Exmoor events: West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala, Exmoor National Park Big Adventure days, Simonsbath Festival

Whatever time of year you visit Exmoor, there is always something going on. Below are a few examples coming up in the next few months.

Steam train at Bishops Lydeard station

 The annual West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala runs from March 27th - 30th in 2014, with guest engines reflecting this year’s theme, the Atlantic Coast Express. There are special events, exhibitions and attractions to visit at stations along the route between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead. And, brand new this time, visitors can download a free augmented reality Heritage Hunter app. 

 
 


Exmoor National Park’s Big Adventure

Woodland near Nutcombe Bottom

Days for all the family start on April 16^th with an adventure on Haddon Hill. You can take a moorland safari, learn bushcraft skills or join the hunt for the Exmoor Beast! If you can’t make that date, the next adventure is at Nutcombe Bottom on May 29^th: build a woodland den, visit the tallest tree in England and explore Dunster Forest.



 

Simonsbath Festival, from May 5^th to June 20^th, is now in its third year and going from strength to strength. As well as a great range of concerts, the programme includes film nights, guided walks, poetry, historical talks and family fun days: something for everybody.  

Exmoor House is at Wheddon Cross in the heart of the National Park: if you stay with us you will be very conveniently situated for getting to all the events, and of course you can enjoy our wonderful food.

Exmoor events: Snowdrop Valley, Golden Horseshoe, Walking Festival, Ironman

Exmoor National Park really is a place for all seasons and all reasons. Partly this is because the ever-changing scenery is beautiful all year round, and partly it is because there is a huge range of events, to suit everybody. For example:

Snowdrop Valley, Wheddon Cross (February and early March): hosts of snowdrops in a

Snowdrop Valley, near Exmoor House

wonderful woodland setting. It is a very special place to visit; many people come back year after year. Read more about it on our website and the Wheddon Cross website

The Golden Horseshoe Ride (May) is based at Exford, about 5 miles from Exmoor House, This famous endurance ride attracts competitors and spectators from far and wide. There is also a sponsored pleasure ride. Exmoor ponies and their riders compete in some of the classes.

Exmoor Walking Festival logo

Enjoy walking? Have a look at the North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival (normally in late April and early May). It covers many areas of Exmoor, giving a good flavour of the amazing variety of landscapes here in Somerset and Devon. There are guided walks for all ages and abilities. At Exmoor House we are almost in the centre of the National Park, so you could take a break here and book several of the walks to do during your stay.



Ironman 70.3 UK takes place in and around Wimbleball Lake

Wimbleball Lake

(about 8 miles from Exmoor House) in mid June. Again, people come to Exmoor from all over the world to take part and to support the competitors. It is a ‘half Ironman’ because it involves running 13.1 miles (as well as jumping into the lake for a swim of 1.2 miles at a very early hour of the morning, also cycling 56 miles). In the full Ironman triathlon, the distances are twice the above. We take our hats off to all the Ironmen and Ironwomen for their focus and dedication, which we’ve observed first hand as quite a few of them have stayed with us over the years.

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!

The History of Exmoor House

One of the things that attracted us to Exmoor House when we were looking round for an Exmoor bed and breakfast or guest house to buy: it has a very interesting history. You might think that Exmoor House, with its large picture window, looks a bit like a shop, and you’d be right: it was built as a tailor’s shop for Robert Melhuish, back in the early 1900s. Not just a shop, though: as well as the fitting and cutting rooms, and plenty of living space for the tailor, his family and staff such as apprentices, there was a village reading room attached.

The house, like much of the area around Wheddon Cross, was part of the Bouverie Estate, which was sold off in 1926. At that time the reading room was described as the ‘Village Club Room’ and there was also a skittle alley at the back of the building. Mr Melhuish paid £20 a year for the Exmoor House lease (‘a very low rent’ according to the sales particulars) and the village club committee paid a nominal rent of £1 a year.

Mr Melhuish specialised in making hunting gear, which would have been in big demand at that time, though we know that he did make other garments too (we’ve met somebody who had his wedding suit made here). Dunkery View, the house next door, was also a tailor’s shop and there was plenty of work for both businesses.

A neighbour tells us that Mr Melhuish sometimes used to ride his pony over to the  Brendon Hill chapel (also known as the Beulah Chapel) near Ralegh’s Cross, to preach there. Another neighbour has memories of their grandfather cycling up the hill from Dunster, carrying a bolt of cloth on his back.

Exmoor House stopped being a tailor’s shop in 1945. For a while it was an ‘open all hours’ general store. Some people in the village remember the reading room being set up as a kind of Christmas grotto each year so that children could go there to choose their presents.

In the 1960s the house was split up into flats and bedsits, and we believe that it became a guest house in the late 1960s or early 1970s. An advertisement from the Exmoor Review of 1973 proclaimed that there were ‘three bathrooms with a continuous supply of hot water’. We have a few more bathrooms now! Intriguingly, though, some old photos taken when the house was still a tailor’s shop show ‘guest house’ signs on the wall. We think that the family probably rented out rooms to passing journeymen.

Nowadays we have people from all over the world staying in our lovely – and charmingly quirky - house to enjoy this beautiful part of Exmoor. The former shop is now the dining room for guests and the reading room is our guest sitting room. There are plenty of books and magazines in there  - and no TV - so it’s still a good place to read. I wonder what Mr Melhuish would think if he came to visit?

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

Dulverton by Starlight, Sunday 8th December: more Exmoor Christmas shopping

I blogged a couple of weeks ago about Dunster by Candlelight. That isn’t the only magical pre-Christmas event on Exmoor, though. Dulverton by Starlight takes place on the same weekend as the Dunster festivities, but on the Sunday, so that you could take a three day break and visit both.

On December 8^th all the shops in Dulverton will be open. There is a great selection of interesting places to buy all sorts of Christmas presents, to suit all tastes. Dulverton is an attractive place to wander round, with proper small independent shops and plenty of local Somerset produce for sale. You won’t go hungry either – the town has some very good places to eat, from pubs and restaurants to cafés and tea rooms.

And even if the stars in the sky are not visible, there’s still a starlight effect from the many light-festooned Christmas trees around the town.

The organisers promise a full afternoon of festivities, culminating in a grand firework display. There is also a raffle with excellent prizes (the draw is on 14^th December).

For more information, visit http://www.dulvertonbystarlight.co.uk/index.html

Want a lovely place to stay for your early December break? Take a look at our website http://www.exmoorhotel.co.uk - Exmoor House offers bed and breakfast (and dinner too), and is near both Dulverton and Dunster (in between the two, in fact).

Dunster by Candlelight 6th and 7th December: Christmas shopping (and more) Exmoor style

Over the last few years, it seems that there has been a big increase in Christmas markets in England. Many of them are German style. Nothing wrong with that, but how about a really English Christmas shopping experience?

Every year on the first Friday and Saturday evenings in December (the 6^th and 7^th this year), Dunster village on Exmoor has a ‘big switch off’ and the streets are illuminated by candle lanterns instead of electricity. It really seems like going back in time, especially as Dunster still has the look and feel of a medieval village. To complete this experience, no cars or other vehicles are allowed into the village during the candlelit festivities.  

 Most of the village shops stay open until 9pm on both nights. There’s lots of inspiration for original and unusual Christmas gifts (and even a special Christmas shop) but it’s not all about shopping. There will be plenty to see and do even if you are just browsing. Plenty of places to eat and drink, too, with everything from street snacks to a three course meal, or maybe simply some hot chocolate or mulled wine to keep you warm.

The festival kicks off on the Friday at 5.30pm, with a lantern lighting procession featuring stiltwalkers. Entertainment each evening includes a variety of musicians and singers, both in the streets and at the Parish Church, so there is a real buzz. You’ll also find displays by local attractions at various venues, and maybe talks by local celebrities. Full details are in the programme, available in advance and on the night (it costs £1, with all the proceeds going to the Somerset charity St Margaret’s Hospice).

You may be wondering: with no vehicles allowed into Dunster on the Candlelight evenings, how do we get there?  The answer: use the Park & Ride buses, which go to Dunster from various places including our village, Wheddon Cross. The buses from Wheddon Cross start from Cutcombe Market (where there is free parking, although if you’re staying here at Exmoor House it’s only about a 5 minute walk to the market). The first bus to Dunster is at 4.30pm, and they’re approximately every half hour after that, with the last bus back to Wheddon Cross leaving Dunster at 9.15pm. Return fare is £3.00.

As I write this, we have a few rooms left for the Candlelight weekend. Dunster itself will be pretty hectic, so if you stay at our place at Wheddon Cross you can experience all the fun of the fair (as it were) and then escape to a calmer atmosphere afterwards. Best of both worlds!

Visit our website www.exmoorhotel.co.uk for lots more information (including details of special dinner bed and breakfast breaks).