Photo by Bob Small
Join Exmoor Adventures on 10 March from 9 am till 4 pm for a BCU Kayak 1* Course – Cost £65.00. A few spaces are still available, so better get in touch with Dan French as soon as possible!
You will be taught a range of skills and techniques to control a kayak as well as rescue techniques and safety considerations.This is a great 1 day course to introduce kayak skills on flat water.
An ideal candidate may be trying kayaking for the first time or have some previous experience.
With a range of skills, activities and a journey on Wimbleball Lake to cap the day off, you are guaranteed to learn more about the sport and improve your kayaking skills.
Minimum age for this course is 14 (parental consent needed)
Course location: Wimbleball Lake, Exmoor.
Course cost: £65 per person
All equipment is provided: Kayaks, cags, wetsuits and bouyancy aids.
Please e-mail dan@exmooradventures.co.uk for more information or to book your place.
Location : Wimbleball Lake, Exmoor
Contact : Dan – 07976 208279
Kayaking on Wimbleball Lake
Ice cold water running under Robbers Bridge. Photo by Dave Rowlatt
Looking across Bossington Bay along Exmoor’s Coast. Photo Nigel Hester.
Photo by Dan James
Jack Scarterfield, chef at The Culbone, who is also one of the owners, has kindly sent us this recipe.
Born in Bath, Jack’s journey in search of excellent produce has taken him all over the world. He returned to Somerset to share his passion with you. The fabulous cooking skills (and secrets) of Jack Scarterfield can now be yours!
“I love the game season on Exmoor. We are surrounded by stunning produce from pheasants to wild rabbits, beautiful venison that you can see running through the moor and delicate sweet partridge which is my favourite at the moment. It’s not just the great game I have on the door step that excites me, it’s all the lovely hearty seasonal veg that goes with it, local foraged wild mushrooms, truffles, curly kale and wild berries all great friends with most of the game.”
Roasted pheasant breast with Somerset cider and colcannon
Serves 4
2 whole pheasants, breast removed, skin left on
4 peeled, boiled and mashed Maris piper potatoes
2 large handfuls of very finely sliced curly kale
1 large onion studded with 6 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 stick of celery
1 carrot
200ml double cream
Half pint Somerset cider (we use Thatcher’s)
50 g cold diced butter
Seasoning
Method
First make your sauce by roasting the pheasant legs and carcass for 30 mins to give flavour and colour. Then add to a large sauce pan with the celery, carrot, onion and bay, cover with water and boil for one hour. Drain off the stock discarding the bones and the veg, reduce stock for a further 20 mins, then add cider and cream. Reduce again by half and put to one side.
To cook your pheasant you will need a non-stick pan on medium heat. Brush the pheasant with olive oil and season well with salt and cracked black pepper. Place skin side down into the pan and cook for 4 mins until gold brown, then turn over and switch off the heat.
To finish your dish, warm up your mash adding the kale – the heat from the mash will be enough to cook the kale. Season and place into a warm serving bowl.
Warm up the sauce, whisking in the cold diced butter to thicken, add the pheasant to finish cooking for one minute and serve on top of the colcannon.
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The Culbone
Porlock
Minehead
TA24 8JW
Tel 01643 862 259
click here to email The Culbone
Directions
The Culbone is situated on the A39 between Porlock and Lynmouth. We are the Highest Restaurant on the whole of Exmoor, so the driving experience is breathtaking with dramatic scenery. We look forward to welcoming you.
the valley and back up again (aerobic exercise guaranteed; sensible footwear essential).At snowdrops time, there is a park & ride bus service from Wheddon Cross, organised by our Parish Council. Parking is in the village car park (next to the pub), where there’s also a special information point with people to give directions and advice. The narrow road to Snowdrop Valley is closed during this time (otherwise there might be traffic problems as it’s single track and there are no passing places). So, you need to either walk or get the bus in order to see the snowdrops (people with disabilities can make special arrangements). In 2013 the park & ride operates from 2nd to 24th February and the road remains closed for an extra week after this.For more details, including a bus timetable, an information leaflet to download and regular updates, visit the Wheddon Cross snowdrops page
Book dinner, bed and breakfast at Exmoor House and make a few days of it. You could stay over Valentine’s Day for a really romantic break (we’ll even order champagne and local chocolates for you if you like!).
As usual, we’ll be opening our lovely guest dining room (which has a great view of Dunkery Beacon, and by the way was once the village tailor’s shop) as a tea room for the whole of Snowdrop Valley season. Frank’s scones have become legendary and there’s a good choice of more substantial food too (e.g. mega ploughman’s lunches, hot soup, sandwiches. Everything is of course home-made, including all our bread. Home-smoked chicken and real corned beef are two popular sandwich fillings…
The West Somerset Railway’s Snowdrops and Steam excursion was such a success last year that they’re running it on more dates this time. Find more information at their website.
If you are doing the train trip and would like to have lunch here at Exmoor House, it may be advisable to book, especially if there are four or more of you.
To see more of Rosi’s Snowdrop Valley photos, pop over to Facebook.
Landacre Bridge, 20 January 2013. By Judy Atkins
Exmoor 4 all 