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So have you Tamed the Beast? Now its time to tickle the Beauty. The Exmoor Beauty is designed for you the rider to enjoy the scenery of Exmoor without having to battle the conditions. The route takes in parts of both the Beast routes with a fantastic technical decent off Dunkery Beacon into the finish.

We only have one route at the moment but if the entries do well and there is a call for another longer route we may well add the loop required to gain 100 miles.

The Beauty is more of a social but still challenging ride with the feed station in the village of Dulverton by the local pub, so the family can enjoy the day too and feel part of the event. Even if you haven’t Tamed the Beast, tickling the Beauty is an idea stepping stone to giving the Beast a go and allowing yourself another two well earn Sportive stripes. Of course there is a discount to enter both.

The Exmoor Beauty is supporting One More Day

One More Day is a charity recently set up in a response to the diagnosis of incurable cancer received by a good friend of ours, Rachel, a 38 year old nurse and mother of two children aged 3 and 6. Rachel is showing great courage in fighting her disease and is determined to stay around for her children for as long as possible. She has been refused potentially life-extending treatment by the NHS and we are determined to help her and other parents in her situation so this year the organisers are encouraging participants and supporters of the Beast to think about doing a little bit to help this worthy cause.

For more information, please visit www.onemoreday.org.uk

A FIRST for Exmoor……

Electric Car Charging on Exmoor

Sinai House is the first to install an EV charging station in Exmoor. One of a handful between Exeter, Bristol & Cornwall.

While you are waiting for your car to charge, and enjoy a cream tea with a stunning view from our terraced gardens.

http://www.sinaihouse.co.uk/html/electric_cars.html

http://www.zerocarbonworld.org/electric-vehicles-/where-to-charge/119-sinai-house-hotel-devon

For more information on electric car charging point around England  please click on the following links:

http://www.zerocarbonworld.org

http://www.electriccarsite.co.uk/electric-car-charging-points

Sinai House, Lynway, Lynton, Exmoor, Nth Devon,  EX35 6AX    01598 753227   enquiries@sinaihouse.co.uk

The real-life castaway David Burgess, 63, who spent 26 years building a remote shack on the site of a 17th century  bark-drying house from driftwood gathered from the shoreline has won a six-month legal battle to keep his retreat. He apparently sleeps on a mattress made of dried leaves and has fashioned window frames and even a staircase out of driftwood and washed-up timber.

Exmoor National Park and Mr Burgess they have now apparently reached an agreement which allows him to stay in the shack while Exmoor National Park retains ownership of the land at Embelle Wood, near Porlock, Somerset.

When the Duchess of Cornwall was asked to choose her favourite childhood book to help promote literacy, her thoughts immediately turned to the adventures of the Exmoor pony Moorland Mousie. The pre-war classic, she said, reminded her of happy times riding with her sister, Annabel.

Mousie, the hero and narrator of the book, and his cousin Tinkerbell decide they want to become hunters when they “grow up” after seeing a stag hunt passing by.

The Duchess, perhaps the country’s best-known campaigner for children’s literacy, was asked to choose the book of the month by Give a Book, a charity that donates books to children who struggle with reading.

Discovering the night sky: pinpointing stargazing sites

Communities across England will have a twinkle in their eye and get a big environmental and educational boost thanks to Dark Sky Discovery – a pioneering new national and regional partnership of astronomy and environmental organisations led by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

A £176,800 grant, funded by the Big Lottery Fund and awarded through Natural England’s Access to Nature programme, will support a 2-year programme to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to come together in their local area and enjoy the night sky in a radically new way.

Working with astronomy, environmental and community organisations in every English region, the aim is to involve people in identifying safe, accessible ‘Dark Sky Discovery Sites’ – places in urban and rural areas where they can take part in stimulating stargazing sessions. Today, a series of Dark Sky Discovery Sites are being unveiled illustrating the range of great local spots that people can use for stargazing, including some in Exmoor National Park.

Project Leader Dan Hillier, based at the STFC’s Royal Observatory Edinburgh site, says: “In every community there is somewhere that is the best place to see the stars.  Even in towns and cities, there are places such as local parks where people can enjoy the wonders of the night sky, from planets to meteor showers. This project will find ways of helping people from a whole range of different backgrounds – such as schools, community and special needs groups – to discover the universe that is just beyond their doorstep.”

The project is funding activity in nine English regions so that astronomy and environmental organisations can work with community groups to harness local dark skies for local priorities.

In the South West, the project’s lead partner is Exmoor National Park which recently announced its new status as Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve.  Emma Dennis, Landscape Officer at the National Park says: “This project gives us a great opportunity to involve communities in and around the National Park in promoting our award- winning dark skies as well as the conservation of the resource for the benefit to local people and visitors alike”.

Other darker areas in the UK that also have Dark Sky Discovery Sites are the Lake District, Kielder Forest and the Brecon Beacons National Park.  There are several sites in Scotland, including Skye and Morayshire, where there is already strong community interest in dark skies.

Liz Newton, Natural England’s Director for Access and Engagement said; “The night sky can be spectacular and this initiative provides a great way for communities to share and experience an often overlooked part of our natural environment.”

The project is partnering with the hugely popular BBC Stargazing Live which will be broadcasting its second series on 16-18 January 2012.

For more information, please visit www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk

Apparently the 19-point red deer stag, dubbed the Goodleigh Giant, was gunned down around 30 miles from where the Emperor is believed to have been killed. The incident is understood to have happened 10 days ago in the Shirwell area of north Devon, despite efforts by locals to keep his presence a secret and deter attempts to shoot him. The stag, which was not yet fully grown, was found dead a week into the rutting season in a copse of trees at an undisclosed location, the North Devon Journal reported.

The area where he was found was around 30 miles from where the Exmoor Emperor was shot dead almost exactly a year ago.The 9ft Emperor was gunned down by suspected bounty hunters after a £1,250 price tag was placed on its head. The 12-year-old, 300lb creature is thought to have been killed by a licensed stalker in Rackenford, north Devon.

His death prompted an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons, signed by 10 backbenchers, to stop hunters preying on Britain’s wild animals altogether.

Over 250 walkers raised around £10,000 on this years 25th Moonraker Overnight Challenge on Exmoor. A total of 43 teams covered three routes around Wimbleball Lake in the event run by Taunton Vale Rotary Club. The money raised on the day, supported by Raynet, the British Red Cross and Inner Wheel members, will go to Taunton Opportunity Group and BIBIC, as well as other Rotary charities. This annual event has now raised more than £250,000 for charities.

Exmoor Unplugged, run by Climate Action West, has launched this week across Exmoor and the Quantocks with the aim of attracting tourist revenue and protecting the environment. The new e-bike scheme has been designed to encourage locals and visitors to enjoy the countryside in some of the most picturesque places in the South-West.

Electric bikes will be available for visitors to enjoy the attractions, cafes and pubs – a boost for local businesses and the economy. It comes after a spate of bad news for tourism in West Somerset, with the council announcing last week that Minehead’s tourist centre will close at the end of October.

The Yarn Market Hotel in Dunster is one of the first businesses to sign up to the project and is almost sure to benefit. Officials are currently establishing a network of charging points across Exmoor and the Quantocks. Participating businesses should see extra custom from visitors while their bikes are charging.

A new book examining paranormal sightings across Somerset has revealed spooky new goings-on at Dunster and on Exmoor. Written by Sonia Smith, Paranormal Somerset covers a range of supernatural occurances, one of which details the Stanton family’s encounter with the ghostly ‘Exmoor murderer’ while camping on the edge of a small, sparsely forested piece of moorland not far from Simonsbath. Another tells of poltergeist activity taking place in a Dunster cottage, as Florence and her daughter Anna are besieged by flying ornaments, ominous banging sounds and unearthly whisperings.

Based on all new original research and previously unpublished material, Paranormal Somerset is of interest to anyone with an interest in the supernatural.

The book is available from Waterstones now, RRP £10.99.

In partnership with the National Parks and South West Tourism Alliance, Devon and Somerset County Councils are submitting a £4.5 million bid to the government. Research shows that around 64% of visitors to Devon and 70% of visitors to Somerset travel to the region by car. The Exmoor Visitor Survey in 2010 revealed 93% of visitors had arrived by private car.

As well as a main aim of transforming how visitors enjoy and explore the National Parks, the bid will also look to tackle the high road-related transport carbon emissions, which on Dartmoor account for 42% of all emissions, congestion on major routes to the parks and also look to reduce moorland collisions with livestock.

This will be achieved through a number of initiatives including:

1. The Creation of a number of interchanges on the edge of National Parks for visitors to switch to alternatives means of transport, including cycling, walking and horse-riding. Key connections from the

national train network will also be improved.

Access hubs will include Barnstaple and Taunton (Exmoor)and Exeter, Okehampton and Newton Abbot (Dartmoor).

2. Each Park will look to have an enhanced bus service that is promoted as an experience/attraction in its own right rather than simply a means of getting from A to B. On Exmoor, it is proposed to enhance the coastal route service. On Dartmoor, existing services would be complemented and enhanced.

3. Introducing services on the Exeter to Okehampton railway line, increased frequency of tourist services along the West Somerset Railway along the Exmoor coast, improving bicycle access from mainline stations Access Hubs to the parks through ‘bike buses’ and/or adapted taxi services with trailers, and targeted improvements to walking, cycling and equestrian routes in both parks to make them easier to use.

4.New modes such as expanding the use of electric bicycle hire facilities.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, says, “We are not ruling out travelling by car for visitors. However, if there are alternatives we want people to take advantage of them.”

Two workshops are taking place on October 17 and 18 to hear people’s views, gain evidence and ideas and help shape the bid before it is submitted.

They are:

Monday October 17, 2pm, Exmoor House, Dulverton.

Tuesday October 18, 10pm, Okehampton Charter Hall.

The public and stakeholders/interested parties should contact Belinda Payne at Somerset County Council if they would like to attend on 01823 357123 or bwpayne@somerset.gov.uk