Exmoor Magazine

29/07/2025

I’m at this wonderful exhibition at Townsend House which runs until 9 August. Ding miss it! No clear answers yet on which beach this is in the mystery photo! Can you help? Please comment…

This is the mystery beach in the exhibition. Suggestions so far - Ilfracombe, Combe Martin, Woody Bay and St Audries. What do you think?

29/07/2025

Wishing the new team at Taste of the West the best of luck in relaunching - please keep us posted!

🌟 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲!

Today the team behind the new Taste of the West CIC met to plan how we can 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 the amazing South West Food & Drink scene! 🍴

✨ We’re 𝗦𝗢 excited to work with 𝗬𝗢𝗨! Stay tuned for tasty updates!

29/07/2025

The Valley of Rocks is looking a tiny bit greener than my patch over in West Somerset. Photos by . Have a good Tuesday everyone.

28/07/2025

Here are two elephants at Lynmouth to finish the day.

ELEPHANTS!

28/07/2025

We reported on this some time back and great to see this is now coming to our screens!

28/07/2025

Exhibition coming up with the West Somerset Mineral Line Association.

28/07/2025

We start this week full of huge congratulations for our Lionesses! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🌹Well done to the England team! We needed a colourful post about winning for today and this one from fits the bill (see what I did there?🙈😅)…
Conservation Win
After rats were removed from Lundy in the early 2000s, puffins started nesting safely again. This is one of the UK’s most inspiring conservation success stories. 🥳
Protecting habitats works!



📸 Owen Hodson

27/07/2025

Here’s our Sunday Girl, Revd Ann Gibbs. This week her Reflection is called ‘Harvest’. The photographs, taken near South Molton, are by Tom Shiney McGinley.

If you are of a certain age you may well remember the ‘Dad’s Army’ episode where the platoon came to the aid of a local farmer who needed help with his harvesting (and if you are not of a certain age, you may have seen it anyway as the programmes are often repeated). At the time it didn’t occur to me but now, when I think about it, I realise that the farming methods portrayed in the programme, which seemed so old fashioned, had been the norm only twenty or so years before ‘Dad’s Army’ was made in the sixties. I can’t remember all the details but I know that in this episode a threshing machine was being used and everyone was involved in gathering the stooks of grain from the field.

We do not see fields with stooks of corn or hay so often now as this method has been superseded with the use of modern machinery, but there is something very attractive about the traditional stooks made from a number of sheaves, leaning against one another. There are still a few farms that use these age-old methods and there is something very attractive in a field harvested in this way. There is a particular beauty in the sight of a field full of stooks, drying in the sun. "We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist." (Wendell Berry) Such methods are, of course, labour intensive and time was when harvesting was a community event; people young and old gathered in the fields to help and as each day passed they would share in the food, the laughter and the weariness of hard physical work.

“Our deep respect for the land and its harvest is the legacy of generations of farmers who put food on our tables, preserved our landscape, and inspired us with a powerful work ethic.” (James H. Douglas Jr). The way of working may have changed on most farms and I doubt that many would want to return to old ways but, whatever the method, when we see hay being made and crops harvested it should be a reminder to us of the source of our food and the year-long hard work that lies behind it.
With Lammas Day* only a week or so away, it is timely to spare a thought for those who work the land and to remember the challenges that they face day in and day out to keep their farms alive and to provide our daily bread.

For the fruits of all creation,
thanks be to God;
for the gifts of every nation,
thanks be to God;
for the ploughing, sowing, reaping,
silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth's safe-keeping,
thanks be to God.

In the just reward of labour,
God's will is done;
in the help we give our neighbour,
God's will is done;
in our world-wide task of caring
for the hungry and despairing,
in the harvests we are sharing,
God's will is done.
(Fred Pratt Green)

* Celebration of the Harvest of the first grains and first loaves of that harvest.

26/07/2025

Sunshine and showers by .lock.photography

‘When half your photo is pouring down with rain and the other half the sun is fighting its way through the clouds.’

Wishing everyone a happy Saturday.

25/07/2025

DUNSTER TO FEATURE IN NEXT EPISODE OF ‘THE REPAIR SHOP’ Wed 30th July

If you visited or lived in Dunster 40 or 50 years ago you are sure to remember the Model Village which was on view in the garden at Spears Cross, by the Castle gates.
The models were all made by Llewellyn Pluck, owner of the Spears House Guest House from 1971 to 1986.
Recently Llewellyn’s granddaughter, Sarah Gardner, tracked down one of the models, a replica of Culbone Church. It was in a very sorry state of disrepair, so Sarah contacted the BBC television programme ‘The Repair Shop’, and they agreed to try to restore it.
The results are strictly under wraps at the moment – all Sarah can say is “It’s amazing!”.
You can judge for yourselves by watching the next episode of the programme, which airs on Wednesday, 30 July, at 8pm on BBC1.
The restored model will be returning to Dunster shortly, and will be on view at Dunster Museum – more details will be posted here when we have them

You can find details of the programme (and watch it on catch-up afterwards) at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002gjvj


Exmoor National Park Centres: Lynmouth, Dunster and Dulverton
The Museum of Somerset
Exmoor National Park
Discover Dunster
Porlock Information Centre

25/07/2025

A kingfisher Friday today, with another post from Sarah Hailstone , who benefitted from a day with another photographer with whom we are lucky enough to work, wildlife photographer Jack Clegg, and his wife Alison. Sarah writes: “What a way to spend the day. Getting to observe these kingfishers thanks to Exmoor Photography Workshops & Courses with Jack Clegg was an absolute privilege - thank you Jack and Alison.”

If you would like to do a day please find out more on their page. Have a peaceful Friday everyone, and a good weekend. Will you be cheering the Lionesses on this weekend? We certainly will! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

24/07/2025

Thank you to SFC for sending us this press release:

Community raises over £90,000 to support those affected by Exmoor coach crash

Over £90,000 has been raised so far for Somerset Community Foundation’s (SCF) Together for West Somerset Appeal, supporting people affected by the tragic coach crash in Exmoor on 17 July.

An incredible £36,000 of this has been raised by a GoFundMe campaign started by local resident Bobbie Rammond, who has chosen to donate the funds to SCF to distribute to those affected.

Bobbie said: “This tragedy has shaken our whole community, and the outpouring of support has been both humbling and emotional.

"When I started the fundraiser, I simply wanted to do something – anything – to help those affected. I’m grateful to now be working alongside SCF to ensure that the funds raised go exactly where they’re needed most, with care, transparency and compassion.

"This partnership will allow us to reach the families and individuals most impacted, not only now but in the difficult weeks and months ahead.”

Justin Sargent, Chief Executive of Somerset Community Foundation, said: “We’re incredibly grateful for the kindness and solidarity that Bobbie, and the thousands of supporters of his appeal have shown, to our community at this incredibly difficult time.

"Their generosity is already helping us to provide direct support to those affected and will help us ensure that psychological support is there for anyone who needs it in the weeks, months and years ahead.”

Funds from the Appeal are already providing direct support to the families most affected, working closely with Minehead Middle School and Avon and Somerset Police.

The Appeal is now focused on raising vital funds for a range of holiday activities for children and families and immediate and long-term psychological support for those affected.

Find out more or get involved: www.somersetcf.org.uk/appeal

About Somerset Community Foundation:

Somerset Community Foundation is a grant-making charity that helps build strong communities where everyone can thrive. They do this by funding local charities and facilitating local giving.

SCF provides simple, rewarding and impactful ways for donors to give locally, guided by research and their unrivalled local knowledge.

For small, local charities, community groups and social enterprises, they provide vital funding and support to help their organisations flourish. They provide over £4 million of funding to local groups every year.

By inspiring local giving and funding social action, they support local communities to drive change and realise their dreams.