Snowdrop Valley 2017, Wheddon Cross, Exmoor, Somerset

Snowdrop Valley is exactly that: a valley with lots of snowdrops. Tucked away on Exmoor in Somerset, just a mile or so from our guest house in Wheddon Cross, it's special because you can see the snowdrops flowering in natural woodland (many snowdrops walks are in a more formal setting such as parkland).

February is generally peak snowdrop season, although of course it depends mainly on the weather as to when the blooms will be at their best. Access to Snowdrop Valley is by walking, or by minibus. The walk, which takes you down to the valley and back up again, is very pretty. As you might imagine, it can be very muddy, so you need to wear wellies or walking boots.

The minibuses are organised by our local parish council. They run from the village car park (across the road from our place and next to the pub). You'll also find an information point where you can get directions and advice and buy snowdrop-related souvenirs. If the village car park is full, there is generally overflow parking available at the cattle market just down the road (except on market days).

In 2017 the road to Snowdrop Valley is closed from 28th January to 26th February inclusive, hence the park & ride minibuses. The park & ride service runs from 4th to 19th February, so on the other dates you can only get to the valley if you walk.

The Wheddon Cross village website has regular updates. You can also download a bus timetable and an information leaflet.

If you fancy a few nights' break on Exmoor to see the snowdrops, you can enjoy a relaxing stay at Exmoor House and enjoy our great food.

Snowdrops, steam trains and snacks

Combining a ride on a steam train with a visit to Exmoor’s beautiful Snowdrop Valley sounds like just the  ticket! This year’s Snowdrops and Steam days out on the West Somerset Railway are on February 16^th, 17^th, 18^th, 19^th and 20^th.

  
The steam trains depart from Bishops Lydeard at 10.25 or Minehead at 10.15. You get off at Williton Station to join the special coach service to Wheddon Cross, arriving there around midday. To get to the valley itself, you can either walk (allow about 1 ½ to 2 hours; the paths are steep and can be very muddy) or travel on the snowdrop bus.

Your coach back to Williton leaves Wheddon Cross about 15.00, to catch the 16.45 trains to Bishops Lydeard and Minehead. Visit WSR for more information, prices and booking details (as I write this, some of the Snowdrops and Steam dates are selling very fast).


While you’re in Wheddon Cross, do call in to Exmoor House for some hot soup, home-made teacakes, a cream tea or a ploughman’s lunch…

And to see just why Snowdrop Valley is so special, take a look at these photos

On the Wheddon Cross village website you’ll find details of various walks to Snowdrop Valley; here are some examples.

Snowdrop Valley 2015: another update

In my last blog post you will have seen the dates for this year’s park and ride buses between Wheddon Cross and Snowdrop Valley, along with some other information.

Steam train on the West Somerset Railway

There is more to tell! West Somerset Railway are again running their popular Snowdrops and Steam excursion (on various dates between 14^th and 22^nd February). You travel by train from Bishop’s Lydeard to Williton, where there will be a coach to take you to Wheddon Cross (with some lovely Exmoor scenery on the way).

Once you get here, you can choose whether to take the bus or walk to the valley; then after your visit the coach will collect you for the trip back to Williton to join the train once more. For further details, including the day’s timetable and how to book, visit the West Somerset Railway website.


And while you are at Wheddon Cross, do pop into our pop-up tearoom for lunch, or maybe just tea and cake…


Are you driving to our village for your Snowdrop Valley visit? Then you need to be aware that the road through Dunster is closed, so if coming from the Minehead or Bridgwater directions you will need to follow the diversion signs.

Snowdrop Valley on Exmoor in February 2015: update

This year the arrangements for Exmoor’s Snowdrop Valley are a little different. Here’s what you need to know.

Snowdrop Valley, Exmoor, Somerset

As usual the little road that leads to the valley will be closed to traffic for the snowdrops season. In 2015 the road closes from Saturday 31^st January to Sunday 1^st March inclusive.

The park and ride buses from Wheddon Cross to Snowdrop Valley will be running from 7^th – 22^nd February. The buses are accessible for people with limited mobility (and if you have a mobility issue and are unable to visit while the buses are running, please see the Wheddon Cross village website - link below - where you'll find details of what to do).

From 31^st January to 6th February and from 23^rd February until 1^st March, walkers will be able to get to the valley but there is no access by car and no buses will be running.

You can walk down and back up again the same way, using the footpath that starts near the Exmoor Farmers Market at Wheddon Cross (where there is also a car park); alternatively you could make it a longer circular walk by taking other local paths. Whichever way you go, it is very steep in places (Exmoor’s hills are part of its charm) and it is likely to be muddy, so do remember your walking boots or wellies.

The Snowdrop Information Point, in the village car park next to the pub, will be staffed during each day while the park and ride is running and also on the weekends of 31^st January and 28^th February. As well as getting help and advice there, you can also buy various souvenirs.

For regular updates and maps of some suggested walk routes, as well as details about places to eat and stay near Snowdrop Valley (including our place) visit the Wheddon Cross website: http://www.wheddoncross.org.uk/snowdropvalley.htm

Exmoor accommodation for Snowdrop Valley: dinner bed and breakfast breaks

Exmoor’s valley of snowdrops, once a well-kept secret, is becoming more well known. About a mile fromWheddon Cross, this beautiful wooded Somerset river valley is a wonderfully natural setting for drifts of snowdrops and perfect for a February visit.

If you want to celebrate these early signs of spring with a few days away, why not book a short break at Exmoor House? We’re within walking distance of the snowdrops (but if you’re not a walker there is a special bus service that will take you down to the valley and back).

We have a special offer for the snowdrop season: £10 off the normal price of our three night Exmoor dinner bed and breakfast breaks (making the cost from just £164 per person) plus a free cream tea and a free bottle of house wine during your stay. Find more information here:

exmoorhotel.co.uk/whyvisitnow.htm

If you are local to Wheddon Cross you might like to visit our February tearoom… proper home-made food,expertly cooked using good local ingredients. Here are some details:

exmoorhotel.co.uk/specialevents.htm

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Snowdrop Valley Exmoor: tearoom, lunches and dinner at Exmoor House

Exmoor House at Wheddon Cross is for locals as well as visitors to the area! Once again we're opening the Exmoor House dining room as a daytime tearoom for Snowdrop Valley (our 2014 dates: 1st February to 2nd March inclusive). Come and enjoy our fabulous mega ploughman's lunches or some delicious soup. Popular sandwich fillings include home-smoked breast of chicken and real corned beef (not like the stuff that comes in a tin). There are home-made cakes and teacakes, and of course our sweet and savoury cream teas. 'The best scones I've ever tasted', says Julie atThe Wedding Genie. Find her review of Exmoor House here:
http://theweddinggenie.co.uk/2011/10/21/alternative-wedding-venue-exmoor-house/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%2BTheWeddingGenie%2B%28The%2BWedding%2BGenie%29

If you are taking part in an excursion, for example the West Somerset Railway's Snowdrops and Steam days (more details: http://westsomersetrailway.vticket.co.uk/product.php/33/snowdrops-steam )   you might like to combine it with lunch at our place. Booking is advisable.

Remember that you can enjoy our great food in the evenings too: we’re open for dinner most days during the year. Frank the chef combines lovely local ingredients with expert cooking and everything is home made, including bread, ice creams, and our famous proper pies (‘exceptional evening meals’ – Hilary Bradt, Slow Devon & Exmoor). Advance booking is essential as we plan each day’s menu around our dinner guests’ dietary requirements and preferences, to make sure everybody has a good choice. To go with your meal, we’ve a nice selection of wines (including some from Exmoor), local beers, Somerset ciders…

Planning a celebration? You can reserve sole use of our lovely dining room for private lunches at any time of year, subject to availability of course. The minimum number is 4 people; maximum about 12. We’ll devise a menu to suit your group. Call Rosi and Frank on 01643 841432, we’re happy to help. 

Try Exmoor House and find out why our food and hospitality get rave reviews.

Never been to Snowdrop Valley? Here's why you should go there:
http://www.exmoorhotel.co.uk/snowdrop.htm

Snowdrop Valley 2013, Wheddon Cross, Exmoor, Somerset

Would you like to do something really special in February? How about a visit to Snowdrop Valley? It’s about a mile and a half from where we are and – as the name might suggest – is a place to see a host of snowdrops in a natural setting.
The snowdrops carpet the woodland floor and cover the banks of the river Avill, which flows through the valley. It’s a lovely, magical place at any time of year, whether or not it is the snowdrop season. You can walk from our place via a number of different routes, the quickest being straight down the winding path to the valley and back up again (aerobic exercise guaranteed; sensible footwear essential).

At snowdrops time, there is a park & ride bus service from Wheddon Cross, organised by our Parish Council. Parking is in the village car park (next to the pub), where there’s also a special information point with people to give directions and advice. The narrow road to Snowdrop Valley is closed during this time (otherwise there might be traffic problems as it’s single track and there are no passing places). So, you need to either walk or get the bus in order to see the snowdrops (people with disabilities can make special arrangements). In 2013 the park & ride operates from 2nd to 24th February and the road remains closed for an extra week after this.

For more details, including a bus timetable, an information leaflet to download and regular updates, visit the Wheddon Cross snowdrops page:
http://www.wheddoncross.org.uk/snowdropvalley.htm
Book dinner, bed and breakfast at Exmoor House and make a few days of it. You could stay over Valentine’s Day for a really romantic break (we’ll even order champagne and local chocolates for you if you like!).

As usual, we’ll be opening our lovely guest dining room (which has a great view of Dunkery Beacon, and by the way was once the village tailor’s shop) as a tea room for the whole of Snowdrop Valley season. Frank’s scones have become legendary and there’s a good choice of more substantial food too (e.g. mega ploughman’s lunches, hot soup, sandwiches. Everything is of course home-made, including all our bread. Home-smoked chicken and real corned beef are two popular sandwich fillings…

The West Somerset Railway’s Snowdrops and Steam excursion was such a success last year that they’re running it on more dates this time. Find more information at
http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/section.php?xSec=58&xPage=1
If you are doing the train trip and would like to have lunch here at Exmoor House, it may be advisable to book, especially if there are four or more of you.

I was going to include some of my Snowdrop Valley photos in this post, but can't get them to upload: so here's a link so you can see them on our facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.224561347555559.66267.221803897831304&type=3

Spring 2012 events on Exmoor

What’s happening on Exmoor? Quite a lot, as ever! I keep saying this, but it does bear repeating: there is always something going on here, but the area remains peaceful and unspoilt. Here’s some information about things happening over the next few months, takuing us through the rest of winter and into spring.


The big event, from now until early March, is Snowdrop Valley, here at Wheddon Cross. Beautiful and unique – don’t miss it! More information on our website, in my blog post of 12th January and at http://www.wheddoncross.org.uk/ Our dining room opens each day as a tearoom from 4th February until 4th March, so you can enjoy our great food before or after your visit to the valley.

On 14th – 16th February, the West Somerset Railway is running a special Snowdrops & Steam service: combine a scenic ride on a steam train with your snowdrops viewing. For details of this and other railway events, visit http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/section.php?xSec=2&xPage=1&jssCart=e278a8fbb51ca16b9c3636d860c4b1c3

March 16th – 18th sees the 4 x 4 on Exmoor Jaunt & Challenge, in aid of Wooden Spoon children’s charity. The teams start and finish at Wheddon Cross and enjoy an active weekend while raising funds for a very good cause http://www.4x4onexmoor.co.uk/
Also in March is the West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala (17th – 18th and 22nd – 25th)

Easter weekend falls on 6th-9th April this year – book your break at Exmoor House now! Later in the month – on the 21st - there’s the Somerset Stages rally, which is always interesting to watch. More info here: http://www.btrdarally.com/2012-Somerset-Stages.asp And, new for this year, there’s the Exmoor Beauty Cycle Challenge on the 22nd (sister event of the infamous Exmoor Beast): http://exmoorbeauty.org/

The North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival starts on 27th April and continues until 6th May. A guided walk is a fantastic way of getting to know the countryside better, and on Exmoor we are extremely lucky to have an amazing choice of walks. Find details and updates at http://www.exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk/

There’s an active theme to these events, which is fitting as Exmoor is such a wonderful area for getting out and about. Later in the year, however, there’ll also be arts and cultural festivals – I’ll cover these in another blog post. In the meantime, for those of you with a taste for outdoor adventures, here are two more websites to check out:
http://www.activeexmoor.com/
http://www.exmooradventures.co.uk/

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

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!

Walking on Exmoor: some winter walks

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

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.

Snowdrops at Wheddon Cross

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!