COAST
& COUNTRY CALENDAR
North Devon Events - Contact Local TIC's for
2010 details |
| Atlantic
Village |
| Bideford
Buzz |
| Plough
Arts Centre |
| North
Devon Festival |
| North
Devon Theatres |
| Tour-Devon
|
| Click
here to find North Devon Church Services & Events |
| FEBRUARY
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MAY
Great Torrington May Fair
Westward Ho! Potwolloping Festival
JUNE
Appledore Arts Festival 
Ilfracombe Victorian Celebrations
North Devon Festival
Gold Coast OceanFest, Croyde
South Molton Vintage Rally
South Molton Old English Fayre
Vintage Traction Engine & Vintage Car Rally
JULY
Lundy Island Gig Row
Bideford Water Festival

Woolsery Street Fayre

Woolsery Show

Clovelly Maritime Festival
AUGUST
Appledore Regatta
Bideford Regatta
Clovelly Rum Race
Clovelly Lifeboat Day
Clovelly Pilot Gig Regatta
Great
Torrington Carnival
Hartland Carnival
Hartland Summer Craft Fayre
Holsworthy St. Peter's Fair
Holsworthy Agricultural Show
Ilfracombe Birdman
Ilfracombe Rescue Day
Ilfracombe Carnival
North Devon Show
West Quay Fun Day, Appledore
West Down Scenic Run
SEPTEMBER
Bideford Carnival
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| North
Devon Mini Register Legendary
Grand Tour |
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| Clovelly
Lobster & Crab Feast |
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| Appledore
Book Festival |
| NOVEMBER |
| North
Devon Remembers - North Devon Festival Remembrance Concert |
Bideford
New Year Celebrations
A TOP 10 NEW YEAR CRACKER
"More than 10,000 revellers gather
in fancy dress to join in one of the West Country's largest parties
As
midnight approaches everyone gathers on Bideford's Long Bridge to
wait for the parish bells to ring in the New Year" - As featured
in the Daily Mail, Saturday December 17 2005 - TOP 10 NEW YEAR CRACKERS.
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| WHAT'S
ON |
| Event
Archive Pics |
| 2005 |
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| Bideford
Music Day |
| finergardens |
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North
Devon Focus Coast & Country Chronicle is a local community
page for North Devon news or coast and countryside press releases.
We also welcome submissions from North Devon Local Event organisers.
The listing is free for anyone wishing to promote, local village/church
events, charity or non-profitmaking fund raising organisations.
It is also free for North Devon musicians, North Devon Arts and
festival organisers who wish to promote gigs, events or exhibitions.
Visitors may
use the links above to explore the North Devon Focus site for North
Devon Tourist Information, places to visit and things to do.
Devon Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and Devon Wildlife
Trust's (DWT) Working Wetlands Project are hosting a joint event
next month to look at effective methods of managing these difficult
sites. The event will take place at Deptford Farm, Hartland on the
9 March 2010 from 10am until 3pm.
Find out more.
As ever, the RSPB kicked off 2010 with their biggest event of the
year - Big Garden Birdwatch. The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch
was held over weekend 30 and 31 January They are also celebrating
Big Garden Birdwatch with a special promotional incentive to join
the RSPB - new members joining between 19 January and 31 March
can choose a FREE RSPB classic apex nest box (normally £11.99)
as their free joining gift. Find out more join
the RSPB today. -
Click here for latest North Devon Coast and
Country press releases |
| WIDER
FOCUS - Click
here to view the latest Travel and Holiday Offers
including Thomson Late Deals and Ski Holiday
Offers. |
| HAPPY
ANNIVERSARY to the The North Devon Coast AONB who will
celebrating the 50th Anniversary of its designation. They are aiming
to make September 2009 to June 2010 a very special time so check
out our event listings below or visit
ANOB web site for more details. |
| Please
visit the northdevonfocus.blog.spot.
which we hope will be an interesting addition to North Devon Focus
Coast & Country Chronicle. Blog Roll: The
North Devon Snow Party's Over,
Bideford
Bay Beachcombing, Peppercombe
Chronicles - Rosemoor
Scents and Sensibility - Tamar
Otter & Wildlife Park "In Search of Tarka" |
| Click
here to add your event to the 2010 Community Calendar - It's Free!
|
NORTH
DEVON COAST & COUNTRY EVENTS
(We
advise that you check with local Tourist Information Centres to
ensure events are taking place, to confirm dates & times or
see local press for further details)
NB. Clovelly Events 2009 Events, dates and content may be subject
to change, so please consult www.clovelly.co.uk for latest details.
Scroll down for the latest
press releases |
| FEBRUARY |
| Get
Your Skates On!! INDOOR FUN for you and your flock at The BIG Skate
Rink Have you been watching ITV's Dancing on Ice? Want to have
a go yourself? .... well now you can at The BIG Sheep. Open weekends
and daily during February half term (13th-21st), you can
enjoy whizzing along on the environmentally friendly ice rink. Adults
and children can both join in. (Skate sizes for children start from
a little 8.) UNDERCOVER FUN the whole family can still enjoy themselves
whatever the weather ! Visit the big
sheep web site for prices and more information. With spring
just around the corner, the first lambs are due at February Half
Term school holidays. If you're lucky you may even see a live birth!
Don't forget your camera!! |
| MARCH |
| |
| APRIL |
| Friday 2 April
- Friday 9 April The Fantastic Fudge Hunt, Clovelly. Back by
popular demand! TWENTY fudge stones are hidden along the main street
of the village. Track one down, take it to the fudge shop at the
Visitor Centre and find out how much mouthwatering, creamy fudge
you have won. Find stone number 20, and you win a whole kilo of
luxurious fudge! One stone redeemable per visiting family per day. |
| MAY |
| Saturday 29 May
- Monday 31 May Clovelly Celebration of Local Ales and Cider,
Come along to Clovelly for its special Celebration of Ales and Ciders,
where you can enjoy a range of local brews. Whether you're a committed
ale and cider drinker or yet to be convinced, you'll find a tipple
to suit your palate. So come along and raise a glass and support
North Devon's brewers and cider makers. |
| JUNE |
| |
| JULY |
Sunday 18
July Clovelly Maritime Festival, held in aid of the North Devon
Hospice. There's something for everyone at the Clovelly Maritime
Festival, held in aid of the North Devon Hospice. It's a day of
traditional seaside entertainment, including shanty singers, fire-eating,
juggling, Punch and Judy, a wench auction, and lots more. Enjoy
delicious seafood or a succulent hog roast on the beach. The Old
Gaffers Association will be coming along - they're devoted to the
conservation of traditional sailing craft and our maritime heritage.
Saturday 24 July Lundy Gig Row, West Country pilot gigs were
designed to carry pilots out to ships. The first one alongside won
the pilotage job, so speed was critical. The row from Clovelly to
Lundy and back is a true test of endurance over 32 miles of sea
- it can take up to four hours, depending upon the weather and tides.
So come along and support the brave crews!
Monday 26 July Woolsery Agricultural Show, Clovelly Court,
held in aid of various charities. Summer in North Devon would not
be complete without a visit to this country agricultural show.There
are many classes for cattle, horses, and sheep, along with pony
competitions. You'll find bustling trade and exhibition stands with
stalls offering locally made crafts and foods. The children will
be kept busy with fairground rides and a bouncy castle. A great
summer day out for all the family!
Saturday 31 July - Sunday 1 August Lifeboat Weekend, held
in aid of the R.N.L.I Keeping Clovelly's lifeboat on alert for emergencies
round the clock takes effort and dedication. Held in aid of the
RNLI, Clovelly's Lifeboat Weekend is a popular celebration of the
lifeboat and her crew. To get the fun going on Saturday there's
a sponsored swim to Bucks Mills and back. Sunday is packed with
entertainments, including a hilarious race of men dressed as women,
a tug-of-war and, of course, the ever popular slave auction in which
young local men are 'sold' to the highest bidder to do their chores
for a day. And there are stalls galore. |
| AUGUST |
| Saturday 7 August
Clovelly Gig Regatta, In the West Country we are proud of our
long tradition of racing pilot gigs. The sport's popularity is hardly
surprising - gig racing today is exciting, strenuous and often downright
dangerous, with the crews reaching speeds of 9 knots in fast-flowing
tidal waters. So come along and cheer on the rowers. It will be
an exhilarating day's racing. |
| SEPTEMBER |
| Sunday 5 September
Clovelly Lobster & Crab Feast, in support of The National
Lobster Hatchery. This popular event pays tribute to Clovelly's
famous lobster and crabs. There's always a fun party atmosphere,
so come along and enjoy a day of live folk music and theatre. And
will you be able to resist the charms of the lobster hypnotist?
There will be local craft and food stalls, a quay kitchen with cookery
demonstrations, wine and beer tasting, and no shortage of entertainments
for the children. And it's in aid of the National Lobster Hatchery
at Padstow. So don't miss it! |
| OCTOBER |
| |
| NOVEMBER |
| Sunday 21
November Clovelly Herring Festival, In the 18th century, a hundred
boats fished for the 'silver darlings' (herring) out of Clovelly.
This Herring Festival is held in support of sustainable fishing
by traditional methods and to celebrate the herring. Mike Smylie
will be there with his popular 'Kipperland' exhibition, smoking
delicious kippers and bloaters. Simon and Ann Cooper will be bringing
along their curragh, making nets, and demonstrating flax processing
and knitting. In addition, Jim MacCool, founder of National Poetry
Month, will be performing his show of infectious verse and toe-tapping
Celtic rhythms. Enjoy herring specialities, local cider and wine,
shanty singing, a walk-about theatre and masses of stalls. |
| DECEMBER |
| Sunday 5 December
Clovelly Christmas Lights, in aid of the RNLI. (Procession starts
at about 4 p.m. from the Visitor Centre. Entry free after 2 p.m.
with small parking charge) Christmas is a magical time at Clovelly,
so don't miss this fund-raising event and the switching on of the
village Christmas lights. A brass band leads the procession down
to the harbour. There's mulled wine, a barbecue, rousing carols,
and Father Christmas makes a surprise visit. At 5 p.m. the switch
is thrown and the entire village and harbour are lit up - it's a
fantastic sight. And there are fireworks to finish off what is always
a perfect day |
| Clovelly New
for 2011: Lentsherd Children's Carnival, Sunday 20 February |
NORTH
DEVON COAST AND COUNTRY PRESS RELEASES
EVENT PLANNED TO HELP LANDOWNERS MANAGE DIFFICULT SITES
Ref: DWT 5 Feb 2010
Wet Culm Grassland habitats can be difficult to maintain, especially tussocky,
scrubby areas which are often dominated by purple moor-grass. Devon Farming
and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and Devon Wildlife Trust's (DWT) Working
Wetlands Project are hosting a joint event next month to look at effective
methods of managing these difficult sites. The event will take place at
Deptford Farm, Hartland on the 9 March 2010 from 10am until 3pm. Host
farmer and keen FWAG member, Brian Heard was 2009's runner up in the FWAG's
Devon Bronze Otter trophy. On the day Simon Berry, DWT's Grazing Links
Officer, will talk about suitable stock for grazing difficult sites and
demonstrate mobile stock handling facilities along with the breeds of
cattle and, in some cases, ponies that are often deployed on Culm sites.
Becky Aston DWT Working Wetlands Project Officer said: "Many dairy
farms have found that their Culm Grasslands do not suit Holstein or Friesians.Instead
the local breeds are now making a comeback with the crucial advantage
of being good converters of poorer quality forage." "When sites
are left un-grazed scrub quickly develops and the wildlife value of Culm
sites declines. At the same time the land's agricultural value falls,
while the cost of restoration steadily becomes more expensive. Soft rush
can out-compete flowering plants and reduce structure in the grass sward.
This reduces the value of the grassland in both conservation and cattle
fodder terms." Along with a look at some of the cattle options
there will be demonstrations of machinery suitable for tackling problems
on wetter ground such as flail mowers and low ground pressure tractors.
Craig Hodgson, Devon FWAG Adviser, will cover topics such as the financial
support available through Environmental Stewardship to enable sympathetic
management of farm environmental features. This grant scheme is administered
by Natural England (NE) and a local NE adviser will also be present to
discuss any concerns. FWAG offers farm and nature conservation advice,
NVZ training; cross compliance advice; water audits; and all environmental
stewardship applications. DWT's Working Wetlands Project can assist with
a variety of farming issues within the Culm Measures such as general advice,
ELS/HLS applications, grants, stock and machinery. Advisers from both
organisations will be present at the event. Lunch and refreshments will
be provided. To book on to this event please contact Angela White at FWAG
on (01392) 364392 or email devon@fwag.org.uk
CHARITY COMMISION CHAIR VISITS CRICKLEPIT MILL
(Ref: DWT 27th January 2010)
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Last Friday, Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of the
Charity Commission, was given a special tour of Exeter's Cricklepit Mill,
headquarters of Devon Wildlife Trust, to witness the work of the county
charity. Director of the charity Paul Gompertz led the tour of the historic
mill which was followed by lunch with some of DWT's trustees. In the afternoon
Dame Suzi was also taken on a site visit to Lutworthy and Affeton Moors
to view progress of the ground breaking habitat restoration work taking
place there as part of 'Working Wetlands', a project which is working
in partnership with farmers in the Culm Measures of Devon. Dame Suzi,
who lives in Exeter, has been Chair for the last four years and was delighted
to witness the essential conservation work carried out by DWT. "Charities
are uniquely important to our society and the Commission has a vital role
to play in supporting them, both individually and collectively. Devon
Wildlife Trust appears to be working on a very large scale across Devon
and it was fascinating to see such dramatic work first hand,"
she said. Paul Gompertz said: "It was a pleasure to have the company
of Dame Suzi for the day. She seemed particularly impressed with the scale
of our work here in Exeter and in north Devon where we have been clearing
large swathes of conifer plantations so they can revert back to wildlife
rich Culm Grassland. We hope she will return towards the end of the project
to see how much has been achieved." (Photo: Sir Hugh Stucely
and Dame Suzi Leather at Affeton Moor)
DEVON DORMICE GO NUTS OVER FUNDING BOOST
(Ref: DWT 26 Jan 2010)
Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) has just received funding to help with conservation
work to improve the lot of dormice at a number of its nature reserves.
The £4986 grant from the Pennon Environment Fund will help the charity's
reserve officers to implement and enhance coppicing regimes at its Andrew's
Wood, Lady's Wood, Scanniclift Copse, Sourton Quarry and Dunsford nature
reserves in the coming months. Dormice thrive in woodland with hazel coppice,
as one of their staple foods is the hazelnut. An autumn diet of these
helps keep them sufficiently plump to survive their annual winter hibernation.
Although dormice are also found in hedgerows and other habitats, these
Devon Wildlife Trust nature reserves are known to be some of their most
important and protected strongholds. DWT's Reserve Officer Jackie Gage
said: 'The money will help pay for our time on the reserve coppicing
the hazel trees so that they are kept in the best possible condition for
the populations of dormice. By allowing more light into the woodlands,
these activities will allow denser and more species-rich understoreys
to develop. This in turn will increase the amount of food and cover available
to dormice throughout the seasons when they are active." Over
the coming months the dormice on the sites will be monitored using nest
boxes and nest tubes which will be put up at the sites with the help of
volunteers. This part of the project has also been paid for using some
of the grant money. Jackie added: "It's important that we continue
to monitor populations in Devon, particularly as we are the Biodiversity
Action Plan lead partner for the species. We cannot continue this important
work without the volunteer and financial support which this funding gives
us." Pennon Group is the parent group of Viridor Waste Management
and South West Water and through its Environment Fund supports environmental
and social improvement projects across the region and nation. For more
information about DWT's reserves and how you can help visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org
HISTORIC HEDGES RESTORED AT
NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE (Ref: DWT 6 January 10)
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Devon Wildlife Trust last month planted a series
of new hedges at its Dunsdon National Nature Reserve to help restore the
traditional network of small fields that would have once been a feature
of the local landscape. The site, near Holsworthy, was planted up with
locally produced native species by the charity's reserves team and long
term estates volunteers. The hedge species including a mixture of hawthorn,
ash, oak, hazel and rowan will sit on traditional Devon hedge banks which
were created last year. Gary Pilkington, DWT's senior reserves officer,
said: 'These new hedges will provide essential wildlife corridors at
these Culm grassland sites. The hedges are replacing ones that were removed
through agricultural improvement in the years before DWT took charge of
the land. We used Tithe maps from the early 1900s to work out exactly
where the original hedges were located.' The project has been supported
thanks to funding from The Tree Council's Real Hedge Fund (working in
conjunction with the National Hedgelaying Society and Stella Artois).
For more information about the site visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org
PRESS RELEASES
FROM THE DEVON WILDLIFE TRUST www.devonwildlifetrust.org
*DWT has 11 Local
Groups based around the county. All play an important role in DWT's
work and are always looking for more volunteers.
*DWT cares for some 40 nature reserves around the county. Most are
open to the public.
*DWT currently has over 31,000 members.
*DWT has been protecting Devon's wildlife for over 40 years. Click
here to view archive Devon press releases
THE NORTHERN DEVON COAST & COUNTRYSIDE SERVICE
1. The Northern Devon Coast and Country
Service (NDCCS) is jointly funded by Devon County Council, Torridge District
Council, North Devon District Council and the Countryside Agency. www.devon.gov.uk/ndccs
2. The North Devon coast was designated an AONB in 1959 and is comprised
of two defined Heritage Coasts and covers approximately 171 sq km. The
Hartland and North Devon Heritage Coasts together with the UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve at Braunton Burrows make up one of the finest 'Protected Landscapes'
in England. www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk
As the Highway Authority for Devon, the County Council is responsible
for 3,200 miles (4,960km) of public rights of way. www.devon.gov.uk
3. The Countryside Agency - The work of the landscape, access and recreation
division of the Countryside Agency is concerned with protecting our landscapes
for now and future generations whilst also encouraging respect and enjoyment
of our beautiful countryside. www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/index.asp
Click here
to view more North Devon press releases
RockETS stands for Rock Environmental Treatment Scheme,
and distributes funding from the Government's Aggregates Levy Sustainability
Fund to projects that reduce the effects of aggregate extraction in Devon
(including Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, and Plymouth and Torbay
Unitary Authorities).
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RockETS can support a diverse range of schemes including
improvements to public access, upgrading recreation areas, repairs
to community buildings and creation of wildlife habitats. Applicants
can include community
groups, charities, parish councils, district councils and quarry operators.
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For further information visit http://www.devon.gov.uk/rockets.htm
You will find many local events
and interesting articles in local community monthly newsletters and
church magazines so don't forget to lend your support and pick up a
copy of the "Parkham Pie" or "The Village News"
covering the Parkham Area or Bucks Mills, Clovelly, Hartland and Woolsery
Available at:
Hartland Post Office, Village Shop, Woolsery, Clovelly Post Office,
Bucks Cross Post Office, Clovelly Cross Petrol Station, Clovelly Church,
Bucks Mills Church
"Bideford Buzz" - Newsletter for the Bideford area is available
at the Bideford Library
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