The 2009 North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival embraces a full programme of 73 guided and speciality graded walks ensuring all levels of ability can discover the region’s beautiful and diverse scenery on foot.
Larger than ever before, some two-thirds of the outings are new with several half-day special interest walks being introduced for the first time, while some of the local landowners are guiding on their own patch giving walkers a personal insight into the area. There will also be new, three- and four-day breaks starting over the May Bank Holiday weekend with daily walking itineraries along the South West Coast Path or Two Moors Way and Samaritans Way.
The festival opens on 30th April 2009 with two free welcome walks centered on Croyde; both are graded easy to moderate and are 4.7 and 7 miles in length respectively. Amongst the new specialist outings are a 5.5 mile circular walk on 3rd May around the International Biosphere Reserve at Braunton Burrows discovering evidence remaining from WWII including pillboxes, a bazooka/tank firming range, Matilda tank and much more giving a fascinating insight into how this area was used as a practice ground for the D-Day landings. And, on 6th May a 7.5 mile walk explores the old Victorian Mineral Line, which carried iron ore down a 1:4 incline to Watchet harbour on Exmoor’s coast.
One Comment
Sounds like a nice idea, but the only thing is, I can’t help wonder if anyone’s thought about the weather. Doesn’t it get awfully foggy very quickly on Exmoor, and don’t people get lost an awful lot? Maybe they’ll prove us all wrong mind you and it isn’t a bad part of the world….if a little cold.