Heart of Devon News
The Heart of Devon offers much more than the traditional seaside family holiday. Increasingly it's becoming one of the most important areas for cultural activities and fine dining within the UK. We've listed below local news stories detailing what's happening in Exeter and Devon
The Heart of Devon Tourism Partnership and businesses within the area are working together to raise the profile of the Heart of Devon as a stimulating and vibrant year-round destination for all.
The local news stories listed below offer a selection of exciting new and up and coming cultural activities and facilities within the Heart of Devon:
Devon's Crealy opens its doors to the region's leisure industry...
Leading South West tourist attraction, Devon’s Crealy Great Adventure Park, is hosting a free event for Devon’s tourism and hospitality sector on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 March.
Staff and family members of providers to the tourism industry – including holiday parks, hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and local Tourist Information Centres have been invited to the award winning park for the day and Crealy expects around 1,000 people to take advantage of its first ever ‘South West Tourism Weekend’.
Click here to read the full press release.
Exciting new Devon Tourism Partnership to be launched...
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On 1 April 2012 a new Devon Tourism Partnership will be launched as a result of a recent collaboration between the six Area Tourism Partnerships currently operating across Devon.
The new Devon Tourism Partnership (DTP) will be made up of senior representatives from: The Dartmoor Partnership, English Riviera Tourism Company, Exeter and the Heart of Devon, North Devon Plus, Visit Plymouth, Visit South Devon and Devon Association of Tourism Attractions (DATA).
Click here to read the full press release.
Devon County Council Committee Report - The Future Promotion of Tourism in Devon.
Helpful Holidays Takes Top Place in Which? Holiday Cottages and Villas .jpg)
Customer Satisfaction Survey
West Country specialist, Helpful Holidays, has been awarded first place in the Which? Travel magazine member survey of holiday cottage and villa booking companies, achieving a very high score of 92% and getting five out of five stars in all but one category.
Click here to read the full press release.
Christmas Market comes to Exeter...
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Exeter is hoping to play host to a festive Christmas Market this year, following unanimous support from members of the business and tourism community. Exeter Christmas Market is programmed to take place in the run up to Christmas 2012 and will see a range of exhibitors from across the region and beyond showcasing some of their finest wares in time for the festive period.
It is intended the event will be set in the historic surrounds of the Cathedral and coincide with the beginning of Exeter’s Christmas promotion for the City. The Market will have everything you need to prepare for a perfect Christmas including a variety of gifts, toys, jewellery and clothes as well as festive food and drink from local traders.
Click here to read the full press release.
Exeter Lights the Way on Cathedral Green on Sunday 20 May 2012
The Olympic Flame is coming to Exeter’s Cathedral Green on Sunday 20 May and th
e city is gearing up for a massive day of celebrations.
The Flame travels for up to 12 hours a day, concluding on 66 of the 70 days with an exciting early evening celebration event, enabling thousands of people to enjoy an exciting variety of entertainment staged by London 2012 and its three Olympic Torch Presenting Partners.
Exeter is playing a key role in providing a slice of this entertainment. The Evening Celebration is completely free but people must obtain a ticket to attend. From mid-March information about these free tickets will be available on the Exeter City Council website - www.exeter.gov.uk/olympictorchrelay.
Click here to read the full press release.
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Chapter Hotels to open new hotel in Exeter
Chapter Hotels will be opening their second property, the Magdalen Chapter in Exeter, in the late spring of 2012.
Housed in the 19th century former West England Eye Hospital, the luxury 59 bedroom hotel is located on Magdalen Street, close to Exeter’s cathedral, Gandy Street’s boutiques and the historic quayside with its restaurants and antique shops.
The property is currently being renovated by award winning architect firm Feilden Clegg Bradley and building work is being carried out by Kier Western. While original features will be maintained, the hotel will feature contemporary interiors and artwork, as well as state of the art technology.
Click here to read the full press release.
Norwich flights return with Loganair
Both business and leisure passengers will welcome the return of the Exeter – 
Norwich air link next March, cutting over five hours off a road or rail journey.
The new operator on the East Anglia route is Loganair, and the Flybe franchise carrier will offer flights seven days a week from 25 March 2012 with fares from just £49.99 one-way including all taxes. Click here to read the full press release.
Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink 2012
Food lovers note the date - the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink returns in 2012 from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th April 2012 when the Cultural Quarter of the city of Exeter celebrates the outstanding food and drink of the South West.
The three-day festival, now in its ninth year, allows visitors to indulge in some of the finest produce from over a hundred regional exhibitors. Michael Caines heads a cast of the South West’s top chefs demonstrating their skills in the Festival cookery theatre as well as top tips and tricks from a whole host of Masterchef faces including James Nathan, Mat Follas and Jackie Kearney.
Click here to read the full press release...
Exeter's Royal Albert Memorial Museum re-opens 15 December 2011...
Fully refurbished after a multimillion pound redevelopment Exeter City Council's Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) re-opens on Thursday 15 December, with new displays telling the story of Exeter and Devon from the prehistoric to the present. Its internationally important world cultures and natural history collections also tell a story of global exploration and collecting in the 18th and 19th centuries.
RAMM will be open 10am to 5pm every day except Mondays and bank holidays and entry will still be free.
The Big Performance on CBBC...
The episode of The Big Performance which was filmed at Beautiful Days 2011 will be on CBBC on Tuesday 1 November at 5.45pm. Tune in to see the choir of ten young children with Gareth Malone at the festival and performing on The Big Top stage! Visit www.bbc.co.uk /cbbc/shows/the-big-performance to find out more.
Europe's first Clip 'n Climb Centre opens in Exeter...
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The Quay Climbing Centre is proud to have been selected as the location for Europe’s first Clip ‘n Climb Centre. Centres have already opened in New Zealand and Canada and offer people of all ages the opportunity to have a go at climbing on a circuit of 26 themed climbs.
Climbers are attached to ropes and auto belay devices which lower them safely to the floor if they fall or jump off the climb.
Click here to read the full press release.
Tiverton Trail wins top award...
An historic walk in Tiverton has been named a winner of this year’s John Mejor Award, which celebrates outstanding contributions to the conservation of Devon’s natural and built environment.
The Tiverton West Exe Trail, which celebrates the town’s lace making and architectural heritage, won the adult category of the award. Click here to read the full press release.
Local band "Ten Zero One" now National Finalists in Live and Unsigned...
Ten Zero One is to play Live and Unsigned National Final at the O2! After battling it out in live heats across the country and beating 10,000 acts who entered the music competition, Ten Zero One from Tavistock is now going to be playing at Live Fest London’s largest indoor Festival on 23rd July!
Click here to read the full press release...
Luxury East Devon Holiday Cottages up for Top Green Award...
Having won a small cabinet full of awards in 2010, for Sustainable Tourism as well as for Tourism Excellence in general, luxury Mazzard Farm holiday cottages in East Devon is proud to announce that it has been included on the shortlist for a GTBS Green Tourism Gold Star. Just twenty tourism businesses are on the shortlist, which places Mazzard Farm officially in the top 2% of the greenest tourism businesses in the UK and Ireland! Ten winners will be announced at the awards ceremony, which will be held in the Royal Thames Yacht Club, London on 9th June.
Click here to read the full press release.
Carry the forest in your pocket with new ForestXplorer iPhone app...
Forestry Commission England has launched a free iPhone app to find your local woodland, download handy trail maps or learn about trees with an easy to use tree identifier. Haldon Forest Park, near Exeter and Bellever Forest on Dartmoor are both featured.
Visitors can search for sites by event or activity, or find basic information such as opening times, things to do, directions and contact details. The educational and fun app includes a photo gallery, UK common tree identifier and unique computer generated tree illustrations. Users can identify a tree using its bark, seed or leaf within just a few clicks. Visitors can also download pdf trail maps via GPS so that the app can still be used when exploring amongst the trees and out of phone signal range.
Find out more at www.forestry.gov.uk/mobileapp
Heart of Devon Literature Exchange & Business Networking Event - Friday 13 May 2011
The Heart of Devon Tourism Partnership is holding its first literature exchange and business networking event on Friday 13 May at Sandy Park, Exeter between 1pm and 2.30pm.
Tourism businesses in Devon are invited to come along and pick up leaflets on visitor attractions and destinations in the Heart of Devon area. Local Tourist Information Centres, tourist attractions and activity providers will be exhibiting on the day. The event will be an excellent networking opportunity for local businesses and admission is free.
Click here to find out more.
Treasure Trails produces fun (& free) Royal Wedding Treasure Trail
Fancy joining in with the Royal Wedding celebrations on the 29th April but can’t make the journey to London? Exeter based Treasure Trails has devised a fun and quirky way to get the whole family into the patriotic spirit. ‘The Quest for Everlasting Happiness’ is a Royal Wedding Quiz Treasure Trail which follows the handsome Prince William and his fair maiden Kate on their romantic journey to a ‘happy ever after’.
Designed to be completed from the comfort of your arm chair, pub stool or street party table, the Trail will take you on a virtual tour through the lives of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, featuring royal trivia, a romantic quest and some quintessentially British fun and games which will be enjoyed by all ages.
Click here to download the Trail.
Click here to read the full press release.
Red Squirrel Encounter at Escot Park
Escot Park is creating a unique, open access Red Squirrel encounter in the heart of the 1100 acre estate near Ottery St. Mary.
The encounter will feature a walk-through open air enclosure with a 100m board walk, allowing visitors to wander through the trees and see the squirrels at close quarters. The project itself is part of a larger ambition of the Red Squirrel Project South West (RSSW) initiative to eventually return reds to the wild in the South West.
The project is supported by a 50% grant from Making it Local, a locally managed grants scheme in the Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONB areas, incorporating funding from the EU, Defra, South West RDA and Leader.
For more information please visit www.escot-devon.co.uk
Heart of Devon restaurants in Trencherman's Guide...
Now in its 19th year, the Trencherman's Guide is the holy grail for anyone seeking South West dining at its best, only including those dining establishments achieving consistently high ratings across top international publications such as The Michelin Guide, The Good Food Guide and the AA Restaurant Guide. The guide was officially launched by the South West’s foodie elite on Monday 21 March at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant in Padstow.
Several restaurants in the Heart of Devon were chosen to appear in the guide, including:
Michael Caines at ABode Exeter
Combe House Hotel, near Honiton
The Jack in the Green, near Exeter
Northcote Manor, Umberleigh
The Salty Monk, Sidmouth
Syon House, Ilsington Country House Hotel and the Hartnoll Hotel were also chosen as Rising Stars, a concept developed with Michelin starred chef Michael Caines for businesses not yet represented in guides such as The Good Food Guide, but come highly recommended for their excellent offering for foodies.
Click here to read the full press release. Visit www.trenchermans-guide.com to view an online copy of the guide.
Bickleigh Mill wins national award...
Bickleigh Mill is thrilled to have been awarded the ‘Committed to Excellence Standard’ from The British Quality Foundation. Backed by South West Tourism and The European Foundation for Quality Management this prestigious award recognises and celebrates the commitment that all the team at Bickleigh Mill show to customer service, with the customer at the heart of all they do. Bickleigh Mill provides three floors of retail adn a licensed Bistro with riverside gardens on the Exe Valley road, between Exeter and Tiverton.
Success for Devon based band Six Shooter...
After winning the Torbay Battle of the Bands in May 2010 and a finalist spot in the South West of England Battle of the Bands the following September, Devon based band Six Shooter have made it through to the nationally televised Live and Unsigned Semi Finals, the UK's largest music competition for unsigned artists. The band are hoping to get through to the finals at London’s 02 Arena in July, which would be a huge success for Devon. Click here to find out more.
Landscapes - A Spring exhibition at Otterton Mill
For its spring exhibition, Otterton Mill Gallery in East Devon is showcasing a quartet of South West artists for whom the natural environment inspires their art.
The first of the artists is renowned painter Robert Jennison RWA. His work, which ranges from oil paintings, to pencil and pastel images, reflects the moods and atmosphere as well as the regional character of Devon where he lives and works.
The second artist is emerging painter Amy Cummins, who depicts landscapes from her childhood and other places she has lived, including her birthplace Sidmouth. She is inspired by capturing the essence of what is around her, as well as depicting the people in her life, and has produced an extensive portfolio of both portrait studies and landscape oil paintings.
Stained glass artist Amy McCarthy is a regular exhibitor at Otterton Mill. After a gap of several years, a move to Devon in 2003 renewed her creative focus and she studied stained glass at Exeter College. Amy’s style is expressionist and bold, and is characterised by simple, striking designs portrayed in bright colours and strong lines.
Felt artist Sally Pepperell is also one of the Mill’s regular stable of artists. Based in Dorset, Sally creates felt art that depicts local scenes, from the rolling Devon hills to the sunlight hitting trees. Working from memory and from photographs, Sally captures the details that she sees in a land or sea-scape so that it comes alive.
The exhibition runs daily until Monday 25th April, entry is free. For more information, call the Gallery on 01395 568008 or visit www.ottertonmill.com
South West rural businesses to benefit from country sports project....
Country Sports South West is an initial three year project to ensure that the South West region, which is renowned for its unique landscape and countryside, becomes the premier tourism destination for country sports and celebrated for its local game and fish.
A consumer marketing and PR programme will launch in spring 2011 and will focus on the various country sports and activities available around the South West. In addition, a website aimed at first time and existing country sport visitors will launch in spring 2011.
Click here to view the press release.
Secret Squirrel at Escot Park!
Visitors to Escot Park’s Red Squirrel day on Thursday 24th February were delighted to be greeted by Cyril, the latest addition to Escot’s Red Squirrel family. At around 6 feet tall, he’s not your average Red Squirrel but then this was no average occasion.
Later this year, a major Red Squirrel project will take shape on the Escot Estate. Robin Savill, Escot’s General Manager said: “The Red Squirrel project will offer an insight into the lives of Red Squirrels – allowing visitors to appreciate their beauty but also consider their plight. It’s great to see so many people joining us for Red Squirrel Day, the weather has been fantastic and Cyril seems to have got used to his new surroundings really quickly.”
For more information please visit www.escot-devon.co.uk
A Right Royal Celebration awaits at
Day one of the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink, Friday 29th April, is set to be the ideal way for food fans to celebrate the Royal Wedding. With a giant screen showing the wedding coverage, wedding-themed foodie workshops, royal-themed fancy dress competition and of course, food and drink fit for a king!
Set in the stunning grounds of Exeter Castle and Northernhay Gardens, it will be the ultimate garden party. At the Festival After Dark event, a perfect blend of live music from local bands, delicious regional food and real ales alongside cutting edge cooking demos will mean it's a perfect place to kick back and celebrate the special day. Click here to find out more...
Spectacular Exeter Cathedral Animation
Exeter's incredible history, from the Vikings to Second World War bombers, comes to life with spectacular animation projected onto the Cathedral on the 18, 19, 20 Feb. The evening extravaganza, a centrepiece of the Animated Exeter film festival (14 – 26 February), lights up the historic building with jaw-dropping images with exclusively composed music.
Funded by Arts Council England, the free event is produced by internationally acclaimed London artists Tundra, who are producing an incredible audio-visual celebration of Exeter entitled Isca Obscura.
Click here to read the full press release.
Heart of Devon launch Travel Trade Pass
The Heart of Devon Tourism Partnership has launched a Travel Trade Pass entitling group travel organisers to free entry to some of the region’s top visitor attractions, as well as discounted accommodation rates during their stay.
Click here to read the full press release.
Escot Park – Terminus for the Termite Pavilion
Until recently, a great uncertainty surrounded the future of one of the UK’s most unusual and iconic recent works of art. The Termite Pavilion is a 6m x 6m x 6m cube of sustainable timber based on a three dimensional scan of an actual termite mound in Namibia, southern Africa. It has impressive green credentials, winning the 2010 Observer Ethical Conservation Award.
Having previously been displayed to great acclaim and interest in Festival Square outside the Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre, the Termite Pavilion was coming to the end of its presentation at the heart of London Zoo. It has now found a permanent home at Escot Park near Exeter in Devon, where since it’s arrival has created a large amount of intrigue and inspiration, both to Devonians and visitors to the region!
Click here to read the full press release.
Otterton Mill Features in Popular BBC Programme
East Devon's historic Otterton Mill will feature in Monday's airing of the popular BBC show 'Escape to the Country'. The series of programmes helps prospective buyers find their dream home in the countryside, and visited the Mill during filming last summer. In the Mill episode, Jules Hudson helps a couple with a budget of £500,000 as they search for an idyllic thatched Devonshire cottage for their retirement.
The Mill and Otterton village were among a number of locations visited, which also included the whimsical National Trust property, A La Ronde, in Exmouth.
The programme will air on Monday 31st January on BBC One at 2:15pm.
Get Nordic Walking at Haldon Forest Park
This popular fitness technique incorporates specially designed walking poles to work the upper part of the body as well as the legs whilst walking, making it a full body work out. Qualified Nordic walking instructor Fiona Swann will be offering sessions at Haldon Forest Park from the end of January, where people can come along to learn the technique. After an initial session, people can sign up to regular walks with Fiona's groups.
The first session is on Saturday 29 January and people can book or find out more by calling me on 01626 890120. People can also find out more on the Nordic Walking UK website www.nordicwalking.co.uk. Further information about Fiona's sessions are also available on the Forestry Commission website www.forestry.gov.uk/haldonforestpark
Award made to champions of the Jurassic Coast
A new award to recognise people who have made an exceptional contribution to the Jurassic Coast was launched at a recent seminar. The Jurassic Coast Award is open to anyone who has shown outstanding dedication to the conservation and enhancement of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site.
A joint award was also given to Norah Jaggers and Patricia Farrell, from the community group Beer Village Heritage in Devon. Together with a dedicated local group of volunteers and the support of local fishermen, they have created a wonderful new building on the beach at Beer that enables thousands of visitors to find out more about the Jurassic Coast, the local marine world and the village’s history.
Early spring treats at Combe House Devon
Escape to the tranquil Devon countryside and enjoy a relaxing four night dinner, B&B stay for the price of three at Combe House, near Exeter – Devon Hotel of the Year 2010. The stunning Grade I Elizabethan manor house is offering mid-week breaks from Monday 24th January until Thursday, 31st March from £525 per person in a superior kingsize double room, a genuine saving of at least £350 based on two sharing for four nights. This superb offer, which is based on 2010 prices, also includes Sunday 10th to Thursday 14th April.
To book your stay call Combe House Devon on Tel: 01404 540 400, www.combehousedevon.com
Sunday Park & Ride
Building on the success of
Dogs stay free at Combe House Devon
Dogs are welcome to stay for free at Combe House Devon, near Exeter when their owners take a dinner, bed and breakfast break from January to the end of March 2011. Your dog can join you in the Great Hall and curl up in front of the huge crackling log fire; he is also welcome in the comfortable yet elegant sitting rooms and cocktail bar. Complimentary doggie room packs are provided to ensure your best friend can enjoy some creature comforts during his stay. These contain water and food bowls, a box of tasty treats, including a chewy bone, and a map with suggested walking routes to ensure they get to explore the best local footpaths. And in case you forget any bare necessities of doggie life, a ‘Canine Survival Box’ is available on special request.
Prices in 2011 start from £199 B&B for two sharing a double/twin room per night and a three course candlelit dinner with canapés is £49 per person. Dogs are usually an additional £9 per night. www.combehousedevon.com
Exeter coach-drop off officially open
A brand new coach drop-off, funded by Devon County Council, has just opened in
Located at
