here's to you!!
Dartmoor is lovely at any time of the year – and it’s hard to beat sitting by a real fire, logs blazing, with a pint of your favourite local real ale close to hand!! (and quite probably another one to follow…) So even when it’s cold outside, it’s such a treat to go for a walk and end up in one of the many pubs near our b & b, either in Exeter or in one of Dartmoor villages around us. The food is so delicious too that it’s hard to resist that too!
We’ve just had a brilliant weekend in London – an easy 2 hour trip on the train from Exeter to Paddington. We went to see Warhorse at the theatre – a treat to ourselves! Warhorse was exceptional – clever and moving. Since it was filmed here on Dartmoor, we’re looking forward to seeing the film too. It even snowed while we were in London which was magical!
What is in your stocking darling??
Whether there’s snow or the mildest weather we can remember, Christmas in Devon is a joy.
We spent it in Lympstone in our little holiday cottage while Orchard Barn was let for the week to a family from overseas. Back here for New Year – village life, a beer or two with friends and locals, drinks invites galore! Dartmoor was looking amazing; Exeter was charming with its lights and wonderful shops – Jail Ale hit the spot as it always does.
With bird feeders in the trees, we get a lot of birds visiting us – one of our favorites is a pair of woodpeckers who nest in the woods by the river and can often be heard making a racket knocking on the trees!
With dippers in the Teign Valley, king fishers, woodpeckers, lots of blue tits and nuthatchs, this is a lovely place to sit and admire these colourful active birds. You’d never believe that you are only 7 miles from Exeter….
Who's making all that noise!!
Anyone for hot tar?
On Nov 5th we all went to watch the incredible sight of boys and girls as young as 7 running through the streets with flaming barrels of tar on their backs!! Using gloves, they run in teams sharing the barrel until it falls apart…
It takes real guts to do this when the heat from the barrels was apparent to the crowd!!
The tar barrels attract big crowds – it starts at 4pm and goes on until midnight!! A fun fair, huge bonfire complete with Guy Fawkes and lots of good value food on offer including a new fishmonger selling dressed crab in little pots – not all burgers, then!!
