EXMOOR THE COUNTRY MAGAZINE
ISSUE No. 52 Autumn 2010 £2.95
Seasonal bounty PeRFeCT PReSeRveS
WiLD HarvEst & a CHELsEa GoLD
Exmoor’s Deer Legacy
North MoltoN
Past & Present
08
CuTCombe maRkeT Cycling the Tour of Britain Route
9 771369 522007
ART WEEKS Retail Therapy BOOKS Compost COLERIDGE WAY
© Jane Lillis
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Published quarterly by: Hoar Oak Publishing Ltd, The Exmoor Pony Centre, Ashwick, Dulverton, Somerset, TA22 9QE Tel: 0845 224 1203 Email: hoaroak.publishing@googlemail.com www.theexmoormagazine.com Editor & designer: Naomi Cudmore (naomi@naomicudmore.co.uk/ www.naomicudmore.co.uk) Associate editor: Hilary Binding Colour management: Colin Matthews Advertising sales: Zara Media: Grant Harrison, Susie Walker. Tel: 01392 201227; email: info@zaramedia.co.uk Printing: Warner Midlands PLC, Bourne IMPORTANT NOTICE We do our best to ensure that all advertisements and articles appear correctly. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by this publication. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor. Copyright © Hoar Oak Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission. We welcome contributions that fit into the magazine’s general ethos but, whilst every care is taken, all such material is sent entirely at the sender’s risk. Thanks to Endymion Beer, Bob Deville, Linzi Green, Hilary Binding, Alison Mothersdale, Amanda Sareen, Mike Sherwin and Malcolm Watts for help with deliveries. Cover: Stag in velvet as summer turns towards autumn just below the trig point on Winsford Hill, by Mike Sherwin.
Contents Autumn 2010
4 12
In the News
30
Poetic Views
Farming Talk
Poetry and pictures by Jane Mares
32
North Molton Past & Present
Heather Holt
37
Interiors
Small is stunning in Kathy Morrison and Darren Perry’s American Retro Caravans
40
Retail Therapy
Elaine Pearce experiences Exmoor’s personal touch while shopping for clothes
42
Bottled Beauty
Frances Nicholson reflects on Cutcombe Market
14
Profile
Hilary Binding by Steven Pugsley
16
Exmoor’s Deer Legacy
by Michelle Werrett with photographs by Basil Warren and Mike Sherwin
21
Open Studios
Somerset Art Weeks 2010
25
North Devon & Exmoor Walking Festival & A Porlock Circular Walk
Bryan Cath
29
Country Matters
Bat Chat with Trevor Beer
37
45
Preserves and preserving by Simon Dawson
What a Pickle! Bob Deville’s recipes for delights in a jar
29 16 ‘Rain Clouds Over Minehead’ by Richard Beart – one of over 285 artists exhibiting in this year’s Open Studios for Somerset Art Weeks. See pp 21-23.
21 46
49
Books
64
Gardens
News & reviews
53
Eating Out
Two Moors wins Gold at Chelsea, by Rosemary Lauder
In & Around Wivey, Mary Gray & Friends
66
54
Environment
In The Stableyard Cindy Cowling rides the Coleridge Way and visits the Farmers Den
Alison Mothersdale explores our beaches from Ilfracombe to Blue Anchor
68
My Favourite Horse Property
58
The Ups & Downs of Cycling on Exmoor
71
Malcolm Rigby tackles the Tour of Britain route
61
Wild Harvest
Endymion Beer’s child-friendly look at the myths and mysteries of Autumn
62
Cheers to the Outdoor Volunteers!
Exmoor Conservation Volunteer Partnership
James Green weighs up the pros and cons of letting
72
Em’s Garden Notes
73
Exmoor Crossword
75
Diary
78
Tailpiece: the last word
79
Prize Reader Survey
Compost & composting
Aileen Carrett
Norma Huxtable
Reader offers & competitions Win a weekend for two at The Hunters Inn by filling in our Reader Survey! See pages 79-80. A special EXMOOR The Country Magazine subscription offer. See page 70. Win £20 in our crossword competition.
See page 73.
40% Reader’s Discount on Sawday’s books, Slow Devon & Exmoor and Eat Slow Britain. See page 51.
Exmoor Autumn 2010 3