Devon’s largest adventure play village - Hobbledown Bay – is now open!

The Hobblers have landed in Devon… and brought with them a whole world of fun!

Watermouth Castle is thrilled to announce the official opening of its brand new adventure play village, Hobbledown Bay.

Local schools were invited to be the first to experience the magic of the new attraction - the largest outdoor play village in Devon.

Nestled within the Castle grounds, Hobbledown Bay marks the beginning of a thrilling new chapter for the family theme park.

The playground features role play towers, castles, huts, bridges, slides nets and anunique water pillow. Kids can immerse themselves in endless hours of exploration in the Pixie Roleplay Village and the interactive Mining Village.

Hobbledown and the Escapade Group
Watermouth Castle was acquired by the Escapade Group in early 2023, and Hobbledown Bay is just one part of a £1.2 million investment into the site.

The new area marks the arrival of the Hobbledown style of play village to Devon.

With two other existing sites located in Surrey and London, the Hobbledown family is defined by its groundbreaking style of innovative, explorative play where imagination comes to life.

A thrilling addition
Nick de Candole, founder of the Escapade Group, said: "We couldn't be more excited to unveil Hobbledown Bay. It's a thrilling addition that promises to spark wonder and adventure for all our visitors, young and old alike.

Inviting our affiliated schools to be the first to explore this magical realm is just the beginning of the unforgettable memories we hope to create here. Come and join us as we embark on this exciting journey together."

The Tides of Watermouth: A Children’s Fantasy Novel
Also new for 2024 is The Tides of Watermouth – a beautifully illustrated tie-in storybook telling the tale of how the Hobblers came to Devon.

Go back in time to 1912, and meet Edith Penderford: the only daughter of kooky Professor P. Penderford, a daydreamer, and friend to the fairies. When her smuggler friend Littlejohn arrives in Watermouth Harbour with a mysterious package, she’s about to be thrust into a world of magic and adventure. A tale of fairies, Hobblers, sailboats, smugglers, forest spirits, and so much more…

Other Improvements to the Castle
Other new additions to the site include the Fairy Museum, opened in March 2024, which invites guests to uncover the secret magical history of Watermouth Castle. This fictional museum is a wonderland of leaves, crystals, spyglasses, potions, mushrooms, mirrors, and much more. Step into a world where magic is real, pixies scurry among the shelves, and fairies flutter overhead.

Alongside the new play areas, visitors can also look forward to exploring the four newly-renovated castle apartments. The Big River ride has also been transformed with new animatronics and boats.

Wider landscaping works including the installation of bird and bat boxes and the planting of trees will further enhance the Castle's natural beauty and wildlife habitat.

Jack & Adrinna cutting the ribbon at the official opening at Hobbedown Bay,

Pupils from Berrynarbor & West Down Primary Schools at the official opening of Hobbledown Bay on the 22nd May 2024

Media Release Watermouth Castle 23rd May 2024

Conservationists win National Lottery support for Pine Marten reintroduction

Conservation organisations win support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for woodland restoration and bringing back a lost member of our woodland communities

A partnership of leading conservation organisations has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £1.2million which will allow it to boost the recovery of the South West's woodlands through the reintroduction of a lost native animal: the pine marten.

Pine Martens Bounce Back: The Two Moors Pine Marten Project is centred on Dartmoor and Exmoor. Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project focuses on the reintroduction of pine martens to the region after an absence of 150 years. Alongside the animal's return will be an ambitious programme of community activities which will engage thousands of people in exploring, learning about and caring for the region's woodlands.

The project is being led by the charity Devon Wildlife Trust and is a partnership between seven conservation organisations: Dartmoor National Park Authority, Devon Wildlife Trust, Exmoor National Park Authority, Forestry England, National Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust.

Around 40 pine martens will be released over the next two years at carefully selected locations on Dartmoor and Exmoor. The timings of the releases are yet to be disclosed. The new pine martens are being sourced under license from existing healthy populations in Scotland.

The animal's return will signal the start of an ambitious community engagement project. Over three years, thousands of people will support the return of this missing piece of our woodland community and help restore the region's woodlands. Hundreds of opportunities will be made available to people from across the South West drawn from diverse backgrounds. Just some of these opportunities will include:Woodland and hedgerow creation and restoration activities

• Chances for people of all ages and experience to become citizen scientists and nature spotters – monitoring pine marten behaviour and other woodland wildlife
• Woodland-themed, nature-based activities and events in communities local to pine marten release sites
• Small grants for community-based projects that will help nurture local woodland wildlife
• A free digital download pack focussed on pine martens and woodlands, containing wildlife spotter sheets, self-guided discovery trails and craft activities

The project also has a strong focus on creating pathways for young people to get involved in conservation through volunteering and traineeships.

Ed Parr Ferris is Devon Wildlife Trust's Conservation Manager. Ed said:

"We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players. The return of pine martens to the South West of England is an exciting development and follows other successful reintroductions of the animal in the Forest of Dean and Wales.

Like the rest of our countryside, our region's woodlands have seen a recent decline in the community of wildlife they support. This makes the prospect of bringing back an animal which was once a common part of that community so exciting.

This project will ensure that people from lots of different backgrounds are able to play a part in the return of pine martens and to celebrate our region's wonderful woodlands."

Alex Raeder is South West Landscapes Partnerships Manager at the National Trust. Alex said:

"The National Trust is delighted to be a partner in this project that will bring back a beautiful and charismatic animal to the woodlands of the South West, lost from our landscape since the nineteenth century. We hope this will inspire a wide range of people in nature restoration and we will be creating lots of opportunities for participation in projects like citizen science as part of our strategy for a restored and nature rich countryside in the South West of England."

Eleanor Lewis. Woodland Trust's Outreach Manager South West said:

"The feasibility study as part of the [The Two Moors Pine Marten Project] development phase work, has given us the confidence that woodlands across the Two Moors are suitable for these releases. From the Woodland Trust's State of Woods and Trees report we know that our woods need to be in better condition to allow the ecosystem to function at its best. Introducing pine martens will support that, they are a missing piece in the woodland food chain, but we also look forward to working with the project advisers, who will be liaising with landowners, to explore way that woodlands and hedges within the Two Moors are managed to encourage the conditions to support our wildlife including the pine marten."

Stuart McLeod, Director, London & South, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

"We are delighted to be supporting a project which will not only see the reintroduction of pine martens to the South West but inspire local communities to enjoy and care for their woodlands. This is an important initiative that fits with our ambition to help habitats and species thrive, reducing and mitigating the impacts of climate change, while helping people connect to our unique natural heritage."

Pine Marten. Photo credit Mark Hamblin 

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Two Moors Pine Marten Project Officer, Daniel Brown, surveys for signs of pine martens on a recent research trip to Scotland

Devon Wildlife Trust Media Release Monday 20th May 2024.

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Hundreds of wildlife sites vulnerable to neglect and destruction, report finds

A new report has revealed the vulnerability of many of Devon’s important nature havens.

The newly published Devon’s County Wildlife Sites Report [view the report here] is the work of Devon Wildlife Trust, Devon Biodiversity Records Centre and Devon County Council.

It highlights the value to nature and people of 2,191 County Wildlife Sites which together cover 5% of Devon’s land area. However, it concludes that, while many are being carefully looked after by landowners, half are not being managed well or are in ‘unfavourable condition’, while a further 14% are in a poor condition which threatens their value to local wildlife.

County Wildlife Sites are wildlife-rich places which have been recognised for their special nature value. However, unlike statutory designations, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, County Wildlife Sites provide the land and wildlife they contain with no legal protection. The report concludes that this leaves them especially vulnerable.

County Wildlife Sites include some of Devon’s most precious landscapes. These include notable places such as the River Dart Estuary, along with dozens of less well-known moorlands, meadows, heathlands and ancient woodlands.

Together the County Wildlife Sites offer important homes to some of the county’s most iconic wildlife including temperate rainforests, wildflower rich hay meadows, traditional orchards, Culm grasslands and heaths. These habitats support butterflies in rapid decline such as the pearl-bordered fritillary and grizzled skipper, otters and nationally scarce breeding birds such as cirl bunting.

The report also stresses the vital part played by County Wildlife Sites in linking together other nature hotspots, providing ‘green and blue corridors’ along which wildlife can move in otherwise often hostile environments shaped by our roads, buildings and intensive agriculture.

However, it warns that despite the importance of County Wildlife Sites to the health of local nature, they ‘largely go unnoticed and are underappreciated’ and that they ‘face an uncertain future. Some have already been lost forever, others are in danger of going the same way.’

The report highlights County Wildlife Sites vulnerability to change from the intensification of agriculture, urban expansion, neglect/abandonment and the spread of invasive species.

The report is the culmination of 12 years work by Devon Biodiversity Records Centre staff, its partners and volunteers. Together the team surveyed 1,156 County Wildlife Sites covering 13,000 hectares and found 1,600 different species.

Analysis by Devon Biodiversity Records Centre discovered that:

• 34% of County Wildlife Sites were in good condition

• 52% were either not being managed well or were in ‘unfavourable condition’

• 14% were in poor condition and in danger of losing their County Wildlife Site status

• 24 County Wildlife Sites had been destroyed altogether

Peter Burgess is Devon Wildlife Trust’s Director of Nature’s Recovery. Peter said:

“Devon is a county known for its wealth of wildlife. However, only a tiny proportion is provided legal protection. If we are to collectively meet government targets to protect 30% of land in recovery for nature by 2030, we need to ensure those that manage County Wildlife Sites are supported so that these areas can thrive.

Our report reveals the good work being done by many landowners to manage sites for nature – but is a sobering reminder of the scale of the challenge elsewhere.”

Ian Egerton is the Business Manager of Devon Biodiversity Records Centre. Ian said:

“DBRC has been custodian of the County Wildlife Sites programme since the 1990s, and has led on the designation, survey and monitoring of these sites, through significant changes in the conservation and planning landscape. The information captured by our survey team is vital intelligence on the location and condition of some of our most important habitats. It’s vitally important that we can liaise directly with these landowners, signposting them to appropriate advice and funding, to better aid their positive site management. As many already go to great lengths to look after these wildlife havens on our behalf, but many more could if the resources were made available.”

Devon’s County Wildlife Sites 2009-2022 concludes by outlining a vision which offers better protection to nature. It stresses the need to increase the monitoring of current sites to ensure that an accurate check on their health and to offer better protection. It also recommends that a further 1,000 wildlife rich places are surveyed and identified over the coming decade to extend the protection offered to Devon’s wild places.

The report’s authors - Devon Wildlife Trust, Devon Biodiversity Records Centre and Devon County Council – are now seeking partners to make this vision become a reality. If you think your community, business, or organisation can help in this essential work for the nature of Devon get in touch at Devon Biodiversity Records Centre’s Ian Egerton on email iegerton@devonwildlifetrust.org or by calling 01392 274128.

The report can be downloaded here.

The location of Devon’s County Wildlife Sites can be viewed via Devon County Council’s Environment Viewer at https://tinyurl.com/3uchvbfy

 County Wildlife Sites offer homes to rare wildlife such as the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly. Photo credit Chris Root

Devon Wildlife Trust Media Release Thursday 16 May 2024

Edenmore Nursing Home Gets Arty!

Edenmore Nursing Home was delighted to welcome Sarah Fenner this week, from Creative Minds on Wednesday.

Creative Minds art sessions allow people to express themselves through the creative process, and they deliver these sessions to many types of venues including care homes.

Art can remind people of what they can do, not what they can’t do. This creates a sense of pride when residents, fondly referred to as family members, display their art in their home and it can also help to build individuals confidence through finding this new skill or hobby.

Art for people living with a Dementia is beneficial because it provides a non-verbal means of expression, allowing individuals to communicate thoughts, feelings, and memories that may be difficult to articulate verbally. Gayle, the Home Manager, summed-up the event by saying “Having creative minds visit us inspires our family members to connect, be creative, learn new skills, and most importantly have fun. Art can be a mood enhancer, the family members themselves are less heightened and more engaged.”

At the core of Edenmore Nursing Home's philosophy lies a commitment to fostering independence and embracing life's spontaneous moments. By facilitating activities like this, the care home aims to create an environment where residents, feel empowered to explore new experiences and forge meaningful connections outside their immediate community. 

 

 

 

 

Edenmore Nursing Home Media Release May 2024

 

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To find out more about Edenmore Nursing Home please visit www.edenmorenursinghome.com

To find out more about Creative Minds please visit https://creativeminds.art/

 

Burton At Bideford wins £120k of Arts Council England funding to improve sustainability

The Burton At Bideford art gallery and museum has been awarded a £120,000 grant from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme.

This funding will enable The Burton to continue providing high-quality creative and cultural experiences for people in North Devon, while reducing the organisation’s environmental impact.

The money will be used to improve the sustainability of the Burton building, with plans to install solar PV panels and update the glazing on the front elevation, as well as modernising the heating systems and bathrooms.

The funding also includes commissioning opportunities for local artists, helping The Burton to further build its reputation for supporting work about the environment through its series of Environmental Commissions.

The Capital Investment Programme supports the Arts Council’s mission to ensure communities across the country have the infrastructure where creativity for everyone can thrive.

Carole Evans, Co-Director (Interim), Learning & Engagement at The Burton, said: “In a landscape of rising energy costs, the past couple of years have been challenging for The Burton – as a charity we rely on grants and donations to continue the valuable work we do. This funding from Arts Council England will reduce our costs over the long term, allowing more of our precious funds to go to providing outreach projects, free workshops for children, and continuing to bring high-quality exhibitions to North Devon.”

Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England said: “This infrastructure investment will help a whole range of different cultural organisations across England to flourish, increasing opportunities for people to enjoy creatively excellent cultural events close to where they live. It’s particularly important that we’re making this happen in communities where cultural investment has historically been low”.

Charity wants ‘bat detectives’ for nighttime investigation

A leading local conservation charity is calling on people in Devon to help it discover more about the county’s bats.

Devon Wildlife Trust is about to embark on the ninth year of its Devon Bat Survey. The research is believed to be one of the biggest citizen science projects in the county and has already collected more than 1.3 million bat records. Data from the surveys play a vital role in helping to protect bats.

The 2024 Devon Bat Survey is about to open on Tuesday 7^th May and Devon Wildlife Trust is hoping to recruit volunteer ‘bat detectives’ to take part. No previous experience of bat detecting is necessary. Instead, participants need to agree to host a small electronic bat detector in their garden for three consecutive nights. The bat detectors then record the ultrasonic signals made by bats as they navigate the dark during their nighttime flights.

Devon Wildlife Trust’s Lindsay Mahon coordinates the bat survey as part of her work for Saving Devon’s Treescapes project. Lindsay said:

“Last year our wonderful volunteer bat detectives recorded more than 350,000 bat passes – that is, records of bats flying by. Many of these were common kinds of bat such as pipistrelles, but the surveys also turned up several rarities including threatened greater horseshoe bats.

The results of the bat survey provide us with an invaluable insight into the habits of these fascinating animals. We use its results to help direct our work to where it’s needed most – protecting the homes and feeding grounds of Devon’s bat populations.”  

This year’s Devon Bat Survey will run until early October, coinciding with the months when bats are most active. Signing up as a volunteer bat detective is free to do via the Devon Wildlife Trust website https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/devon-bat-survey-2024 Participants book the dates on which they want to undertake their survey and then arrange to pick up their bat detector from one of 12 host centres dotted around the county (see full list below). After three nights of recording, they return their bat detector and upload their survey recordings to an online system which analyses the sounds and returns the results showing which types of bats were detected.

This year, one of the Bat Survey’s host centres is the Younghayes Centre in Cranbrook, East Devon. Andrew Chapman-New, Ranger at Cranbrook Town Council said:

“Cranbrook Town Council and I are very thankful to be a Devon Bat Survey host centre. We are excited to find out what species of bats we have in and around our community. Our Country Park is the heart of our young town and is home to a range of wildlife which the community admire and love. This is a great opportunity for individuals and groups to get hands on and discover the biodiversity and nocturnal life around Cranbrook and surrounding areas. Through identifying species populations, we can implement strategies to further support conservation within our communities.”

DWT’s Bat Survey Coordinator, Lindsay Mahon said:

“We encourage people of all ages, in all parts of the county, to join in and take part in the Devon Bat Survey. All we ask is that you place your detector in a secure location, such as a private garden, follow the instructions we provide, and then enjoy your results. My top tip is to sign up early to take part as bookings fill up fast.”

More information about the Devon Bat Survey is available at https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/devon-bat-survey-2024

Bookings for bat detectors will open at the same web page on Tuesday 7^th May.

The full list of host centres where people can borrow a bat detector includes:

• Younghayes Centre in Cranbrook, East Devon
• Devon Wildlife Trust, Cricklepit Mill, Exeter
• Avon Mill Garden Centre, Loddiswell, South Devon
• St Bridget Garden Centre, Clyst St. Mary, East Devon
• Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust, Occombe Farm, Paignton
• Puffing Billy Café, Great Torrington, North Devon
• Northam Burrows Country Park, Northam, North Devon
• Braunton Burrows Countryside Centre, Braunton, North Devon
• The Garden Shop, Colyton, East Devon
• Churchinford & District Community Shop, Blackdown Hills
• Becky Falls, Manaton, Dartmoor
• The Tamar Valley Centre, Gunnislake, West Devon

Please note: a booking to take part in the Devon Bat Survey must be made before a bat detector can be collected.

Common Pipistrelle bats. Photo credit Tom Marshall 

DWT’s Bat Survey Coordinator, Lindsay Mahon, deploys bat detector.