Spring into action...

Greetings friends and, almost, happy Easter!  We are nearly up to our necks in Easter egg hunts and numerous egg-related activities..!  The weather has certainly perked up and we’re surrounded by gloriously green fields filled to the brim, it seems, with exceedingly cute Spring lambs.  West Somerset really is a daffodil-laden sight to behold at this time of the year.  Here at Sparkhayes we have been undertaking some improvements and beginning to welcome the early season campers.  

Everyone’s thoughts seem to be turning to towards getting outdoors more.  We’re all emerging from winter hibernation and yearning for opportunities to stretch our legs (I personally have been dreaming of picnics and visits to the beach without having to wear so many layers!).  Someone else who must have been feeling the same was Chris Moss, Destination Expert no less for The Telegraph.  He recently visited West Quantoxhead and explored a newly-opened section of the South West Coast Path, exploring along the way the jurassic beach at Kilve before spending the night in Watchet.  You can read his article here.  I’ve been a ‘local’ for more than 16 years (so not actually classed as a local by the true locals..!) but I didn’t realise the local coastline was so interesting for fossils, I have always headed to Dorset for that sort of thing.  I am definitely planning a day out for some beach-wandering closer to home! 

If you enjoy walking, you ought to be inspired by the magical scenery of Exmoor.  Visitors to the area and local people alike are drawn to the Exmoor Walking Festival, now in it’s 20th year.  The Festival offers a multitude of guided walks in some really diverse places, there is something for every interest and ability in the brochure.  The festival takes place from Saturday 30 April to Saturday 7 May and physical copies of the brochure can be picked up at Tourist Information Centres and various ‘outdoor’ shops or check out the website here.  Don’t forget, after a fulfilling day’s walk, there’s nothing nicer than a hot shower here at Sparkhayes (and maybe a pint) before a peaceful night’s sleep and the prospect of waking to a glorious Exmoor view.

Anyone who knows Phil will know of his close association with the West Somerset Railway.  Rightly loved as a England’s longest heritage railway line, it represents a fun day out for everyone.  However another local railway has recently been featured on BBC Spotlight news, the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway.  This narrow-gauge railway has now piqued my interest and I’m rather ashamed that I haven’t visited it before.  The line used to travel the 19 scenic miles between the coastal resort of Lynton and the bustling market town of Barnstaple.  It was closed in 1935, but in recent years, two miles of the track have been reopened and the old carriages have been restored.  There are ambitious (but achievable) plans to reinstate the whole of the line and therefore I’m personally keen to visit, enjoy all there is to see and do and in some way contribute to the project.  It’s on my list of Easter holiday activities… and provides a much easier way to enjoy the landscape than having to walk through it..!).  

Whatever you’re doing this Easter, have a good time and don’t forget to schedule your visit to Sparkhayes soon!