Who would have thought it, I managed to win a little money at the Holnicote point to point last week – things are looking up!  In more ways than one, because the weather has taken a glorious turn and the memories of our very wet Easter are now distant as we are baking in the sun and wondering how long the grass will remain green if this beautifully sunny weather continues.

It is of course PERFECT camping weather and we have been completely inundated with campers eager to evict the metaphorical moths from their kit.  The campsite has been a joyfully busy sight and dear Phil has been run off his feet trying to keep up.  It really has been quite a change of gear since Easter.
 
The merriment is set to continue this weekend as we host the annual Porlock Duck Race, a fantastic village event that has a long history.  The event on Sunday 20 May has continued to improve in recent years and as well as featuring a long list of races, it now includes barbeque and bar, tea, cakes and ice creams, donkey rides, bouncy castle, face painting and a best hat competition.  The action starts at 2pm but you are advised to arrive early if you wish to ‘own’ and name a duck as they get bought up very quickly!  Car parking and entry are free and all monies raised go towards putting on Porlock Carnival, which is itself a great family event which runs on 1 September 2018.  Come along and enjoy the spectacle with us.
 
If you are looking for camping, please do come along and find us, we operate on a very laid-back basis and generally speaking no advance booking is necessary.  Please bear in mind though that our sunny weekends, particularly the bank holidays and that of nearby Weirfest (28 June – 2 July) are very busy and that the electric hook ups for these weekends are almost all spoken for at the time of writing.  If in doubt give Phil a ring on 07721 045123 (but please go easy on him if he’s very busy, he hasn’t had time to pause for breath recently!).

The 2018 season is well underway and the grass is growing green and lush (and very fast).  It was no doubt helped by the exceedingly wet Easter we experienced and while the grass might have enjoyed it, it was very frustrating for us and our campers, most of whom were sadly rained off.  Luckily many have been able to re-plan their breaks and we are now anticipating a busy bank holiday weekend, with all our electric hook ups being booked up some way in advance (sorry folks).
 
It is heartening to see the local events calendar bursting to life again and visitors to Porlock this weekend can take advantage of guided walks that visit Porlock Marsh and Bossington.  The hedgerows are coming to life with abundant greenery and a rainbow of pretty wild flowers and it won’t be long until we’re picnicking at the beach again, hooray! 
 
On the weekend of 12 and 13 May, visitors can enjoy the annual Porlock Open Gardens event, where keepers of gardens large and small throw open their gates and welcome visitors for a nosey, many also offer refreshments, plant sales, raffles and other attractions.  Anyone interested in the majestic Exmoor ponies can visit Allerford Community Hall on Saturday 12 May (12-4pm) to meet some equines from the Exmoor Pony Centre while scoffing a cream tea and enjoying pony-themed activities (entry free, no need to book). 
 
On both Sunday 6 May and Saturday 12 May there is also a point-to-point (amateur horse racing) at Holnicote, which is only a couple of miles from Sparkhayes, towards Minehead on the A39. 
 
So there’s plenty to do, in addition to exploring the beautiful local landscape and sampling our local artisan’s wares.  We’d love to welcome you to Sparkhayes, for a relaxed and friendly break and/or refreshing rejuvenation, come and visit us soon!

OK, technically we still have some winter left to go, but there are signs of spring all around us in Porlock and we're really glad the days are lengthening and there is so much to look forward to.  The camp site is looking brilliant and all ready to welcome campers again in 2018.  The number of enquiries we receive is growing rapidly as people look ahead to the school holidays and start planning their escapes to pretty Porlock Vale!  

We have decided, after a great deal of deliberation, to raise our prices a fraction.  They have not been changed since 2015, so maybe a small increase is due but you'll be pleased to know that we still offer excellent value camping at a very reasonable rate.  Adults are now charged at £9 per night, children's prices remain unchanged (students aged 13 - 17 years are £5 per night, children aged 4 - 12 years are £3 per night, children aged 3 and under are free).  Electric hook ups have risen from £4 to £5 per night and pets are now £1 per night.  We still offer our weekly deal, whereby if you stay for seven nights you only pay for six of them.  It's been a difficult decision to make these price increases but the Sparkhayes railway needs to be paid for somehow (watch this space, perhaps for some while..!).

Looking forward to welcoming our regular customers again this year and meeting many more of you during a wonderful 2018.

Wishing all our customers past, present and future a really wonderful New Year. 

​Thank you for all your support and custom during 2017 and here's to making 2018 a brilliantly memorable year. 

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

The little team at Sparkhayes :) 

Well, we survived Christmas and there was even snow (for a little while)....!

Well, the nights are drawing in and at last the grass is growing more slowly..!  Halloween has passed with it’s usual merriment in the village – some delighted children were seen sporting enormous hauls of sweets thanks to the good-natured and friendly spirit of the village, where the ethos is entirely about treats, interesting pumpkin carving and dressing up rather than tricking anyone.  Bonfire night has been and gone, relatively peacefully, and the village has taken on a more wintery appearance, with smoke curling from the chimneys and bonfires dotted around the village, mingling with the smell of freshly roasted coffee from Miles Coffee shop.  We’re waving a slow goodbye to the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, as we’ve eaten and drunk our fill of the village’s apples (and what a LOT of them there were, the wassailing seems to have been as successful as ever!). 
 
We have some hardy campers still booking to visit us over the festive period, coming to join family and friends or just get away from the rush elsewhere.  I wonder whether it will snow over the moors this year.  We have had campers here in the snow in the past…!
 
Thoughts are slyly turning to Christmas… some of us are decidedly more humbug than others (!) but many are eagerly anticipating seeing the village lit up with little Christmas trees and cosy lights in the shops and cottage windows.  Next weekend (25 and 26 November) the season kicks off with Porlock’s Christmas Fair, in which the village hall is filled with locally made crafts and gift ideas.  If you haven’t found all your gifts by then, you can head to the Allerford Christmas Craft Fair on 2 and 3 December.  On Friday 8 December we can cosy up in the village hall for a Victorian Christmas evening, with traditional carols, hand bells, stories and humour, a heart-warming evening that starts at 7pm (tickets are £7 per person).  Then It won’t be long until Porlock’s late night shopping and santa festival, which is a wonderful evening full of entertainment, festive refreshment, social opportunities and maybe even a little shopping (Saturday 9 December, 6-9pm).  To round off the local offering, there’s a Christmas lunch in the village hall on Tuesday 8 December from 12.30pm. 
 
If all that isn’t enough, there’s the famous Dunster by Candlelight nearby on 1 and 2 December (shuttle buses leave at regular intervals from the Doverhay car park in Porlock).  If you’d like a little trip across the moor, you could also head to Dulverton by Starlight on Sunday 3 December.  I think that after all this I might need a restorative lie down – saving just enough energy to write my letter to Father Christmas first; I’ve been very good this year.  

*Thanks to Lucy Stevens-Mounfield for the photo of Porlock, taken November 2017.

Oh good grief – I knew I hadn’t done an update for a long time but I didn’t realise quite how long, huge apologies avid readers of the Sparkhayes blog…!  I think the summer holidays took their toll, having the children about the house and trying to keep up with them was a formidable task and it’s taken me until now to find all my marbles again..! 
 
It was a very pleasant summer in Porlock and we all enjoyed the annual Carnival, the walking festival, the events organised by our wonderful visitor’s centre and the host of additional activities organised by the National Trust and Exmoor National Park.  Even a visit from the Flying Scotsman.  We waved a sad goodbye to our wonderful road sweeper, Eric, who has always had a cheery word for us while doing an outstanding job at keeping the village tidy, but we’re assured he won’t be abandoning Porlock. 
 
In the immediate future, we’re looking forward to the Exmoor Dark Skies Festival, which runs from 19-29 October.  There are various events happening here in Porlock and many more across the moor, in celebration of our Dark Skies Reserve status, it really is a stunning place to see the stars (and everything else in the night sky!).  Find out more here http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/enjoying/stargazing/dark-skies-festival. 
 
As we move comfortably into Autumn, there is also the Apple Day events to look forward to, firstly the display of the apple press and rural crafts, which is held at Porlock Visitor’s Centre on Saturday 21st October and then Porlock Apple Day, which is organised by the custodians of the community orchard on Saturday 28 October.  At both events there will be pressing, merriment and delicious appley-refreshments.
 
I dare not mention Christmas at this stage (my brain is still somewhere in mid-June) but if you’re tempted to have an autumn break, do come and explore our glorious corner of Exmoor, where the woods are looking their very best in all their vibrant hues.  The camp site is open and the local hostelries ready to welcome the weary walker, so come and have a rest from the daily grind and refresh yourself before winter sets in.  We have some really glorious sunsets to enjoy.
 
Until next year… (only joking..!).

​This weekend the camp site is busy with people attending Weirfest – a brilliant small music and real ale festival held at our little harbour of Porlock Weir.  There’s always a great line up of live music and it’s a very pleasant place to sit and while away an hour, or two, or three with refreshments and good company.  Phil has had a rare break from his mower and been down there himself, he was impressed with the Silverbacks (I don’t like to admit I haven’t heard of them).
 
If you happen to be on Facebook, you can now look up Sparkhayes Campsite and check out the photos that Phil has posted there, among other things.  I truly never thought I’d see him on Facebook but I’ve been proved wrong!  The official Sparkhayes Facebook page is still in its infancy and doesn’t have a lot of content, but please add your own photos, etc if you like. We’ve had lots of campers ‘checking in’ on Facebook, which is pleasing, though they must be using their own 3G / 4G because we have always stuck by our ‘no wifi’ rule at Sparkhayes and tried to encourage our guests to unplug and unwind.  It’s such a peaceful, relaxing place to be and free wifi is available in the local pubs and cafes.  Some say our site is too basic, others love it because it is basic and in an era of having every need met before you even know it’s a need, it seems refreshing to stick to traditional camping at its best.
 
Talking of traditional, we’ve had a rare phenomenon happening this week – traction engines steaming up Porlock Hill!  If I can find a photo for you I will add it here asap.  But I have no idea where they were heading or if there was any purpose to the excursion other than the fun of finding out if they could get up the longest, steepest A-road in the country.  And did they get back down?  Were there brakes sufficient?!  If anyone has any further information I’d be glad to know (sparkhayes@hotmail.com), otherwise I’ll keep my ear to the ground.
 
The ground is unseasonably damp and it’s very frustrating but we thank all the campers (and determined Weirfest attendees) for putting up with it and we’re all keeping our fingers crossed that the sun will soon put his hat on and come back out to play! 

​Oh dear, I omitted to mention here the biggest event in the Sparkhayes calendar… the Duck Race..!  Apologies to anyone who missed out on this annual treat because I forgot to publish a reminder, consider me reprimanded.  We had a great day, the field was buzzing with excitement as the crowds enjoyed the races and we were really lucky to get them all completed before a little shower of rain arrived.  Thanks to everyone who came and supported this charitable event and we’ll look forward to seeing you all at the Carnival in September – I’m telling you now it’s on Saturday 2 September, you need to be in the village, parked and ready before 6pm.
 
It’s absolutely no excuse but I have been a little distracted lately, by my wonderful children and some little adventures we’ve been on.  We’ve sampled some of the delights of Dorset and camped for a night on the Isle of Purbeck, taking in the Maritime Festival at Poole Harbour, then we jetted to Scotland and enjoyed a hunt for Nessie while scoffing haggis flavoured crisps washed down with Iron Bru (I know how to have a good time hehe!). 
 
Our next wanderings might be a little more continental but for now, we are here to help and serve visitors to the most special corner of the UK, the beautiful and blissfully peaceful Porlock Vale.  An increasing number of folk seem to be relishing the escape from their newsfeeds, emails, televisions, election highlights, terror threats, etc, etc. If you need a break, come and find us here at Sparkhayes, where we’ve always encouraged visitors to ‘unplug’, and in turn unwind, at our basic but friendly camp site where some of us aren’t even 100% sure what wifi means… 

If you're bringing children to Porlock, you might wonder what there is to do with them.  As a mother, I have tried and tested most of the local activities and attractions and, off the top of my head, I've come up with the following suggestions.  These are just my ideas, I'd gladly welcome additions from anyone with more ideas - if you'd like to recommend great things to do in the Porlock area do let us know at sparkhayes@hotmail.com and we'll add them to this page! 

• You could go for a ride on the West Somerset Railway, Britain's longest heritage line, either all the way from Minehead to the end at Bishops Lydeard (an hour each way) or, because there's not a lot to do at Bishops Lydeard, you could stop part way at Watchet and have a wander around the marina, lunch and a nosy in the shops before heading back or you could stop at Blue Anchor, there's a good cafe called the Driftwood Cafe close to the station if you fancy it, and then walk back from Blue Anchor to Minehead along the beach.
  
• You could spend the day at Dunster Castle, there's some great walks through the gardens, a woodland play area, picnic area, interesting mill, lovely tea room and various family-friendly events going on through the summer (check their website for specifics!).
  
• You could take a very scenic drive up the infamous Porlock Hill and across the moors to Lynmouth, only half an hour or so but a noted drive for the scenery, finishing in a pretty coastal village (stony beach I'm afraid) but there's the cliff railway to enjoy, visit the Exmoor National Park visitor's centre at the bottom of the cliff railway to play their free games (including the computer-generated bug hunt), they do good food in their pavilion cafe and there's toys, books, accessible toilets, etc. Have a wander round Lynton and Lynmouth and enjoy an ice cream or fish and chips on the seafront!
  
• If you'd like another drive over the moor, head for Dulverton where there is lots of lovely shops and tea rooms and once you've parked you can walk over the bridge to find a pretty good children's play area.  Good sandy beaches can be found in Minehead and Dunster (if you go to the latter, include a wander around the little beach chalets, there's a shop for ice creams in the middle of them and behind them a lake with ducks to feed if you have any left over bread..!).
  
• Closer to home, you could walk to Porlock beach from the camp site with a picnic and make a camp fire on the beach with the driftwood you find there. You could take a walk through the woods to Porlock Weir for a spot of crabbing and a pub lunch, or if you're feeling fitter go from Porlock Weir to Culbone, the smallest parish church in England, which has quite a history and the walk there is lovely (easier coming back again!). There's the Hawk and Owl centre at Bossington and if the children enjoy riding you could hire horses at Burrowhayes in Horner and go for a wander through the woods with them (£11 for half an hour, prices correct last summer!).
• If they need to blow off steam and are bored with the campsite and making dams in the stream here you can take a five minute wander through Porlock up Parsons Street (next to the church) to find the Recreation Ground, there's a good play area (the disabled toilet is usually left unlocked) and tennis courts for you to use.  
  
• Depending on the age of the children, there's also fun to be had with Exmoor Adventures, who do kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding in Porlock Bay and the marshes, as well as local mountain biking.  

If you're dining out in Porlock, I can recommend The Mandala Pizza and Salad Emporium (!) because they're very child-friendly, not that other places aren't they just seem to excel at it.  

I hope that's enough to keep you going for now, happy exploring everyone..!