| North Devon and Exmoor Autumn Walking Festival 1st – 4th October 2010 |
| The North Devon and Exmoor Autumn Walking Festival, 1st – 4th October, will feature 32 guided walks including several foodie outings linking with the Exmoor Food Festival, which takes place from 2nd – 10th October. |
| Date: 20th August |
| Your Future Exmoor Feedback Reports: Ready to View |
| Nearly 1000 people turned out to express their views on how they wanted to see their community in Exmoor evolve over the next 15 years. The first three months of 2010 saw 21 events in the various towns and villages throughout the National Park. There were also 13 school and college events and activity sessions that taken together gave Exmoor residents a real opportunity to influence the new planning document for Exmoor called ‘Your Future Exmoor’. |
| Date: 20th August |
| Hundreds enjoy Exmoor’s archaeology |
| Around 450 people helped to celebrate Exmoor's historic environment through events held in National Parks Week and the Festival of British Archaeology. |
| Date: 17th August |
| National Park Authority responds |
| Exmoor National Park Authority has published its response to Natural England’s consultation on a Best Practice Guide for burning in the uplands of South West England. A report went to the Authority meeting in June this year where Members had the opportunity to discuss and debate the issue |
| Date: 17th August |
| Simonsbath Summer Strolls |
| Special, free guided tours offering a chance to look inside the historic, water powered sawmill and enjoy a stroll around the village of Simonsbath are on offer from Exmoor National Park Authority in August. |
| Date: 17th August |
| Exmoor’s visitors and businesses show how much they care |
| Funding worth over £25,000 has been raised through CareMoor for Exmoor, the Exmoor National Park conservation and access fund. |
| Date: 17th August |
| Battle of the Hedgelayers |
| The essential work of Exmoor’s hedgelayers has been recognised and rewarded through the Exmoor Hedge Competition with prizes of up to £200 being presented to the winning hedgelayers who carried out the high quality work for the benefit of Exmoor’s farming, wildlife and landscape. |
| Date: 17th August |
| New bridge at Wimbleball Lake |
| Walkers enjoying a stroll around Wimbleball Lake will be able to keep their feet a bit drier thanks to a new footbridge at the south eastern edge of the lake near Upton. |
| Date: 30th July |
| Astro Campout |
| A chance to join local astronomers and enjoy some of the darkest skies in the country is on offer at an ‘Astro Camp Out’ at Wimbleball Lake on Saturday 31 July. |
| Date: 30th July |
| Local children enjoy Wimbleball |
| More than 400 children from local schools recently enjoyed four days of activities at Wimbleball Lake celebrating the tenth anniversary of the South West Lakes Trust. |
| Date: 30th July |
| Exmoor projects allocated funding |
| Over £50,000 of funding has been awarded to four exciting new projects within the Exmoor National Park thanks to the National Park Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund, provided by Defra. |
| Date: 21st July |
| Special events to celebrate National Parks Week (26 July – 1 August) and 2010 Festival of British Archaeology |
| National Parks across the UK are looking forward to welcoming more visitors than ever this summer as people decide to holiday at home. With National Parks Week coming up at the end of the month, there will be plenty to enjoy then and throughout the summer months. |
| Date: 21st July |
| Tourism Boost for Exmoor National Park |
| Exmoor National Park Authority has launched two new initiatives aimed at supporting sustainable tourism on the moor in time for the busy summer period. |
| Date: 9th July |
| On The Right Track |
| Exmoor National Park Authority has announced that 93% of public footpaths and bridleways in the National Park have been assessed as open and easy to use according to national assessment guidance. |
| Date: 25th June |
| The River Exe Project - Salmon in the Classroom |
| As part of the River Exe Project, supported by the Exmoor National Park Sustainable Development Fund, Dulverton Middle School, Exford Primary, Uplowman Primary and Blundell’s Preparatory School have been rearing their own River Exe Salmon in their classrooms. |
| Date: 23rd June |
| Exmoor Archaeology Forum 2010 |
| The Exmoor Archaeology Forum, which looks at the archaeology and history of Exmoor, is celebrating its tenth anniversary. This year the event is being run to coincide with the Festival of British Archaeology and will be on Iron Age and Roman Exmoor |
| Date: 27th May |
| The Two Moors Festival Garden scoops a double at Chelsea |
| The Two Moors Festival Garden, supported by the Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks’ Sustainable Development Funds, has scooped a double at the Chelsea Flower Show - a Gold Medal and the award for 'Best Courtyard Garden' in the Show. |
| Date: 27th May |
| Exmoor National Park Authority is to fell approximately 30 Japanese larch trees in Hadborough Plantation |
| Exmoor National Park Authority is to fell approximately 30 Japanese larch trees in Hadborough Plantation where a serious plant infection Phytophthora ramorum commonly known as ramorum blight has been discovered. The Forestry Commission have issued a Plant Health (Forestry) Order to fell all the affected trees thus removing a potential area of infection. |
| Date: 27th May |
| Accolades For Mineral Railway Project |
| The West Somerset Mineral Railway Project has received two prestigious awards. After recently being short-listed in the 2010 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/ Europa Nostra Awards, the Project has been Highly Commended by the Jury. The Project’s architects, Jonathan Rhind have also received the RICS South West Highly Commended Building Conservation Award for what the judges described as an “impressive educational and leisure resource.” |
| Date: 12th May |
| Ladies welcome (and gentlemen too) for the 2010 Exmoor Explorer |
| Entries are now open for the famous 2010 Exmoor Explorer, probably the largest Mountain Bike Marathon in the country. This year's event is on Sunday 8 August at 10am leaving from Wheddon Cross on Exmoor. |
| Date: 12th May |
| New Member for Exmoor National Park Authority |
| Local farmer Robin Milton has been appointed as a new Secretary of State Member of Exmoor National Park Authority for a four year term from 1 April 2010 |
| Date: 23rd March |
| Thumbs up for Sustainable Development Fund |
| An independent review of seven years of operation of the Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) in England's National Parks has revealed just how successful it has been. |
| Date: 15th March |
| Rural Experience Visit |
| The day after submitting his letter to the Prime Minister on rural issues, Dr Stuart Burgess, the Government’s Rural Advocate and Chairman of the Commission, led a visit by the Commission for Rural Communities to Exmoor and North Devon . The Commission for Rural Communities latest Rural Experience visit was to Exmoor National Park and was led by the Chief Planner Steve Quatermain. The visit, held on the 4th and 5th of March, was attended by 17 delegates including Ann Skippers, the President of the Royal Town Planning Institute and David Hackforth, the President of the Planning Officers Society. It explored the issue of planning within the context of the park but also the effect of planning constraints on areas just outside. It highlighted two particular important issues involved with rural planning policy: that the planning system can deliver good outcomes even if approvals are a departure from written policy and there is a need to understand the linkages between local plans and the Regional Spatial Strategy. |
| Date: 11th March |
| Survey Results Revealed |
| The largest independent survey ever commissioned by Exmoor National Park Authority into what local residents think about the services provided by the Authority, reveals that overall satisfaction is very high, with only 6% of respondents indicating that they were dissatisfied. |
| Date: 9th March |
| Your Future Exmoor’ consultation |
| The series of ‘Your Future Exmoor’ consultation events for Exmoor’s communities have been well attended with many people keen to give their views. The events are designed to help decide important issues such as new housing, employment and measures to address climate change over the next 15-20 years. Other issues such as conservation, building design and community facilities are also included. Exmoor National Park Authority is inviting more local communities to give their views at the next informal, drop-in events which are tailored to individual parishes. |
| Date: 16th February |
| Historic Environment Record Online |
| For the first time information for the whole of Exmoor has been made available on-line via the Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record on Heritage Gateway www.heritagegateway.org.uk |
| Date: 16th February |
| Exmoor Hedge Competition |
| Cash prizes of up to £200 are up for grabs in the 2009/10 Exmoor Hedge Competition. The competition has a junior class for people up to 25 years of age and a senior class for 25 and older and is run by Exmoor National Park Authority in partnership with the Devon Hedge Group and the Somerset Hedge Group. |
| Date: 16th February |
| Record breaking year for Exmoor sustainability |
| Exmoor National Park is set for a thriving green future with social and economic benefits resulting from environmental conservation with a range of projects funded through the Exmoor National Park Sustainable Development Fund following a record breaking year during 2009/10. |
| Date: 11th February |
| Work Begins on Cutcombe Livestock Market |
| Work has just started on the development of Cutcombe livestock market at Wheddon Cross. As well as first class market facilities, the development will also provide 25 new residential units, 12 of them affordable houses for local people and three blocks of business premises |
| Date: 11th February |
| Exmoor Trust Appeal: Ten Years On |
| The Exmoor Trust was founded just over ten years ago and has launched an appeal for funds to help sustain the rate of support given to many causes throughout Greater Exmoor. Since its first grant to the Exmoor Pony Society, the trust has dispensed over £128,000 with the larger grants being given during the Foot and Mouth period. Over the last five years grants have averaged an annual total of £3850 and the full list of grants is on their website www.exmoortrust.org.uk . |
| Date: 4th February |
| ‘Your Future Exmoor’ consultation underway |
| Consultation events for Exmoor’s communities are underway to help decide important issues such as new housing, employment and measures to address climate change over the next 15-20 years. Other issues such as conservation, building design and community facilities will also be included. Exmoor National Park Authority is inviting more local communities to give their views at the next informal, drop-in events which are tailored to individual parishes. |
| Date: 1st February |
| Enhancing visitor experiences on Exmoor |
| Now in its 7th year, a new series of ‘Exmoor Awareness’ courses is on offer to tourism providers on Exmoor. The three 1 day courses, hosted by Exmoor National Park Authority, aim to increase awareness and understanding of the special qualities of Exmoor amongst those who work with visitors whether as accommodation providers, information centre staff, activity providers or other service providers. |
| Date: 25th January |
| Date: 15th December |
| Million Pound Boost For Exmoor's Moorlands |
| The future conservation and enhancement of Exmoor’s moorlands has received a huge boost with the news that the Exmoor Moorland Landscape Partnership has been offered a grant of £662,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The HLF grant represents about 50% of the total cost of the proposed scheme with some of the balance being represented by in-kind contributions and income generated through events and activities. |
| Date: 13th January |
| Date: 8th December |
| Get Involved and Have Your Say! |
| An important new planning document, ‘Your Future Exmoor’, which will help decide issues such as where new housing and employment on Exmoor should be provided over the next 15 to 20 years as well as conservation, building design and community facilities is beginning the first stages of consultation and Exmoor National Park Authority is inviting local communities to give their views in a series of informal, drop-in events tailored to individual parishes |
| Date: 11th January |
