Four-legged employee is welcomed by charity

Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) is celebrating the birth of a new staff member - one with four legs. Early on the morning of Monday 6 May one of DWT's herd of six pedigree Exmoor ponies gave birth to a colt (male) foal at the charity's Meeth Quarry nature reserve, near Hatherleigh. Meeth Quarry's Nature Reserve Officer is Ian Chadwick. Ian had been nervously anticipating the birth for several weeks and said: "I've been on 'foal watch' for awhile now, but of course the baby arrived very early on Bank Holiday Monday when no one was around. Nevertheless, mother and foal are doing very well, although the youngster was a bit wobbly to start with." Ian continued: "Our next job is to name the foal. With the mother being called 'Liquorice' we plan to carry on with a tradition of sweet names. The frontrunners at the moment are 'Fudge', 'Toffee' and 'Rock'." The arrival is especially welcome because it strengthens a vital team of workers within Devon Wildlife Trust. Speaking about their important role, the charity's Steve Hussey said: "The herd of Exmoor ponies are our unpaid workforce at Meeth Quarry. They work 24 hours a day, seven days a week munching the rank grasses and scrubby shrubs which would otherwise quickly overwhelm the nature reserve's open areas." Meeth Quarry is Devon Wildlife Trust's most recent acquisition. It was purchased in December 2012 using funds from Viridor Credits Environmental Company and generous local donors. At 150 hectares it is one of the largest of the charity's 48 reserves. Its Exmoor ponies are playing a crucial role in its upkeep. Using funding from Natural England, Devon Wildlife Trust has been busy since January improving the nature reserve for visitors and wildlife. Amongst many changes it has installed a number of trails for walkers, wheelchair users and cyclists. These paths link to the Tarka Trail which passes through the centre of the site which was a working clay quarry until 2004. At present Meeth nature reserve is not yet open to visitors but Devon Wildlife Trust is planning an opening event at Meeth Quarry nature reserve on Friday 31 May between 10.30am and 4.30pm. The free event will be a chance for people to visit the site for the first time and may be to catch a glimpse of charity's latest 'staff member' - the Exmoor foal. 

"Mother 'Liquorice' keeps a maternal eye over Devon Wildlife Trust's latest team member." - Photo copyright Devon Wildlife

HUGE WILDLIFE HAVEN TO BE CREATED AT MEETH

A vast wildlife haven is to be created at the former Meeth Quarry, a 150 hectare site recently purchased by the Devon Wildlife Trust thanks to funding from Viridor Credits Environmental Company and generous individual donors. The Trust is now set to implement a programme of improvements for wildlife and local access thanks to financial support from Natural England. Meeth Quarry is a former clay works located close to Hatherleigh within the Northern Devon Nature Improvement Area and the North Devon Biosphere. 'The site is a spectacular, recovering landscape, with vast areas of open water, wet grassland, stone quarry face and woodland' said Matt Boydell, Devon Wildlife Trust's Land Manager. 'It incorporates six threatened wildlife habitats, supports 18 species of national importance and will provide a haven for a huge range of bird life, making it an excellent winter wildlife-watching destination for local communities '. There is currently no public access to the site, but the Quarry adjoins Devon Wildlife Trust's existing nature reserve at Ash Moor and is adjacent to the Tarka Trail, so the potential for public access and enjoyment is huge. Thanks in large part to the support of Natural England, Devon Wildlife Trust is able to carry out essential infrastructure and access work and plans to open the Quarry to the public in the spring. Natural England funding is also supporting essential work to preserve and enhance the sites biodiversity and wildlife value. 'Meeth Quarry has the potential to become a flagship nature reserve in the heart of the Northern Devon Nature Improvement Area' explained Harry Barton, DWT's Chief Executive. 'One that will offer year-round opportunities to see fascinating wildlife and a living demonstration of landscape restoration in action. There is still a lot to be done, but we will continue to work hard to secure the funding and resources needed to realize the full potential of this fantastic asset in terms of benefits to both wildlife and the wider community. ' 

To find out more about Meeth or any of Devon Wildlife Trust's 47 other nature reserves then visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org 

Barn owls could be amongst the local wildlife to prosper at Devon Wildlife Trust's new nature reserve at Meeth, near Hatherleigh (photo copyright DWT)

Devon Wildlife Trust staff begin surveying their new nature reserve - the former clay quarries at Meeth, near Hatherleigh (photo copyright DWT)

Bideford Railway Tracks…..

I thought I would share these pictures with all you Bideford Railway history enthusiasts. The photos are dated 1976 and 1993 and were contributed by Philip Lindhurst, whose lifelong interest in Railway Stations was instigated in 1976 while on holiday at his Aunt and Uncle’s in Landcross. His Aunt took him on a trip to see the old Bideford station and Philip, who lives in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire has “walked many an old railway line” since. One of the photos taken on that day was of the old Booking Office which was, for many years occupied, by the Midland Bank. In the photo you can see the name over the door. This building is now the Bideford Railway Heritage Centre and the local office for the North Devon AONB. Many of the old stations across the country are now private homes but Philip finds that people are only too happy to share memories or show him round. One such occasion was in Frongoch, North Wales when a lady allowed him to go round the back to photograph the platforms. He was especially pleased to see the old signal box was still standing and she kindly opened it up so he could take more pictures inside. She said that at one time this particular station had two waiting rooms, one for the ladies and one for the gents. The “Gents” is now her front room and the “Ladies” is now the kitchen!  Philip has worked on the London Underground for the past forty years but still enjoys hunting out old railway stations and has built up an extensive archive of photographs, remnants of a bygone age when the Railways were the most important mode of transport especially in rural areas. Some of Philip’s photos are on display in the old Bideford Railway Carriage which is open for refreshments in the holiday season. Philip has taken pictures of Bideford Railway Station in 1976, 1993 and 2008. The old Bideford railway line now forms part of the 180 mile Tarka Trail. Click here to Explore Bideford Railway Station and the Tarka Trail with the North Devon Focus - All images, articles on this site copyright North Devon Focus. Photos of Bideford Station copyright Philip Lindhurst

Later this year Philip and twelve friends will be taking photographs "off the beaten track" on a trip to see the old nuclear power station at Chenobyl. They will also be visiting what is now the ghost town of Pripyat which once had a population of around 49,000.

The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986, at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine (then in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, part of the Soviet Union). It is considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history and is the only level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Click here for Chernobyl Disaster Wikipedia Stub

Rosemoor Scents and Sensibility

27th June
Glorious day so we had breakfast in the garden with the family then off to RHS Rosemoor near Torrington. The brochure promises you will be “spellbound by the spectacular display of 2,000 roses to stir your senses”. Well this magical garden lived up to all expectations. It was a hot and sultry June day perfect time of the year to see those famous roses in all their stunning glory. We were given a map at the entrance and proceeded to take a “tour” around the garden donated to the RHS by Lady Anne Berry in 1988. We set off along the winding path beside the wild flower meadow, towards Rosemoor House. Along the way we saw the Stream Garden and Rock Gully, the Mediterranean Garden and Stone Garden. Rosemoor House, a delightful period property has now been converted to luxury apartments. The Wisteria Room, aptly named, is open for tea and coffee. We continued to explore Lady Ann’s original gardens then sauntered back up the long sweeping lawn eventually arriving at an incredibly picturesque olde English Cottage Garden with a thatched shelter. An abundance of traditional English flowers, climbers, shrub roses and flowering bushes bordered the winding circular paths. Rosemoor is now licensed to hold Civil Weddings and Civil Partnership Ceremonies so this area makes for a truly romantic setting, the perfect backdrop for those important wedding photographs. From here one picture perfect garden followed another as we strolled through the formal borders. We were met with an explosion of colour and fragrance as we finally reached the Queen Mother’s Rose Garden. After tea and cakes in the Restaurant we continued to explore the Bog Garden, the Stream and the Lake, a tranquil place where damsel flies danced above and upon the water lillies. Nestling in a sheltered wooded valley, the garden covers 65 acres in all including the Arboretum and surrounding woodland. There is much to see so you really need to make a day of it. A new attraction for 2009 is “The Brash” a pretty picnic area on the edge of the woods where the kids can have a fun time spotting birds and learning about beetles and badgers. There are events running throughout the year including Family Fun Days in August. The layout and easy access makes it enjoyable for all, there are lots of benches in strategic places for those wishing to take a breather or merely admire the view. Wheelchair Access: Steps are clearly labelled on the Map. Elsewhere some gentle slopes may be encountered and surfaces could be soft in wet weather.
Photos copyright Pat Adams All rights reserved Click here to see more Rosemoor Garden Photos on our main site