The Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta 2008 Preliminary Programme
The event of the year for all in the South Devon area. 27th, 28th, 29th, & 30th August 2008. Visiting Royal Navy Warship, with local rowing, historic craft and waterborne tug-of-war on the river, as well as yacht racing, traditional Passage Races from Brixham to Dartmouth. Nowadays the regatta includes much, much more for everyone, of all ages. There’s fantastic air displays, usually including the Red Arrows, a “shopping village” in the marquee on Coronation Park, and two of the best firework displays you would wish to experience.
South Devon Walking Festival September 26th - October 5th 2008
The Walking Festival organized by the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) takes place from September 26th - October 5th with over 40 walks taking in the fantastic landscape of the South Devon AONB. They will focus on the dramatic coast, estuaries, and countryside, over the ten day period, with a variety of themes from history and archaeology, to wildlife and local food. Details of the exciting programme, sponsors and special accommodation deals will be publicized at the launch event and can be found on this website.
This years Music Festival will be remembered as the best ever! Covering everything from classical music to rock, and everything in-between. As usual it was impossible to get round to see everything which makes it more important than ever to book in advance. The Music Festival marks the start of summer for Dartmouth, and what a start!
New Celebrity Chef opens in Dartmouth Award winning restaurateur, food writer, chef and founder of the renowned Fish Works chain Mitch Tonks announces plans to open his own restaurant in the heart of Dartmouth. The Seahorse, located on the waterfront overlooking the river Dart will specialise in seafood and simple grilled meat dishes as well as house specialities. The Seahorse is hoping to open before Easter and Opening Hours will be: Wednesday to Saturday lunch and dinner (12 – 3pm and 6.30 – 10pm) Sunday lunch (12 – 5pm)
enquiries@seahorserestaurant.co.uk
"Back in business" is the reassuring message from
John Burton-Race. Having won financial backing, the
New Angel Restaurant will re-open in time for the Easter weekend. Despite being closed the restaurant has retained its Michelin star. John Burton-Race is looking forward to re-opening the restaurant to enable you to enjoy the perfect surroundings with outstanding cuisine. We look forward to welcoming you back to the restaurant in the coming year. The New Angel philosophy is to produce simple stunning cuisine that utilises the very best local produce, in a relaxed and stylish setting that is welcoming to all.
Changes to our Local Pub After extensive renovations our local pub The Sportsman’s will offer a Carvery served every day, food served from 12am-9pm Monday –Saturday. Open from 11-11pm. Sunday 12-10.30pm. Family friendly atmosphere where children are more than welcome. A new play area has been recently installed and a new healthy options children’s menu has been introduced. Log fires welcome you in the winter while in the summer you can enjoy the views down to Start Bay from the large Garden. Parking is never a problem in the largest Pub car park in the area.
BLACKPOOL SANDS; Hillfield’s closest beach is voted the best family beach in Britain by Conde Nast Traveller Magazine
It praises this privately owned beach as 'well looked after and blessed with an idyllic, sheltered setting. Set in an unspoilt, sheltered bay amongst evergreens and pines Blackpool Sands - one of South Hams most beautiful natural treasures. In fact, with its superb golden beach, turquoise blue sea and magnificent pines, it has an almost Mediterranean feel.
Beach cleaned daily in the summer, sand pits for sand castles, safe freshwater paddling pool, swimming area, lifeguards, water sports and a fantastic beach shop.
Superb alfresco dining at the award winning and environmentally friendly Venus Café for evening suppers predominantly grilled and barbequed.
NEW TENNIS COURT FOR HILLFIELDS
Caroline & Michael are pleased also to report the new “All Weather Tennis Court” is now in use. The playing surface Courturf, provides a fast and exhilarating game with good, true ball bounce. It has a high level of player comfort, allowing good foot movement and preventing foot-lock.
Improving the Environment
At Hillfields we are committed to improving the environment. We also believe that being green is very positive and people holidaying on green sites will have a more fulfilling holiday by having a more positive attitude towards their stay. By staying at Hillfields you can see many of our initiatives and participate in helping in areas such as energy saving, recycling, using local shops, pubs and restaurants and visiting other Green Tourism Business's.
Recycling
The demolition of the existing chalets has seen an exciting recycling initiative at Hillfield’s with furniture and white goods being donated to refurnish http://www.devonfurnitureforum.co.uk to be refurbished and re-used for the less fortunate within the area. Window’s Doors and Sanitary ware will be re-used to construct the new Stoke Fleming Cricket Club Pavilion. All concrete slabs and blocks are being crushed on site and re-used for the hardcore sub base to the new roads and footpaths.
Reed Bed Filtration
We are investing heavily for the future with a new Sewage Treatment Plant (not the most exciting subject), but this will be a state of the art development with a “Green Reed Bed Filtration System” to polish the discharged water and achieve ammonia levels of below 0.3mg/l.
Ground Source Heat Pumps
The new units to be built this winter will include “Ground Source Heating System” comprising of vertical geothermal boreholes to provide a closed ground loop which will extract the latent heat from the ground to use in under floor heating and hot water. The heat pump removes solar energy stored in the earth around the buildings and compresses it in to a higher temperature and transfers it into your central heating system and hot water tank.
Bat’s at Hillfield
The Hillfield “Environmental Impact Assessment” established the presence of a colony of Pipistrelle Bat’s which are a protected species on the endangered list. To this end we have constructed four Bat Hotels to encourage the transfer of the Bat’s from the old Chalets into new accommodation; successfully we are pleased to report. These have been supplemented with extensive hibernation and roosting boxes around the site.
Green Tourism
The Hillfield mission is striving to minimise the harmful effects and maximise the beneficial influences which our activities have on the environment. Hillfield is a supporter of the South Hams Green Tourism Business scheme which provides green accreditation for tourism businesses. Businesses are encouraged to help reduce the environmental impact of tourism for the enjoyment of future generations. The Scheme is a commitment to good environmental practice in business activities. We will ensure that we comply with environmental law and our legal Duty of Care requirements for waste disposal.
Hillfield supports the South Hams aims to become “the UK’s acknowledged “Green” Tourism destination”. Uncrowded, unspoiled and with the mildest year-round climate on mainland Britain, it’s no wonder that discerning visitors prefer to choose the South Hams – glorious Devon’s most southerly region. From the dramatic granite slopes of Dartmoor, through a colourful patchwork of breathtaking countryside, to some of the most spectacular coastline and beaches you’ll find anywhere, the South Hams is an utterly unique holiday destination.
It is surrounded by sea and consists of rolling hills with flooded river valleys. 38% of the area has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty recognised as one of the UK’s most beautiful areas. The special value of the area relates to small villages and winding country lanes with deep ancient hedgerows and many wildflowers. Open cliffs and sandy beaches with many inlets and coves. Old towns including Dartmouth an historical seafaring centre. The area borders Dartmoor a national park with moor land and wild open spaces as well as Torbay also known as the English Riviera. The mild climate is reflected in the plant and animal species found in the area.
Ancient packhorse and smugglers' tracks have left an extraordinary legacy of hidden byways throughout the South Hams. But the passage of time has extracted a heavy toll. Many of these unique routes have become eroded, storm damaged, overgrown and, in some cases, impassable or in danger of disappearing completely.
But in the South Hams, with the help of tourism businesses, the community and visitors, the On the Right Tracks programme is repairing, restoring and opening up green lanes
Check out “Planning Your Stay”
Our Web Site is currently undergoing upgrades to improve the layout but some of the old favourites are still there such as your
‘Planning Your Holiday’ guide to research your visit to the wonderful South Hams area.
“Hillfield, the perfect destination for that romantic, peaceful, short break”
Blue Flags Flying over South Hams Top Five for Blackpool Sands
The latest edition of the Rough Guide to England lists its top 10 beaches in England The top five are all in Devon & Cornwall and include our very own Blackpool Sands
• The other top four beaches were named as
• Par Beach at St Martin's in the Isles of Scilly
• Porthcurno in West Cornwall,
• Polzeath in North Cornwall,
• Woolacombe in North Devon
Marine Centre Refreshes Underwater Vision
The Marine Centre at Wembury beach reopened at Easter after a major refurbishment and updating of its information displays and educational resources. The Centre provides hands-on marine wildlife studies for local school children, and a programme of events, activities and rock pool rambles for the general public of all ages. It also provides an insight into the wildlife of this internationally-designated marine
Special Area of Conservation.
Catherine Ridout - Marine Education Warden: Wembury Marine Centre 01752 862538
Café Alf Resco has recently featured among the top 50 in the Independents Information Magazine on Saturday. The reviewers described Café Alf Resco as a buzzing café with its open plan kitchen and outdoor seating which is especially popular with Dartmouth locals and visiting rowing fraternity who quite rightly see it as the town’s best breakfast spot. They went on to praise the bread and pastries offered the superb roasted coffee and the colouring books for Kids and weekend music.
Open 7am for breakfast and great coffee, fresh locally baked bread and pastries, orange juice squeezed on the premises. Rustic suppers during the summer, private dinners all year by arrangement, relaxed atmosphere. Fully licensed, children welcome live music at the weekends.
Virgin Balloon Flights Ashburton 0870 607 0241
Devon is, of course, the land of cream-teas and dare we say, the widest choice of Virgin Hot Air Balloon launch sites in any county, blessed with no less than eight carefully selected locations from which to explore the beauty of this glorious part of the country. Ashburton, bordering the Dartmoor National Park lies slightly northeast of Buckfastleigh and is home to another of our Devon launch sites. Nowhere are you likely to encounter such diversity and beauty as in this quiet corner of Devon and nowhere will you find a warmer welcome.
The South Devon Railway 'Drive an Engine' Buckfastleigh
It's every young boy's dream to be at the controls of a real live steam engine; to feel the power of steam as it surges through the locomotive bringing it to life; to feel the heat of the fire box on your face and that special smell of oil and steam so evocative of a steam engine. The SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY can make it possible for you to fulfil this dream, or for a relative, friend or colleague.
EXPLORING GREEN LANES IN THE SOUTH HAMS
The South Hams in south Devon is an area of outstanding beauty, with a wealth of ancient green lanes. These tracks—some of which were ancient packhorse ways, drover’s or smugglers’ routes are a hidden network of byways and a living link with past centuries. A new local project, “On the Right Tracks”, aims to open up and preserve these historic lanes for the enjoyment of visitors and locals, and to help to make the South Hams the UK’s leading green tourism destination. Many local businesses are contributing to the scheme by donating a proportion of their income from visitors. This new book contains twenty-four circular routes which are suitable for walkers, horse-riders and/or mountain bikers, and which incorporate green lanes in the South Hams. Each chapter includes a map showing the walk, together with the history of the lane and the local area, wildlife, etc.
Love the Flavour
Whether you are a visitor to the South Hams or live here, this website offers a gateway for the very best of the region's products and hospitality. Our varied member companies supply a diverse range of products and services from pure water to high-class restaurant cuisine. The association is a limited company with a reputation for quality. From coast to countryside our hospitality members use our superb primary products of meat, fish, shellfish, as well as our locally produced cream, ice-cream, cheese, smoked foods, pastries, fine wines, liqueurs, ciders and fruit juices. These give the South Hams its distinct culinary identity, which is waiting for you to discover."
The Pigs Nose Inn CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2005 Winner
The pub is over 500 years old and is currently owned by Peter and Leslie Webber. It's a three-roomed smugglers inn set on the village green. Children and dogs are welcome, but adults are asked to behave themselves. The beer is stored in a specially made rack behind the bar. It is a haven for birdwatchers and coastal walkers alike. Home-made meals are produced using local ingredients; evening meals Tuesday-Saturday (no food Mon). Occasional live music is performed at weekends in a hall adjoining the pub and helps to make this a very popular venue.
South Hams Radio
The voice of local radio in the South Hams area. Find out what’s going on at all local events, charity, fundraising or non profit making events coming up soon in your area.
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Britannia Naval College
Everything is now ‘shipshape’ again as the replacement Main Mast at Britannia Naval College was reinstated and dedicated at routine ‘Colours’ on Monday morning 21 November. Prior to the Ensign being hoisted, tactical signal flags were raised reading ‘Repairs complete, No restrictions on visual signalling’. Then one of the College Chaplains, Father Mark Cassidy said a prayer of blessing. The new mast was fabricated by a specialist mast company in Liverpool. Made from galvanised and painted steel, it is an exact replica of the wooden mast which was removed earlier in the year due to old age. With the previous mast lasting until the College’s Centenary Year it is hoped the new one will be just as long lived.
Devon Life
Devon Life is the county magazine offering hundreds of pages of articles and superb photography every month. Everyone who loves Devon will find something to interest them on a whole host of local subjects, with features on the finest Devon property, antiques, history and heritage, countryside and wildlife, town and village features, country shows, regattas, sports and leisure, interiors, fashion and motoring. Devon gardens and gardening are beautifully featured in each issue.
Every month we profile some of the key people of Devon and focus on local business; our Social Diary pages cover some of the county’s most prestigious events and we interview local and visiting celebrities. We visit some of the finest places to eat in Devon and feature its wonderful local produce. Our ‘For Art’s Sake’ section is a delight for the art lover and includes art, literature, sculpture, crafts, textiles, theatre, books, films and much more.
South Devon CAMRA News
News and Brews is South Devon CAMRA's newsletter which is published about 4 times annually. It is available free of charge from most current Good Beer Guide and other popular real ale pubs in the branch area though copies do tend to get snapped up quickly. It is packed full of articles, pub reviews and brewery news along with a number of advertisements for pubs serving real ale in our area. It is our intention to start publishing an online version of News and Brews on this website. Until then, here's some pub news:
