When we first moved to West Somerset, the main attraction was Exmoor itself; we’d lived in cities all our lives and were ready for a change. Moving to a tiny village was certainly that! We enjoy village life: the sense of community, people looking out for one another, stopping for a chat with neighbours…
Minehead is our nearest biggish settlement; our first impressions were not that positive (OK to do a top-up shop, but rather resort-y). We now know that this was rather unfair. Scratch the surface and there’s a lot more to the place; you have to explore a bit to discover its character.
Yes, there are the chain shops you might expect to find in a town of this size, and the normal satellite retail estates with supermarkets and DIY-type stores. On the seafront (again, as you might expect) are amusement arcades, bucket-and-spade shops and all the ice cream, candy floss and chips you can eat.
Go further into town and you’ll also discover interesting, thriving independent shops among the usual suspects (if you’re staying at Exmoor House you can pick up a Minehead Shoppers Guide from us). On Friday mornings there’s a local farmer’s market.
Attractions and things to do include a long-established links golf course, the Regal Theatre and the West Somerset Railway. Butlins (you can’t miss it, with its millennium dome-type structure!) now has the only swimming pool in Minehead. Off The Avenue (the main street that goes down towards the sea) are the Blenheim Gardens, a pleasant place to mooch around, with a café in summer.
Along the promenade towards the harbour, passing old coastguard’s and fisherman’s cottages, you’ll find the start of the South West Coast Path, marked by a sculpture of hands holding a map. Past the harbour is a small nature reserve, leading on to hill and coastal walks. Go up to the old town and North Hill and you’ll get another perspective, with stunning sea views, more pretty old houses and cottages and the famous Church Steps. While you’re there, do visit the church itself.
For me, the main shopping streets, the beach area, the harbour and the old town all have completely different atmospheres; to get a true picture of Minehead you need to take the time to visit them all.
Friday, 24 June 2011
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Exmoor in July: National Park celebrations, Minehead Festival, Dunster Fair - and a special offer from Exmoor House
National Parks Week, 25 – 31 July
Exmoor is contributing a series of great events to National Parks Week. You can discover more about local history on a stroll around the fascinating village of Dunster or a tour of the water-powered sawmill at Simonsbath. Take a minibus tour to some of Exmoor’s archaeological sites or a guided walk to learn some of the secrets of the Old Mineral Line. Join an Exmoor ranger to search for red deer, or find out about the creatures lurking in seaside rockpools.
You can find more details at
http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/visiting/nationalparksweek/npwevents-exmoor.htm
Minehead and Exmoor Festival, 24 – 30 July
A varied programme of music by composers from Arensky to Verdi, at venues in Minehead, Dunster and Dulverton. The festival has been described as ‘an extraordinary achievement of wonderful music making’. Richard Dickins (from Imperial College and Royal College of Music) conducts.
The full programme is at
http://www.mineheadfestival.com/
Dunster Country Fair, 27th July
Held on the lawns of Dunster Castle, this is West Somerset’s biggest country fair. With displays of falconry, stunt motorcycles, horse and dog shows, laser clay pigeon shooting and archery, plus a funfair and children’s entertainment, food and drink – and not forgetting some retail therapy, with trade stands and a craft tent - there’s something for everybody.
More information at
http://www.dunstercountryfair.co.uk/wordpress/
Exmoor House July offer
At Exmoor House we're offering weekend dinner, bed & breakfast breaks (3 or more nights) for the same price as our midweek specials; that's from £174 per person for a 3-night stay. This offer applies to the last weekend in June and every weekend in July. See our website at http://www.exmoorhouse.com/ or call us on 01643 841432 for more information. Hope to see you soon!
Exmoor is contributing a series of great events to National Parks Week. You can discover more about local history on a stroll around the fascinating village of Dunster or a tour of the water-powered sawmill at Simonsbath. Take a minibus tour to some of Exmoor’s archaeological sites or a guided walk to learn some of the secrets of the Old Mineral Line. Join an Exmoor ranger to search for red deer, or find out about the creatures lurking in seaside rockpools.
You can find more details at
http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/visiting/nationalparksweek/npwevents-exmoor.htm
Minehead and Exmoor Festival, 24 – 30 July
A varied programme of music by composers from Arensky to Verdi, at venues in Minehead, Dunster and Dulverton. The festival has been described as ‘an extraordinary achievement of wonderful music making’. Richard Dickins (from Imperial College and Royal College of Music) conducts.
The full programme is at
http://www.mineheadfestival.com/
Dunster Country Fair, 27th July
Held on the lawns of Dunster Castle, this is West Somerset’s biggest country fair. With displays of falconry, stunt motorcycles, horse and dog shows, laser clay pigeon shooting and archery, plus a funfair and children’s entertainment, food and drink – and not forgetting some retail therapy, with trade stands and a craft tent - there’s something for everybody.
More information at
http://www.dunstercountryfair.co.uk/wordpress/
Exmoor House July offer
At Exmoor House we're offering weekend dinner, bed & breakfast breaks (3 or more nights) for the same price as our midweek specials; that's from £174 per person for a 3-night stay. This offer applies to the last weekend in June and every weekend in July. See our website at http://www.exmoorhouse.com/ or call us on 01643 841432 for more information. Hope to see you soon!
Saturday, 28 May 2011
A grand day out
A favourite day out of ours is a trip on the West Somerset Railway. Riding the steam trains is like going back in time and gives a very different perspective on the countryside between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard. Watch out for Dunster Castle, nestled among the trees; further on the line hugs the coast for a while; there are also wonderful views of the Brendons and the Quantocks.
If you have the time, it’s definitely worth changing trains at least once to have a mooch around. All the stations are interesting in their own right; some have second hand bookstalls, gift shops, museums or cafés. However, there is a lot more to see beyond the stations themselves. For example, Watchet is a fascinating little town, there are beaches at Blue Anchor and Doniford (the latter with fossil formations), and medieval Cleeve Abbey is within walking distance of Washford station.
Last time we travelled on the railway we took with us the two little books of ‘Country Walks from West Somerset Railway Stations’ (by Audrey & Ron Short, updated by Malcolm & Natalie Short, published by WSRA – we bought our copies from the gift shop at Minehead station). We walked from Crowcombe Heathfield to Bishops Lydeard, stopping for a very good lunch at the Farmers Arms, Combe Florey. At Bishops Lydeard there was time for a circular walk around the village and tea at the station before getting our train back to Minehead.
You can now buy West Somerset Railway Day Rover tickets from us at a discounted rate when you stay at Exmoor House. There’ll be details on our website soon, or contact us for more information.
If you have the time, it’s definitely worth changing trains at least once to have a mooch around. All the stations are interesting in their own right; some have second hand bookstalls, gift shops, museums or cafés. However, there is a lot more to see beyond the stations themselves. For example, Watchet is a fascinating little town, there are beaches at Blue Anchor and Doniford (the latter with fossil formations), and medieval Cleeve Abbey is within walking distance of Washford station.
Last time we travelled on the railway we took with us the two little books of ‘Country Walks from West Somerset Railway Stations’ (by Audrey & Ron Short, updated by Malcolm & Natalie Short, published by WSRA – we bought our copies from the gift shop at Minehead station). We walked from Crowcombe Heathfield to Bishops Lydeard, stopping for a very good lunch at the Farmers Arms, Combe Florey. At Bishops Lydeard there was time for a circular walk around the village and tea at the station before getting our train back to Minehead.
You can now buy West Somerset Railway Day Rover tickets from us at a discounted rate when you stay at Exmoor House. There’ll be details on our website soon, or contact us for more information.
Monday, 16 May 2011
More about car-free travel on Exmoor
Suggestions for car-free days out from Wheddon Cross was theme of my last blog post. Actually, it's perfectly possible (as some of our guests have done) to travel to Exmoor and all over the National Park by public transport, so that you don't need a car at all. Here's some food for thought...
For lots more ideas, covering the whole of Exmoor, check out Exmoor National Park's http://www.exploremoor.co.uk/ where you'll also find information about walking, cycling, riding and public transport, interactive maps and useful links.
A really useful service is the Moor Rover bus, which can pick you up and drop you off at any pre-arranged point within Exmoor National Park.
The minibuses have 8 - 16 seats and can carry bikes, wheelchairs and dogs; they can even be used to transport your luggage while you walk. From April to June the service is available for group bookings of 6 or more people. From July to September it operates every day, from 8.00am to 8.00pm and is available to individuals and groups. All journeys need to be booked at least a day in advance, by calling 01643 709701 (NB no booking service on Sundays). Visit http://www.atwest.org.uk/ for more details.
When you stay at Exmoor House Wheddon Cross we can give you details of the Exmoor walks we've done; we have lots of books and maps to borrow, plus information about walking and cycling (including cycle hire and walking guides) and the area in general. Other especially useful facilities here include a drying room and bike storage.
If you've been to Exmoor before, you'll know just what a beautiful and varied place it is - ideal for a brief escape, a short break or a long holiday. If not: what are you waiting for?
For lots more ideas, covering the whole of Exmoor, check out Exmoor National Park's http://www.exploremoor.co.uk/ where you'll also find information about walking, cycling, riding and public transport, interactive maps and useful links.
A really useful service is the Moor Rover bus, which can pick you up and drop you off at any pre-arranged point within Exmoor National Park.
The minibuses have 8 - 16 seats and can carry bikes, wheelchairs and dogs; they can even be used to transport your luggage while you walk. From April to June the service is available for group bookings of 6 or more people. From July to September it operates every day, from 8.00am to 8.00pm and is available to individuals and groups. All journeys need to be booked at least a day in advance, by calling 01643 709701 (NB no booking service on Sundays). Visit http://www.atwest.org.uk/ for more details.
When you stay at Exmoor House Wheddon Cross we can give you details of the Exmoor walks we've done; we have lots of books and maps to borrow, plus information about walking and cycling (including cycle hire and walking guides) and the area in general. Other especially useful facilities here include a drying room and bike storage.
If you've been to Exmoor before, you'll know just what a beautiful and varied place it is - ideal for a brief escape, a short break or a long holiday. If not: what are you waiting for?
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Give the car a holiday too!
As part of our efforts to be more green, we've been looking into how people can give the car a rest for a few days while they're on Exmoor. Of course, there are lots of good walks you can do direct from Exmoor House, but if you use public transport you can go a bit further afield. Wheddon Cross has buses calling about six times most days (except Sundays).
Here are some suggestions for car-free itineraries:
Dunster
Bus no 399. There’s plenty to see in Dunster, also several good circular walks from the village. If you're feeling energetic, you could walk all the way back to Wheddon Cross (some of our guests did this a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it)
Dulverton
Bus no 399. There's a choice of circular walks in the Barle Valley and the village itself is worth exploring (interesting Heritage Centre and church, some nice shops, several good pubs and tearooms).
Porlock
Bus no 399 to Minehead then no 39 (or in summer, 300) Porlock and walk back to Wheddon Cross along the Coleridge Way; or walk to Porlock and get the bus back to Wheddon Cross.
West Somerset Railway
Bus no 399 to Minehead, West Somerset Railway to Bishops Lydeard and back (or to any of the other stops en route); bus back to Wheddon Cross from Minehead. There are walks from all the stations along the railway; some circular, some from one station to another.
Lynmouth (April - October)
Bus 399 to Minehead, then the 300 open-top bus to Lynmouth and back to Minehead; bus to Wheddon Cross.
In summer, there is also the Moor Rover bus - especially useful for walkers and cyclists. More about this another time...
Here are some suggestions for car-free itineraries:
Dunster
Bus no 399. There’s plenty to see in Dunster, also several good circular walks from the village. If you're feeling energetic, you could walk all the way back to Wheddon Cross (some of our guests did this a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it)
Dulverton
Bus no 399. There's a choice of circular walks in the Barle Valley and the village itself is worth exploring (interesting Heritage Centre and church, some nice shops, several good pubs and tearooms).
Porlock
Bus no 399 to Minehead then no 39 (or in summer, 300) Porlock and walk back to Wheddon Cross along the Coleridge Way; or walk to Porlock and get the bus back to Wheddon Cross.
West Somerset Railway
Bus no 399 to Minehead, West Somerset Railway to Bishops Lydeard and back (or to any of the other stops en route); bus back to Wheddon Cross from Minehead. There are walks from all the stations along the railway; some circular, some from one station to another.
Lynmouth (April - October)
Bus 399 to Minehead, then the 300 open-top bus to Lynmouth and back to Minehead; bus to Wheddon Cross.
In summer, there is also the Moor Rover bus - especially useful for walkers and cyclists. More about this another time...
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Exmoor ponies in the spring
At Exmoor House we’ve had several people staying who were going to the Exmoor Pony Centre to visit a pony they’d adopted. A free afternoon last weekend coincided with the centre's Easter open day, so we went along to have a look for ourselves: a chance to see some of these unique and fascinating little horses close up.
Some of the visitors were queuing to groom a patient pony until it positively gleamed; others took a ride round the field. The rest of the resident ponies were feeding, posing for pictures or basking in the sun. Most still had some at least of their thick winter coats, though I suspect they'll now be losing them rapidly.
The centre, with the Moorland Mousie Trust (Moorland Mousie is the pony protagonist of a children’s book) works ‘to promote and conserve the Exmoor pony’. Staff and volunteers help to re-home ponies, mainly excess young foals from the moor. As well as adopting a pony, there is the opportunity to sponsor a foal. In addition you can book a taster session to learn about caring for ponies, or a moorland ride.
No ponies on Winsford Hill that day; perhaps they were all at the centre! We carried on into Dulverton after our visit, calling in to the Town Mills (highly recommended) for tea & cake and visiting the Heritage Centre (lots to see, including this time a display of work by local artists and an exhibition about Exmoor Horn sheep).
It was a perfect sunny spring day: big skies, soft light, hazy shadows... The circular route we followed, from Wheddon Cross to Exford, on to Dulverton via Winsford Hill and Ashwick and back through Bridgetown, shows off some of the amazing variety of Exmoor's scenery.
Some of the visitors were queuing to groom a patient pony until it positively gleamed; others took a ride round the field. The rest of the resident ponies were feeding, posing for pictures or basking in the sun. Most still had some at least of their thick winter coats, though I suspect they'll now be losing them rapidly.
The centre, with the Moorland Mousie Trust (Moorland Mousie is the pony protagonist of a children’s book) works ‘to promote and conserve the Exmoor pony’. Staff and volunteers help to re-home ponies, mainly excess young foals from the moor. As well as adopting a pony, there is the opportunity to sponsor a foal. In addition you can book a taster session to learn about caring for ponies, or a moorland ride.
No ponies on Winsford Hill that day; perhaps they were all at the centre! We carried on into Dulverton after our visit, calling in to the Town Mills (highly recommended) for tea & cake and visiting the Heritage Centre (lots to see, including this time a display of work by local artists and an exhibition about Exmoor Horn sheep).
It was a perfect sunny spring day: big skies, soft light, hazy shadows... The circular route we followed, from Wheddon Cross to Exford, on to Dulverton via Winsford Hill and Ashwick and back through Bridgetown, shows off some of the amazing variety of Exmoor's scenery.
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Falconry and Farming on Exmoor
On Tuesday this week the Exmoor Owl & Hawk Centre, near the picture-postcard village of Allerford, held an open day. We went along, and really enjoyed looking round.
The Centre has a good collection of owls and other birds of prey, but also alpacas, mini-pigs, ponies and miniature donkeys. There was an owl-flying demonstration and an opportunity for people to take a glove and some bait to try this for themselves (although the owls can be quite choosy about where they want to fly, and whose arm they want to land on!). It was a wonderful sunny day; although Rod Smith of the Centre says that their particular micro-climate means it's often sunny there when the weather is poor elsewhere in the area.
Other activities available include spending half a day or a full day getting to know the birds of prey and owls; also horse riding. There's an interesting display about the history of the farmstead, and about falconry, in the barn. The Centre also has a cafe selling drinks and snacks. A great day out for families.
Wednesday saw us in Porlock for the final Exmoor Awareness session this season (run by Exmoor National Park for tourism-related businesses). It's the first one we've managed to get along to, although every year we look at the programme and think how good all the sessions sound. Luckily they could fit us in at the last minute.
The theme was farming heritage, so there were presentations on how farming on Exmoor developed (I found the archaelogical perspective fascinating); local food production and how farmers are diversifying; a very entertaining personal view from a lady who married into a farming family, and discussion of how things could go in the future. As native townies now living in the country, we learnt a lot.
Unfortunately the planned post-lunch field trip to a local farm had to be cancelled but National Park staff organised a walk through Hawcombe Woods instead; we saw how the landscape has developed its unique characteristics through a combination of natural events and human activities - again very informative, and it was a great day for walking. It was also good to meet and network with other accommodation providers (and possible suppliers too).
We'll certainly try and make a few more of the Exmoor Awareness sessions next year!
The Centre has a good collection of owls and other birds of prey, but also alpacas, mini-pigs, ponies and miniature donkeys. There was an owl-flying demonstration and an opportunity for people to take a glove and some bait to try this for themselves (although the owls can be quite choosy about where they want to fly, and whose arm they want to land on!). It was a wonderful sunny day; although Rod Smith of the Centre says that their particular micro-climate means it's often sunny there when the weather is poor elsewhere in the area.
Other activities available include spending half a day or a full day getting to know the birds of prey and owls; also horse riding. There's an interesting display about the history of the farmstead, and about falconry, in the barn. The Centre also has a cafe selling drinks and snacks. A great day out for families.
Wednesday saw us in Porlock for the final Exmoor Awareness session this season (run by Exmoor National Park for tourism-related businesses). It's the first one we've managed to get along to, although every year we look at the programme and think how good all the sessions sound. Luckily they could fit us in at the last minute.
The theme was farming heritage, so there were presentations on how farming on Exmoor developed (I found the archaelogical perspective fascinating); local food production and how farmers are diversifying; a very entertaining personal view from a lady who married into a farming family, and discussion of how things could go in the future. As native townies now living in the country, we learnt a lot.
Unfortunately the planned post-lunch field trip to a local farm had to be cancelled but National Park staff organised a walk through Hawcombe Woods instead; we saw how the landscape has developed its unique characteristics through a combination of natural events and human activities - again very informative, and it was a great day for walking. It was also good to meet and network with other accommodation providers (and possible suppliers too).
We'll certainly try and make a few more of the Exmoor Awareness sessions next year!
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