| New Year, New Affordable Homes |
| In the last couple of years 24 new affordable homes have been occupied within West Somerset and Exmoor National Park alone and with 22 more to be completed in the New Year the future is looking brighter for local people in housing need. |
| Date: 21st December 2007 |
| The Old Mineral Line - 100 Years After The Last Re-opening |
| In 1907 funding was found to set up the Somerset Mineral Syndicate which aimed to re-open the iron mines on the Brendon Hills and to lease the West Somerset Mineral Railway to serve the mine workings. |
| Date: 21st December 2007 |
| Grant Settlement |
| Exmoor National Park Authority members and staff have welcomed the news that the National Park grant settlement to cover the next three years is to be in line with other parts of local government and Treasury inflation forecasts. |
| Date: 7th December 2007 |
| Learning Outside the Classroom |
| Exmoor National Park Authority’s field services team received a helping hand recently when students studying a BTec Course in Public Services from West Somerset Community College, Minehead, assisted with a tricky footpath improvement on the Brendon Hills. |
| Date: 28th November 2007 |
| Come and Have Your Say |
| There will be a meeting of the Exmoor Local Access Forum on Wednesday 28 November starting at 5pm in the new Discovery Centre at The Calvert Trust, Wistlandpound and anyone living on the western side of Exmoor National Park (in areas such as Brayford, Combe Martin, Challacombe, Parracombe and North Molton) is invited to come along. |
| Date: 13th November 2007 |
| Twinkle Twinkle |
| Two special events sure to get the Christmas spirit started are being held in December - Dulverton by Starlight and Dunster by Candlelight. |
| Date: 12th November 2007 |
| Orchards Live |
| A course for anyone interested in the restoration and care of orchard trees is on offer with an expert from Orchards Live (part of the charity Dartington North Devon Trust) at Pile’s Mill on the Holnicote Estate on Exmoor on Saturday 8 December. |
| Date: 7th November 2007 |
| Difficult Future for Upland Farming |
| The Exmoor Society has congratulated the Exmoor National Park Authority for organising the recent Moorland Forum and for attracting so many hill farmers to the meeting as well as other interests concerned with the uplands |
| Date: 2nd November 2007 |
| Exmoor Archaeology Forum |
| Exmoor National Park Authority’s seventh annual Exmoor Archaeology Forum is to be held on Saturday 1 December in the Dunster Tithe Barn and this year the focus is on Exmoor’s Historic Buildings. |
| Date: 1st November 2007 |
| Exmoor’s best kept archaeological secret? |
| A guided walk is on offer to the south of Dunkery Beacon where lies one of the best kept archeological secrets on Exmoor - Codsend Moor. As part of Devon and Somerset Hedge Week, archaeologists from Exmoor National Park Authority will unravel the secrets behind this fascinating site in a guided two hour walk on Thursday 25 October. |
| Date: 25th October 2007 |
| Exmoor Tourism Businesses Going Green |
| Green audits of 25 tourism businesses on Exmoor have recently been completed by environmental consultants as part of work to help them become more efficient and sustainable. |
| Date: 11th October 2007 |
| Walk in the landscape that inspired Coleridge |
| Three free guided walks are on offer during the month of October to explore the landscape that inspired Samuel Taylor Coleridge to create some of his most memorable work.The walks are part of a series of free events exploring the life and works of Coleridge organised by The Brewhouse Theatre & Arts, Taunton |
| Date: 11th October 2007 |
| Annual House Price Survey 2007 |
| The results of the Exmoor National Park Authority’s tenth annual House Price Survey reveal that the mean average house price on Exmoor now stands at £382,241 compared with £366,159 last year. This is an increase of 4.4% which is noticeably less than national and regional house price increases. |
| Date: 8th October 2007 |
| Exmoor National Park Gains European Charter for Sustainable Tourism |
| Exmoor National Park Authority has become only the second English National Park Authority to have been awarded the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas. The Charter is awarded by the Europarc Federation, the umbrella organisation of protected areas in Europe. The accolade will help raise Exmoor’s profile in the European arena as an area devoted to sustainable tourism, and give it greater credibility with potential funding partners |
| Date: 19th September 2007 |
| National Park Authority Voices Concerns |
| Exmoor National Park Authority has expressed concern at the problems being faced by Exmoor’s livestock farmers affected by the ban on the movement of animals as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak in Surrey. |
| Date: 19th September 2007 |
| Challenging Environmental Play about Exmoor |
| An environmental play about Exmoor is to be launched at the Exmoor Society’s AGM on Saturday, 22 September and it will then tour over 30 schools in the area throughout the autumn. Called Tracks and Traces – an Exmoor Story” it will combine live performances by the professional group The Common Players with video and power point presentations to entertain, inform and challenge children about their thinking of Exmoor |
| Date: 12th September 2007 |
| Promoting Quality on Exmoor |
| Visit Exmoor is to host another of their successful ‘Quality Workshops’ for tourism providers, this time in conjunction with VisitBritain. |
| Date: 12th September 2007 |
| Major National Parks Conference focuses on the future |
| The UK Association of National Parks is to hold a major conference from 19-21 September to be attended by more than 150 representatives from all 14 UK National Parks. The delegates will be gathering in Buxton, Derbyshire for a conference focused on the future of Britain's finest landscapes. |
| Date: 12th September 2007 |
| September Events on Exmoor |
| Walks featuring Shammick Silver and landscapes that inspired authors and poets are on the menu for September with Exmoor National Park Authority. |
| Date: 7th September 2007 |
| Somerset Tour of Britain events to rival legendary Tour de France carnival atmosphere |
| Communities around Somerset are planning a full line up of supporting events to celebrate The Tour of Britain 's first visit to the South West, on Tuesday 11 September. The South West stage, hosted by Somerset County Council and supported by the Exmoor National Park Authority, is set to be an exciting day for participants and spectators alike, and covers some of the most breathtaking, demanding and scenic landscapes of the competition. |
| Date: 7th September 2007 |
| Chance to see a rustic gem |
| As part of the Heritage Open Days, the Music Room or ‘theatre’ at Ashwick House near Dulverton will be open offering a chance to find out about the building and its benefactor. |
| Date: 31st August 2007 |
| Exmoor fun for children |
| Thirty two youngsters in need of a holiday recently enjoyed a break on Exmoor thanks to a grant from the Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund and the team at the Exmoor National Park Authority’s residential Pinkery Centre for Outdoor Education. |
| Date: 31st August 2007 |
| Is Micro-Hydro for you? |
| Owners of sites that have water flowing over their land across Exmoor will be sharing their experiences of trying to harness the power to generate electricity at a short and informative seminar on harnessing power from Exmoor’s streams and rivers. |
| Date: 31st August 2007 |
| Fire Walks are hot! |
| The first in a new series of fire walks took place across Exmoor recently to promote affordable wood central heating systems for farms and households. |
| Date: 23rd August 2007 |
| Dunster’s historic water mill given new lease of life |
| Vital work has recently finished on restoring Dunster’s 17th Century working water mill thanks to funding from the Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund, provided by Defra and the South West Rural Development Agency, and administered by the Exmoor National Park Authority |
| Date: 21st August 2007 |
| Most Southerly John Muir Award Scheme Completed |
| Youngsters from St. Michael’s First School in Minehead have recently been awarded their certificates for successfully taking part in the John Muir environmental Award scheme. There are three levels of the Award encouraging a progressive development. All levels are based on meeting the same four challenges of: Discover; Explore; Conserve and Share |
| Date: 21st August 2007 |
| Youngsters Enjoy the Big Green Day |
| More than 150 local children took part in a Big Green Day at Nettlecombe Court recently to celebrate the end of the Heritage Ambassadors Project when a new commemorative mural was also on display. |
| Date: 21st August 2007 |
| Sun Shines on the Explorer |
| According to organisers Team Zoyland, the reputation of the best mountain bike event in the country, The Exmoor Explorer, is suchthat even the sun comes out to see the colourful scene |
| 10th August 2007 |
| National Parks, Nature's Playground |
| News that a wide ranging survey on Awareness of National Parks recently revealed that virtually everyone questioned (96%) said that every child should experience a National Park first hand has been welcomed by National Park Authorities in the UK |
| Date: 7th August 2007 |
| Exmoor National Park Management Plan 2007-2012 |
| Date: 27th July 2007 |
| Star Trekkers raise even more for good causes |
| Thanks to the hard work and effort of some 500 walkers, Illfracombe Rotary Club recently raised £1,000 for CareMoor, Exmoor National Park Authority’s environmental support fund. |
| Date: 27th July 2007 |
| Exmoor National Park - Survey Says 93% Feel National Parks Are Important |
| The results of a recent survey carried out on behalf of the National Parks in the United Kingdom have revealed that 93% felt that National Parks are important to them. |
| Date: 25th July 2007 |
| NEW Graded Cycle Map for Exmoor |
| Off-tarmac cyclists will find there are fewer surprises in store when cycling on Exmoor thanks to a new grade cycling map produced by Exmoor National Park Authority |
| Date: 24th July 2007 |
| Priority for Ancient Woodlands |
| Ancient woodlands on and around Exmoor are to be prioritised for action under a partnership between Exmoor National Park Authority and the Forestry Commission which includes a substantial package of grants and financial support. |
| Date: 16th July 2007 |
| Walk With The Archaeologists |
| To celebrate National Archaeology Week 2007 (14-22 July) Exmoor National Park Authority archaeologists Rob Wilson-North and Jessica Turner are leading a free guided walk on Saturday 21 July 2007. |
| Date: 16th July 2007 |
| New Chairman for Exmoor National Park Authority |
| At the annual meeting of Exmoor National Park Authority on 3 July 2007 the Chairman, Mr. Steven Pugsley stood down although he will remain a Member of the Authority. In thanking all the people that he has worked with, Mr. Pugsley, particularly praised the Members and Officers of the Authority who he described as an extremely good team and the excellent co-operation between them is so important for Exmoor and its communities |
| Date: 10th July 2007 |
| Shortages in Affordable Housing to be Adressed in North Devon |
| Action is being taken to address the shortage of affordable housing in North Devon which has one of the biggest affordability gaps in the country between local incomes and house prices. |
| Date: 10th July 2007 |
| Celebrations for Wood Week and Oceans Day |
| Date: 13th June 2007 |
| Moorland Mousie Trust gains from Exmoor Golden Horseshoe |
| The Moorland Mousie Trust has declared the recent Exmoor Golden Horseshoe sponsored ride a great success. The ride was supported for the first time this year by a grant from the Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund and started and finished from a new venue in Exford, |
| Date: 13th June 2007 |
| Uk Ironman This Weekend |
| On Sunday June 17 Exmoor is once again hosting the UK IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon at Wimbleball Lake on Exmoor. This year the world championships qualifying event is expected to attract athletes from around the world on what is already renowned as one of the UK’s toughest triathlon events. |
| Date: 12th June 2007 |
| New Member of Education Team |
| Local man Simon Hewett-Avison (26) has been appointed Education Support Officer with Exmoor National Park Authority, beating off more than forty other applicants for the post from all over the country. |
| Date: 10th June 2007 |
| Out and About on Exmor in June |
| June is a wonderful month to enjoy Exmoor and Exmoor National Park Authority holds a variety of walks and events to help everyone make the most of the Exmoor experience. |
| Date: 30th May 2007 |
| Coleridge Bridle Way – a ride through Coleridge Country |
| A challenging new horse ride linking the Quantock Hills and Exmoor was launched recently. The Coleridge Bridleway, 33 miles from Nether Stowey to Exford, will for the first time link two popular horse riding areas. |
| Date: 29th May 2007 |
| Dust off the Mountain Bike |
| This year’s Exmoor Explorer Mountain Bike Marathon organised by Team Zoyland will once again start in the grounds of the National Trust’s historic Dunster Castle in Somerset on Sunday 5 August 2007. |
| Date: 3rd May 2007 |
| Exmoor Golden Horseshoe Ride attracts large entry |
| At least sixteen riders and horses will be pitting their experience and fitness against the demanding Exmoor terrain in the two-day, 100-mile Exmoor Golden Horseshoe Ride this month, one of the largest entries for some years. |
| Date: 3rd May 2007 |
| Busy Times Ahead For Visit Exmoor |
| Tourism businesses from a wide area are expected to turn out in force at the Visit Exmoor Open Meeting on 23 May to hear about the company’s achievements, changes and future plans. The meeting will be one of the first corporate event to be held at the newly refurbished Tithe Barn in Dunster, which opens in May after its major face-lift. |
| Date: 25th April 2007 |
| Bird's Eye View of Exmoor's Past |
| Exmoor’s past will be examined from an unusual perspective as two Exmoor National Park Authority archaeologists begin work on a major new English Heritage funded project to use aerial photographs to increase our understanding of Exmoor’s historic landscape. |
| Date: 4th April 2007 |
| Minister visits local school |
| Barry Gardiner, Minister for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs paid a visit to Exmoor National Park Authority’s offices in Dulverton recently to learn more about the work of the Authority. He then moved on to see what use local schools were making of their environment. |
| Date: 4th April 2007 |
| Keep your dog on a lead” this spring and summer |
| Exmoor National Park Authority is reminding people who are heading for the great outdoors of the need to keep dogs on a short leads during the ground nesting bird breeding season which runs from the 1 March to 31 July |
| Date: 6th March 2007 |
| Keeping Exmoor Special |
| Tourism Businesses in the Exmoor area are being given the opportunity to become more resource efficient and limit their impact on the environment. |
| Date: 6th March 2007 |
| Exmoor Mire Restoration Project is starting to hold water |
| Work on the new Exmoor Mire Restoration Project has started at Blackpitts and Exe head (North of Simonsbath) and the results are looking good. |
| Date: 6th March 2007 |
| Culbone Woods Access Restricted |
| Access to Culbone Woods has been restricted following significant landslips over the weekend. |
| Date: 28th February 2007 |
| All in a good cause(way) |
| Exmoor National Park Authority recently benefited from the hard work of a band of volunteers who rebuilt a stone causeway in Burridge Woods, Dulverton to enable walkers to avoid a muddy section of footpath. |
| Date: 21st February 2007 |
| Interested in the Countryside? |
| The Exmoor Local Access Forum is looking for four new recruits to join its ranks. |
| Date:19th February 2007 |
| Advice on Bird Flu |
| The H5N1 strain of bird flu (avian influenza) is essentially a disease of birds and poultry. Remember the risk to human health only arises in people with very close contact with infected birds. |
| Date: 8th February 2007 |
| Local youngsters help tourists learn about Exmoor |
| Groups of young people from the Exmoor Rural Skills Workshop and Somerset Rural Youth Project have been busy lately making bird boxes for a farm nature trail at Twitchen Farm in Challacombe. |
| Date: 8th February 2007 |
| Help the Future of Exmoor |
| Exmoor National Park Authority seeks two individuals to join the Independent Advisory Panel for the Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund. |
| Date: 7th February 2007 |
| More Projects Received SDF Funding |
| Four more projects have been awarded funding as a result of a meeting of the independent Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund Panel. The Fund is provided by Defra and South West Rural Development Agency and administered by Exmoor National Park Authority. |
| Date: 7th February 2007 |
| National Park needs to be protected against large windfarm development. |
| The Exmoor Society is delighted that the members of the Exmoor National Park’s Planning Committee have voted in favour of objecting to the proposed large scale wind farm at Batsworthy Cross just outside the park’s boundaries. In a crowded meeting many objectors argued that the proposed wind turbines would have an adverse affect on the park’s landscape and special qualities, particularly along the Southern moorland ridge on Molland and West Anstey Commons. |
| Date: 31st January 2007 |
| Barney Visit |
| Staff at Exmoor National Park Authority had an unexpected visitor when Barney the Exmoor Pony foal thought he’d try out the new ramp for size. |
| Date: 31st January 2007 |
| Exmoor Affordable Homes Appeal |
| Affordable homes for Exmoor residents have recently been built in Amory Road, Dulverton, and further affordable housing developments are on site in Dulverton, Lynton and Bratton Fleming, thanks to the Exmoor, West Somerset and North Devon Rural Housing Project and its partners. |
| Date: 31st January 2007 |
| Early success for new Exmoor Sport Tourism project |
| Active Exmoor has received financial backing from a consortium of partners to develop Exmoor’s outdoor activity industry and attract more visitors to the area. |
| Date: 31st January 2007 |
| New Website For Coleridge Way |
| Now in its second year, the Coleridge Way, a 36 mile walking route from Nether Stowey in the Quantock Hills to Porlock in Exmoor National Park, continues to go from strength to strength. The route is now fully waymarked with a distinctive quill logo, new information packs have been produced and a new dedicated Coleridge Way website has been launched. |
| Date: 20th January 2007 |
| Date: 20th January 2007 |
