red deer rutting season on Exmoor, as stags round up harems of hinds. Early morning, and evening, are the best time to observe the deer - caution is advised as the stags will charge if you get too close, and they are big! The sight of the stags fighting is quite spectacular - though you may hear their roaring (bolving, or belving, as it's called round here) without actually seeing them.
You can book a wildlife safari through various companies, and there are also guided walks available.
Here at Exmoor House, Wheddon Cross, we're ideally placed for trips out to go in search of the deer herds - right in the heart of Exmoor National Park and just a few miles from Dunkery Beacon. For a great short break on Exmoor, check out our special dinner, bed & breakfast packages - from only £174 for a three night stay.

October on Exmoor

2010-10-01T18:05:00.000+01:00

Here on Exmoor the autumn colours are just starting to show, although our view of Dunkery Hill still looks quite purple with heather. October's a season of festivals: the North Devon & Exmoor Walking Festival, the Exmoor Food Festival* (see my last post for more information about both of these) are just about to start. But there's more:

The tenth Two Moors Festival (30th September - 9th October) features an amazing range of concerts across Exmoor and Dartmoor. Originally planned as a one-off event in 1991 to support areas hard-hit by the foot & mouth outbreak, the festival has gone from strength to strength ever since.

On a more localised scale, the Lynton & Lynmouth Comedy Festival, on 15th-17th October, promises a fabulous (and free) feast of fun.

It's also the start of carnival season; Somerset's illuminated carnivals are quite unique. Catch Dulverton Carnival on 2nd October...

* It's not too late to book a Tasting Platter lunch at Exmoor House: we have some tables available every day (2nd - 10th October inclusive).

Exmoor Walking Festival and Exmoor Food Festival, October 2010

2010-09-24T12:59:00.003+01:00

October is festival time on Exmoor!

The North Devon & Exmoor Walking Festival is from October 1st to 4th. There is a great range of walks, from gentle strolls to challenging hikes. Find lots more details, and book your places on the walks, at http://www.exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk/

The Exmoor Food Festival, from October 2nd to 10th, has some fabulous events all over Exmoor - more info at http://www.exmoorfoodfestival.co.uk/

At Exmoor House, we are offering Exmoor Tasting Platters - lunch with a difference - a chance to try our great food that combines lovely local ingredients with expert cooking!

Choose from our delicious pates, terrines, flans, also some local cheeses (and more), all served tapas-style with salad plus our home-made bread and pickles, and all for £9.50. If you still have room after that, there are some fabulous puddings, including our home-made ice creams.

To go with your meal we've a good choice of local beers & ciders, a nice wine list and some lovely organic soft drinks; plus tea and coffee from our local suppliers.

Tasting Platters are available every day of the Food Festival, from 12-2pm (last orders 1.30pm). Advance booking is essential - just call us on 01643 841432.

If you can't make it for lunch, do remember that we are open most days for dinner - again, it is essential to book in advance.

And if you want to stay over on Exmoor, where better than Exmoor House at Wheddon Cross? Visit our website at http://www.exmoorhouse.com/ for details of short breaks and more.

See you soon?

Tour of Britain at Wheddon Cross

2010-09-17T14:50:00.000+01:00

Great excitement in the village on Tuesday, as lots of people lined the street to cheer on the Tour of Britain contestants. That day's ride started in Minehead, so the cyclists had only done one King of the Mountains challenge by the time they got here (2 more to go). Weather not that brilliant so they were a bit soaked!
It seemed to me that there were fewer competitors than in previous years. But that could be to do with it still being early in the day and the riders being less spread out.
It's always as interesting to watch all the entourage - marshalls, support vehicles, outriders, media folk, police, medics, sponsors, etc - as the race itself; quite an operation!
Our guests watched the race with us from the dining room - we had a grandstand (and warm & dry) view, and could wave majestically while having our coffee.

September's a great time for travelling

2010-09-10T12:47:00.000+01:00

It occurred to me today that September is a really good month for going to... more or less anywhere. Seems that in most places in the world, it's a month when the weather is (relatively) kind. Here in England, of course, children have gone back to school and adults who are child-free start thinking about peaceful getaway breaks.

In the middle of Exmoor National Park, where we are, the traditional holiday season doesn't necessarily mean crowds of people (they tend to congregate more in coastal areas). So, generally it's fairly peaceful at any time of year. You don't get the 'footpath as motorway' syndrome (you know what I mean...) that can afflict other national parks.

And, yes: September is a wonderful time to visit Exmoor too. Temperatures should be good for walking; the moorland is just beginning to show some autumn colour; there's plenty going on in the towns and villages (e.g. Porlock Arts Festival this weekend).

Why not come on over for a few days? See our website for details about short breaks packages at Exmoor House.

Some things happening on Exmoor soon

2010-09-03T15:04:00.001+01:00

Here on Exmoor there are lots of good things coming up in the next month or so. Here's some brief info:

Porlock Arts Festival (9th - 12th September)

Exmoor Bike Marathon (11th September)

The Tour of Britain stage 4 - Minehead to Teignmouth (14th September)
This passes through Wheddon Cross, home of Exmoor House

The West Somerset Railway Autumn Steam Gala (30th September - 3rd October)

The Two Moors Festival (30th September - 9th Octobet)
It's the Festival's tenth anniversary year

North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival (1st - 4th October)
There's a Food Walk from Wheddon Cross, which includes lunch at Exmoor House, on 2nd October. Places are limited so do book as soon as you can.

Exmoor Food Festival (2nd - 10th October)
You can enjoy Tasting Platter lunches at Exmoor House, Wheddon Cross, each day of the Festival (advance booking is essential)

Thinking about an Autumn getaway? At Exmoor House in October and November, we're offering weekend breaks for the same price as midweek - for example, a 3-night dinner, bed & breakfast package starts from only £174 per person. Enjoy a fabulously relaxing stay and some excellent food at a bargain price.

See you soon!

Tallest tree in England on Exmoor

2010-08-23T10:32:00.000+01:00

Did you know that Exmoor is home to England's tallest tree? It's a Douglas fir, on the Dunster Estate, near the Nutcombe Bottom picnic site. It's 197 feet (60m) high, and still growing. It can be seen on the Tall Trees Trail, a gentle walk through what was originally planted as an arboretum in the 1870s. Among the other trees (including other gigantic Douglas firs) there is the country's tallest magnolia too.

We did the Tall Trees Trail as part of a longer walk, via woodland, combes, open moorland and hillforts. As an added bonus, when we got to Bat's Castle, high above the coast, we saw a display by the Red Arrows over Minehead.

Walks taking in the estate could range from a short stroll to a full day's hike, and there are also cycle trails and bridleways. There's plenty of wildlife (and some chainsaw sculptures of wildlife too, if you don't manage to spot the real thing). Definitely worth a visit.

Frank wins the cup

2010-08-18T18:30:00.000+01:00

It was our village fete the other weekend. As usual, Frank entered some of his cakes, jams, chutneys and other food, including a flan of local goat's cheese, smoked bacon & tomatoes.

We went along to the prize-giving and were delighted to learn that he'd won the trophy for best baking - the flan was a triumph! This is quite an honour, as there are some great home bakers in the village. The cup is away being engraved at the moment, but will be on display as soon as we get it back.

So the prize-winning flan will go on the menu (not the actual flan that won the prize, obviously - apart from anything else, it was sold in the auction). Book dinner at Exmoor House one night and you may get to try the recipe.

Christmas and New Year house parties at Exmoor House

2010-08-09T12:39:00.000+01:00

I know, it's too early to be thinking about Christmas... or is it?

If you want to get together with family or friends, it pays to plan in advance. Have you thought about a different kind of celebration? You can book Exmoor House exclusively for your group (up to 12 people) for a Christmas or New Year house party, staying 2 or more nights on a full-board basis; we'll tailor-make menus to your requirements.

Imagine... spending some real quality time with the people you want to be with: relaxing by the fire, chatting, enjoying some fabulous food, taking bracing winter walks in Exmoor's beautiful scenery.

We guarantee... no TV repeats (no TVs in any of the guest rooms!); no organised entertainment; there'll only be turkey and Christmas pudding if that's what you want - and of course we do all the cooking and washing up. All you need to do is to turn up and have a great time.

What are you waiting for? See our website for more info, or give us a call to arrange a quote.

Exmoor Food Festival & Exmoor Walking Festival: more info

2010-08-02T14:49:00.000+01:00

Exmoor Food Festival
This year's Exmoor Food Festival is from 2nd - 10th October. Here at Exmoor House we are doing Exmoor Tasting Platters - lunch with a difference - each day from 12 - 2pm. You can try a selection of our delicious pates and terrines, some local cheeses, salads, home-made bread and pickles, all served tapas-style. There are some lovely puddings to follow, if you still have room! The local theme continues with drinks: we've a good choice of local beers, Somerset ciders, even some wine from Exmoor; as well as Luscombe organic soft drinks, and tea and coffee from DJ Miles of Porlock.
Booking is essential for the Tasting Platters - just give us a call.

North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival
Another date for your diary! The Autumn Exmoor Walking Festival is from 1st - 4th October. 'A Taste of High Exmoor' is a circular guided walk from Wheddon Cross with a Tasting Platter lunch at Exmoor House (plus a free tea or coffee) included. The walk's on Saturday 2nd October and places are limited, so do book early at http://www.exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk/

Exmoor Food Festival 2010

2010-07-26T10:43:00.001+01:00

The Exmoor Food Festival is from Saturday 2nd October to Sunday 10th October this year. Everything's just being finalised now and the details should be on http://www.exmoorfoodfestival.co.uk/ very soon, with a brochure coming out shortly afterwards. There's always a great variety of events.

Here at Exmoor House we're doing our Exmoor Tasting Platter lunches again: you can choose from (for example) a selection of our lovely pates and terrines, plus some local cheeses, all served tapas-style with salad, our home-made pickles and breads. There'll be delicious puddings to follow, if you still have room. Our drinks list includes Somerset ciders (of course) and local beers; even some wines from Exmoor.

The tasting platters are served every day of the festival, from 12 to 2, at £9.50 a head; advance booking is essential. On one of the days you'll be able to take a guided walk from Wheddon Cross to work up a good appetite for lunch. More details of this in the next week or so!

August special offer

2010-07-19T18:18:00.000+01:00

In need of a break? Come and visit beautiful Exmoor National Park, staying in a characterful, award-winning village guesthouse, where everything's designed for maximum comfort, minimum fussiness. Spend a few days walking, exploring, cycling... or just relaxing... and enjoy some fabulous food that combines lovely local ingredients with expert cooking.

Sounds good? It gets better:
We've extended our summer special offer. Book 3 or more nights dinner, bed & breakfast, any weekend in July or August (except for the bank holiday weekend starting Friday 27th August) and pay the same price as the equivalent midweek break. So, for example, a three night stay starts from just £174 per person. This offer is only available for telephone bookings directly with us (see our website for contact details).

See you soon?

Happening soon on Exmoor

2010-07-12T11:43:00.001+01:00

One of the lovely things about Exmoor is that it never gets crowded (comes of being the 'least visited National Park', I suppose!). It's always very easy to escape, and a haven for walkers and cyclists. Of course, you might not wish to be that active. The whole point of your visit may simply be to relax, potter around and enjoy some wonderful scenery - for which Exmoor is the perfect place.

However, there's always plenty going on, too. For example, here are just a few events coming up later this month:

Our village hall at Wheddon Cross - just a short walk from Exmoor House - plays host to the National Park's Exmoor Archaeology Forum on July 17th. Pre-booking is essential.

The Tornado, a modern steam locomotive, returns to the West Somerset Railway on July 12th to 16th (and September 13th to 17th).

At Wimbleball Lake, Lakefest 2010 (July 14th - 18th) features a great range of watersports and more.

Dunster Country Fair, at Dunster Castle, includes pony and dog shows, falconry displays and craft stalls. It's on July 28th.

There'll be orchestral and chamber music at a variety of venues during the Minehead and Exmoor Festival (July 25th - 31st).

Don't forget, at Exmoor House we've a July special break offer: more info on our website.

Liz Jones vs Hope Bourne?

2010-07-05T11:03:00.000+01:00

I was reading an article the other day which suggested that Liz Jones' book about living on Exmoor is still deterring some people from visiting the area. What a shame if that's the case! Exmoor has so much to offer - and is easily the friendliest place we've lived. We feel privileged to be here.

Now, I've read extracts from Liz J's book (which were, it has to be said, obviously chosen to suit the agenda of the articles in which they were quoted), and these were pretty negative about the area. But not having read the whole thing yet, I don't know whether she does get more positive. I read some of her 'Mail' columns during the time she was splitting up with her husband - brave of her to make public so much (wincingly too much) very personal information - but that's by the bye. Will have to read the book and report back!

But if you're looking for a completely different perspective, try what I'm reading now: Hope L Bourne's classic 'Wild Harvest'. It's a manifesto for self-sufficiency in which she shares her life philosophy and paints a loving, warts-and-all portrait of Exmoor in all its moods. I'd recommend her book 'Living on Exmoor' too. What a remarkable woman.

Midsummer madness special offer at Exmoor House

2010-06-28T11:52:00.000+01:00

Wow - we've been having proper summer weather over the last couple of weeks - no Glastonbury or (so far) Wimbledon monsoon, either. The Exmoor scenery is looking absolutely wonderful.

In our garden, the herbs are soaking up the sun, the rocket's rocketing and the tomatoes are starting to flower. And I've never seen so many fruits on our wild strawberry plants. Normally, there are only enough to use as a garnish, but we've treated ourselves to several bowlsful over the past few days. The flavour is quite delicate, yet somehow more intense than the 'domesticated' strawberries, and creamier as well (in fact you don't really need cream or anything else with them). Because the fruits are often hidden away under the leaves, we can often get to them before the birds, too. A cheeky blackbird did pinch one from right under my nose yesterday though. Does all this fruitfulness bode well for the rest of the summer? Let's hope so!

OK, enough garden ramblings: as you can see from the headline, we've a special offer on. Yer 'tis (as they say in Somerset): weekend stays of 3 (or more) nights in July are the same price as our midweek short breaks... which means you can book 3 nights dinner, bed & breakfast from only £174 per person. So if you feel like consoling yourselves with a getaway short break after England's exit from the World Cup - and of course if you just want to escape for a few days - just give us a call or drop us an email (all contact details are on our website - see link). See you soon?

Ironmen and ironwomen on Exmoor

2010-06-21T15:22:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was the half Ironman, starting at Wimbleball Lake (about 8 miles from Wheddon Cross). Everybody staying with us over the weekend was either competing in the event, or supporting somebody who was.

So we were up at 3.45am yesterday, feeding carbs to everyone so that they could go and jump in the lake at about 6.30. The water's always pretty cold, but I'm sure they will have warmed up after their run and bike ride! From the reports we've had so far, it all went pretty well.

We're thinking maybe we should start doing breakfast at 4.30am every day - would it catch on, I wonder? It was fantastic seeing the sun come up, but possibly the view wouldn't be so welcoming in midwinter. It would be great if there were always that many hours in the day, though - we'd done a full day's work by 11!

Congratulations to everybody who completed Ironman - we hope to see some of you next year (if not before).

Who ate all the pies?

2010-06-10T18:20:00.005+01:00

Er, well, actually... we did! All in the interests of research, you understand.

Frank's been making proper pies, which now feature regularly on the dinner menu at Exmoor House Wheddon Cross. They're going down a storm.

Why proper pies? Well, the ingredients are baked in the crust; they're not that kind of 'pie' that's more like a casserole with a bit of puff pastry plonked on top. And speaking of pastry, Frank makes a great all-butter shortcrust.

As you might expect, in keeping with our 'traditional with a twist' food philosophy, we offer some slightly different fillings in our pies... like duck & apricots; or Somerset cheddar with shallots & herbs.

Like the sound of them? Why not book dinner one night - or better still, book a few nights' stay! Hope to see you soon.

Don't go abroad - come to Exmoor!

2010-05-26T12:07:00.004+01:00

Like many other people, we had family and friends stuck at home or elsewhere because of the volcanic ash problems... and were very glad that we didn't have to fly anywhere at that stage.

With all the speculation that these eruptions could go on disrupting things for a while, and the fabulous weather we've had here, if I were planning a holiday I'd certainly be thinking in terms of avoiding flying... and discovering more of the UK maybe.

Blatant sales pitch coming up: where better to stay than Exmoor? More specifically, Exmoor House? Right in the heart of Exmoor National Park, with some beautiful countryside to explore (that never gets too crowded), fabulous food to enjoy and a lovely peaceful atmosphere.

Come on over - we'd love to see you.

Simonsbath, Wheal Eliza & Cow Castle

2010-04-24T12:57:00.003+01:00

The weather was perfect for walking last Saturday, and we had a couple of hours to spare in the afternoon, after going to visit a friend and her two new pigs (the pigs destined for bacon and sausages eventually, but having a lovely time meanwhile)... so off we went to Simonsbath.

There's a lovely walk from there along the Barle Valley, past the remains of the Wheal Eliza mine, round the Cow Castle hillfort and then up to Pickedstones and back through the fields and woods. Beautiful and varied scenery all the way, including panoramic views from up near Pickedstones. Part of the route follows the Two Moors Way (and waymarking is good along the whole walk).

We both got a bit surnburnt (my nose is peeling now!) although it didn't feel overly hot - just right for walking, as I said! The sunny weather - along with a cool breeze - has continued most of this week, so our guests have been having a great time getting out and about on Exmoor.

Exmoor Walking Festival coming up soon

2010-04-16T11:41:00.004+01:00

Just a quick reminder about the North Devon & Exmoor Walking Festival, which starts on 29th April and runs through to 7th May. It's the tenth one, and also the biggest so far. There's a great range of walks, from easy to strenuous, covering coast, countryside, woodland... A good number of the walks are accessible by public transport, too.

In the heart of Exmoor National Park at Wheddon Cross, Exmoor House is a great place to stay as a base if you're visiting for the festival.; as I write, we've still some rooms available on most of the days. If you can't make it this time, there is another walking festival in Autumn (1st to 4th October). This coincides with part of the Exmoor Food Festival, and some walks incorporating the opportunity to try local food will be included. Fresh air and food - two of my favourite things...

By the way, don't be worried that Exmoor may get crowded with all these walks and walkers! Places are limited on the walks, and it is always very easy indeed to escape in this area. It's not unusual to walk all day without seeing anybody else. The beauty of guided walks, of course, is that there's no chance of getting lost (we've all done it - haven't we? Or is it just me and Frank?) and you have the benefit of the guide's local knowledge.

There are fabulous walks you can do on Exmoor all the year round. In previous posts I've included some we've done, and I'll post more as we discover them.

The gorse is in bloom

2010-04-09T11:20:00.005+01:00

We did the Hunters Inn to Heddon's Mouth walk the other day. The river was quite high (not surprising really) and the waves dramatic. But what really caught my eye was the gorse, which in a couple of weeks has really come on. I always think that gorse flowers look as if they have some sunshine caught in them.

Gorse is used as one of the Bach Flower Remedies (you might know that I'm a Bach practitioner) - it's to help relieve states of despair, gloom and pessimism. Just looking at the flowers, and inhaling that heady coconut-type scent, always makes me smile.

You can see one of the photos I took when we were walking on the 'Pic of the Week' page of our website.

It looks set fair for a great weekend here on Exmoor. We've still rooms left, so why not pay us a visit?

More signs of Spring...

2010-04-02T15:21:00.002+01:00

Just a couple of weeks ago when we were out walking, the grass on Exmoor was the same colour as it gets in Africa (good camouflage for the Exmoor Beast, perhaps). But now everything's a lot greener, the promroses and daffodils are well on their way and the snowdrops are finally finished (they lasted incredibly well this year). Lots more Spring lambs too, and the birds are still nesting like mad.

We have had some snow over the last couple of days, along with some amazing cloudscapes. The snow didn't last too long, but while it did, Dunkery Hill looked like a proper mountain. Funny how the snow makes it look much higher, and much further away. From our dining room window, I can see a tiny bit of snow still lingering in some of the more sheltered combes and dips.

Easter seems to have fallen at a strange time this year - it feels as if it's way too early. Maybe because it's been such a long, cold winter. Bring on the sunshine!

Walking on Exmoor - some walks we've done recently

2010-03-19T11:44:00.005Z

Frank and I found ourselves with a bit of free time over the last week or so, and we've discovered some walks we hadn't done before....

...From Exford, along the river Exe towards Nethercote, then climbing up to Room Hill and Road Hill and back to Exford via Court Farm (this was on a perfect frosty morning - lovely)

...Up over Dunkery Hill via the Rowbarrows, along the lane then across Bagley Combe and back over Dunkery again (the scenery is very different on the two sides of Dunkery Hill you see on this walk - an amazing contrast)

We revisited some old favourites too: including Snowdrop Valley (of course!). Some of our guests were down there yesterday and report that the snowdrops are still looking great. The primroses are out too and the daffodils are on the way.

And we did the walk down Putham Lane and over to Hart Cleeve, up to Lype Hill and then following the Coleridge Way back to Wheddon Cross. Quite a brisk wind on the hills - very refreshing!

The moor still looks quite wintery, but the signs of spring are here: apart from the flowers mentioned above, we spotted the first few gorse flowers and some catkins, and the beeches are in bud. The new lambs are arriving now, of course, too.

Events coming up on Exmoor

2010-03-10T13:37:00.003Z

Here is a preview of just some things happening soon on Exmoor. Being more or less in the middle of the National Park, Exmoor House is very well situated, so is a perfect place to stay if you're visiting Exmoor for any of these events.

The Exmoor 4x4 Jaunt and Challenge, a charity fundraising event which starts from Wheddon Cross, is on March 19th, 20th & 21st.

West Somerset Steam Railway's Spring Steam Gala takes place on 20th-21st and 25th-29th March, with visiting locomotives and lots going on.

The North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival takes place from 29th April to 7th May. There'll be a range of fabulous (and varied) guided walks.

This year's Golden Horseshoe endurance ride, which starts a few miles down the road at Exford, is from 16th-18th May.

The half Ironman triathlon is on 20th May at Wimbleball Lake (just over 8 miles from Exmoor House). We don't have any rooms left for Ironman weekend itself, but for participants who are planning to do a recce before the race, Exmoor House is a great place to stay! We'll also be doing a high-carbohydrate dinner for Ironman participants - featuring our home-made pasta - on the evening before the event. People who aren't staying here are also welcome to join us for dinner (advance booking is essential).

Looking way ahead, December sees the very popular Dunster by Candlelight, on 3rd and 4th December. Very atmospheric, with street entertainment and Christmas shopping. The town will be closed to traffic but special buses will be running.

Is spring here at last?

2010-03-05T11:52:00.002Z

Wow - it's been absolutely gorgeous here these past few days, with those fabulous clear skies that Exmoor does so well. We finally made it down to Snowdrop Valley, which is looking spectacular. Even better than last year! I think the snowdrops should still be good for the next week or so. If you're walking down there, I'd recommend avoiding the last bit of path and going on the road instead (watch out for tractors etc) as it's very slippery.
Yesterday we went to Lynton & Lynmouth - we drove there the Simonsbath way, then back via the coast road. There was an icy wind - very refreshing, not to mention bracing - and the views from the top of the cliff railway were as good as we've ever seen (often, Wales gets lost in the haze but it didn't yesterday).
Here's to a lovely weekend...

Snowdrops in the snow

2010-02-23T13:13:00.002Z

What an interesting few days, weather-wise! It's been snowing... and thawing... and snowing... and thawing... you get the picture. We seem to have had today's snowfall now, and the thaw is happening. There was glorious sunshine over the weekend and lots of people visited Snowdrop Valley (and our tearoom). Frank's scones - we have a secret recipe - are getting rave reviews.
The Park & Ride has finished now for this year, but of course the path down to the valley is open and the signs will be in place for the rest of this week at least (note that you can't drive down to the valley at the moment - the road remains closed till the end of the month).
Paths are very muddy, so do bring appropriate clothing and wellies or walking boots.
The Exmoor House tearoom will be open until Sunday, so do call in if you're in the neighbourhood. We've accommodation available for all nights this week too.

Update on Snowdrop Valley

2010-02-15T14:53:00.002Z

The snowdrops are looking better every day just now! The Park & Ride from Wheddon Cross ends in a week's time but the road closure stays in place until the end of February and the information point in the village car park will still be open too.

It's a lovely walk down to the valley (and back up again!) but it can be quite muddy - so good, strong, non-slip footwear is essential.

Our tearoom at Exmoor House will be open most days, so do come in and try some of our lovely scones, teacakes, ploughman's lunches, soup, rolls - everything home-made.

Snowdrop Valley, Wheddon Cross

2010-01-25T13:15:00.005Z

The Exmoor snowdrops season is here! The Wheddon Cross park & ride service to the famous Snowdrop Valley runs from 30th January to 21st February. The narrow road that goes to the valley will remain closed for ordinary traffic until the end of February, but the snowdrop walk from Wheddon Cross will still be open and signposted.

At Exmoor House we still have rooms available for most days in February - just contact us.

We're also opening our tearoom again, just for Snowdrop Valley. It'll be open most days, from 11am to 3pm. We'll be serving homemade soup, delicious homemade rolls, cakes, scones, teacakes, as well as Exmoor House ploughman's lunches - and teas, coffees, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks of course.

Looking for somewhere for dinner? Try Exmoor House. We combine lovely local ingredients with expert cooking. The daily-changing menu, from £20.50 for 2 courses + coffee/tea, is great value. Booking is essential. Come and find out why we've twice been nominated for the UKTV Food Local Hero Awards...

Our January newsletter is out now

2010-01-15T14:32:00.003Z

If you'd like to receive a copy of our January newsletter, just let us know and we'll email one to you. It has details of a 'recommend a friend' discount for people who've stayed with us before. There's also information about our new 2-course dinner packages (we've added these because several people have commented that they'd rather not eat 3 courses every night). Plus we've restructured our house party prices, so that they're fairer for smaller groups.

The snow's melting fast here now - not much left!

What's happening on Exmoor over the next few months

2010-01-08T15:12:00.004Z

Here are just a few events on Exmoor in 2010...

* Coming up soon (30th January to end of February) is Snowdrop Valley: don't miss it! We'll be opening our tearoom most days in February, and are offering our special breaks packages too - they're now even better value.

* If you're taking part in the half Ironman triathlon at Wimbleball Lake (20th June) then you should book your accommodation soon: it will sell out very quickly. Exmoor House is the ideal base; Wimbleball is easily accessible from here. We'll be doing a high-carbohydrate dinner for Ironman competitors - featuring our home-made pasta - on the evening before the event.
Exmoor House is also a great place to stay if you're doing a recce or practise before the event.

* The West Somerset Railway's Spring Steam Gala is on 20 & 21 & 25 to 28 March and will form part of the 'GWR 175' celebrations.

* The North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival takes place from 29th April to 7th May. There'll be a range of fabulous (and varied) guided walks.

* This year's Golden Horseshoe endurance ride, which starts a few miles down the road at Exford, is from 16th-18th May.

At the moment it's very snowy here, with more forecast. It looks beautiful...

Snowdrop Valley

2009-12-05T12:25:00.004Z

Snowdrop Valley always used to be one of Exmoor's best-kept secrets; it's a bit more well known now. Definitely worth a visit - the snowdrops look wonderful. In 2010 the park & ride from Wheddon Cross will run from 30th January until 21st February. You can walk down to the valley too, of course, via a pretty winding path.
At Exmoor House we'll be opening our dining room as a tearoom most days during Snowdrop Valley time, from 11.00am to 3.00pm. We serve lovely homemade rolls with a choice of fillings, nice hot soup, cream teas, cakes and so on, and of course a good choice of hot and cold drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
We're usually open for dinner in the evenings, too - advance booking is essential for this.
And if you like the idea of a late winter break to see the snowdrops, just give us a call!

Red deer viewing on Exmoor

2009-11-20T11:14:00.004Z

Some of our recent guests were very lucky to spend 2 hours watching a herd of red deer on the Exford side of Dunkery. 'Compulsive viewing!' they said. There were 2 stags, vying for the attention of about 20 hinds, and a 3rd stag who managed to abduct 2 of the females. As a bonus, our guests also saw Exmoor ponies.
We retraced their steps the other day, but alas the deer were nowhere to be seen. It was exceptionally windy, so they were probably sheltering in the combe. We did see ponies, though, now with their winter coats well growing in.
We walked into Stoke Pero, had a look round the tiny ancient church and got screamed at by the resident guinea-fowl at the nearby farm (better at raising the alarm than geese, I reckon!).
Sometimes people are surprised at how 'cultivated' parts of Exmoor are, as it doesn't maybe fit with their vision of a moor; but when you get up around Stoke Pero it's wilder countryside. Lovely for a bracing walk on a windy day, and all part of Exmoor's charm - we're so privileged to have such a fantastic variety of scenery on our doorstep.

Food intolerances and special diets

2009-11-13T11:18:00.006Z

More and more people seem to be developing intolerances or allergies to more and more foods at the moment... with my complementary therapist hat on, I'm sure that there's a connection with the highly-processed diet, loaded with artificial additives, that has become so common.

At Exmoor House we try and cater for particular dietary requirements: vegetarian of course, and wheat-free/dairy-free diets for example (although, being out in the sticks, we do need a bit of notice to ensure we can get the right type of milk substitute, flour, etc, in). If you're coming to stay with us, please do let us know any strong dislikes in the food line too, so that we can plan accordingly - we really want the meals to be a highlight of your time here!

The other week, out of 10 guests staying with us, 5 couldn't eat wheat/gluten or dairy, and two couples had multiple allergies which meant we had to plan the menus very carefully indeed. This tested Frank's culinary ingenuity - it's good to be kept on your toes! - and we learnt some useful recipe variations (e.g. using coconut milk to make a white sauce).

Gluten-free baking involves slightly different techniques and we have had some things that didn't turn out as they should (concrete scones, anybody?) - but we've discovered some great recipes like a delicious carrot cake and a squidgy dark chocolate-almond cake... Maybe there needs to be another name for gluten-free bread, though, as it's not like 'real' bread in texture - more like crumpet, often. Not unpalatable, just different.

But as a friend of ours says: 'I think about what I can eat, rather than what I can't'.

Thinking about Christmas and New Year

2009-11-03T11:36:00.005Z

Yes, it seems to be creeping up quite fast: it's November already, you know...

Have you decided what you're doing yet? How about a house party at Exmoor House? Over Christmas and New Year we're open solely for house parties.

The deal is that you get the whole place to yourselves for a stay of at least 2 nights, on a full board basis. We can take up to 12 people, in our 5 rooms (1 double, 3 double or twin, 1 family room sleeping up to 4).

It's a great opportunity to spend some quality time with family and/or friends, just eating, drinking, chatting by the fire, taking a stroll in the fabulous Exmoor countryside if you feel like it. A real escape, and totally relaxing.

We'll tailor-make a package for you - so prices will vary - depending on what you'd like in the way of food. A traditional turkey & Christmas pudding type feast with the Exmoor House touch? A sumptuous buffet? Something a bit different (a selection of delicious curries perhaps) - or all of the above?

If you're tempted, do get in touch with us to discuss. In order to plan everything, we'd need to have bookings confirmed before the end of this month.

Walking from Exmoor House: some of our favourite walks

2009-10-23T12:46:00.002+01:00

We've discovered some great walks from our door over the last year or so. The most well-known is up to Dunkery Beacon and back, which you can do several different ways (e.g. via Luckwell Bridge or Snowdrop Valley) and make into a very long walk if you want to. On a clear day, the views from Dunkery Hill are absolutely stunning.
Some of our other favourites are to follow part of the Coleridge Way towards Luxborough, then turn off for a different route back to Wheddon Cross. Or you can walk through Cutcombe, then cut across the fields to East Wood, go down to Sully's Corner and back via Putham Lane.
The autumn colours are coming along nicely now so the woods are looking wonderful.
Many of the footpaths and bridleways follow old sunken lanes and former drover's roads - amazing to think that centuries ago these would have been the equivalent of motorways.

Food Fest a great success

2009-10-16T12:24:00.003+01:00

The Exmoor Food Festival went really well this year, by all accounts. We certainly had a good number of people in to try our lunchtime tasting platters. Definitely worth doing again in 2010. We might do something similar to the tasting platters - somebody suggested we have tasters of puddings too - or maybe we'll have something different. We'll be promoting it here and on our website, as well as in our newsletter and via the Festival publications, of course.
If you thought about coming over for lunch but didn't make it, do remember that we can usually provide lunches for groups of 4 or more people, when booked at least 48 hours in advance (menu to suit - we'll discuss your requirements with you). And we're open most evenings for dinner - again, booking is essential.

Exmoor Tasting Platters - menu for Exmoor Food Festival

2009-09-29T12:56:00.002+01:00

Book your table now for our 'lunch with a difference' - Exmoor Tasting Platters - served as part of the Exmoor Food Festival, 2nd - 11th October (12-2pm each day). For £8.50 a head you can choose 3 different tapas-style servings of things like our potted beef, spinach & garlic terrine, home-cured meats (e.g. smoked pork tenderloin), Somerset cheeses (including Exmoor Jersey Blue)... all served with salad, home-made breads and a choice of home-made pickles. You can add extra tasting portions too.
For pudding, why not try some of our wonderful home-made ice cream (which we make in some slightly unusual flavours like blackberry & elderberry) or a delicious, light and very chocolatey sponge...
To go with your meal we've some good local beers and Somerset ciders, a nice range of wines, organic soft drinks from Devon and tea and coffee from our local supplier.
Look forward to seeing you!

Red deer rutting on Exmoor

2009-09-21T12:34:00.002+01:00

October's the red deer rutting season, and Exmoor is a great place to see (and hear) the stags in all their splendour. Here on Exmoor we have the largest concentration of wild red deer in Europe, as well as fallow deer and roe deer.
The Porlock Visitor Centre organises 'rutting weekends' each year, and there are a number of companies offering 4 x 4 safaris on the moor. The Exmoor National Park rangers also organise escorted walks.
Come and stay at Exmoor House for a few nights (being in Wheddon Cross, we're more or less right in the middle of the national park) and you can go in search of the deer herds...

Walking from Tarr Steps

2009-09-07T17:21:00.003+01:00

Frank & I don't get out much when things are busy here at Exmoor House; but we had a free afternoon last week and went over to Tarr Steps - hadn't visited this part of Exmoor for a while. We did part of the Tarr Steps/Withypool circuit. Thought we could cross the river partway along, but in fact it's not possible so we returned the same way and came down the hill again! It was the most walking we'd done for a while... We saw deer (Bambi & his mum) and a rabbit too (must've been Thumper), as well as lots of birdlife - and sheep of course. There are the remains of some really old hedgebanks, which are very picturesque, all overgrown with moss. Some of the leaves are just starting to turn, but in general everything's still looking quite green. The heather continues to hold its own too - Dunkery Beacon, as seen from our dining room, is still very purple.

North Devon & Exmoor Autumn Walking Festival

2009-08-31T18:19:00.003+01:00

For the first time this year there's an autumn walking festival for North Devon & Exmoor, as well as the one in May. The autumn festival is from 18th to 21st September. There are eight walks, for all abilities, to choose from each day. Some great stuff!
Why not book a few days at Exmoor House and take in some of the walks while you're here? (You need to book for the walks too - there's a link to the walking festival site from our website). September's a great time for walking on Exmoor, with - we hope, anyway - some mellow autumn weather on the way.
See you soon!

Exmoor Food Festival: try some prize-winning chutney

2009-08-25T18:34:00.004+01:00

A reminder that the Exmoor Food Festival takes place from 2nd - 11th October. At Exmoor House we'll be doing tasting platters at lunchtime every day. We're calling it lunch with a difference - it's a chance to try a selection of our pates, pickles, home-made bread, local cheeses, salads... with some delicious puddings to follow if you still have room. And, yes, we do have prize-winning chutney: Frank's spicy tomato chutney won a first prize at the Cutcombe Fete in early August.
It's essential to book for the October lunches; please contact us (all contact info is on our website) if you'd like some more details.

Sustainable energy in Wheddon Cross

2009-08-11T12:48:00.003+01:00

You might have gathered from this blog and our website that I'm keen on all things green.
Last night I was at a meeting in our village hall about a proposed Wheddon Cross & Cutcombe sustainable energy plan. Forum 21, our local sustainable communities group, are going to help the Parish Council and other volunteers draw up the plan. It's all quite exciting - there are lots of possibilities. Early days yet, but the initial plan needs to be finalised by the end of this month, then there'll be a process of trying to get funding for the village to help with putting the projects in place.
I'll post updates here when there's more news.

Exmoor looks fab after all the rain!

2009-07-25T12:21:00.004+01:00

Yes, we have had a bit of rain recently. Today it's sunny and much warmer, though. Does that mean the Met Office's 'barbeque summer' is here? It feels more like holiday time should, anyway.
We drove over to Taunton yesterday and going over the Brendon Hills everything was wonderfully green and lush, with that washed-clean kind of look. This spring was especially flower-full, and it looks like this is going to continue, with the rosebay willowherb looking gorgeous just now and the heather getting more purple by the day.
Another benefit from the rain is that the whortleberries are large & juicy - we made whortleberry pie last week (delicious with clotted cream). We look forward to blackberry-picking season!

Herbs & salad

2009-07-20T14:16:00.002+01:00

Well, the rain we've had recently has meant that the salad crops I planted are flourishing! The leafy ones, anyway - lots of lovely rocket & baby lettuce leaves, and the spring onions are coming on nicely. Sadly, the tomatoes are not doing so well. They should pick up once we get more sun though.
The herbs are really vibrant: the mint's incredibly minty, the lemon balm very lemony, and the sage - well - sagey. Last year my sage was comprehensively eaten by snails, but this time it seems to be surviving much better.
Frank does a great dish of local chicken breast stuffed with our home-grown herbs and wrapped in local bacon, which we serve with a herby tomato sauce - delicious! We've also been doing some wonderful maincourse salads.
Remember that Exmoor House is open to non-residents for dinner (though it's essential to book at least 24 hours in advance, especially if you have any particular dietary requirements).
Hope to see you soon!

Special offers at Exmoor House with FreeDiscountCard

2009-07-10T15:40:00.003+01:00

Exmoor House has joined the FreeDiscountCard scheme, and we've special offers available for members. There are also discounts available on all sorts of other things nationwide.
Have a look at www.freediscountcard.co.uk for more information!

Another award for Exmoor House

2009-07-04T17:26:00.003+01:00

We had our Quality in Tourism (Visit Britain) inspection last week. Just got the inspector's report yesterday and were delighted to learn that as well as our 4* grading we now have a Silver Award too. That means that we scored highly in all Visit Britain's quality categories (e.g. hospitality, food, comfort & cleanliness). Good to have this official recognition!

House parties special offer

2009-06-26T14:35:00.002+01:00

For a limited time, we've a special offer on house parties. For a stay of 2 or more nights, the price is now £640 per night (was £690). That's amazing value for dinner, bed & breakfast for a group of up to 12 people, with exclusive use of Exmoor House. The offer doesn't apply to stays over the Christmas/New Year period (see my post of 12th June for more info about house parties during the festive season).

Reiki & remedies

2009-06-19T14:39:00.003+01:00

If you've stayed with us recently - or even just passed by and seen my poster in the window - you probably know that I'm a practitioner of various complementary therapies and techniques: Reiki, Bach Flower Remedies and Metamorphic Technique. I've been doing them all for a while, but only relatively recently started promoting them again (we wanted to concentrate on the operational side of Exmoor House itself first!).

So this is just a reminder that Reiki and the other techniques are available during your stay; it's best to book a little way in advance though. The benefits can be many and varied. Obviously it would be unethical of me (not to mention illegal!) to claim that they can 'cure' anything, but many people - myself included - have experienced amazing results. And for a chance to have some me-time and totally relax, Reiki or Metamorphic Technique are hard to beat. Bach Flower Remedies give the opportunity to gently balance any unhelpful emotions you might be feeling.

Of course, you don't have to be staying at Exmoor House to book an appointment... I welcome enquiries from people living locally.

More details? Email me: reiki.rose@yahoo.co.uk

What are you doing at Christmas?

2009-06-12T12:05:00.003+01:00

For a different way of celebrating Christmas and New Year, how about a house party at Exmoor House? We'll be open exclusively for house parties over the festive season, for stays of two nights or more on a full-board basis. You could have a traditional style Christmas feast, a buffet or something else entirely - whatever you prefer. Just let us know and we'll give you a quote.

You'll have the place to yourselves so you can be as riotous or as calm as you like - a chance to spend some real quality time with family or friends. Enjoy the countryside, relax by the fire, play games, sit and chat... and escape the endless TV repeats!

This is definitely not one of those 'turkey & tinsel' type breaks (though you can of course have either or both!). No organised entertainment, etc - you're free to please yourselves as to what you'd like to do, with all the cooking, washing up etc will be taken care of. All you need to do is have a thoroughly good time.

Sounds appealing? Get in touch!

Festivals of walking, food & culture on Exmoor

2009-06-08T18:14:00.002+01:00

There are some fabulous events coming up on Exmoor later in the year.

For the first time there's an Exmoor Autumn Walking Festival - it's from 18th-21st September. Details will be available soon but if it's anything like the walking festival in April/May, there'll be some really interesting and unusual guided walks. There's a link to the festival site from our website.

The Exmoor Food Festival is from 2nd-11th October. Exmoor House is taking part: we'll be offering Exmoor tasting platters - lunch with a difference. You can try a selection of our pates and terrines, pickles and cheeses, served tapas-style, with salad and our home-made bread. There are some wonderful puddings to follow if you still have room. Booking is essential - please see our website, where you'll find our contact details.

And there'll be a feast of culture too in October (8th-18th) with the Two Moors Festival: concerts, recitals and other exciting happenings across Exmoor and Dartmoor.

Where to stay? Exmoor House of course!

Spot of lunch or dinner?

2009-05-29T10:03:00.003+01:00

Now we've got some fine summery weather at last, you might be thinking about getting out and about a bit more. Did you know that we do lunches and dinner at Exmoor House for non-residents?

Because we make everything ourselves we do need a bit of notice, though, so advance booking (at least 24 hours in advance for dinner, a few days before for lunch) is essential.

You can book lunch for a minimum of 4 people, maximum about 12. Let us know the kind of thing you'd like - e.g. ploughman's, soup & sandwiches, buffet or a more substantial meal - and we'll do you a quote!

Dinner is a set 3-course menu, which changes every day, with a couple of choices for each course. We can cater for various dietary requirements (for example vegetarian, wheat-free, dairy-free...). That's another reason why we need bookings in advance - being in a very small village we have to order most of our supplies in.

Do get in touch if you'd like any more information.

We've won a national green award!

2009-04-26T17:38:00.005+01:00

I'm delighted to announce that Exmoor House is one of the top 12 in the country, out of 425 businesses assessed by Green Tourism last year - earning us one of their Best Performer 2008 awards. Unfortunately, we couldn't get to the awards ceremony, which was in London, but we've received our certificate - now proudly displayed on the wall in our hallway. A press photographer came to see us last week so there should be some pics of us clutching the certificate appearing in Exmoor National Park publications sometime soon!

Here's a copy of the media release I sent out about the award:

National green award for West Somerset guest house

Exmoor House, a small guest house and restaurant at Wheddon Cross, has received a Best Performer 2008 award from Green Tourism. This accolade makes it one of the top 12 in the country out of 425 businesses assessed by Green Tourism last year. The award recognises energy performance, green grading and efforts by Exmoor House owners Rosi Davis and Frank Velander as Green Ambassadors for sustainable tourism in England.
‘We were delighted to achieve a Silver grading from Green Tourism’, says Rosi. ‘We’re even more delighted to have gained this special award. It's always been very important to us to operate in an environmentally-friendly way. To me it's common sense to try and make as little adverse impact on the planet as possible and not to waste resources. We’re now working on the suggestions in our assessment report, and have introduced some new ideas of our own. There is always more we can do though. We’ll try to go for a Gold award next!’
The green assessment takes into account every aspect of the business. An important factor is helping to sustain the local economy – something Frank and Rosi are passionate about. ‘We pride ourselves on serving great homemade food to our guests, using good quality ingredients and buying local wherever we can’, says Frank. ‘There are some excellent producers and suppliers round here, who we’re glad to support’.
The couple found the assessment process very user-friendly, with plenty of support available throughout. They won a very helpful pre-assessment visit from an Envision SW consultant (courtesy of SW Tourism and the RDA). SWT also contributed towards their Green Tourism membership fee. Exmoor National Park Authority’s Sustainable Economy Department gave a grant from the Keeping Exmoor Special fund and provided advice and information.