Playground or Training Ground: How Do You Use Dartmoor?

Dartmoor National Park has long been known as a haven for nature lovers, from walkers to climbers and horse riders. But did you ever think of it as an Olympic training ground?

Olympic pistol shooter Georgina (Gorgs) Geikie, who won a place on Team GB at London 2012 as the first ever British women’s pistol shooter, stars in a new promotional video extolling the virtues of this vast and varied terrain as a natural training ground. She says in the film: “It’s the greatest playground for so many activities and days of adventure.”

We have sponsored Gorgs – a local talent who has grown up with Dartmoor National Park – for several years and we think nothing shows the attraction of this much-loved space better than the variety of ways to enjoy it. Her fitness can, in part, be attributed to the park she has always run, jumped, climbed and walked in. As Gorgs puts it, staring out at the sunset from atop a granite tor at the end of the short promotional video: “Beats running on a treadmill”.

A little of an understatement perhaps, after seeing Gorgs running, climbing, horse riding and geocaching her way through the landscape. Geocaching is the least known of these activities. Based on an old past time of leaving notes in boxes as you reached certain locations, for the next walker to find, the new version involves downloading coordinates and taking your technology with you to map your progress. Gorgs likens it to a treasure hunt.

The Royal Marines train here, it’s the site of many a school trip and adventure holiday and it is home to some of the most important Bronze Age landscape in Western Europe. Dartmoor has also been chosen numerous times to be part of the Tour of Britain, offering challenging rides for experienced riders alongside traffic-free space for more casual cycling. It is perfect for picnicking and kite flying, for those more enticed by the chance to simply enjoy the surroundings.

We recently announced we have signed a new four-year sponsorship deal with Gorgs as she begins the long road to Rio 2016. As the sport can offer no funding to the competitors, Gorgs must self-fund, and she is therefore campaigning rigorously to find sponsorship for the next four years. We have taken on the role of principle platinum sponsor.

Read more about our involvement with Gorgs on our website.

If you head out on Dartmoor, keep an eye out for Gorgs in training mode. You can also follow Gorgs' progress on her website and on Twitter.

To plan you stay in Dartmoor or elsewhere in the West Country, go to http://www.helpfulholidays.com.

Helpful Holidays supports Farms for City Children…

We’re lucky enough to live and work in glorious Devon and many of our customers enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life to spend time in the beautiful West Country. We sincerely believe just being in the countryside is good for you. With that in mind, Helpful Holidays has again chosen to support Farms for City Children as its charity of the year. 

Farms for City Children was founded by children’s author Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare at Nethercott Farm in Devon in 1976. 

The charity’s aim is to enrich the lives of children from urban areas, who may not know where their food comes from and have limited opportunities to get up close to animals, by giving them the chance to spend a week living and working on a real farm in the heart of the countryside. 

It’s an intense, ‘learning through doing’ experience of a different life and 75,000 children have taken part since it started.

The charity now has three working farms, including Nethercott, a huge Victorian manor house with beautiful grounds and amazing views towards Dartmoor. Whilst very full during term time, its house (sleeps 48) is available to our holidaymakers in the school holidays.

The three farms offer a warm, friendly environment, plentiful home cooking and comfortable accommodation, including classroom, library, quiet room and games room. 

The jobs on the farm are rotated so that everyone gets at least two goes at  activities such as feeding livestock, mucking out, grooming horses and donkeys, assisting at milking time and tending the kitchen gardens – as well as more seasonal tasks like apple-pressing and lambing! The children learn about the food chain, caring for animals and the land and the importance of teamwork; the overall experience has a heart-warming impact on their self-esteem and outlook on life.

You may have heard a lot about Michael Morpurgo recently - his book ‘War Horse’ has been the inspiration for both a successful West End play and a soon-to-be-released film directed by Steven Spielberg (filmed in part on Dartmoor). 

Morpurgo describes his own inspiration for the story when a young boy with a stammer visited Nethercott in 1978, and befriended a horse on the farm:

“He was talking to the horse, one to one, about what he had done on the farm that day. No stutter – words flowing out of him. I summoned his teachers and we hid in the vegetable garden to watch them. I was very, very moved. 

"The boy wasn't being judged or mocked. He trusted this creature. The horse wasn't understanding, but was listening. She knew she must not move away. She must stand there – because that is what friends do."

We hope you'll help us spread the word about this wonderful charity and the excellent work it does. We'll keep you updated on news from the farms and our fundraising efforts during 2012. 

If you’d like to make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/helpfulholidays at any time or you can also make a contribution when you book a holiday through Helpful Holidays.
 

What do you like to discover on holiday?

Whether you’re holidaying on the moor, by the sea or in river country, there’s so much history and nature to discover on your doorstep in Devon.

If you stay at The Hayloft in Lower Cator, a hamlet in a hill-farmed valley in the heart of southern Dartmoor, you’ll find miles of lovely moorland and riverside walks amidst spectacular scenery. One of the holidaymakers who stayed here described the “riot of colour and wildlife” and there’s a wealth of archaeological sites to visit too.

It can be great fun to plot your walking route to call in at country pubs – try The Rugglestone Inn in Widecombe-in-the-Moor, a popular, ‘real Dartmoor’ village world-famous for its fair. The Hayloft is an excellent, upside down cottage (one of two converted from a big barn) in a truly beautiful location; a peaceful retreat after busy days out.

In the heart of Axminster, you’ll find lovely Coombe House, big, semi-detached and Grade II listed, originally built for the local abbot in the 16th century. There’s history all around you here. Axminster is a bustling little town with 300BC Celtic origins and nearby is the imposing Jurassic Coast – miles of stunning coastline and ancient geology recording 185 million years of the Earth's evolution.

After hunting for fossils and exploring rockpools, relax in the property’s big enclosed, walled garden shaded by a lovely mature beech tree – and you’re welcome to roam the friendly owner’s garden and help yourself to seasonal fruit and veg.

In the heart of the historic fishing village of Appledore, quirky Peelers Cottage has 1732 origins and once served the village as a police station and gaol. The picturesque village is well placed at the mouth of the Taw and Torridge estuary.

Make a hearty packed lunch and head off on your bikes to explore the famous Tarka Trail (you can hire cycles in Bideford, just 2 miles away) – you’ll find an abundance of wildlife. A good route is Bideford to Torrington which takes you up the Torridge Estuary on the old railway bed. Or how about a boat trip from Bideford to breathtaking Lundy Island to see its rich and diverse flora and fauna?

For more holiday ideas, browse through the rest of our holiday cottages in Devon.

Holiday cottages in Chagford - our home town!

We’re lucky and proud to work in the bustling, friendly town of Chagford. Helpful Holidays has been based here since 1999, and we’ve lots of lovely holiday homes in and around the town for you to enjoy.

Chagford has a vibrant local community, an easy-going way of life and a picturesque setting on the edge of Dartmoor. Around the pretty square and 'pepper pot' market house, the town has more than 25 shops, four pubs, three restaurants and three churches - one of which dates back to the 15th century.

The town also has a fantastically fresh open air swimming pool (open daily from May to September), the largest in Devon. Nearby is the river Teign (good for fishing), which hurries through woods and meadows below Castle Drogo (a grand National Trust property). The whole area offers excellent walking and superb views. If you're around in July, Chagstock is a rather special ‘chill-out’ music festival and if you're around in August, the Chagford Show is a local phenomenon - a great day out for the whole family, showcasing the very best of Chagford and the surrounding area.

On the moorland side of Chagford, almost 1½ miles from the square and high on a hill with the most terrific views towards Meldon Hill and the surrounding moor, is Down Cottage. This recently and carefully refurbished granite cottage is part of a magnificent estate built in 1911 for the Jameson whisky family. The cottage has been renovated with sensitivity and style, with muted tones and beautiful furniture. A highlight is the spacious kitchen, with those fabulous views – perfect for lazy breakfasts. This is a really exceptional moorland cottage, in the most elegant setting. Sleeps 6.

Just 2 miles from Chagford in a very peaceful setting with lovely views is Yelfords Cottage, a superbly renovated, detached cottage with its own enclosed garden, within the 15 acre grounds of the owner’s country house and hidden by a high screen of rhododendrons. From inside the cottage there are plenty of lovely views of Meldon Hill. With open moorland within walking distance, this is a walker's dream - there are many lovely walks straight from the cottage. Sleeps 4. 

Why not take the time to browse our holiday cottages in Chagford - we guarantee you'll be tempted!

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Holiday cottages special offer

Hi, welcome to our blog. Get off to a good start by looking at some holiday cottages on our website. Special offers are updated daily. Top of the list at the moment is a pretty thatched cottage in Manaton. Sleeps 6 - £261 for the week. That's got to be great value. More tomorrow!!