This photo reached 34,000 people on Facebook alone. Did you see on our Exmoor FB page?
Photo by Simon Stuart.
Photos by Ralph (photo block 1) and Sparkle (photo block 2) – you can follow them on Twitter: @pkpacha12 and @escana143.
We know it’s only Tuesday, but how can this beautiful photo be possibly topped????*
This photo of Fred the cat on a fence at Lynton overlooking Lynmouth bay caught our eye on Instagram (posted by @milo_and_dougal)
*we’re happy to be convinced otherwise! If you think there is another photo deserving of the title “Photo of the Week”, just post it on our Facebook page or tag us on Twitter or Instagram. You can also email it to exmoor4all@gmail.com
A fundraising campaign has been launched by Exmoor National Park’s CareMoor for Exmoor* to replace a much loved feature of Exmoor – Woodside bridge, which has provided a crossing of the East Lyn river near Lynmouth for over a hundred years.
Woodside Bridge had to be removed last December following an inspection which revealed that the softwood timber beams had come to the end of their life. The bridge was replaced in the 1950s after the Lynmouth Flood and again in 1993 by the Royal Engineers working with Exmoor National Park. At 17.3m/57feet, the structure is the longest single span countryside bridge in the National Park.
Thousands of people used the bridge each year to enjoy the short, easy circuit taking in Middleham Memorial Gardens along with the beauty and wildlife of the river and woodland valley. The bridge is an important link for visitors and the local businesses which they support.
Dan Barnett, Access & Recreation Manager at Exmoor National Park said: “Many people are surprised to learn that the bridge is not recorded as a public right of way which means there is no duty for local authorities to replace it, so we need your help.
“We are keen to replace the bridge as soon as funds allow so we are asking visitors, residents and anyone who cares about Exmoor to make a donation. Any amount, large or small, will help and we hope to reach our target by Christmas which will allow us to get the bridge installed ready for Easter next year when the main visitor season begins.
“We now have a price of £65,000 to install a high quality new structure. This is a steel beam supported bridge with hardwood timber work which will have a very long design life.”
The land where the bridge is sited is owned by The National Trust, which is a partner in this project.
For more information and to contribute to the Woodside fund please visit: www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/caremoor/woodside
NEWS FROM EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK
Anyone not yet into the Christmas spirit should head for the Christmas Fayre at Lynmouth on Sunday 11 December from 10am to 4pm where a host of delights will await them.
The National Park Centre team at the Lynmouth Pavilion ran a similar event in a small way last year which was so successful that more and more people wanted to be involved so this year there will be 15 stalls inside the Centre including arts, crafts, books, pottery, woodcraft items, jewellery and other seasonal items. In addition to these, a further 15 market stalls will be open along the Esplanade outside selling food, Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths, the contents of a seaside gift shop which will be sold in aid of Unicef, a scout stall, calendars, artisan items and a host of Christmas items.
Inside the Pavilion there will also be an elf workshop where children can make a Christmas tree decoration for free; they can also make a Christmas card in a competition that will be judged by Suzette Hibbert, Mayor of Lynton & Lynmouth, later in the afternoon.
Santa will be on hand and children are welcome to come and pay him a visit – the numbers able to do this are limited so places will need to be booked by phoning the Dining Room on 01598 753484 prior to the day. There will be plenty more to see and do with Lyntones Ladies’ choir singing seasonal songs at 11am and 2pm, plus face painting for a donation to Children’s Hospice, a raffle for a £75 Christmas hamper kindly donated by Marsden Devon Cottages who are also sponsoring the event, and a special festive menu in the Dining Room.
National Park Centre Manager Dave Wilde said: “Entry is free so everyone is invited to come along and sample the special Christmas atmosphere. All this is in addition to the normal National Park Centre retail area where there are local books, jewellery, art items, Exmoor Christmas Cards and other local items for sale.
“Proceeds from the raffle and the £5 hire fee for the stalls and market stalls outside are all going to CareMoor for Exmoor* – especially to support the Dormice boxes appeal.”
For further information please call the National Park Centre at Lynmouth on 01598 752509.
Photo: Lynmouth Pavilion by Ken Blakey
High tide at Lynmouth Harbour on Saturday, 20 August 2016, photographed by Beckie Wilde.
The twin towns of Lynton & Lynmouth are in the middle of the rugged Exmoor coastline with Lynton 500 feet above Lynmouth and the two towns connected by a cliff funicular railway. Five reasons to visit Lynton & Lynmouth this summer include open air Macbeth, the most scenic of Devon cream teas, a new arts trail, scenery that influenced the Romantic Poets and riding a water powered funicular.
See Macbeth in the Valley of the Rocks
New for this summer is the Pleasure Dome Theatre, an open-air theatre set in the dramatic and beautiful scenery of The Valley of The Rocks near Lynton. The Pleasure Dome Theatre are an artistic collective with the aim of using the natural landscape of the area to make Exmoor a cultural destination as well as a tourist hub. Their first performance is Macbeth which will be running from August 2nd until the 20th.
Enjoy a scenic Cream Tea at Watersmeet
The National Trust’s Watersmeet House is a 19th century fishing lodge with a beautiful Edwardian tea garden. Living up to its name, Watersmeet is where the East Lyn and Hoar Oak Water meet and cream teas can be enjoyed overlooking the rivers and spotting herons and dippers. Watersmeet is also located along some of Exmoor’s best walking and so makes a great spot for a mid-hike rest.
Indulge in Exmoor culture on the Arts Trail
Exmoor Arts Trail is a new concept which makes it easy for people to engage with art, craft and photography on and around Exmoor. Through-out the year visitors to Exmoor can use a web page with a clickable map that shows participating venues on the Trail including art and craft shops and galleries, eateries which have art on the walls, art and craft workshop venues and artists and artisans with studios which are open to the public.
Take a ride on a water powered funicular
No trip to the towns of Lynton and Lynmouth would be complete without a trip on the water powered Cliff Railway, formed through an Act of Parliament in 1888 which gave perpetual right to extract up to 60,000 gallons of water a day. The funicular is an exciting way to travel between these two historic towns. Enjoy stunning views of the North Devon Coastline as you glide up and down the 862-foot length of track from Lynmouth nestling at the foot of the cliffs to Lynton perched 500 feet above.
Channel your internal Romantic poet on the Coleridge Way
Walk up to 51 miles through the stunning Somerset countryside of the Quantock Hills, the Brendon Hills and Exmoor, a landscape that inspired Coleridge to produce some of his best known work. At Lynmouth the path links with the South West Coast Path National Trail. A delightful 30-mile circular walk can be made by walking from Porlock on the Coleridge Way to Lynmouth and returning along the coast path.
For more information on Lynton and Lynmouth visit http://www.visit-exmoor.co.uk
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