Snowdrop Valley 2017

On Saturday, 28 January 2017, Snowdrop Valley opens again to visitors until the end of February.

Snowdrop Valley is a privately owned remote valley in a hidden part of Exmoor close to Wheddon Cross.  The Badgworthy Land Company kindly allow access to the valley while the beautiful carpet of snowdrops is in bloom throughout February each year.

Park and Ride buses running on the middle two weeks: Saturday 4th February to Sunday 19th February inclusive.

The first and last weeks are for walkers only and the valley will be closed to traffic. For coach bookings and disabled access please contact the Co-ordinator Gemma Wesley on 07507 797169 or email snowdropvalley@googlemail.com

Find out more here

Foodies invited to join in with Exmoor Food Festival

EXMOOR rCENTRER- A dining CelebrationA FOOD festival designed to help showcase Exmoor’s top chefs, growers and producers launches next month (February, 2017), and more restaurants than ever have signed up for the Exmoor Food Fest.

Top pubs and restaurants will be offering specially priced menus on selected days during February to encourage diners to eat out as part of the Exmoor Food Fest.

“It’s an event to showcase the very best the region has to offer diners and it is a celebration of all local produce and the culinary expertise we have here on our doorstep,” explained Paul Berry, patron of award-wining gastro pub The Swan in Bampton, who is also one of the chefs taking part in the VIP launch at the Luttrell Arms in Dunster.

Restaurants are offering a special Exmoor Food Fest deal during February with two courses priced £10 and three courses £15.

The Exmoor Food Festival runs throughout February and is organised by Elke Winzer who is also behind Exmoor4all, an online platform for all things Exmoor related, including an online shop, and the Exmoor Markets.

All participating restaurants are entering the Taste of Exmoor Awards. The public is invited to vote for their favourite dining experience online.  The Exmoor Chef of the year will be crowned at an awards ceremony on 27 March at Butlins.

For further information about restaurants participating in the Exmoor Food Fest, please go to www.exmoorfoodfest.com

exmoor-food-fest

Last of the frost in Selworthy Combe….

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Last of the Frost in Selworthy Combe - Original Oil Painting by David Jessup

Last of the Frost in Selworthy Combe – Original Oil Painting by David Jessup

Frost lingering in the shadows at the start of a glorious cold autumn day in Selworthy Combe.  Just visible amongst the silver birches at the centre of the picture is Lady Acland’s Hut, a woodland refuge built by Sir Thomas Acland for his wife in the 19th century.  Almost everywhere in this broad panorama is now owned by The National Trust, including the wooded Horner Valley in the middleground & the distant slopes of the high moor& Porlock Hill.

 

David Jessup sold his first picture – a small scraperboard drawing – aged 14.

Years later, David took time out from his job as a production controller at the Clarks factory in Minehead – unable to stand or walk after an operation, he picked up his oil paints once more. When the factory closed in 1982, David and his family moved to a remote miners cottage where they established the family business Brendon Hill Crafts, combining his wife Liz’s preserves and his own artwork.

David prefers to produce large oil paintings on medium grain stretched canvas, making use of sheer magnitude to transport the viewer to the scene.  Referring to compositional sketches captured on site, David works in his home studio.

In his alter ego as an illustrator, David also turns to nature as a subject, producing watercolours and drawings for postcards and prints for clients like the National Trust and The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

30″ x 20″  Unframed  on canvas stretcher  – Available to purchase in the Exmoor Store.

Exmoor Gallery: January 2017 (Part 1)

Here are the photos our followers shared with us on Twitter and Facebook during the first half of January. Sit back and enjoy!

Date for the Diary: Farm & Food Tour across Exmoor

Join Shaun and Daphne for a scenic drive across the moors in a LandRover to a remote hill farm for a tour of the farm with the farmers who will show you their free range pork, Dexter cattle, dairy goats and alpacas. You are then invited into the traditional farmhouse for refreshments and tastings of the delicious food they produce, followed by a demonstration of alpaca wool spinning.

10 February 2017
Depart Luccombe 1.30 pm, transport provided.  
Return to Luccombe approx. 5.00 pm
On the road from Exford to Porlock. Photo by Rob Hatton, February 2013
West Country Farm & Food Tours
When we talk to people about our business, we often receive comments relating to our enthusiasm and passion. We thought you might like to know why we do what we do.

1) We get a kick out of the facial expressions of our tour guests when they learn something new or taste something delicious. We enjoy receiving feedback from our host farmers and food producers – especially when they’ve opened someone’s eyes to something they didn’t know existed. Seeing our group purchase produce direct from its source knowing they will enjoy eating it later really makes us smile.

2) We get to spend the day travelling around the stunning countryside of the West Country, pootling along country lanes and visiting locations that are often not open to the general public – heaven! For our guests who dont know the area or who dont like narrow lanes with high hedges, we take away the stress of reversing or getting lost and replace it with comfort, companionship and commentary.

3) Food. We like food – especially locally produced food. One of the most important elements of a day out with us is our lunch stop. Sometimes we will head to a café, tea room or pub, other times one of our host food producers will provide a light lunch at their location. We can also make use of suppliers to create yummy picnics that we can enjoy wherever we choose.

4) We see ourselves as a link bringing together suppliers (farmers and food producers) and consumers (our tour guests). We might visit a farm to learn about their beef production, but our guests will leave knowing there are idyllic holiday cottages and a camp site there too. Our group will learn where products can be purchased in the future too, such as local farmers markets or on line.

5) Our transport is provided by local community transport groups for which we pay a commercial rate. This enables them to use the money to support the vital community based work they often struggle to fund. We make sure we treat the drivers properly too – they come on the visits and enjoy lunch with us.

6) Children are indeed the future, and we want to give them a taste of our tours too. Already some of our tour guests have given us a contribution to our education fund, and some of our host farmers have insisted on giving their fee to the cause. Our aim is to be able to provide local schools with a taste of West Country Farm and Food Tours.

In pursuit of snow

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“We took the landrover out to see if Exmoor got any ‘white stuff’ this afternoon. The sensible wildlife were hiding beside hedgerows sheltering from the icy winds… We spotted the ITV camera man doing his weather report from Dunkery Gate and the only other mad people out in the cold were the local photographers.”

Barle Valley Safaris.

Credit: Liz Mitchell

Exmoor Food Fest: Oriental Banquet at Knowle Manor with Claire’s Kitchen

Join us for a delicious banquet in the splendid setting of Knowle Manor near Dunster prepared by Claire’s Kitchen.

£25.00 per person

Complimentary glass of Prosecco or Elderflower Spritzer

Canapés on arrival
Mini Thai Blue Swimmer crab cakes with Claires Kitchen Chilli Jam and micro Basil

Starter
Vietnamese Tiger Prawns on a fragrant Asian salad

(V)Vietnamese Wild Mushrooms on a fragrant Asian salad

Main
Little Oak Farm Free range double cooked Char Siu pork on  a spring onion and Szechuan soba noodle stack

(V)Thai sweet potato curry with coconut pilau rice and a pineapple, cucumber and coriander salad


Dessert
Cinnamon, ginger and star anise poached pineapple upside down cake, pineapple syrup with a vanilla creme fraiche

There will be a licensed bar.

book-now

Exmoor Memories: Wimbleball Lake

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Jane Carey shared this image of Wimbleball Lake which she took two days ago.  In response, a number of our Facebook followers posted their memories of Wimbleball Lake:

“We love this place, but sadly Alfie has damaged his tail because he wags it too much when he’s swimming – which he did yesterday! He’s sprained his tail – according to the vet. Never knew this was possible, but now he’s on anti-inflammatories! Poor Alf – tail at half mast, but still wagging gently.”  (Maureen Young )

 “I have fond memories of walking here with my parents. Maureen – didn’t know a dog could wag too much, hope Alfie is better soon.” (Julie Sturmer )

120-tracy-sumner-wimbleball-lake “Love running around this lake, one of my favourite trails.” (TracySumner)

“I have walked around this lake a few year ago before I had the chest problem.” (Derek Johnson)

“I’ve been swimming in there! I was about 9 or 10 at the time and was on a school trip.” (Steve Worzel Harriss)

 “I remember going fishing there back in 1982.” (Brian Miller)

Do you have memories of Wimbleball Lake?

A frosty morning at Hawkridge

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And slowly the golden light brings warmth to the ice cold still valley whilst the occupants of the small stone house sleep tight at Hawkridge, Somerset, Exmoor.

The civil parish, known as Withypool and Hawkridge, covers 3,097 hectares (7,653 acres), includes the village of Hawkridge and has a population around 201. The parish is located 4 miles N.W. of Dulverton, and 9 W. of South Molton. The village, which is very small and wholly agricultural, is situated on a hill above the small river Dun, which here divides Devonshire from Somerset.

Richard Kift

#WeLoveExmoor Mini Photo Competition – Entries

Over the last two days of 2016 we asked our Exmoor4all Facebook fans to post their favourite Exmoor images. Now we are waiting for our followers to choose the image which represents Exmoor for them. You can vote for your favourite here until Friday, 6 January. The winner will be announced on Saturday, 7 January (the price is a 2017 Exmoor4all calendar).