Tag Archive for: Dulverton

Earlier in the summer Visit Dulverton launched a photographic competition to find the best possible photo of the town in 2022. Since the new branding for the town was rolled out in 2021, along with the creation of the town’s Visit Dulverton social media and website, it had become evident that more images of this pretty Exmoor market town and its charming shops, cottages and businesses were needed to promote it to visitors to help support the local tourism economy.

The competition closed on Friday 15 July with a total of 75 images having been submitted.  The judge, multi award-winning photographer Rosie Barnes had a tough job on her hands!  She has now chosen a winner – the delightful image above by Joanne Davies, who will receive the generous prize from Visit Dulverton.

Rosie said: “Joanne Davies’ image of Dulverton’s iconic bridge stood out to me.  The light and colours are beautiful. There’s a reflective feel (that I imagine is how you’d feel at the water’s edge, looking at Dulverton’s beautiful medieval bridge), and the careful placing of the figures within the framework of the bridge’s arches, along with the general lines of composition throughout the image make a really well seen photograph.”

Rosie also chose five other photographs as worthy of particular mention.  All of these will be posted on Visit Dulverton’s social media over the coming days. The first, and the Competition Runner Up is Gary Scarlett’s boater on the River Barle with the iconic bridge in the frame, which Rosie described as being “full of peace and tranquillity”.

The four Highly Commended photographs are as follows:

  • Emma How’s landscape of Dulverton “nestled within the valley with beautiful meadow foreground and framed with trees is also rather lovely”.

  • Michael Pilley’s phone box with wisteria “is a fabulous riot of colour, which always gives visual appeal”.

  • Gill Whitehead’s image of Exmoor House “is a beautiful rendition of Nature’s green and blue working together”.

  • Nick Thwaites’ image of the fields above Dulverton in the snow also deserved a mention “as the skyscape is as good as the landscape”, albeit the view is not readily identifiable as having been taken in Dulverton.

Rosie summed up the competition entries as follows:

“Overall, it was wonderful to see so many photographs in and around Dulverton, a beautiful town with such visual appeal.  The brief was that the images needed to be identifiable as being taken in Dulverton and unfortunately there were a great many, some really breathtaking, that could really have been taken anywhere.  It was also a shame that some were submitted at too low a resolution to be used and there were a few children/cars etc that could have been cropped out.  The iconic bridge featured heavily amongst submitted entries, as did the old tin shack in a field and also the postbox with wisteria.

Dulverton is clearly a stunning little town and I’m envious of anyone who has the opportunity to live or spend time there, so it’s been a pleasure for me, as an outsider, to view all the beautiful entries. One last thing I would say, is that given the beauty already there, that it is absolutely not necessary to add particularly heavy filters to images. They really create an unnecessary fakeness to an otherwise naturally stunning scene. There were a couple of images I really loved, but didn’t choose them because of the filters. Nature is best and Dulverton clearly has that in abundance!”

Visit Dulverton would like to extend their thanks to Rosie Barnes for taking on the judging of the competition.  All of these images will soon be seen on the Visit Dulverton website and in social media, and all those who entered the competition will be notified of the judge’s decisions.

It is with a huge fanfare that Visit Dulverton announces its new and exciting event for 2022 – The Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival!  Taking place over the weekend of 19/20 November and billed as ‘A new Exmoor festival for story-lovers of all ages!”

There will be six hour-long informal talks taking place throughout the day in Dulverton Town Hall on Sunday 20 November, given by bestselling authors and writers on a variety of topics such as politics and drama, sport, psychology, historical, romantic and crime fiction, food and wine, yoga and writing for children.

Festival-goers can expect an illuminating talk from Norman Scott discussing his recently-released memoir An Accidental Icon, looking back at his life and his much-documented turbulent relationship with 1970’s Liberal politician Jeremy Thorpe, including his attempted murder on Porlock Hill. The UK’s most respected rugby union columnist, Rob Kitson, will talk about his bestseller Exe Men: The Extraordinary Rise of Exeter Chiefs, and MasterChef judge William Sitwell, one of Britain’s leading food writers, will discuss the history of food, including the problems associated with feeding Britain during WWII – so topical today.

Festival Director, Ali Pegrum said “Since first imagining the festival at the beginning of the year, we have received an immense amount of encouragement and support from a host of authors, writers, publishers and libraries right across the South West – all keen to help promote Exmoor’s very own inaugural literary festival and encourage reading and writing for everyone. As the Southern Gateway to Exmoor, Dulverton is the perfect place to host such an event and we hope that it will be repeated annually.”

Details of other bestselling authors attending the festival will be released shortly, along with the full programme and links to ticket purchasing.  Each talk will include time for audience questions, followed by author book signing in the festival’s in-house popup bookshop provided by Waterstones Barnstaple. There’ll even be an opportunity for a brief seated yoga meditation therapy session with Colin Dunsmuir, writer and a leading voice in the global yoga community.

The winner and runners up of the Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival Writing Competition will be announced on the Sunday, with the winning entry read out by the competition’s judge, historical fiction author Kate Lord Brown.  The competition will be open to all children from Reception to Year Six, more details to follow.

The entire two-day event has been generously sponsored by local businesses Stockham Farm Exmoor, Exmoor News, Hedley Price Funeral Directors, Jeff Pegrum Landscaping, PFG Fabrication, Town Mills B&B, Tozers Solicitors, Ware Construction, Rothwell & Dunworth Books, First Design Print Web, Stags Estate Agents, Osteo & Physio Tiverton, Maitland Walker Solicitors and The Exclusive Cake Company.

By popular demand, the pretty Exmoor market town of Dulverton is again holding its exciting Vintage Fair this year.  On Sunday 4 September you will discover a celebration of vintage style suitable for all the family from 12 noon to 5pm on the Exmoor Lawns beside the River Barle.  The event attracted over 1800 visitors to join in the fun last year, and it is hoped that this year’s event will be just as well attended.

The fabulous Liberty Sisters will be singing their favourite numbers from the 1940’s and 50’s with the energetic South West Lindy Hoppers dancing and lindyhopping along.  The ebullient Hot House Combo will bring their special blend of swinging jazz to get all toes tapping.  Visitors dressing in the clothes of the period are definitely encouraged!

There’ll be a wide array of stalls selling a great variety of vintage and retro clothing, vintage style homeware, brocante, jewellery, gifts, antiques, baskets and lots more.

Unique WWII military vehicles and vintage tractors will be there, as well as a host of historic vehicles from the North Devon Sports and Classic Car Club.  The organisers are delighted that this year a rare 1943 Half Track (an American armoured personnel carrier) will make an appearance at the Fair.

Traditional tea, cakes and other hot and cold refreshments will keep visitors fed and watered – including a Cocktail Bar run by Dulverton’s own award-winning Exmoor Distillery and beer from local Wiveliscombe brewery Nuttycombe Brewery.

The event is generously sponsored by local businesses Exmoor Distillery and Seddons Estate Agents; and through the event the organisers and Dulverton Town Council are proud to be helping the CareMoor for Exmoor initiative which supports nature and heritage conservation across Exmoor National Park.

Keep an eye on the Vintage Fair page for more information.

What a treat it was to attend the first Dulverton Artisan Food, Drink & Crafts Festival on Saturday 9th July!  The sun shone, the flags flew and the Exmoor Lawns beside the River Barle in this pretty Exmoor market town buzzed with folk enjoying the produce from over 30 stalls.  All the stallholders were local producers from across Exmoor, the Quantocks and North Devon.  Very few food miles here!

The festival was the brain child of Dulverton’s Town Council Chair, Christine Dubery, who had gathered together a selection of some of the best local artisan producers.  She said “We wanted to create a summer event to celebrate the extraordinary variety of quality local small independent craftspeople and producers that are often difficult to discover in a rural community.  To have them all in one place in Dulverton was ideal and gave visitors on the day the chance to explore the town and its shops and eateries too.”

With free admission, festival goers enjoyed stalls selling home-produced meat, beer, cider, spirits, cakes, puddings, jams and pickles. Gifted craftspeople had stalls of clothing, homeware, leather goods, bags, gifts, pet products and more. Exmoor was fully represented with Exmoor Fudge, Exmoor Tea, the Exmoor Pizza Pod and who could resist a delicious Italian sausage roll from Exmoor Feasting or a beautifully blended Pina Colada from Exmoor Distillery?  Live music kept feet tapping throughout the day.

Families made much of the sunshine by paddling in the River Barle under the iconic medieval bridge whilst devouring ploughman’s lunches from Selworthy Pantry and ice creams from Scrumdiddly Gelato. Local business YASU Therapies were offering reiki massage experience sessions in the shade beside the river.

It was great to see members of Dulverton’s Fire Brigade chatting to visitors outside the Fire Station opposite the festival, encouraging new volunteers to join their incredible team – with the occasional loud toot from the red fire engine!

For a full list of the artisans that attended the festival follow this link.

In the charming Exmoor market town of Dulverton, you’ll discover another brand new event to enjoy this summer – the Dulverton Artisan Food, Drink & Crafts Festival on Saturday 9th July.

Free to attend from 10am – 4.30pm in the picturesque setting of the Exmoor Lawns in the heart of Dulverton alongside the River Barle, this exciting new event will be celebrating the many artisan producers located across Exmoor, the Quantocks and North Devon.  The perfect opportunity to shop truly local and support many local small independent businesses.

You’ll discover over 30 stalls from local producers – a selection of gifts, clothing, homeware, leather goods and of course home-produced meat, beer, cider, spirits, cakes, puddings, jams, pickles… to name just a few!  There’ll be Exmoor Tea, Exmoor Fudge, Exmoor Distillery, Exmoor Engraving, Exmoor Crafts, Exmoor Feasting platters – we’re very proud to be Exmoor’s Southern Gateway here in Dulverton!

Don’t miss the Selworthy Pantry stall selling ploughman’s, teas and coffees, or the Exmoor Pizza Pod and their amazing handmade hand-stretched pizzas – and a Dulverton favourite, Scrumdiddly Gelato’s scrumptious ice cream!

Go to the festival page to learn more and to see the list of producers attending.  Supported by Dulverton Town Council.

The branded flags and bunting are flying in the beautiful Exmoor market town of Dulverton!  With blue skies and leafy trees all around, now is the perfect time to discover some fabulous new photos of Dulverton in all its summer glory.

Visit Dulverton has launched a photographic competition to find the best possible photo of the town in 2022. Since the new branding for the town was rolled out last year, along with the creation of the town’s Visit Dulverton social media and website, it has become evident that more images of this pretty Exmoor market town and its charming shops, cottages and businesses are needed to promote it to visitors and support the local tourism economy.

The competition is to be judged by award-winning photographer Rosie Barnes and there is a generous prize to the winner.  All entries to be submitted electronically to hello@visitdulverton.com before Friday 15 July.  This gives those entering the competition time to take photos of the town during the inaugural Dulverton Artisan Food, Drink & Crafts Festival on Saturday 9 July if they wish. Photos submitted are to be identifiable as having been taken in Dulverton.

The town’s exciting and original new branding was officially launched on Somerset Day, 11th May 2021 and features the letter D formed out of the many colours of Exmoor throughout the seasons, with a cut out artistic impression of an Exmoor stag in the centre.

Terms and Conditions of Entry: Please note that all photos submitted must be your own work, must not be copied, must not contain any third party materials and/or content that you do not have permission to use and must not otherwise be obscene, defamatory or in breach of any applicable legislation or regulations.  The competition closes at midnight no Friday 15 July and all entries to be submitted electronically by that time by emailing them to hello@visitdulverton.com  All entries to be supplied in the knowledge that they will be used by Visit Dulverton to promote the town and therefore must be free of any copyright. Large high resolution files to be submitted separately. The judge’s decision is final.

The pretty Exmoor market town of Dulverton was THE place to be for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – there was so much happening throughout the long Bank Holiday Weekend to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 glorious years on the throne.

On Thursday 2nd June, Mrs Christine Dubery, Chairman of the Town Council opened the beautifully restored community pond along Abbot’s Way, with the help of Mrs Mimi Vallas, the town’s oldest and most vibrant resident at the age of 100.  Christine gave a warm speech beside the pond, thanking the many volunteers who had transformed it from a soggy overgrown space into a sparkling pond filled with wildlife, pondlife and traditional flowers and bushes.  Mimi was delighted to officially open the pond to the public, removing the cover over the new sign with a flourish and a glass of champagne!  The Town Council received funding for this excellent project from the Welcome Back Fund, a joint initiative from the UK Government and the EU Regional Development Fund.

On Friday 3rd June, Dulverton celebrated in style with a fabulous Party on the Lawns beside the River Barle, to which residents and visitors were warmly invited.  Local residents aged over 75, children and those involved with the Covid Community Support Group were all treated to a wonderful Aftertnoon Tea in a huge marquee festooned with bunting and Union Jack flags.  Traditional garden games (including Splat the Rat of course!) were played by all, and everyone enjoyed some fabulous music by local duo Timescale, the remarkable Deane Big Band, the Exmoor Voices and local band Hounds of Oblivion.  A wonderful time was had by all in the sunshine.

 

To complete the celebrations, the Music on the Lawns event was held in the marquee on Sunday 5th June – and the rainy weather didn’t spoil the atmosphere at all!  A gin bar kindly provided by Dulverton’s own Exmoor Distillery kept spirits high, along with an incredible Tea Tent filled with locally baked cakes.  Musical entertainment was provided by the brilliant Blooming Flutes performing medleys of our favourite tunes, and recent Two Moors Festival Competition Winners delivered exquisite classical music on the cello, clarinet and saxophone.  The afternoon concluded with some wonderful songs from the local Take Note Community Choir – and a roaring Dulverton rendition of the National Anthem of course!

 

The town’s grateful thanks to all the many volunteers and helpers who made these events possible and so much fun; to local businesses Exmoor Distillery and Oggies Music for generously sponsoring the events; and to Arts Council England, Dulverton Town Council and the Rotary Club of Exmoor for their support.

There is so much happening in the pretty Exmoor market town of Dulverton this summer and autumn – make sure you put all these dates in your diary!

On Saturday 9 July there will be the first Dulverton Artisan Food, Drink & Crafts Festival to be held in the heart of the town on the Exmoor Lawns beside the River Barle from 10am to 4.30pm.  A celebration of the many local producers that have been sourced from across Exmoor and North Devon. Don’t miss this opportunity to shop truly local.  Learn more here.

Then by popular demand, on Sunday 4 September, Dulverton is repeating its fabulous Vintage Fair.  The inaugural event in 2021 attracted over 1800 visitors to the town for a festival of vintage for all the family, featuring singing with the Liberty Sisters, lindy-hop dancing with the South West Lindy Hoppers, swinging jazz with the Hot House Combo – not to mention a whole host of historic vehicles (including WWII military vehicles and classic cars) and of course a huge array of stalls selling vintage items, clothes, homeware and more! This event will also take place on the Exmoor Lawns. Free admission from noon to 5pm.  Learn more here.

On Sunday 18 July an opportunity for runners of all ages to cross Dulverton’s beautiful countryside in the second annual Dulverton Fun Run & Canicross. Cross country trail running along 2km, 5km or 10km routes – with or without your dog of course!  Who will be brave enough to tackle the Dulverton Demon – a steep, wooded hill leading from Marsh Bridge up towards Court Down?! Beautiful but challenging!  Learn more here.

And finally on 20 November all will be welcomed to the inaugural Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival!  Six exciting talks by celebrated bestselling authors and writers will take place throughout the day in Dulverton Town Hall, with a popup bookshop and book signing too. The talks will be suitable for everyone on a wide range of topics, including politics and drama, food and wine, sport and dogs, historical and romantic fiction and writing for children; with creative writing workshops taking place in Dulverton Library on 19 November as part of the festival too. Learn more here.

The town’s grateful thanks to the following local businesses for sponsoring these many events: Exmoor Distillery, Exmoor News, Stockham Farm Exmoor, Jeff Pegrum Landscaping, Webbers Estate Agents, Tarr Farm Inn, Seddons Estate Agents, Oggies Music, PFG Fabrication, Ware Construction, Hedley Price Funeral Directors, Town Mills B&B and Tozers Solicitors.

 

For more information on any of these events go to visitdulverton.com or email hello@visitdulverton.com.

The new flags flying above the pretty Exmoor market town of Dulverton feature the town’s exciting new branding – the many colours of Exmoor with an artistic impression of an Exmoor stag forming the letter D.

The town’s traders were keen to unite under the new branding to appeal to the visitor and reignite the local economy after the Covid lockdowns, and the feedback from residents, visitors and businesses has been overwhelmingly positive!  Dulverton Town Council made the decision to create a new brand image for the town in 2020, and with the support of Somerset West & Taunton Council’s and Dulverton Town Council’s Emergency Town Centre Grant, the design was created in the summer of 2021 by Somerset graphic designer Tim Baigent of Glyder Design and formally approved by a group made up of Dulverton’s traders, council officials and interested parties.

Dulverton’s many independent shop owners and small businesses were also keen to embrace a more eco-friendly offering for their customers – so with the support and funding of Somerset Council Council’s Somerset Climate Emergency Fund Grant, December 2021 saw the launch of the town’s branded plastic-free bags.

The new jute and paper bags can be seen pictured here on Dulverton’s iconic Town Hall steps with Christine Dubery of Dulverton Post Office, Beth Brown of Browns of Dulverton and Sarah Gatehouse of Naturally Fleurish Flowers – with her terrier, Spritza!

 

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