Rescued tourism guide launched for Exmoor 2009 season

EXMOOR’S premier tourism guide, Exmoor Coast and Country 2009, was officially launched today, following months of hard work by the board of Exmoor Coast and Country Ltd.
The guide was rescued last year in a deal between the Exmoor Tourist Association and West Somerset Council following the debacle surrounding the collapse of tourism promoter Visit Exmoor.
It is distributed throughout the UK and is seen as an important publication drawing visitors from across the country to enjoy the delights of Exmoor and West Somerset.
Strong partnership working between the tourist association and the district council has been credited with saving the publication when its future was thrown into jeopardy after last year’s tourism season.
The official launch celebrations took place in Exmoor's highest village, at the Rest and Be Thankful Inn, Wheddon Cross, which has been refurbished by owners Eric and Julie Norman, with many key figures in local tourism attending the event.
Council leader Councillor Keith Ross said: “We are delighted that we have been able to produce the guide again this year, and we are pleased with the support it has received from local advertisers.
“Given the current economic uncertainty, it may be tempting to cut advertising costs but local businesses have chosen to support the guide.
“Tourism plays a vital part in the local economy, and Exmoor Coast and Country plays an important role in promoting Exmoor and West Somerset’s coastal area.
“Launching Exmoor Coast and Country before Christmas is great timing as many people use their time off to plan their summer holidays.
“We will also be able to use the guide to promote Exmoor at tourism trade shows early in the New Year.
“Indeed, with the pound at such a low against the dollar and the euro, there has never been a better time for visitors from abroad to come to Exmoor, and we aim to promote the area as widely as possible.”
Tourism association chairman Antony Brunt said: “We are really pleased to launch the 2009 guide.
“It stands out at shows and exhibitions for its excellent quality, which makes it very popular and gives high expectations for all those planning to visit the area.
“It is now up to everybody in the tourism sector to ensure those high expectations are fulfilled.”

Safaris on Exmoor fear for future if Government bans off-roading

SAFARI operators on Exmoor fear their businesses could be wiped out if proposed new Government legislation which would stop them driving off-road is enforced.
Applications to be exempted from the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill, which was introduced two years ago, have been rejected in an Appeal Court hearing.
The decision could spell the end for businesses such as Wheddon Cross-based Barle Valley Safaris, run by Alison Simms and Duncan Waller, and Discovery Safaris, of Porlock, owned by Richard Growden.
Safari companies attract thousands of people to Exmoor every year and contribute to the important tourism spend on which the area’s economy is hugely dependent.
The Bill was intended to stop off-roading by a minority of people who were recklessly damaging the country’s National Parks and other areas by banning motor vehicles from rights of way classified as Roads Used as Public Paths (RUPPs).
However, legitimate safari businesses have been caught up by it and now a legal mix-up has left them facing an uncertain future.
Barle Valley Safaris was one of many businesses across the country which applied for temporary permission to continue using RUPPs while permanent applications were being processed by local councils.
Unfortunately, the Appeal Court ruled all such applications were invalid because the applicants had not supplied actual maps of the routes they used.
Mr Waller said people had been advised they could submit copies of routes which could be referenced against maps held by county councils – but the advice was flawed and the court ruled original maps should have been supplied.
Exmoor National Park Authority has supported the safari businesses and said it has no objection to them using the moor’s 40 miles of RUPPs.
Now, Mr Waller has launched an appeal for help to continue the battle to be exempted from the legislation.
Mr Waller said: “We are at our wits end with it all. We are being punished for the problems caused by a very small minority of people.
“Most people who come up here are very responsible. Most of our customers are elderly or disabled or families.
“We only go between 5 mph and 10 mph, we want people to see the moor, not give them a white-knuckle ride.
“We are very conscious of looking after the environment.
“We are in a dreadful position now where we cannot use the tracks we were before, which means we cannot take people into the moor.
“We can only really use the road now, and that defeats the point.
“Our trips showed people the parts they would not normally be able to reach.”
Barle Valley Safaris can be contacted by emailing info@exmoorwildlifesafaris.co.uk or calling 01643 851386 or visiting the website http://www.exmoorwildlifesafaris.co.uk/.
Discovery Safaris can be contacted by emailing discoverysafaris@aol.com or calling 01643 863444 or visiting the website http://www.discoverysafaris.com/.

• Our photographs show (TOP) Richard Growden, of Discovery Safaris, off-roading near Winsford, photo by Graham Haw; and (BELOW) a Barle Valley Safaris trip across Exmoor, photo submitted.

Exmoor pre-school children prepare to move into new home

CHILDREN in Dunkery Pre-School will be making a fresh start later this month when they finally move into their new room.
The pre-school has been operating for more than eight years in Cutcombe First School, Wheddon Cross.
Now, Ofsted has approved the pre-school’s new premises and most of the new furniture has been delivered, including an interactive whiteboard and library.
An outdoor area is shortly due to be fenced off and covered with soft rubber flooring.
The first day in the new location is planned to be Monday, October 13.
It is part of an extension at the rear of the school which will also provide extra space in which pupils can work and where class assistants can spend time with individual children or small groups from either class without being distracted by the other children in the class.
At the moment the pre-school children have the use of the school hall on three mornings a week, which restricts the time the school can use the hall for teaching purposes.
Pre-school children also have to either walk through a classroom or around the outside of the building to use the toilets.
New toilets which are part of the school extension have also been designed for pre-school age children.
The new room provides an opportunity for the pre-school to offer more opening times.
It is also ideal for running breakfast and afterschool clubs, which is a long-term aim of the school.
Groups could also use it during the day or in the evening, such as for parents’ coffee mornings, and adult education.
The pre-school was created in 2000 after Wheddon Cross Under-Fives, which had been running for more than 20 years, amalgamated with Exford Playgroup.
Any families who would like a nursery place should contact Sheralee Matravers on 07980423053.

Exmoor activities lined up for Tour Britain spectators

A HOST of events and activities in Exford and Dunster has been announced for the day when the Tour of Britain cyclists race through the area next month.
The events will help to celebrate a spectacular day of excitement and entertainment as the world’s best cyclists, including British Olympic Gold medal winners Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas, descend on Exmoor on September 9.
In Exford, the entertainment will start in the morning when local people and businesses take part in a fancy dress cycle ride.
Lots of activities will take place on the village green, including a falconry display, live music, Exmoor ponies, a barbecue, skittles, bale throwing, an egg and spoon race, a photography competition, and a display of international flags to represent the 16 teams taking part in the race.
Exford School will also be involved and there will be two craft marquees with many more activites and things to see.
Exford is an ideal place to watch the cyclists mid-race, as they arrive from the direction of Withypool at around 12.45 pm and then head towards Wheddon Cross.
The narrow medieval streets of Dunster, with its castle and the picturesque Yarn Market, provide an idyllic backdrop for the race as it thunders through at around 1.25 pm.
Visitors should arrive early, however, to enjoy activities being held from 11 am to 3 pm, including Rollapuluza cycle roller racing which has been organised by local businesses together with Active Exmoor and Somerset County Council.
It is a fun and easy version of cycle racing which will give participants an opportunity to find out if they are ‘faster than Chris Hoy’, the British triple Olympic Gold Medal winner, with prizes on offer to the fastest riders.
Cliff Nicholson, of Spears Cross, in Dunster, and William Wake, of Dunster Castle, have helped organise the roller racing.
Mr Wake said: “With so many visitors coming into the village to watch the tour pass by, we felt we had to provide some entertainment and cycle roller racing is ideal.
“Cyclists will readily want to race, but more importantly visitors, just here to watch the race, will be egged on by friends to have a go.
“Cycling is an up and coming sport in the UK and this is an ideal opportunity to encourage people to try it.”
Somerset County Council has also organised a free park and ride coach scheme from Vulcan Road, in Minehead, to make it easier for people to visit and enjoy the day.
The park and ride will operate from 10 am until 4 pm.
The county’s economic development portfolio holder, Councillor Alvin Horsfall, said: “I am very excited about the day, which is not far away now.
“I hope that people get there early and enjoy all the fantastic things there are to do.
“It promises to be one of the best days of the year for Somerset.”
Somerset County Council is hosting the South West stage of the Tour of Britain, which will start in Chard and finish in Burnham-on-Sea.
The race, which is the toughest stage of the tour, is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the county.
Participants include Mark Cavendish, the only Briton to win four stages of the Tour de France in a single year.
More details about the events or more information about the race, including road closures, can be found by visiting http://www.bikesomerset.co.uk/.

• Our photograph shows some of last year’s Tour of Britain riders passing along the Exmoor coast. Photo by Guy Harrop www.guyharrop.com.

Olympic gold medallists in Exmoor stage of Tour of Britain

OLYMPIC cycling gold medallists Bradley Wiggins (pictured) and Geraint Thomas have been confirmed as competitors in the Tour of Britain, which comes to Exmoor on Tuesday, September 9.
They will also be joined by Beijing bronze medal winner Chris Newton, and Mark Cavendish, the only Briton to win four stages of the Tour de France in a single year.
Somerset County Council is hosting the 113-mile South West stage of the Tour of Britain, which will start in Chard and finish in Burnham-on-Sea.
The race is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the county to cheer on the riders and congratulate the Olympic champions.
The Somerset stage will cross Exmoor from North Molton via Exford and Wheddon Cross to Dunster and then take the A39 and A358 to Bishops Lydeard before crossing the Quantocks and heading towards Burnham.
County council Tour of Britain project manager Graham Bagely said: “The successes in the Tour de France and the Olympics has made 2008 a really exciting year for British cycling.
“The Tour of Britain will be a great event to celebrate this success and see the stars of British cycling compete against each other in Somerset for the toughest stage of the race.”
The county’s economic development portfolio holder, Councillor Alvin Horsfall, said: “The Great Britain Olympic team has set a new standard for competitive cycling.
“It will be great for residents and visitors to see the stars of the Olympics competing in Somerset.
“Last year, the race attracted over 70,000 spectators and we hope the recent success of British cycling will attract even more crowds this year.”
Bradley Wiggins won Gold in the men’s individual pursuit and the men’s team pursuit and will represent ‘Team Columbia’ in the Tour of Britain.
Geraint Thomas won Gold in the men’s team pursuit and will represent ‘Barloworld’ in the Tour of Britain.
Chris Newton won Bronze in the men’s individual pursuit and will represent ‘Rapha Condor’ in the Tour of Britain.
Mark Cavendish is the only British rider to win four stages of the Tour de France.
He also won two stages of the Tour of Britain in 2007 and will represent ‘Team Columbia’ in this year’s race..
More information about the Tour of Britain in Somerset is available by visiting http://www.bikesomerset.co.uk/.

Post Offices - the hit list

THE Post Office has finally announced which branches it intends to close in a review of the service across West Somerset.
Two villages will be left without a postal service at all, while three others will see their branches replaced by a mobile Post Office which will visit for as little as three hours a week.
Bicknoller and West Quantoxhead are the two doomed to be axed completely, while a mobile library-style service is proposed for Brompton Regis, Wheddon Cross, Kilve, and Lydeard St Lawrence.
West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has vowed to fight the closures wherever possible.
Ironically, Mr Liddell-Grainger’s wife Jill is a voluntary worker in the sub-Post Office in their home village of Bicknoller.
The branch forms part of the village shop, which is owned by a co-operative of residents and runs entirely on voluntary unpaid help.
Mr Liddell-Grainger said: “I am deeply concerned about any rural service going, especially on the moor and across West Somerset.
“It is inexcusable that the Post Office allows yet another nail in the coffin of rural people.
“Every facility we lose, we become more and more like dormitory villages.
“I have already written to every parish council chairman and postmaster in the villages I am responsible for and I will find out what they want to do.”
In Brompton Regis, postmaster Peter Stringer said the closure would also mean the end of the village stores which he and his wife Jenny also run.
Mr Stringer said: “It will be the death of the shop because the shop cannot stand alone with the loss of income from the full-time Post Office.”
A public meeting is being held in Brompton Regis Village Hall on Friday evening at 7.30 pm for villagers to be fully informed by Mr Stringer of the consequences and to discuss the situation.
Mr Stringer said based on the original criteria used by the Post Office when reviewing its network, he did not expect to be on the closure list.
He said: “I assumed we would not be up for closure, being a remote rural settlement nearly 1,000 feet above sea level which can be cut off in bad weather and no public transport.
Mr Stringer said only last September he had received a 20-year long service award from the Post Office.
“Now, within six months they have given me my redundancy,” he said. “For me, it will mean unemployment and the search for another job, which is difficult in a rural community.”
Mr Stringer predicted the closure programme would see community facilities in many villages being lost as a result.
He said even if the decision was overturned as a result of the consultation process being carried out over the next six weeks, the ‘executioner’s sword’ would continue to hang over them.
“We would like to retire in two to three years’ time, but then we would know the Post Office will not renew the franchise and we would be left with a business which would not have any turnover,” he said. “You know you are on the hit list. You know if you want to sell on, they will not renew it.”
Mr Stringer said the mobile service which in Brompton Regis’ case would visit the village hall car park on Monday and Thursday mornings between 9.30 am and 12 noon, would gradually fade away.
He said customers would not be keen to stand in a queue in the rain when the weather was bad and many would in the meantime be forced to drive elsewhere to use postal services.
Mr Stringer said; “The Post Office is not all about making money. This is a Socialist Government we have, but unfortunately, they have very un-Socialist policies.
“They are ripping the heart out of this community for the sake of a few thousand pounds a year,”
The mobile service proposed for Wheddon Cross will visit the car park beside the Rest and Be Thankful public house for a total of nine hours a week, between 9.30 am and 12.30 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
In Kilve, it will use the village hall car park for three hours on a Tuesday morning, from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm.
And in Lydeard St Lawrence, the village hall car park will be used for six hours, from 2 pm to 5 pm on Tuesday and Thursday.
West Somerset Council’s leader, Councillor Keith Ross, and economic development portfolio holder, Councillor Michael Downes, called on people to speak up for local Post Offices threatened with the chop.
Councillor Ross said: “Public consultation is underway and we will be expressing our concern.
“We would encourage residents in West Somerset to do the same.
“I have already taken up this matter with the Local Government Association, using the Post Office at Brompton Regis as a case study, and I will continue to campaign to keep essential rural Post Offices.
“While I understand that the Government needs to save money and promote efficiency, it should also look at the broader impacts that losing this service is likely to have on rural communities.”
Councillor Downes said: “In outreach service areas, current opening hours are likely to be slashed.
“Village shops and garages will be losing a postmaster or postmistress’s wage which will have a detrimental effect on the whole facility, and may mean that some community shops will have to close.
“This would be a bitter blow for local people who depend on the shops, garages and Post Offices, as well as the local economy as a whole.
“West Somerset has one of the highest elderly populations in the country and many people depend on these shops.
“People who are unable to drive will suffer, and the environment will suffer.
“Drivers will have to use cars to access services that are currently available on their doorsteps, which will increase the local carbon footprint.
“I would urge people to take part in the consultation and make their views known.”
Up to 2,500 Post Office branches are earmarked for closure across the country by the Government following a study which indicated that the public is not using the full range of services offered.
People can take part in the consultation, which runs until April 9, by sending their views in writing to the National Consultation Team, Post Office Ltd, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM (no stamp is required).
The closures are due to take effect from July.
Post Office Ltd regional development manager Tony Jones said: “Taking the decision to close any Post Office branch is always very difficult and we know will cause concern to many of our customers.
“We want to ensure that everybody who uses, relies on or has any concern with Post Office Ltd services is both fully aware of the proposed changes and able to give views on them.”

New route to attract more entries for Golden Horseshoe endurance ride

THERE will be a new look to the route of the annual Wessex Golden Horseshoe endurance ride on Exmoor next year.
Riders will be able to take in the Doone Valley, Cheriton Ridge, and the tough uphill haul at Robbers Bridge.
Organising committee chairman Barbara Wigley, who lives near Wheddon Cross, said: “Parts of this new route have not been used for the Golden Horseshoe for some years and we think it will attract new riders as well as our regulars.”
The venue has again been moved from the Auction Field, at Exford, to a larger and more open and easily accessible site 400 yards away at the top of Church Hill.
Mrs Wigley said the new site was well-drained and had excellent views of the start and finish of the course.
She said changes were needed to raise the event’s profile in as many ways possible, to attract sponsorship and public involvement on a wider scale.
Local businesses had been approached to take trade stands, including country crafts, confectionary, toiletries (equine and human), and endurance equipment.
The ride has also received a grant from Exmoor National Park Authority’s sustainable development fund.
There are four competitive classes – The Exmoor Golden Horseshoe, The Exmoor Stag, The Exmoor Experience, and The Exmoor Eighty.
In addition, a ‘Pleasure Ride’ will again be held on the Sunday morning to raise money for the Moorland Mousie Trust.
More than £1,000 was raised for the trust from this year’s ride.
A group of Exmoor ponies from the Exmoor Pony Centre, near Dulverton, will take part in the pleasure ride, and there will be a stand at the venue with information about the work carried out for the rare breed.
The 2008 Golden Horseshoe ride will take place from May 11 to 13.

Exmoor Food Festival finishes another year in style - now booking for 2008

THE annual Exmoor Food Festival finished in a feast of activity at the Porlock Food Fayre when more than 750 visitors sampled the best of Exmoor food and drink from 27 local producers.
The ever-popular ‘Exmoor Breakfast’ in the Moorland Hall, Wheddon Cross, served around 230 breakfasts on both Sundays of the festival, and earned its place as a firm favourite in the festival calendar.
An open day at the sheeps milk ice cream producers, Styles, in Rodhuish, was also a hit with visitors, and a new addition to the festival, the Lyn Food Fest and Treasure Hunt proved to be a big draw for both visitors and local people.
Food festival organiser Kate Harris said: “This year has proven to be even more successful than ever. Plans are already under way for next year’s events.”
Any local producers who want to take part in next year’s festival should contact Somerset Food Links on 01458 241 401 to book their place.
The festival was sponsored by DJ Miles Tea and Coffee Merchants and featured locally-sourced sausage sizzlers, succulent roasts, medieval banquets, seafood and game dishes.
The Saffron Kitchen offered hands-on sessions for visitors to learn how to give local produce an exotic Indian twist, or there were Mediterranean-style meals available at the Royal Oak, in Porlock.
Cider making, wine tasting, and a tour of Cotleigh Brewery were also available, while DJ Miles Ltd opened the doors to its unique tea and coffee blending shop in Porlock.
A Fair Trade Supper with African dance night was held in Monksilver and an Exmoor horn lamb tasting took place in the Culbone Inn, near Porlock.

• Customers who took part in a survey of Exmoor Horn lamb at four leading restaurants across Exmoor gave it a big thumbs up and scored it nine out of 10 for its eating quality.
  The results of the survey were announced at the lamb tasting day by the Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders’ Society.
  Visitors to the event were treated to delicious local Exmoor Horn lamb served in a Somerset mixed herb bap, especially created for the food festival and the lamb tasting day by The Avenue Bakery, Minehead, and accompanied by roast potatoes.
  In the survey, eight lambs from Exmoor farmer JR Richards and Sons were slaughtered and butchered locally by Combe Martin Meats and supplied to four leading restaurants across Exmoor which specialise in serving local produce.
  The participating restaurants, Andrew’s on the Weir, in Porlock Weir, Exmoor Forest Hotel, in Simonsbath, Tarr Farm Inn and Restaurant, at Tarr Steps, and Woods Bar and Restaurant, Dulverton, asked diners who chose lamb off the menu to complete a brief questionnaire at the end of their meal, and more than 100 forms were completed.
  Ian Rigby, the society’s meat marketing consultant, said: “These results reinforce what many of us who eat Exmoor Horn lamb have known for years, that lamb produced from this breed that is naturally reared in its native surroundings is very special and tastes absolutely fantastic.
  “We are now working on developing an Exmoor Horn brand for both lamb and mutton so people will be able to identify and buy these meat products in the future.”
  Exmoor Horn sheep and their ancestors have roamed the hills of Exmoor for centuries and have long been prized for the eating quality and flavour of its lamb and mutton.
  At the beginning of the last century the meat was much sought after by some of the most prestigious restaurants in London.
  As farming systems changed and became more intensive, however, with the post-war quest for cheap food, traditional breeds like the Exmoor Horn became less popular and numbers declined.
  Exmoor farmers never lost faith in their native breed and through a strong breed society, formed over 100 years ago, they improved the breed and maintained commercial numbers to the current level of 19,000 registered breeding ewes.
  The society’s chairman, Pauline Lyle, said though a long standing traditional breed, the Exmoor Horn was in no way a rare breed, and when crossed with a Bluefaced Leicester ram the resultant Exmoor Mule was considered to be one of the most productive sheep around.
  Exmoor National Park Authority has also recognised the importance of the breed as an integral part of Exmoor’s heritage by awarding the society funding to maintain and increase flock numbers on the moor, through the Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund.
  
• Our photographs show some of the exhibitors at the Porlock Food Fayre: From the top - Nutcombe Chocolates, Brendon Hill Crafts, Cranfields, Dunkery Vineyard. Photos submitted.