burrator beacon
TRANSCRIPT
Burrator
BEACON
Winter 2014
Exciting Times at Burrator Reservoir!
Totem Pole Designers from Meavy School Burrator Discovery Centre
Discovering Burrator Reservoir (photos courtesy of SW Lakes Trust)
Totem Totem Pole Designers from Meavy School Burrator Discovery Centre
Inside the Discovery Centre
2 Burrator Beacon
Editorial – Karen Batson
Well, as you may already be aware, lots of things have been happening at Burrator Reservoir over the past year – we are so lucky to have all this on our doorstep! In the run-up to the festive season (and indeed following it) there are many groups and events happening with much to offer for all tastes, so have a browse through your local parish magazine and see if there’s anything that takes you fancy! The spring issue of the Burrator Beacon will be published at the end of February. Deadline for copy will be Tuesday February 3rd, at the latest. That issue will cover the months up until the end of May 2015. Don’t forget, this is your magazine for your parish, so we would like to hear from you! Do consider writing a piece about any of the events you have participated in, or visited, in our area. We need to spread the word about all the great things that happen around here. Please send all submissions as Word attachments, as this makes the cut and pasting process much simpler! Finally, a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Everyone in Burrator Parish.
Parish Clerk’s Report – Lucie Luke
All is well at the Royal Oak Inn with repairs and maintenance up to date for the remainder of this financial year. The Parish Council received constructive comments on the use of the grass area at the entrance of Manor Park, recently gifted to the Parish Council by the late Helen Rowett. It has been agreed that no play equipment will be installed but will be placing two tanalised hardwood benches on the grass, one inscribed in memory of Helen. The maintenance of this area has been added to the Parish Council’s Grass Contract and will include regular cuts, reduction of trees and hedging and regular clearing of the pathway leading to Burrator Road. The Parish Council is seeking more information from Devon County Highways as to why Meavy Village remains at the national speed limit. Also they are expecting an update from the Transport Department on the status of 20 mph limits in rural areas.
Burrator Beacon 3
Recent planning applications have been considered, with the Parish Council’s comment to DNPA in bold: 0521/14 Proposed single storey extension (revision of approved two storey extension ref 0063/14) Moorwings, Burrator Road. SUPPORTED 0520/14 Proposed certificate of lawfulness for proposed development of fencing, temporary portable toilets and installation of area of hardened sub-surface and levelling of ground works re plateau for marquee, Field at Burrator Reservoir, Yelverton. SUPPORTED 0401/14 & 0402/14 Full & listed Planning Applications.Proposed repairs to former warrener’s cottage and former rabbit drying outbuilding including roof repairs to both and reconstruction of outbuilding walls and minor structural repair works and re-pointing Ditsworthy Cottage, Sheepstor. SUPPORTED 0414/14 Proposed erection of agricultural/equestrian building (10.8m x 3.6m) at land at Iron Mine Lane, Dousland. SUPPORTED 0482/14 Proposed change of use and conversion of two barns to holiday accommodation and one barn to holiday /ancillary accommodation at Holewell Farm, Walkhampton SUPPORTED 0455/14 Proposed erection of detached studio/hobby room in the garden at Brook Cottage, Sheepstor SUPPORTED
0483/14 Change of orientation of stables (amendment to previously approved application 0076/14) at Moorwings, Burrator Road, Dousland SUPPORTED
The Parish Council of Burrator Invites tenders for
Annual Maintenance Contract
For Grassed Areas Commencing 1st April 2015
For the period of 1st April to 31st October for three years
Tender Closing Date 15th January 2015
Full written details available from the Clerk:
Mrs Lucie Luke Telephone 01822 614278
Or email [email protected]
4 Burrator Beacon
SHLAA Sites in Dartmoor National Park Recent communication to Burrator Parish Council Dear Parish Clerk
Please find below link to the web page for Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA); a list and a map showing all of the sites submitted for assessment has now been published on this page. The consideration of land can be a controversial and divisive process, it is therefore important to understand what SHLAA is. The SHLAA process does not make any decisions about whether land should be developed, it is a technical process to consider whether land could be developed. There is therefore not an opportunity for public comment in the process, as this will come at a later point in time, once sites which cannot be developed or which are clearly unsuitable, have been excluded. We are sharing the list of sites submitted in order to be open with the public about the land which has been submitted for assessment, we also recognise that as this process moves forward it may be of interest to those engaged in Neighbourhood or Community Plan work. I would therefore be grateful if you could read the information contained in this email.
Background - what is SHLAA? The SHLAA is a technical exercise to help identify possible land that could have potential for housing, employment and traveller uses. It enables a Local Planning Authority to ensure there is enough land for new homes to meet the needs of communities. The requirement for SHLAA is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. SHLAA identifies whether these potential sites are developable, how much development could be accommodated on them and whether they could be delivered within 5, 10 or 15 year time frames. The SHLAA examines sites we already know about (for example sites already allocated in the local plan) as well as new sites generated by the recent 'call for sites'. Sites will be reviewed by a SHLAA Panel including members of the commercial and development industry - further details on the Panel are included in the methodology. As this is a technical process the review of sites is not open for public consultation - there would be opportunities for community involvement in the consideration of sites as part of the local plan review process, and any subsequent planning applications. The SHLAA is not a policy making document. It does not decide where new development will take place. The decisions about how many new homes are built and where will be taken in the Local Plan. Therefore, whilst the assessment will help inform future plans, it will not determine whether a site should be allocated for future development or granted planning permission.
It is important to remember that under the Local Plan opportunities for open market housing are far more restricted and there is a focus on providing affordable housing to meet identified local needs. Whilst some communities have a large amount of land through SHLAA this does not mean this will be
Burrator Beacon 5
developed, it does mean that should we need land for development in the future we have a range to choose from.
What happens next? We are currently assessing these sites. They will be considered by the SHLAA panel in the Autumn, and a report of the panel’s conclusions published after this. This report will form background evidence as we start work on reviewing the Local Plan in 2015. It is at this point that we will start to consider whether any of these sites may be suitable to include in the next local plan, and will start community engagement in that process.
http://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/planning/pl-forwardplanning/pl-localdevframework/forward_planning_ldf_evidence/shlaa
If you have any queries regarding SHLAA please contact myself or Chloe Nielsen. Regards, Dan
Dan Janota MRTPI Senior Forward Planner Dartmoor National Park Authority Parke, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13 9JQ
Tel. 01626 831066 Fax. 01626 834684 [email protected]
Dog Fouling in Walkhampton Alice Inman – Parish Councillor A member of Walkhampton Village asked me to bring up the emotive issue of dog mess at a recent parish council meeting to discuss whether or not the erection of dog bins was a possibility or sensibility within the village. There are certain ‘hotspots’ within the village that seem to attract this environmental hazard. On talking to a few other dog walkers I got some conflicting ideas on how this would be received, or if indeed it would actually change the behaviour of those who do not clear up after their dogs. There is a cost implication for the contract for these bins to be emptied (about £1.75 per week, per bin, I think). After discussion at the latest meeting it was considered that we could invite correspondence on this matter through the Burrator Beacon. Both into the need and also location of where these should be sited if we were to go ahead.
6 Burrator Beacon
P. J. Shields
OIL BOILER SPECIALIST - OFTEC REGISTERED
SERVICE - REPAIR - MAINTENANCE
Tavistock 614664
WRIGHT WINDOWS
The local tradesman for uPVC, double-glazed windows, doors, porches and replacement double-glazed units.
FENSA registered with insurance-backed guarantee. TERRY WRIGHT
Sharpitor, Burrator Road, Dousland, Yelverton PL20 6NE
Tel: 01822 852275 Mobile: 07977 631776
‘A tradesman not a salesman’
Zumba Fitness We are celebrating 4 years of Zumba Fitness in Yelverton!
St Paul’s Church Hall, Tuesdays 11.30am £4 We have a variety of age groups and abilities, but most importantly, they come & go with a
smile on their face! We just move and smile! Optional coffee afterwards to socialise. Zumba improves Mobility, Mind and Mood- Keep dancing!
Colleen Harrington – Zumba Fitness – 07770 683314
Burrator Beacon 7
Morris Bros. (Tavistock) Ltd
Independent Funeral Directors est. 1870
Family owned and run by the fifth generation,
Simon Luke.
01822 612023 24 hour service
Golden Charter pre-paid funeral plans for your peace of mind
The Old Bedford Foundry, Lakeside, Tavistock PL19 0AZ
www.morrisbros.co.uk [email protected]
John Boylett Electrical Services The Smithy, Meavy, Yelverton. PL20 6PJ. Tel: 01822 853456 / 07748 513469
Domestic Electrical Installations - Rewiring - New Builds - Smoke Alarms Consumer Units - Lighting - Electric Showers - New and Replacement sockets
All work tested, certificated and guaranteed Very Competitive Rates Friendly local service Part ‘P’ Elecsa Approved Contractor
CLASSY K9’s Professional friendly dog grooming service.
One to one personal care for every dog. All breeds/cross breeds welcome.
Call Paula 01822 853446
8 Burrator Beacon
Village Halls
Please support our local village halls for your meetings, parties and activities. All the halls have disabled access and they vary in size and facilities so one of them will suit your requirements. All the Halls are run by willing volunteers who strive to keep them in good repair providing vital facilities for our communities.
Meavy Parish Hall Robert McIntosh 855523
Sheepstor Village Hall Trevor Rookes 853862
Walkhampton Memorial Hall Michael D’Oyly 852268
They will be able to advise you on availability, hire charges and terms & conditions of hire.
What’s on in Meavy Parish Hall… Wednesday 4th March 2015 at 7.30pm. An evening of traditional and self-penned songs by the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for 2013 Best Duo winners, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman. Kathryn and Sean are Dartmoor - based, but with a world wide reputation and following. This evening is a rare treat and opportunity to listen to two, fantastically gifted, local musicians. Tickets are £9 for adults and £6 for children and can be booked through Robert on 01822 855523, or David on 01822 852221 / [email protected]
and St Peter’s Church, Meavy… Saturday 20th December 2014 at 6.30pm. Members of Meavy Amateur Dramatics (MAD) will be performing an hour-long reading, in period costume, of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted by Sam Regan de Bere. The performance will take place in the wonderfully atmospheric setting of St Peter’s Church Meavy at 6.30pm on Saturday 20 December. Doors will open at 6.00pm and light refreshments, including mulled wine, will be available through a donation. The members of MAD are renowned for their quite brilliant annual Pantomime, but they are able to undertake other sorts of productions too, as will be demonstrated in this performance. They are generously giving of their time to raise funds for St Peter’s Church. Tickets will be £5 for adults and £2 for children. We look forward to adding to the wonder of the festive season through this imaginative production and hope you will be able to join us. Tickets can be obtained from David Tall, 01822 852221 [email protected], or Kate Luffingham [email protected], 01822 852837, and via The Royal Oak Meavy.
Burrator Beacon 9
and in Walkhampton Memorial Hall… Monday 12th January 2015 at 7pm Walkhampton Cottage Garden Society AGM - FREE cheese & wine! The Walkhampton Show is the oldest traditional show in the area. We have over 100 classes which incorporates flowers, vegetables, photography, knitting/sewing, cookery and 2014 saw the arrival of the much enjoyed Scarecrow Competition. This year we a looking for new members to join the Walkhampton Cottage Garden Society and help make the 2015 Show the best yet. Exhibitors, we want to hear from you too! Do you have an idea about a class or something we could do better on show day? Come along and be part of the Show! See our website www.walkhamptonshow.weebly.com contact Rachel 01822 855962 Monday 2nd February 2015 at 7pm Walkhampton Memorial Hall AGM Sunday 1st March 2015 at 2pm Jumble Sale
G.R.O.W started in January 2014 and meets every fourth Monday of the month in Walkhampton Memorial Hall at 7:30pm. We are a social group with a shared interest in promoting the enjoyment of gardening, the environment of the local community and related activities. During 2014 we have seen sewing and flower demonstrations, held a curry and quiz evening, had a talk on planning your vegetable patch and were fascinated about the curious world of bees. We are associated with the RHS and aim to support other local community groups. We are currently working with Lady Modiford's School in their grounds on projects such as weaving their wild willow dome, pond clearing, introducing bug dens and growing vegetables. If you would like to get involved in this project please contact us. If you have a particular topic you would like to learn more about (that fits with our group) let us know. After all it is your group. We welcome members and non-members to all our meetings and look forward to meeting you! Contact G.R.O.W. Gill Dixon 853261. Sheila Glanville 859215. Rachel Waldron 855962 email [email protected] 26th January 2015 - Walkhampton Memorial Hall 7:30pm Cheese & Cider tasting Come and try excellent cheeses from Country Cheeses and sample some local ciders. Enjoy a talk on apple trees and cider making. Entry £3
10 Burrator Beacon
23rd February 2015 Walkhampton Memorial Hall 7:30pm 'Easier than last year quiz' and curry Join us for a great quiz (which will be easier than last year!) and a fantastic homemade curry served with rice. Entry £5 23rd March 2015 Walkhampton Memorial Hall 7:30pm Do you know your onions? Dying for some Dalias? Rick Hoskins & Arthur Hext will be talking us through how to grow great onions & dahlias as well as giving us some to grow in this year's GROW challenge. Entry £3 See our website for dates and events in 2015 www.growalkhampton.weebly.com or contact Rachel 01822 855962
Sheepstor Village Hall Patrick Drennan
Bulletin
The Synergy performance on October 30th broke box office records for a VIA
event held in St Leonard's Church, pulling in an audience of 68. A great evening -
some even said the best one they had been to, with over £ 350 going back to
Villages in Action as well as over £180 each to the Friends of St Leonard's Church
Sheepstor & Sheepstor Village Hall. My thanks to the committee members of both
of those organisations for their encouragement, practical help and support to
make the concert a success, with a special thankyou to Annie Charles for looking
after the artists overnight, and John Bowman for the stage. I'm grateful to Bidder's,
the deli, and Co-op in Yelverton, and the village shops in Horrabridge, Dousland
and Leg o' Mutton for their free display of posters.
With Kay Thomas's help we have finally laid to rest the myth of difficult Sheepstor
parking. Even without Hellingtown Farm Drive there are approximately 16 spaces
available in Portland Lane and 6 on the approach to the church coming into the
village so there is no excuse for people using the lack of a designated car park as
a reason for not coming to our events in future!
Unfortunately we had to cancel the Bingo evening and the Craft Fair planned for
this autumn due to unforeseen circumstances, but we have two events arranged
for the early part of 2015 which will hopefully grab everybody's attention. On
Friday January 23rd Prof Bob Stone and his team from Birmingham University will
give a talk, supplemented by demonstrations, on their virtual 3D project of
Burrator, and on Sunday February 8th the Tommasso Starace quartet will perform
"The photos of Gianni Berengo in music". The main venue for both will be the
church, but with the facilities of Sheepstor Village Hall as an addition. More details
will be displayed elsewhere in this edition of the Beacon.
Burrator Beacon 11
As a Dartmoor hamlet of less than 20 households we like to think we punch above
our weight with community events, but with £1000+ required annually to keep the
Hall going it is vital that we attract a good number of visitors to our shows. All
ideas are welcome!
Future Events at Sheepstor….
The Virtual Burrator Project – A 3D Computer Recreation for
Healthcare and Heritage
A talk with live Virtual Reality demonstrations by the University of Birmingham’s Human Interface Technologies Team showing how,
since 2011, the Burrator area has been recreated using the latest 3D computer modelling techniques.
Come along to St Leonard’s Church in Sheepstor on Friday 23 January 2015 … experience the technology first-hand, see how Virtual Reality is being used to support the recovery and rehabilitation of hospitalised patients and to bring the history of the region into the 21st Century. Discover how you can get involved and help sustain the project for the benefit of future generations.
Doors Open at 18:30 Talk Commences at 19:00 followed by demonstrations
Food & refreshments served in village hall following talk No entrance fee but donations accepted for refreshments
Raffle Proceeds in aid of Sheepstor village hall
………......................................................
On Sunday February 8th 2015, at 7.30pm, Tommaso Starace and his band will perform “The photos of Gianni Berengo Gardin in Music” in St Leonard’s Church Sheepstor. Quoting from Villages in Action Menu: “A welcome return to VIA for this brilliant saxophonist and his band (piano, bass and drums). The performance is based on 15 images of Berengo – one of the most celebrated black and white photographers of Italy – who gained admiration from the likes of Henry Cartier Bresson and Elliott Erwitt. Tommaso has selected 15 of his favourite images. They are all taken in Italy and depict a story that helped inspire the music to each photo.
12 Burrator Beacon
The idea behind the project was to be highly melodic and make the compositions short and concise. In concert, the images will be projected onto a large screen and the audience will experience listening to the music while engaging with the image. It’s a project that is aimed at a wider audience than just the regular aficionado. Imagine a Fellini movie done as a Jazz project... An exciting talent, Starace is developing a seriously impressive body of work. – Bruce Lindsay – (www.allaboutjazz.com)” Doors will be open from 7.00pm, and tickets available from Patrick Drennan on 01822 853186, at £8.50 for adults, and £6.00 for concession/children. There will be refreshments served in the church when the doors open at 7.00 p.m., during the interval, and after the performance, with all proceeds (less the Villages in Action cut) divided equally between Friends of St Leonards Church Sheepstor and Sheepstor Village Hall. Please check the VIA website for booking details: www.villagesinaction.co.uk and look up Tommaso’s web site to get an advanced flavour www.tommasostarace.com. There are also a few videos of recent concerts where they perform the photo project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfKNvLpR7-I; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m7klIw2T9A; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRjH5DNEkw8
A nativity play with a difference
“On a Cold Winter’s Night”: join us at Princetown: Friday 12th December 7.30pm or Saturday 13th December 4.30pm. This new play by David Stranks was written for performance in Princetown’s historic church of St Michael & All Angels. It’s inspired by the medieval mystery plays, with a sub-plot about a sheep rustler. Actors from Princetown Church (now in Tor Royal Lane) and the local community will be supported by singers from the West Dartmoor Benefice Choir. Tickets are £5 in advance (outlets include Princetown Stores), or £6 on the door, or can be booked online – see www.tinyurl.com/onacoldwinter. There is no charge for children under 11, who are invited to wear an animal hat or mask to join in the stable scene. Wrap up warm!
Burrator Beacon 13
Burrator Celebration Day and a one year into the Heritage Project Emily Cannon – SW Lakes Trust AROUND 800 people enjoyed a whole day of celebrations at Burrator Reservoir on Sunday 6th July, accompanying the official opening of the new discovery centre explaining the history of the catchment and reservoir. There was something for everyone, with the Trust's environmental, educational and recreational themes firmly on show. Guided walks with countryside wardens were well attended and a family wildlife watch event was particularly popular. Dog obedience sessions highlighted the importance of keeping dogs under control on Dartmoor. Inside the marquee were nearly thirty organisations with an interest in Dartmoor who were kept busy with a steady stream of visitors eager to find out about conservation, volunteering or becoming involved in outdoor activities. Burrator Fly Fishers gave demonstrations, with some excellent catches of trout. A 'Wheelyboat' took people of all abilities around the reservoir for some rare views from the water. Local Morris Dancers provided a colourful backdrop for the event and there was a chance to get close to Dartmoor ponies. Granite splitting demonstrations were a highlight throughout the day. South West Lakes Trust Chairman Keith Bungay said: 'We are pleased to have a great new facility to increase our education services, provide public access and awareness of the marvellous history of this beautiful reservoir and surrounding area. 'The project has taken many years to complete not least because a huge amount of consultation was necessary to ensure we got it right.' He paid tribute to Professor Chris Balch of Plymouth University who chairs the Burrator Advisory Group and thanked the Heritage Lottery Fund (principal funder), Biffaward, South West Water, Dartmoor Sustainability Fund and West Devon Borough Council who, like the charity, had made a financial contribution. Heritage Lottery Fund SW's Hilary Bracegirdle said: 'The new interpretation at Burrator will be of huge benefit to first time visitors, particularly those coming out from the city, not least to find out where they are permitted to go and what they might encounter.' At 1.30pm the new Burrator Discovery Centre was officially opened and visitors tried out the interactive exhibits, then at 3pm the long awaited totem pole sculpture was unveiled to an enthusiastic crowd. In June we launched a competition to local schools for them to design a totem pole incorporating what they think visitors to Burrator should know about - elements from 15 entries were combined to produce the final design. The chainsaw sculptor, Gary Orange, was then tasked with the challenge to carve the totem pole in a week finishing Friday 4th July at 1pm ready for it be covered in preparation for the opening. ‘We are so pleased with it and feel it is the perfect landmark to depict what Burrator has to offer at a glance!’ In addition we also launched 'Burrator Alive with History'. 11 students from the ESOL 16-19 Foundation Programme at City College Plymouth spent the last year visiting Burrator with SWLT, researching the area and then created this book as part of an innovative social enterprise project, after being inspired by a finalist on
14 Burrator Beacon
the TV programme ‘The Apprentice’. The students formed a social enterprise company, ESOL New Frontiers and secured funding from UnLtd UK. Sarah Waters, their teacher said: "Their aim was to challenge the young at heart to explore and enjoy the beauty and amazing history of this special part of Dartmoor." The book took 6 months to produce and was launched to coincide with the opening of the Burrator Discovery Centre & can be bought at the Discovery Centre for £3.99. In addition to the above as part of the wider heritage project, the recently restored easy access footpath at the Arboretum was re-opened on Easter Monday and continues to be highly praised by new and regular site visitors alike. The new site orientation boards installed in June are already being well used and helping people familiarise themselves better around the area. At the end of August the consolidation works to Lowery Barn and Longstone Manor were completed and on 20 September we unveiled the three historic interpretation panels at these two sites plus Leathertor farm, which provide an artistic impression of how these three ruins looked in active use before the reservoir was built. In terms of our delivery of learning opportunities we have delivered some forest school taster sessions to Meavy and Yelverton Pre-School in the summer term, one off primary school visits, longer term forest school and outdoor learning programmes for pupils of the hearing support centre at Eggbuckland Vale Primary School and Alternative Complimentary Education School in Plymouth. We have also established a popular monthly family wildlife watch programme (September the bat evening held record numbers of over 30 people attending), organised a series of rural skills training days on coppicing and charcoal burning, and delivered public events including our infamous Halloween Evenings. However all of this would not have been possible without our amazing volunteers! Over the first year of the project volunteering has totalled a massive 1,000 volunteer days. Volunteers aged 20 to 70, from the surrounding area, have the choice to attend on their own or with organised groups, have been involved in practical conservation works, archaeological preservation projects, site maintenance tasks, wildlife surveys, furniture construction, gardening, environmental education, researching and creating the interpretation for the centre and historic panels, and more recently as visitor guides in the new centre. Thank you to everyone who has been involved over this last year!!! If you would like more information or would like to get involved please e-mail Emily
at: [email protected], ring 01822 855700 or visit us at the new Centre.
Burrator Outdoor Pre-school Every Thursday morning 9am – 1pm
PLUS ‘Forest Fun Session’ for babies, toddlers & their carers every Wednesday morning 9.30 – 11.30am.
‘We all get muddy, find insects, take manageable risks, sing songs, listen to the wind in the trees and make new
friends. We even cook on a fire sometimes!’ [email protected]
Burrator Beacon 15
Got a computer problem at home of office?
We are the LOCAL help you have been looking for!!
Based at Crapstone, we come to where the problem is We are a computer shop on wheels
Virus and spyware removal a speciality Expert with wireless networking we can give advice about Broadband We have a broad range of experience with people of all ages/abilities
Take a look at the website for all you need to know
NNooww iinn oouurr 99tthh YYeeaarr
Call 01822 855822 for an appointment
16 Burrator Beacon
Meavy Oak Fair 2014 Jenny Sharp – Chair, MOF Organising Committee
If you can remember back to June you will know that we were blessed with good weather for Meavy Oak Fair. After the bells of St Peter’s rang out to tell us that all the preparation time was over, the children of Meavy School entertained the crowds with their pageant and a great display of maypole dancing before nearly 160 runners set of on the gruelling Burrator Horseshoe, results of the race can be found at www.meavy.org.uk. As always there was plenty for visitors to do and see including the traditional games such as the coconut shy, hoopla and the skittle alley – we are extremely grateful to the young people from West Devon Explorers, Horrabridge Rangers Football Club and Walkham Valley Scouts who ran the games - we could not have done without you. The refreshments were this year provided by newcomers to the list of groups who contribute to Oak Fair, Sheepstor Village Hall and they were rushed of their feet all afternoon. St Peter’s Church ran the very popular cake and produce stall while the Friends of St Peter’s manned the book stall. The plant stall, as always, had high quality plants which were kindly donated by Champernowne Nursery at Buckland and run by Meavy Garden Society. Meavy School PTFA ran the bottle tombola, it was luck of the draw if you came away with a bottle of wine or a bottle of ketchup! Meavy Preschool were kept busy during the afternoon with the face painting. As well as the organisations mentioned above, there were a huge number of individuals who helped make the Fair such a success, from those who helped on the BBQ and Hog Roast; manned the car parks; looked after the Disco; donated raffle prizes; ran the dog show; helped getting it all ready on the Friday and Saturday morning and those who helped putting it all away in Sunday morning. I wrote over 60 thank you notes to the organisations and individuals which shows the tremendous support Oak Fair has from locals and not so locals who appreciate the traditional Village Fair. As well as having a great day, we once again were successful in monetary terms which means that we were able to make donations totalling £3,200 to local groups and organisations which are recognised for their support of the Fair and of the Meavy community. The recipients this year were: Friends of St Peter’s, Sheepstor Village Hall, Meavy Parish Hall, Meavy Preschool, Meavy School, Walkham Valley Scouts, West Devon Explorers, Yelverton Fire Brigade, Horrabridge Rangers Football Club and Meavy Garden Society. Over the last 10 years Meavy Oak fair has raised over £30,000.000 which has all been given to local groups and organisations which make our community the great place it is! If you have your 2015 calendar already then please mark on the third Saturday in June: Saturday 20th June – Oak Fair 2015. If you would like to be on the organising committee you are very welcome, we meet every couple of months from September to April and then a little more regularly until the big day in June. The meetings are not formal – brainstorming ideas and allocating tasks. If the idea of the committee is too much we would welcome any suggestions about how we can improve or change Oak Fair - please get in touch Jenny Sharp, 853652, [email protected]
Burrator Beacon 17
Yelverton & District Local History Society Nigel Rendle (Chairman) The Trees of Plymouth through the Ages – Ice Age to the 21st Century Andrew Young’s journey took us from the end of the Ice Age when only 33 species of trees had colonised our country right up to the present day total of over 1,000 species. Early natives were the Birch, Aspen and Willow, as well as English and Sessile Oaks. It has not been a continuous increase however and clearance for pastures started in the Stone Age, additional uses for wood being found for tools, firewood and charcoal. This continued with the planting of crops and then smelting into the Iron Age. Around 100BC fruit trees began to be imported from Europe such as peaches and walnuts. The Romans consolidated the land clearance activities but were responsible for the introduction of the Sycamore & Sweet Chestnut. It was not then until the 15th century that there was an increase in tree introductions. By then Plymouth was the 4th largest town in the country and increased trading with Europe & Asia saw new varieties of trees being imported. With the Tudors, in came the evergreen Holm Oak, Norway Spruce and White Mulberry. In 1577 one of Drake’s fleet ships called the “Elizabeth” captained by John Winter discovered a bark tree, now named after him and an effective cure for the sailors’ curse of scurvy (one of these can be seen at Greenway on the River Dart). Trees also started to come in from the US, such as Tulip and Sweet Gum, plus Horse Chestnut from Albania and Cork Oak from the Iberian Peninsula. However with the advent of the shipbuilding industry during the time of Henry V111, there was huge demand for timber, especially for the native Oak, leading to shortages. This led to wood being imported from the Baltic region. For a time, other tree planting fell out of favour as demand also grew for housing and settlements. Following Henry’s granting of huge estates to his favourites, arboriculture became popular with an increased liking for exotic species. City parks were born out of social necessity for exercise, amenity and healthy pastimes. Plymouth Dock had increased its population six fold in the 18th century and Devonport Park became the city’s first park in 1880, planted with Limes. Cemeteries were planted with Turkey Oaks and Yews. Voyagers such as Joseph Banks (Eucalyptus and Monkey Puzzle) and David Douglas (Douglas Fir and Monterey Pine) added to the species lists and introductions starting flooding in from all over the world. Today trees are nevertheless under pressure. In the city of Plymouth many were planted in the wrong place and have been lost, though there were some notable survivors from the Blitz. Some suffer from poor maintenance and many don’t get planted at all despite planning promises. Dutch Elm disease still lurks and now we have Ash dieback, the loss of the Larch and many other threatening challenges to the health of our trees. The Plymouth Tree Partnership has been set up to respond to these threats. They seek to promote the use of trees as key features of the city’s environment, leading to a greener and healthier place in which to live. They work with other groups contributing to various initiatives and using tree wardens to keep a watch out for
18 Burrator Beacon
new opportunities. Thanks to Andrew for a fascinating talk – check out www.plymouthtrees.org The History of Dartmoor Farming A return to our indoor events in September saw the appearance for the first time of North Bovey farmer Colin Pearse, who said he liked to describe his experiences as “looking through the Dartmoor gate”. Shunning the hall’s state of the art AV equipment, Colin brought along his own “props” – display boards of old and new photographs of farmers and farming activities and beautiful moorland landscapes. His main interest and indeed passion is looking after his flock of pure bred White-Faced Dartmoor sheep, about which he had his first book published. Much of his talk therefore focussed on the sheep and woollen industry of the Moor, which made Devon very prosperous in times gone by. He described how sheep were driven from all over the county to the Moor for pasture and how they produced wool “spun fine as a spider’s web”. In the 15th century, it was reported that at one point 38 ships laden with wool left the county bound for Calais and onwards. Ancient paths across the Moor are associated with the wool industry – eg. the Jobbers Path, plus packhorse routes and clapper bridges. Moorland names too revive these memories, such as sheepfolds, sheep creep holes, Grey Wethers stone circle and plants like sheep sorrel and fescue. The railways were important for the movement of sheep. Colin also described the tough working conditions on the Moor in times of hard winters, particularly heavy snow, such as that seen in 1947 and 1963. He related stories of sheep frozen standing up and ponies stuck together by ice. Horses’ hooves were greased to stop them from freezing. A copy of an old letter written in pencil told of the very wet winter/summer of 1946 when 3 million sheep were lost. Here, he emphasised how important it was to keep breeding animals hardy enough to withstand these harsh conditions. Colin also touched on other historical memories of Dartmoor tenements and longhouses, where families and animals lived under one roof; of thatch grown locally for roofing; threshing barns & cider houses; Royal forests and hunting grounds and the link to the Saxons with place names containing the suffix “worthy”. Colin also has a claim to fame having featured with Adam Henson on BBC Countryfile. His talk was punctuated with his own graceful poetry, amusing anecdotes and more than a sprinkling of humour. On the way he conveyed his passion for being a real farmer who loved his animals, as well as being a talented author, historian, poet and photographer. Still available at our events, or direct from the Chairman, and at Knightstone Tearooms, is our latest publication on Crapstone War Memorial and our most recent Journal. A full programme for 2015 is now under preparation and will be confirmed soon. Full details will be published on our website, where you can also read further summaries of past events. www.yelvertonhistory.org.uk
Burrator Beacon 19
DARTMOOR FUELS
D. Langton Coal & Smokeless Fuels – Calor Bottled Gas
Delivered to your home by a local
Please ring 01822 853710 or 07899950167
Email: [email protected]
Do you enjoy sewing, knitting, crochet, or all things crafty? Why not share your passion with others at a friendly
KNIT & NATTER, CRAFT & CHATTER....... at
The Walkhampton Inn Monday evenings 7.15 – 9.15
Tel: Viv 01822 854138 for more details, or just come along!
20 Burrator Beacon
The Royal Oak Inn The Perfect Dartmoor Hideaway
For Drinking & Dining Meavy, Yelverton, Devon
Phone: (01822) 852944
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.royaloakinn.org.uk
If character is what you want from your visit then you’ll find no better place! 15th century Dartmoor Inn with exposed beams and original slate flooring.
The greatest care is taken to present a mouth-watering choice of traditional dishes with a modern twist. Only the best quality and, where possible, locally produced ingredients are produced. For the best drinking on Dartmoor join us in the bar next to the open log fire. We are renowned for the well-kept quality of our real ales, but if tradition is what you are after, then you must try our scrumpy cider. There is also a comprehensive wine list available
What’s on at The Royal Oak this Christmas and New Year.
Christmas Eve ~ Food 12noon to 6pm, Bar open all day 11am till 11pm Raffle Draw 6pm & Carols by the fire 8pm
Christmas Day ~ Bar open for drinks only 12noon to 3pm.
Boxing Day ~ Border Morris - Food available all day, Bar open 11am till 11pm
Between Christmas & New Year ~ Food 12-2:30 & 6-9, Bar open all day 11 till 11
Saturday 27th ~ Hunt Breakfast from 9am - Hunt Meeting 11am.
New Years Eve ~ Food 12noon to 3pm & New Years six course Dinner from 7pm and bubbly at Midnight, Bar open all day 11am till late. Download the New Years Eve Menu from our web site.
DoxsRox will be playing from 9pm on New Year's Eve…….party party party!
New Years Day ~ Food available all day, Bar open all day 11am till 11pm.
We look forward to welcoming you over the festive period.
Stephen Earp The Royal Oak Inn. Meavy, Dartmoor. 01822 852944 / 07875 532521 [email protected] / royaloakinn.org.uk
Burrator Beacon 21
Watercolour Painting Sessions
Local artist, Janet Farrage Sessions suitable for all abilities – beginners to experienced artists
Tuesdays 10am to 12 noon - 12 sessions per term The Burrator Inn, Dousland, nr Yelverton
Thursdays 10am to 12 noon - 12 sessions per term Chaddlewood Farm Community Centre, Plympton
Easy access and car parking at both venues
£7 per session - discounts for pre-paid term bookings
For further information call Janet on Mobile: 07742 983311
RELIABLE LOCAL COMPANY
YOU CAN RELY ON TO DO
A GOOD JOB AT A FAIR PRICE
New Builds, Extensions & Loft Conversions
Renovations, Maintenance & Repair
Driveways & Patios
Barn Conversions
Small to Large Estates
15 Years Local Experience in Small, Medium and Major Contracts
Local Builders With A Reputation For Quality & Reliability
01822 610509 Unit 1
01822 618919 Wilminstone Ind. Estate
Mobile: 07771 803613 Tavistock
22 Burrator Beacon
Dates for your Calendar See page
December
12th & 13th On a Cold Winter’s Night Nativity Play – Princetown 12
20th A Christmas Carol (MAD) 8
January
12th Walhampton Cottage Garden Society AGM 9
23rd Virtual Burrator Project – Sheepstor 11
26th GROW Cheese & Cider Tasting 9
February
2nd Walkhampton Memorial Hall AGM 9
8th Tommaso Starace Concert - Sheepstor 11
23rd GROW Quiz & Curry 10
March
1st Jumble Sale Walkhampton Memorial Hall 9
4th Sean Lakeman & Kathryn Roberts Concert 8
23rd GROW Growing Onions & Dahlias 10
To have your event included in future issues please send details (date, time location, contact name and phone number) to the Editor as soon as you have decided on the date. This will ensure maximum publicity and avoid clashes with other events.
Parish Council Meetings Full Council Meetings are usually held at 7:30pm on the last Thursday of the month (but not always!). For the dates of the next few meetings, please visit the Parish website: www.burrator.gov.uk The Planning, Finance and Royal Oak Inn Committees meet on other dates throughout the year – please contact the Clerk: [email protected] for more details.
Burrator Beacon 23
How to advertise in the Burrator Beacon
The Beacon is published quarterly at the end of February, May, August and November and delivered to all homes in Burrator Parish which covers Walkhampton, Dousland, Meavy, Sheepstor, Hoo Meavy and Lovaton.
Business are able to advertise in the Beacon at the following rates:
Single Issue Four issues Sixes in mm (approx) when printed*
Size of advert to be submitted (mm)
1/6 page £12.00 £30.00 30 × 130 42 × 180
1/3 page £20.00 £60.00 60 × 130 85 × 180
half page £30.00 £90.00 90 × 130 130 × 180
full page £48.00 £144.00 180 × 130 260 × 180
* The Beacon is printed A5 size i.e. 210mm high by 148mm wide. However adverts should be submitted A4 size
All prices are subject to VAT. Invoices will be raised by the Parish Clerk upon receipt of your booking and will be payable upon receipt.Adverts should be submitted to the Editor (details on the back page) preferably electronically i.e. as an attached word document.
Darren Balkwill Bringing high quality improvement to your home or business
Painting & Decorating
Plumbing & Tiling
Bathroom Fitting
General Carpentry
Property Maintenance
Discount for over 60’s
01822 853035 07884 418997 [email protected]
Gratton View Burrator Road Yelverton PL20 6NE
24 Burrator Beacon
BURRATOR GROUPED PARISH COUNCIL List of Members and Telephone Numbers (Area Code 01822)
Meavy Village Walkhampton Village
Mrs Bridget Cole 853563 Mr Graham Palmer 852524
Mrs Pauline Fisk 854853 Miss Alice Inman 07772 213900
Mr Michael Parle 854366 1 x vacancy
Meavy Dousland Walkhampton Dousland
Mrs Jackie Moorhead 854800 Mrs Corinna Legassick 852613
Mrs Ross Lynn 855489 Mrs Tricia Powell 854859
Mr Anthony Trueman 859368
Mr Bob Wannell 859265
Mr Robin Aves 852904
1 vacancy
Sheepstor Clerk to Council
Mr Keith Scrivener
Mr Stephen Hopson
854518
852979
Mrs Lucie Luke The Apartment, The Old Bedford Foundry, Lakeside Tavistock, PL19 0AZ
614278
Email: [email protected]
Published and issued quarterly, free of charge by Burrator Parish Council. The next edition will be published end of February. Copy deadline Tuesday 3rd February. Copy to be sent to the Editor, Mrs Karen Batson, 10 Blackbrook Close, Walkhampton PL20 6JF Tel 855030 email: [email protected] as a Word attachment.
If you require this publication in large text please contact the editor: Karen Batson on 855030 Burrator Parish Council is a body which complies with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Contact the Clerk, Mrs. Lucie Luke for specific details about parish business. Advertising: Local events are publicised free of charge. Businesses and clubs and societies (which have membership fees) can advertise in the Beacon and should contact the Editor for advertising rates. A note to advertisers: Please check your adverts as they appear in each issue. Every effort is made to include the correct information at the time of going to press, but omissions can result where adverts are sometimes moved around in order to fit new articles in. Burrator Web Site: The Burrator Parish Website is http://burrator.gov.uk/ You can find details of meetings plus other information. The opinions expressed in the Burrator Beacon are not necessarily those held by Burrator Parish Council. Every effort is made to ensure that information in these pages is accurate. However, the Council cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. Including information does not imply recommendation and any subsequent contact is made at readers' own risk.