Steam trains through rolling countryside, with views out to wild moorland and the rugged coastline. Originally opened in 1898, and closed in 1935; what you can see today at Woody Bay is just the beginning of an exciting project to rebuild one of the world’s most famous and picturesque narrow-gauge railways; the legendary Lynton & Barnstaple Railway.

Highlights include appearances from artists including harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, violinist Henning Kraggerud, pianists Clare Hammond and George Fu, Stile Antico, violinist and The Festival’s Artistic Director Tamsin Waley-Cohen, recorder quartet Palisander and brass quintet Connaught Brass. The Festival has also commissioned a new song cycle by Freya Waley-Cohen which will explore Exmoor folklore through the poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge for baritone, Roderick Williams.

Exploring the theme from different perspectives, from the 24 hours of the day and the 24 keys of western music, to magic and dreamscapes, the bright sunlight of the baroque to the reflected moonlight of romanticism, and our connection to the Earth’s daily turn on its axis, this promises to be a Festival full of evocative experiences and storytelling from both internationally established and exciting up and coming artists.