Exmoor walks... and cake

Porlock Marsh

There is so much great walking on Exmoor that one is spoilt for choice, and we have an ever-growing list of walks that we want to do. Over the last few months we’ve managed to tick a few off that list.

Bossington Beach and Porlock Marsh (approx 2 miles)
A short circular walk from Bossington down to the beach and along behind the shingle ridge, turning inland to

Walking towards Bossington Hill

return to Bossington. We finished by having lunch (including cake) at Kitnors in the village. The walk we did takes you through some fascinating saltmarsh scenery, but is not recommended at high tide or after heavy rain. For a longer route you could take in, for example, Bossington Hill, Selworthy Beacon, Porlock Weir…

The church at Culbone

Culbone Church (approx 5 miles)
Quite a bit of uphill and downhill on this walk, but definitely worth it for the views. Culbone Church is a little gem and I also found the churchyard very interesting. We walked

View from above Worthy Combe

up to Culbone through Yearnor Wood from Porlock Weir, then from the church via Withy Combe to the trail that passes Parsonage Farm and Ash Farm (wonderful coastal views). Then, via Worthy Combe back to Porlock Weir, and a visit to the Harbour Gallery & Café - one of several very nice places to eat - for coffee and cake.

On the way to Watersmeet

Watersmeet (approx 4 miles)
We actually did this one for the first time last Autumn, but revisited it a few weeks ago when some of the family came to stay. There are several variations on the walk, but as we were combining it with a trip to Lynton and Lynmouth to visit the craft shops – and of course ride the cliff railway – we walked the shortest version: straight along the river to Watersmeet and back, crossing the river from time to time. Naturally we had to try some of the cakes and scones at Watersmeet House before setting off back towards Lynmouth.

Do you detect a cake theme emerging here? No photos of any of the cakes, sorry - they all got eaten too fast for that.

Exmoor Walking Festival 2015

The Incline, Old Mineral Line

In 2015 the Exmoor Walking Festival will run (or should that be walk?) from Saturday 2^nd to Saturday 9^th May. The popular format of the past few years is continuing: the initial walks take place on the Devon side of Exmoor and the later ones on the Somerset side. There are no walks on the Thursday, so if you’re visiting the area for the festival, this could be a rest day or a chance to do a self-guided walk.

As usual there is a great range of walks. Some are themed around Exmoor wildlife: searching

The beach near Blue Anchor

for red deer, listening for birdsong, discovering rare lichens. You can also walk alongside the West Somerset steam railway (and one itinerary starts with a rail trip from Dunster to Washford). There is the opportunity to learn about the area’s history, with walks that take in, for example, part of the old Mineral Line, or places linked to the work of the Knight family. Also you could visit Lundy Island; join a literary discussion with the Walking Book Club; learn some more about orienteering…

For more information and to book places, visit the website at www.exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk or call 01271 883131.

Want a lovely place to stay while you’re here for the Walking Festival? Book a dinner bed and breakfast break (with picnic lunches too if you like) at Exmoor House. We are in a great location in the heart of the National Park and we have very good facilities for walkers: www.exmoorhotel.co.uk

Exmoor events: Simonsbath Festival

‘When the world comes to Simonsbath in the heart of Exmoor’

The third Simonsbath Festival started on 5^th May and continues until 20^th June. Taken place already (to give you some examples): the quintet Westcombe Brass in concert with children from local schools; the film premiere of How Many People see the Stars as I do? about remarkable Exmoor writer and artist Hope Bourne; a talk by Lord Douglas Hurd.

Still to come (to mention but a few): gypsy swing & jazz; traditional songs and stories about Exmoor; a Latin American evening; drumming and poetry workshops; talks by local authors; guided walks by the Exmoor Society.

Take a look at Simonsbath Festival for more information - and if you want a lovely place to stay during your visit, check out Exmoor House.

Shorter, flatter walks on Exmoor (part 2)

Here are some further ideas for Exmoor and Somerset walks for people who don’t want to – or aren’t able to – do more strenuous walking.

Horner Woods

foxgloves in Horner Wood

Start from Horner village and follow the (mostly level) track into the woods; walk as far as you like, then back the same way. There are two (seasonal) tea gardens in the village, near the car park, for refreshments after your walk. Horner Wood is very atmospheric, and rich in both flora and fauna.
Find more information about the woods here:

http://www.everythingexmoor.org.uk/encyclopedia_detail.php?ENCid=549

Snowdrop Valley near Exmoor House

Snowdrop Valley

When the snowdrops are in bloom (February to early March) there is a park & ride bus from Wheddon Cross down to the valley. The rest of the year, you can drive down there via the narrow lane and use the pull-in car park, which has space for just a couple of vehicles. There’s a flat, even-surfaced there-and-back walk in the valley itself; you could make it a circular walk by returning on the other side of the river (gentle slopes, more uneven ground).

Washford to Watchet (or vice versa)

Follow the line of the old Mineral Railway. You could combine this walk with a trip on the West Somerset Railway as there are stations in both Watchet and Washford.

Tarr Steps

Tarr Steps, Exmoor

A favourite spot for picnics. For an easy circular walk: go down to the river from the car park near Tarr Farm (quite a steep slope), turn right along the river path without crossing the Tarr Steps clapper bridge, then in about a mile cross the river via a footbridge. Walk back on the other side and cross back over the river via the clapper bridge. If you don’t like the idea of walking across Tarr Steps, then you could just walk along the river and back again.

Shorter, flatter walks on Exmoor (part 1)

Exmoor is wonderful walking country. There are plenty of challenging walks, but this article is for those people who don’t want to walk too far or are not particularly mobile, but still want to get an idea of the fantastic variety of scenery within and around the National Park. 

Woodland near Nutcombe Bottom

The Tall Trees Trail, Crown Estate, Dunster
From Nutcombe Bottom, near Dunster village. Visit the tallest tree in England on this easily accessible woodland trail.

 

Wimbleball Lake

Wimbleball Lake

From the car park by the café it’s a shortish downhill walk to the lakeshore. Once by the lake, if you go right it takes you towards the dam; turn left to go towards a small nature reserve and Bessom Bridge. There are various tracks and trails (mainly flat), or you could just walk as far as you feel like along the main lakeside path, and back again. 

Clatworthy Reservoir

Again, there’s a downhill walk to the lake itself from the car park and the lakeside walk is pretty flat.

Near Heddon's Mouth

Heddon’s Mouth

The walk to Heddon’s Mouth and back, from Hunter’s Inn, has some spectacular scenery. There are some (gentleish) slopes and uneven, stony ground. 

Bossington

 

Bossington

This village, owned by the National Trust, is very interesting to wander round, and there’s also a flat walk to the coast at Bossington Beach, well worth a visit.

For more ideas (including information about hiring all-terrain mobility scooters) visit
http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/visiting/accessible-exmoor

Discovering the Old Mineral Line, Brendon Hills, Exmoor

It seems hard to believe now, but the Brendon Hills on Exmoor were once a centre for iron mining. Whole settlements were constructed for miners and their families, although most of the houses and industrial buildings have since disappeared or remain only as ruins. There was also the West Somerset Mineral Railway (or Old Mineral Line), which was built to take iron ore to Watchet Harbour, ready to be shipped to Newport in South Wales.

The route of the old railway included the Incline, a very steep slope down which wagonloads of iron ore were lowered by means of cables; the empty wagons were hauled back up again. The remains of the Winding House, which housed the machinery for this, are by the side of the road near the Beulah Chapel, shortly after you turn down the road towards Wheddon Cross.

Beulah Chapel is interesting in itself. Standing at the road junction of the B3190 and the B3224 near Raleghs Cross, it is all that remains of a mining village where at one time several hundred people would have lived. The congregation were Bible Christians, a North Devon and Somerset splinter group of the Wesleyan Methodist Church.

Some suggested Old Mineral Line walks

From the car park just off the B3190 near Raleghs Cross, you can take a short walk through the woods to see the Incline, continuing if you like towards Comberrow and Roadwater.

At Chargot Woods, a few miles from Wheddon Cross, there are walks taking in the Bearland Flue chimney (which was, literally, a lifeline for the miners) and the former site of Langham Engine House.

There’s an easy walk between Washford and Watchet along the route of the Old Mineral Line. In the Market House Museum at Watchet you will find a lot of historical information and a fascinating collection of old photographs.

To discover more about this amazing chapter in Exmoor’s past, visit http://www.westsomersetmineralrailway.org.uk/welcome/

Showing off!

I’ve been in the media recently, on behalf of Exmoor House. And, because I love to show off, I’m including the links here to a video and a podcast, both starring moi.


The video is a testimonial I did for telnames, the company from whom we bought our mobile website – www.exmoorhouse.tel  Of course, it promotes their services (which I find very good, as you’ll see if you watch the video) but it also includes some nice shots of our place and mini-tours of some of the rooms. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjxcrru1iOA&feature=youtu.be

The podcast is by Walks Around Britain, and it includes an interview with me about walking on Exmoor. Here it is:
http://audioboo.fm/boos/1244914-edition-015-a-walk-to-mam-tor-andy-leader-s-holmfirth-photography-exmoor-tom-heap-on-nettles

You can also download the podcast (and all the others they’ve done) free of charge to itunes. Walks Around Britain is an innovative video website; we’ll be working with them and West Country Walks shortly as they’re making a video about a walk on Exmoor near our place.

In the printed media, I did an interview for the February issue of Somerset Life magazine, as part of an article about Wheddon Cross and Snowdrop Valley. The magazine can we viewed here: http://somerset.greatbritishlife.co.uk/magazines/digital-archive/ (the article is on pages 52-53). And, late last year you may have spotted comments in the Guardian magazine, by Frank and me, about what it’s like to live on Exmoor: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/dec/14/lets-move-to-exmoor-somerset-devon

If you need an inexpensive, easy to edit mobile website, do check out http://www.telnames.com/ and for loads of useful info including walking routes in many different areas, see http://www.walksaroundbritain.co.uk/

I mentioned http://www.westcountrywalks.co.uk/ (also known as Combe Walks). They produce a range of excellent pocket-sized walking and cycling books covering North Devon and Somerset, and they also organise the Exmoor Walking Festival, which this year has a particularly good range of walks for all tastes and abilities. It starts on 27th April: http://www.exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk/

If any of this is making you feel that a visit to Exmoor is overdue, then we'd be delighted to see you! We've space for most dates at the moment, and there is even a special offer this month, if you hurry... take a look at our freshly-redesigned website for more details.

Exmoor walks with a railway theme

We recommend two excellent little books of walks from stations along the West Somerset Railway (see details below). Most of the walks are not particularly long, so are ideal for us when we have an afternoon off! Here are some we’ve done recently.



Moorland path, Woodcombe, North Hill

Minehead
The South West Coastal Path begins at Minehead (marked by a sculpture of a giant pair of hands holding an equally gigantic map) and there are several other good walks from the town too. This is an easy one of about 5 miles which you can start from the railway station or the centre of town; it goes through The Parks area, up past the ancient farmstead at Bratton Court, via woods and moorland to Woodcombe and back down the hill from Higher Town to the town centre.

On the beach near Blue Anchor

Blue Anchor, Carhampton and Dunster
We combined two walks from the books, to make one of approximately 6 miles. Starting from the station end of Blue Anchor Bay, we walked parallel to the railway line for a short way before branching off through the fields to Carhampton. Then up to the top of the village and via the Deer Park to Dunster. Through Dunster, down the hill to Dunster Station and the beach; follow the seafront path all the way back to Blue Anchor.



Near Chapel Cleeve



Washford, Old Cleeve and Kentsford
This one is a little over 4 miles. Starting from Washford station, you follow the route of the old Monk’s Path for part of the walk; there is also an old sunken lane, some road and track walking and a woodland path. Take some time to look around the church at Old Cleeve, which is utterly charming. Eventually you’ll end up on the trackbed of the Old Mineral Line, from where you can walk back to Washford or, if you prefer, on to Watchet.



These walks are all taken from:
Country Walks from West Somerset Railway Stations
Some more Country Walks from West Somerset Railway Stations
By Audrey & Ron Short; updated by Malcolm & Natalie Short
Pub. West Somerset Railway Association
Available from the Buffer Stop shop at Minehead station
We have a copy here of both books here at Exmoor House; guests are welcome to borrow them during their stay with us.

Summer on Exmoor and why we would take a holiday here

Here in the heart of Exmoor National Park we don’t really have what you might think of the as the normal ‘tourist season’. So there are no traffic jams on the roads and it’s unusual to see crowds of people. Exmoor is a lovely, relaxing destination for all seasons and could absorb many more visitors without seeming crowded at all. I keep banging the drum about this, and for good reason: quite a few people have told us that they’ve avoided visiting in July and August because they thought that everywhere would be too busy and all the Exmoor accommodation would be fully booked. It ain’t necessarily so, folks!


Would we holiday here, if we weren’t already lucky enough to live in this beautiful area? Well yes, we would. Here are just a few reasons why:

The pace of life is relaxed – Exmoor is a real escape from everyday stress.

There is a remarkable range of excellent accommodation (including Exmoor House Wheddon Cross) and great places to eat (including, again, Exmoor House Wheddon Cross!).

Exmoor is astoundingly lovely, with an incredible variety of scenery: from wild coastline, to rolling farmland, to pretty villages, to pleasingly bleak moorland.

There is plenty to do: visit National Trust and English Heritage properties, enjoy some fantastic walking, cycling and mountain biking (you can hire an electric bike from http://www.exmoorunplugged.co.uk/ if you want to make the ride a bit easier), fishing, golf, horse riding, some great attractions (although, hooray, no theme parks – who needs them when we’re surrounded by such real-life beauty?)… and a range of festivals and other events take place during the year. For more ideas, visit http://www.visit-exmoor.co.uk/must-see-and-do 

OK, so we know the English weather is never entirely predictable – but that’s just part of the fun. You can see some of my suggestions for things to do on a rainy day at http://exmoorhousewx.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/things-to-do-on-around-exmoor-when-its.html

If you need another reason to visit Exmoor, here’s a great incentive: the Exmoor Guineas promotion. Find some excellent special offers at http://www.visit-exmoor.co.uk/guinea - including some from - er – Exmoor House Wheddon Cross.

If you’ve never been to Exmoor, now is an excellent time to visit. If you have, then you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Take a look at our facebook page for photos of things to see and do on Exmoor, some of our favourite walks, and more: http://www.facebook.com/ExmoorHouse/photos

Another day out on Exmoor: Allerford, Bossington, Selworthy

Following on from my last post, here’s another idea for exploring Exmoor: a day out in Allerford, Bossington and Selworthy, on foot, by bicycle, using public transport and/or by car…

This trio of villages on the National Trust-owned Holnicote Estate are (as you would expect) lovingly preserved and maintained. They’re also chocolate-box pretty and each has interesting corners to explore. Start at any of the villages and you can walk or cycle to any of the others via various routes (some quite challenging) or drive via typically winding Somerset lanes.

At Allerford, the famous packhorse bridge (one of Exmoor’s iconic images) dates from the 15th century. Some of the cottages have round chimneys, very characteristic of this area. In the old school building you’ll find the West Somerset Rural Life Museum, which includes the Victorian Schoolroom and the West Somerset Photographic Archive. There’s an impressive collection of artefacts, mostly dating from the 1800s to the 1950s. Also at Allerford is a forge where Kyle Roberts and his team produce an amazing variety of ironwork. At Lynch, just a short walk (or drive) from Allerford, the Exmoor Owl & Hawk Centre offers flying displays and many other activities.

Many of the houses and cottages in Bossington have tall round chimneys, and bread ovens that bulge from the walls. Kitnors Tea Room and Garden (near the village car park) is a lovely place to stop for lunch or a snack. Take a wander round the village and if you can, walk down to the sea shore: you’ll see some spectacular hilly views and the famous pebble ridge, which sometimes gets breached if Horner Water is in spate (it’s happened twice so far this year!). The ridge mends soon mends itself though.

Selworthy’s attractive limewashed church has an almost Mediterranean look about it. Set above the rest of the village, it’s visible for miles. The view from the church is beautiful and the inside of the building is very interesting, with some spectacular ceiling bosses among much else to see. The village itself, clustered around the green, is full of almost impossibly picturesque thatched cottages. Whatever you do, don’t forget to bring your camera. There’s a National Trust shop here, also the charmingly traditional Periwinkle Tea Room (which usually has a fabulous range of cakes, as well as other delicious things).

Public transport
Bus 39 runs between Minehead and Porlock (all year round)
Bus 300 runs between Minehead and Lynmouth (April – October only)
They both stop at Allerford Turn and Selworthy Turn. Bus 39 makes very occasional stops at Bossington Green (check timetables for latest information).

Useful links
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/things-to-see-and-do/page-1/item254184/
http://www.allerfordmuseum.org.uk/
http://www.allerfordforge.co.uk/
http://www.exmoorfalconry.co.uk/

Book
Shortish Walks on Exmoor by Robert Hesketh (Bossiney Books) has two walks that can be done separately or joined together: Allerford, Bossington and Hurlstone Combe plus Allerford and Selworthy Beacon. Each walk is about 4½ miles.

Maps
Explorer OL9 (Ordnance Survey) 
Exmoor for Off-Road Cyclists (Exmoor National Park Authority)

Days out on Exmoor

Running a guesthouse / bed and breakfast as we do (which we thoroughly enjoy) it’s not often that we get out to explore this beautiful area we live in. So it’s even more of a treat when we do! We both love walking, and you can find details in earlier posts about some of our favourite Exmoor walks. This time, I’m concentrating on trips that don’t necessarily involve much walking – though they still can if you like. Here are two suggestions. In keeping with our green ethos, I’ve included some public transport options to get you there and back, so that you can be car free. Of course, another way to be car free is to go by bicycle. Exmoor is fantastic for cycling, with routes as challenging as you like, on and off road. Both conventional and electric bikes can be hired locally.


Malmsmead and Oare

Lorna Doone country! You can do a shortish circular walk that takes in both places, a longer walk to explore the valley, or just take the shortest route between the two hamlets and have a mooch round each. Oare Church is where, in the book, Lorna was shot on her wedding day. Malmsmead has a pretty bridge and you can wander along the river as far as you like towards the Doone Valley. For lunch or other refreshments, two good options are the Café Deli Malmsmead and (on the road towards Minehead) the Culbone Inn.

Public transport: Bus 300 (Minehead-Lynmouth, runs April-October only) travels along the main road; you’d need to walk to Oare/Malmsmead from the nearest bus stop. You could, though, book the Moor Rover bus to take you to either of the villages, and pick you up later.


Blue Anchor, Watchet and Williton

If you do like to be beside the seaside, Blue Anchor is a good place to stroll along the prom, prom, prom (it’s much more scenic looking towards the coast than towards the caravans – sorry, site owners!). The Driftwood Café is something of an institution locally, serving fish and chips (and more) accompanied by sea views. For a longer walk, head inland for a while, or continue on to Watchet.

Watchet is very interesting to wander round, with two small museums full of local history, some good non-chain shops and a pleasant esplanade. There are several pubs and teashops; we’ve eaten at Chives Deli and the Star Inn, both of which we’d recommend. If you want to continue on foot to Williton, it’s a little over two miles via Doniford.

In Williton you’ll find an antiques centre and shops including a proper old-fashioned hardware store (which I always enjoy looking round). There are a couple of pubs and places for snacks and, a little way outside the village, the Bakelite Museum. This quirky paeon to all things plastic is almost guaranteed to cause cries of ‘oh, my mum used to have one of those!’. Also to be seen are some far less usual objects, such as a rather bizarre doll (you’ll see what I mean) and a Bakelite coffin. There’s a small café at the museum (check for opening times/days as they may vary). The museum has been threatened with closure because, being in an old mill, it’s difficult for them to comply with modern fire regulations. They’ve made some adjustments though, so we hope it will be open for the foreseeable future.

Public transport: there are West Somerset Railway stations at all three places, so if you book a Day Rover ticket (available at a discount from Exmoor House if you’re staying with us), and plan the day carefully, you should be able to fit in visits to them all. Bus 18 (between Minehead and Taunton) stops at Watchet and Williton; bus 106 (Minehead – Doniford) stops at Blue Anchor and Watchet.


Useful linkshttp://www.facebook.com/ExmoorHouse our facebook page, with photos of the area (more being added!)
http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/ includes timetables and special events
http://www.bakelitemuseum.co.uk/ a taste of what there is to see
http://www.traveline.info/ bus timetables
http://www.exmoorcyclehire.co.uk/ bike hire
http://www.exmoorunplugged.co.uk/ electric bike hire

Even more Exmoor walks near Exmoor House at Wheddon Cross

Exmoor is fabulous for walking. Here are a few more walks in and around the National Park that we’ve discovered recently. These are all quite short (but could easily be incorporated into a longer walk). If you’re staying at Exmoor House, you wouldn’t need to use a car to get to the start point of most of them (see below).


Kennisham Woods

There’s an entrance to Kennisham Hill Woods at Goosemoor, not far from Wheddon Cross. We did a four mile walk that also takes in Colly and Lype Hills, with great views across the Brendon Hills and towards the Bristol Channel. The walk passes through Forestry Commission woodland, beech woods and farmland as well as open hills. Lype Hill is invariably windy, so you will certainly get some fresh air.

Conygar Hill

This is the hill with the folly on top, visible from Dunster and the area around (in fact, sometimes people think the folly is actually Dunster Castle – an easy mistake to make if you haven’t yet seen the castle itself). We went via the Butter Cross and the community orchard going up the hill via the more meandering and less steep route, coming down by a more direct (steeper!) path into the village. There are some fabulous views of Dunster, its surrounding countryside and the Somerset coastline and you pass through a mixture of woodland. The name Conygar, in case you were wondering, indicates that this is where rabbits were bred for eating.

Old Mineral Line, Washford to Watchet

A more or less straight walk along part of the Old Mineral Line; only about two miles. We walked there and back, having a wander round Watchet before returning to Washford. On the way back we walked via the church, to visit St Decuman’s Holy Well - a mystical and peaceful spot - rejoining the Mineral Line route by Kentsford Farm. You could do this walk as part of a day out on the West Somerset Railway.

Clatworthy Reservoir

On the edge of the National Park, still in West Somerset, in part of the Brendon Hills. It’s a five mile walk round the reservoir; the terrain is fairly flat for much of the way although there are some up and down bits by the nature trail. I took loads of photos on the way round the lake – it’s all very picturesque. There is a lot of plantlife and birdlife to see, so it would be interesting to do this walk at various times of the year.

Car-free walking

You could incorporate Kennisham on a walk from Exmoor House via the Coleridge Way. For the Conygar walk you can get the bus to Dunster from Wheddon Cross. The bus goes to Minehead too, where you can get the West Somerset Railway to Washford, Watchet and stations beyond. In fact, the Clatworthy walk is the only one for which you’d have to take a car, as the reservoir is in quite a remote area.

Seeing stars, follies in the woods - just two things that make Exmoor unique

‘Living here, I bet you take all this for granted’, is a frequent comment from guests, while gesturing towards the view of the moorland and Dunkery Beacon from our dining room.


Well, actually, we don’t – we feel incredibly privileged to be living here and I never get tired of that view. It changes many times in the course of each day because of the light and the clouds; it changes throughout the seasons because of the colours of the grass, gorse and heather.

Running a guest house is a pretty full-on job (not complaining – I love it), so we have to take the chance to get out and about when we can. There’s always something to learn about the area you live in; and as we’re not native to this area, there’s even more for us to learn.

Each year Exmoor National Park organises a series of Exmoor Awareness seminars for tourism businesses. This year I managed to attend two out of the three sessions, and am really glad I made the time to do so.

On 14th March there was an evening seminar – The Star Attraction – about, you guessed it, stargazing. Very conveniently for me, it was at our Wheddon Cross village hall, about two minutes’ walk away from us at Exmoor House. Exmoor is Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, which is really something to celebrate (more info at http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/about-us/news/news-2011/international-dark-sky-reserve )

We learnt about just how special this accolade is, and how we can help visitors (and ourselves) get the best out of their night sky watching.

Unfortunately, after a wonderfully clear afternoon, a dense cloud cover had emerged – so there was no real-life stargazing for our group. But presentations from ‘Dark Sky Man’ Steve Owens (you’ll find his blog at http://darkskydiary.wordpress.com/ ) and the Exmoor Stargazers ( http://www.exmoorstargazers.co.uk/ ) made up for it.

Town and Country Through the Ages was the name of the 28th March session, held in Dunster Tithe Barn with a walk around Dunster afterwards. Rob Wilson North and Jessica Turner (respectively Historic Environment Manager and Archaeologist for the National Park) gave us a fascinating and lively introduction to the way an archaeologist reads the landscape and the layout of towns and villages.

In the afternoon, Andy Player from the Crown Estate told us about all the work they do in the area, and some exciting future plans they have. He took us on a guided walk around the village (reminding us how it pays to go just a little off the beaten track; there’s much more to see). We also walked up through the woods to the Conygar Tower, the most prominent of the Dunster Castle follies; some wonderful views en route. Frank and I have done several walks from Dunster, but hadn’t got round to this one yet.

Of course, events like this are also a great opportunity for networking, which everybody took full advantage of. If you are a tourism provider on Exmoor and you haven’t yet been able to get to one of these seminars, I urge you to do so when the opportunity comes round again. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

More detail about Exmoor Awareness: http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/about-us/news/news-2012/exmoor-awareness
More than tea and fudge - my previous blog post about things to see in Dunster: http://exmoorhousewx.blogspot.co.uk/2011_07_01_archive.html

What's happening on Exmoor in March and April

In my last blog post I mentioned some of the Exmoor events coming up in February, March and April. There’s still time to catch some March events if you hurry… and check out our website at http://www.exmoorhotel.co.uk/  for details of some great special offers we’re running this month.


Thursday 22nd March: Take Advantage of Your Future (the software programme for the brain). This seminar, run by Rollo Clifford, is at the recently-reopened Hobby Horse in Minehead. We were lucky enough to participate in one of Rollo’s seminars last December, and found it a fascinating and enlightening day. Book a place if you can! More details at http://www.theknowledgecloud.info/

Thursday 22nd – Sunday 25th March: The West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala continues, with a whole host of things happening. You can see when particular locomotives are appearing, download the brochure and book tickets online at
http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/section.php/4/1/spring_steam_gala

Going into April, we’ve still some rooms left at Exmoor House over the Easter weekend, 6th – 9th: we recommend that you book soon though! You can reserve rooms online or direct with us by phone.

The North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival (27th April – 6th May) is operating in a slightly different way this year, giving a flavour of some of the very diverse places within the National Park (both in Somerset and Devon) and slightly further afield. For the first two days, the walks are based around the Ilfracombe area. From the 29th until 1st May there are walks in the Lynton area. May 2nd, 3rd and 4th have walks around the Porlock area, and on May 5th and 6th the focus is on the Dunster area. So if you wanted to make a holiday of it, you could base yourself in Ilfracombe or Lynton for a few days, then move on to Wheddon Cross for the rest of the time! On the festival website at http://www.exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk/  you can search the walks by area, date and several other criteria (e.g. linear/circular; on bus routes).

We hope to see you soon!

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/

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

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

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

 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/

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!

Somerset wanderings in the Brendons & by the coast

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

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?