Snowdrop Valley: railway excursions to see the snowdrops

Over the coming half term holiday, 11^th - 19^th February 2017, the West Somerset Railway is running a diesel service which includes a trip to Snowdrop Valley.

The train leaves Bishops Lydeard at 10.30, arriving in Williton at about 11.00. Included in the ticket price is a bus service to Wheddon Cross. You can then either catch the park and ride bus (the cost of this is not included in your West Somerset Railway ticket) down to the valley or make your way on foot. Your bus will collect you from Wheddon Cross at 14.00 to meet the return train from Williton back to Bishops Lydeard.

Find more information and make your train booking on the West Somerset Railway website

 While you are in Wheddon Cross, you can enjoy lunch (or maybe just coffee and cake, tea and scones or our lovely home-made teacakes) at Exmoor House – we run a pop-up Snowdrop Valley tearoom. Our food is something special: more details here.  And if you'd like to spend a few days on beautiful Exmoor and enjoy some of the other sights too, why not book a short break with us? We offer bed and breakfast, and dinner too.

More information about Snowdrop Valley, with regular updates, can be found on the Wheddon Cross website.

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 2016 and our pop-up tea room

The official dates for Exmoor’s famous Snowdrop Valley this year are 30^th January to 28^th February. During this time the road to the valley is closed, but you can walk down to see the snowdrops via various routes from Wheddon Cross (the public footpaths are of course open all year round and it is always a nice walk, though you need to be reasonably fit as the way is steep). 

The snowdrops on 24th January - photo by Michael Edwards

 If you don’t want to walk, a park and ride bus service runs between Wheddon Cross and Snowdrop valley each day from 6^th to 21^st February. For more details, including the bus timetable, walking route maps, the Snowdrop Valley brochure and information about special arrangements for people who have disabilities, visit the  
Wheddon Cross village website


At Exmoor House guest house we are opening our annual pop-up tea room from 30^th January until 28^th February inclusive. Opening hours are generally from 11am until 3pm, although if we don’t have many dinners to do for our staying guests (our bed and breakfast breaks with dinner are very popular) then we may stay open a little longer in the afternoon.

Everything is made here by Frank the chef, for example bread, teacakes, cakes, scones, jams & pickles….Some of our tearoom specialities are soup, sandwiches, ploughman’s lunches - and not forgetting Somerset cream teas (including savoury cream teas for those who don’t have a sweet tooth).

Our dining room only holds about 14 people, so if you have a particular date in mind when you’d like to come for lunch, we’d advise you to book. Call Rosi & Frank on 01643 841432.

Lunches and meetings at Exmoor House Wheddon Cross

Do you like the sound of a private lunch with friends or family, made especially for you? Do you need a local Exmoor venue for a small meeting, with catering? You could reserve exclusive use of the lovely dining room (or the comfy guest sitting room) at Exmoor House for your group.
Prices would depend on what you would like to eat and drink. We’ll cater for a minimum of four

The dining room at Exmoor House

people and a maximum of about twelve and we will design a menu around your requirements. Tailor-made food: quite appropriate, since Exmoor House was originally a tailor’s shop.
We take pride in our food, all properly home-made using good local ingredients. There’s more information here:
http://www.exmoorhotel.co.uk/food.htm
and here:
http://www.exmoorhotel.co.uk/specialevents.htm

And of course if you'd like to discuss your ideas, or come and have a look around, do get in touch.

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: 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!

Food, glorious local food

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

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!

Spring is on the way on Exmoor

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!

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!

October on Exmoor

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

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?

Exmoor Food Festival 2010

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!

Food Fest a great success

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 Food Festival: try some prize-winning chutney

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.

Spot of lunch or dinner?

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.