Dartmoor – a good place for ‘appy’ holidays!

Are you one of those people who are always checking their smartphone? Browsing the web, updating Facebook, emailing or using one of the many available apps?

We were interested to hear about a new iPhone app from the Dartmoor Partnership, which aims to make Dartmoor more accessible by providing a wealth of tourist information to the visitor whilst in-location.

A first for a national park, first for a rural area and first for the South West, the app enables visitors to see where they are in relation to accommodation, attractions, eateries and events around them. So, if you’re at the end of a walk, you can find out where the nearest pub is and how to get there, right from the middle of the moor or the top of a tor!

The interactive guide is clearly presented in easy-to-use scrolling pages of imagery and content. We’re especially pleased that the app includes 40 of our Dartmoor holiday cottages.

For those of you using an iPhone to take your holiday photos, there are some interesting apps to make your photos look a bit different. We’ve researched a few for you:

Polperro taken using Hipstamatic. Original photo
from http://www.itchyfeetblog.com

First up is Hipstamatic (pictured) - if you want to make your photos look just like your parents' family album from the ‘70s, this could be the app for you.

Another is ColorSplash, which lets you use your finger as a brush to "paint" sections of your image black and white, or to bring back the original colour.

Postcard replaces the need to hunt down a card, a stamp and a post box to send your holiday mementoes. There’s no need to sign up, just download the app and create a personalised ‘postcard’ from your holiday snaps to email to friends and family back home.

And finally, Tiltshift enables you to add a number of effects to your photos to make the subjects look like miniatures. The app works best on shots with lots going on in the middle-distance. The app also offers vignetting - a reduction of an image's brightness or saturation at the edges.

We hope you enjoy exploring Dartmoor. If you’ve used any of the above apps to enhance your holiday experience, let us know, and if you’ve used any we haven’t included, please do share your recommendations!

Spielberg on Dartmoor: “An abundance of natural beauty”

Are you a set-jetter? No, we haven’t got our tongues twisted. Set-jetting is the trend of travelling to destinations that are used as movie locations. And it looks like our very own Dartmoor might be the next set-jetting hotspot!

After extensive filming in Dartmoor, Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's First World War adventure novel for children, War Horse, is due to be released in cinemas in January 2012.

Spielberg praised the beauty of the Dartmoor countryside: "I have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming War Horse on Dartmoor... And, with two-and-a-half weeks of extensive coverage of landscapes and skies, I hardly scratched the surface of the visual opportunities that were offered to me."

Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, War Horse begins in Devon with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him.

When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets – British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter – before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land.

Filming on Dartmoor started in August 2010 and locations included the small village of Meavy and near Widecombe-in-the-Moor. Ditsworthy Warren House, an isolated Grade II listed building near Sheepstor, served as the Narracott family's farmhouse.

You can watch the official trailer here:

You can also watch a photo montage of the crew filming on location here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqPlEu4ry0w

We’ve over 80 fabulous holiday cottages on Dartmoor so come and visit this magical place to create your own visual memories and tales to tell.

Spoil yourself in the South Hams…

Southernmost Devon, between the River Dart and River Tamar and south of Dartmoor, is an area of lush farmland, wooded river valleys and a beautifully preserved coast that ticks so many of the 'how to unwind' boxes we all have when going away. We’ve scoured the South Hams and hand picked an exceptional range of coast and country holiday cottages. Here are a couple of suggestions to whet your appetite, both with an added bonus: leisure activities on tap.

Fixit and Break House, only a mile from the centre of Kingsbridge and its waterfront, were converted from huge barns by an enterprising farmer and his artist wife. The shared indoor pool and ‘The Hen House’ - a fitness, health and beauty centre with a team of professional massage and beauty therapists - add another dimension to a stay here. Holidaymakers are also welcome to fish (at half price) in the three coarse fishing lakes well stocked with tench, bream, roach and carp - 25lbs is the catch to beat! And when it's time to venture out for a pub lunch, how about visiting the Millbrook Inn which recently won Pub Chef of the Year 2011 at The Great British Pub Food Awards?

Estuary life and beautiful beaches are all within easy reach of The Stables, a sheltered hilltop retreat amidst rolling farmland, a mile from Ermington. With tremendous uninterrupted views to Dartmoor and lovely sunsets, this private cottage beside the owners' manor house is set in eight acres of gardens and paddocks; a great place to relax. Or you can burn off some energy with a game of tennis or a refreshing swim (hard tennis court and indoor pool are shared with the owners). Pets are welcome at The Stables and don’t forget, dogs stay free in 2011 for all bookings made between 2nd April and 2nd May 2011 (National Pet Month).

There are many places to visit and things to do in the South Hams, whatever the weather. For a blast of entertainment, head to the colourful Salcombe Festival from 10th to 12th June. Both of these holiday cottages are also near Sharpham Vineyard, featured on our new vineyard trails.

View a list of our holiday cottages in the South Hams to find just the right place for a happy holiday at great value.

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Enjoy the authentic taste of Dartmoor…

Farming in the heart of Devon is all about a passion for food, from the landscape it comes from to the way it is nurtured. That's why Dartmoor Farmers Association is the proud owner of three new awards, praising its methods and results in authentic beef and lamb production.

The association was recently crowned Gold and Silver Winner at the prestigious Taste of the West Awards and was given the inaugural ’Business of the Month Award’ from Dartmoor First. To receive the latter, entrants must demonstrate high regard for ‘a sense of place’, relating to landscape and diversity, for ‘a precious resource’, which covers waste, energy and water use, and for a ‘living landscape’, relating to the economical, social and transportation impact of their work.

The association’s 50 individual hill farms produce high quality beef and lamb, available at local butchers and in many of the pubs and restaurants throughout the area. Dartmoor Farmers ‘real beef and lamb’ can also be delivered straight to your front door throughout the UK by a courier meat box scheme.

For Dartmoor visitors wanting to sample a variety of tasty local produce, the Moretonhampstead Food Festival on 5th March is an unmissable showcase. Highlights include support from celebrity chefs Michael Caines (from the two Michelin star Gidleigh Park) and Jane Baxter from Riverford (author of many books and regular columnist in national newspapers). There’s also a 'Ready Steady Cook' event involving chefs from local restaurants and cooking demonstrations, including a children’s event in the 'Riverford Kitchen'. Click here for a list of exhibitors.

If you’re inspired to watch life on a farm, Weddicott Barn (pictured) in Chagford is perfect. It sleeps ten, so bring family and friends to enjoy the 70 acre traditional Dartmoor farm with its wildlife, wild flowers and half-acre pond. The indoor heated pool is an added bonus! You can take sourcing local food to the extreme with private brown trout fishing on the river Erme included in the price of a stay at lovely Clock House, near Ivybridge. Or how about a spot of classy dining-in after a shopping spree at the local farmers’ market? The ornate dining area and well equipped kitchen at luxurious Maristow Barton in Milton Combe are ideal for self catering in style.

We’ve over 80 holiday cottages on Dartmoor and good food is never far away.

In praise of Dartmoor…

Dartmoor is an undeniable national treasure, a natural phenomenon that everyone has heard of, but for those who have yet to visit, what can you expect?

2011 marks the 60th anniversary of Dartmoor becoming a national park. It stretches 368 square miles, making it the largest area of open country in southern England. Is it welcoming? Breathtaking? Hilly? Desolate? Wild? It's all of those things and experienced visitors to this magnificent area of natural beauty will advise you to be prepared - that means taking sensible walking shoes and maps, as well as a camera and a sense of adventure.

Heather clad moorland, valleys, waterfalls, forests and reservoirs - the ever changing landscape is captivating all year round. Even winter has a beauty of its own, captured here in this stunning short film from the Dartmoor National Park Authority:

It is, of course, a paradise for walkers with countless inspiring trails to follow. One of the wonderful things about this great expanse of outdoors is the variety of things to do. From climbing stone tors, canoeing down the river Dart and exploring on horseback to visiting the pretty villages and historic market towns to enjoy a cream tea, a bustling farmers’ market or some local arts and crafts.

The wildlife is another major attraction (who can resist getting up close to the Dartmoor ponies?) but perhaps a lesser known highlight is the archaeological wealth of the area. It boasts some of the best sites in Western Europe including burial chambers, stone circles and large ceremonial upright standing stones called menhirs. Time Team celebrated their 200th dig on the moor earlier this month. The High Moorland Visitor Centre in Princetown will be able to direct you to some of the most significant sites.

And what about historical buildings? Castle Drogo, dramatically situated above the Teign Gorge, was the last castle to be built in England and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens who also added his signature style to its formal gardens. This rich heritage helps to maintain the mystical feel of the national park and keeps the many myths and legends of Dartmoor alive.

We’ve over 80 holiday cottages on Dartmoor, many of which welcome pets, so whether you’re a first time visitor or an avid fan, you’re sure to find a perfect base to explore this magical place.

More properties than ever before for 2010

Wonderful to see a significant number of new properties in Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks as well as Devon’s South Hams in our 2010 brochure. We now offer over 600 places to stay in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset and Hampshire sleeping from two to 37 guests. Something for everyone! And it's simple to find your perfect getaway with our advanced search facility.

Amongst our new additions is ultra-modern O’Sullivan House (pictured) - an award winning, architect-designed property for ten, which forms part of the estuary sea wall in the popular sailing resort of Salcombe. Passing river-life and ever-changing seascapes can be watched from two terraces and a balcony over the water, while below the house is a small sunny lawn and two boat moorings. Inside enormous windows along three sides and a glass-floored area give an ‘on-the-water’ feel and unrivalled 180 degree views up and down stream. Truly a spectacular setting at any time of year to relax and unwind.