After a very gloomy start to the day May eventually decided to look its part this afternoon – blue sky, buzzing bees, bluebells and singing birds made this Friday rather pleasant. The weather forecast for Saturday is promising – Sunday’s outlook depends on which forecast we look at, so fingers crossed, the one saying that it will be sunny with clouds is correct.
Photo by Rosie Schneider
The ancient Royal Forests are not a very well known or widely understood part of our countryside’s cultural heritage. The forest located at what is now the heart of Exmoor National Park was an intimidating area of moorland, and not a wooded forest as most people assume. You can still trace the imprint of the forest – and each year its boundary is stomped along by people who undertake the annual Exmoor Perambulation endurance walk.
Thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, a new booklet about the Royal Forest of Exmoor is being produced through the Heart of Exmoor scheme, authored by the historian Mary Siraut and to be published by the Exmoor National Park Authority.
A Field Guide to the Royal Forest of Exmoor is a very accessible little book, easy to thumb through, and likely to be travelling in a rucksack with many a keen…
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Dunkery and The Horner Valley from The Priestway by local artist David Jessup.
The Priestway is an ancient track leading to the tiny isolated church of St. Pero. At 1100 ft the highest church on Exmoor. Painted in April when the fresh green of the silver birches contrasts vividly with the bronzed remains of autumn. The original is sold, but Giclée prints are available from the Exmoor Producers Association Shop in Minehead
It looks like a fabulous time was had by all 🙂
Just had a great week in Exmoor riding my bike with my friends.
Weather awesome, trails great. It was just amazing.
As always used the Vertebrate Publishing guide books by Nick Cotton. They had some great routes in them and made the most out of the area. The only point I can comment on is the ascent stated in the book is generally not accurate and was always more in real life.
I did not expect the steepness of the hills in the area and can say that it is probably the hardest weeks riding I have ever done. The Sunday when we took in Porlock, Minehead and back over Dunkery Beacon was probably the hardest days riding ever and finished me off…
As always took a few pictures of the trip, see below:
What a great week!!!!!
I had pictured the house long before it came into view and from the description I had read and the image in my mind I knew it would be beautiful and ancient, a rambling relic rising up from the landscape of the moors. I imagined there would be roses clinging to the stonework and a sprawling garden filled with lavender and hollyhocks, but now I was starting to wonder if the access to the house was just too difficult, and the location too remote.
I felt as though I had driven a long way down Rush Lane and doubts were beginning to creep into my head about staying in such a secluded spot, especially because I was alone. But just as those doubts began to multiply, the lane opened up and my fears disappeared in an instant. Before me was Ravens Deep.
Jane Jordan is the author of The Ravens Deep trilogy. She lives on the edge of Exmoor in South West England. She is inspired by the beautiful, but mysterious moor-lands and rugged coastline that make up her surroundings, a perfect setting for dark romance novels.
In her debut novel Jane Jordan brought together two unforgettable characters; Madeline Shaw and Darius Chamberlayne. Their connection defied the boundaries of time and combined vampire superstition with a complex and modern love story.
Blood & Ashes, her second book, is a vivid and powerful follow up to Ravens Deep. A story that is layered in myth and vampire culture, and set amongst London’s hidden world and the beautiful scenery of Exmoor. A mixture of love, revenge and horror, takes the reader on an unexpected journey through the lives of three enigmatic immortals.
A Memoir of Carl, is the conclusive book in the Ravens Deep trilogy. A story layered in myth and vampire culture and set against the backdrop of Stirling in Scotland and its historic castle, the prestigious London opera house and a gothic stately home, all of which paints a remarkable picture that is rich in detail and unexpectedly chilling.
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Prologue to Ravens Deep
There are those amongst us who seek unconditional love, an objective that could either be construed as wise or foolhardy. But regardless of individual perspective, many of us search for a like-minded being, someone to return our affection, capture our heart or comfort and encourage when all others may criticize or condemn.
A few relationships are to be considered unusual or diverse, but although cultural differences and personal preference may be argued, our unions typically conform to the rules and moral values that we make.
After all, most strange deviations in love can be explained. . . ordinarily.
Excerpt from Ravens Deep
The Exmoor Club Card scheme has officially launched. The media release has just gone out! Feel free to spread the word – and if you are interested in becoming an agent or a partner, please get in touch. Click here to order your card!
Exmoor.– The Exmoor Club Card has been launched with great deals across Exmoor for locals and visitors alike. Offers range from discounted entry at local attractions through to deals on accommodation, cookery classes and locally based online stores and even web design.
Exmoor Club Cards cost £25.00 per year. 10% of the amount raised will go into a special fund which will be used to pay for a special project or event on Exmoor. Cards are available online at www.exmoorclub.co.uk and at a growing number of local outlets.
The card scheme is part of Exmoor4all which was set up by local events & PR company CultureLine earlier this year. Exmoor4all serves as platform where the public can share their photos, stories and experiences of Exmoor. So far, the website www.exmoor4all.com has had 13,000 hits and is being followed by people from all over the world, including a number of travel blogger who engage regularly with Exmoor4all.
“We are very grateful to all our partners for joining this very exciting scheme”, explained Elke Winzer, director of CultureLine Events & Publicity Ltd. “The response to Exmoor4all has been overwhelming, and we hope that the new card will help visitors and locals to make the most of what this beautiful part of the world has to offer.”
The National Trust’s Holnicote Estate is one of many Exmoor Club Card partners, offering 20% discount on purchases in the Selworthy Tea Room and NT shop. NT Knightshayes has come on board with a 2 for 1 offer on admission. Exmoor Zoo is another local attraction involved; local providers like Exmoor Adventure and Experience Exmoor have also joined the scheme. A regularly updated list of offers and deals is available at www.exmoorclub.co.uk.
For more information, please contact Elke at Cultureline Events&Publicity Ltd
on 0788 1504863 or send an email to elke@cultureline.co.uk
For gardeners, peat is a well-known, although less used than before, mainstay of seed and potting composts. It’s ability to absorb large quantities of moisture and to retain nutrients plus being very light when dry, thereby reducing transportation costs, made it the perfect growing medium. In recent times, the environmental impact of industrial scale peat extraction has given rise to concern leading to the development of alternative composts becoming available.
Exmoor’s rolling moorland: a wild, windswept and boggy place
In the areas where peat is found – mostly in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere – it was also a common fuel source and is still used for this purpose today. On a non-commercial scale peat for burning is also in decline as the hand digging of the bogs, the drying out process and the carting all takes time for very little financial gain. The days of the ‘turf cutter’ being paid sixpence a load have long passed.
Turf cutting…
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Nestled between an 11th century church at the top of the lane, and an ancient ford at the bottom, there stands a stone cottage. It has a slightly crooked front door framed by an open porch. Blue-tits nest in the porch eaves – content and undisturbed – as the door, now swollen with the paintwork of many generations, is too stiff to open. The door is painted a delicate shade of green with an unconscious nod towards a French manor house. Casement windows sit in perfect symmetry on either side of the doorway – just as a child would draw – and an exquisite flower border, heady with sweet aroma, is bedded down under the front windows. It is a cottage that sits so comfortably in its position, surrounded by rolling Devonshire hills, wild flower meadows and twinkling streams, only a flash of Divine inspiration could have created it.”
Chapter Three, The Wedding Cake Tree
Exmoor 4 all 