A few miles north of Exeter on the level land between the rivers Exe and Clyst, Poltimore House stands.
The POLTIMORE HOUSE TRUST was established in 2000 to preserve this historic building and its estate.
It is registered with the Charity Commission (Charity Commission no 1079947 and a company limited by guarantee (Companies House no 03914029). It is VAT registered (VAT 100937837) and registered with HMRC for collection of Gift Aid.
It is a Building Preservation Trust and member of the Association of Preservation Trusts.
The Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees who also act as Directors of the company.
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New public green space in East Devon
The Clyst Valley Regional Park is waiting for you to explore its heritage and nature, and breathe its fresh country air.
The Clyst Valley is a vast green space to breathe, on the doorstep of a rapidly growing population east of Exeter. It follows the meandering River Clyst (meaning ’clear water‘) as it feeds into the Exe estuary.
https://www.clystvalleypark.org.uk/
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This area has a varied topography, rising to the north-west to around 248m around Waddles Down Cross. This landscape feels elevated above surrounding areas, offering views across Exeter city and the Exe estuary as well as to Crediton, Dartmoor and Haldon Ridge in the distance. Areas of steep slopes, particularly those that face northwards, are well wooded with plantation and ancient semi-natural woodland – Stoke Wood being particularly important for recreation. Within the narrow and tightly enclosed valleys the character is more intimate. Distinctive views, strong topography, notable woodland and proximity to Exeter contribute to a strong sense of place. Despite the proximity to Exeter this landscape has a strongly rural character with increasing tranquillity and sense of remoteness in the small intimate valleys as well as further west away from the urban fringe and A30 corridor.
This area comprises the farmed and wooded slopes to the north and west of the city of Exeter, forming an important backdrop to the conurbation. The incised and constrained valley of the River Exe passes to the east of the hills and contains the rail and road links into the city from the north – this landscape therefore strongly influences northern approach routes to the city. The boundary of this area to the north is abrupt where the River Exe joins the Culm and the valley floor opens out to form the Culm and Exe Lowlands. To the south the boundary is the urban edge while to the east and west there is a gradual transition in character to the Clyst Lowland Farmlands and the elevated rolling hills of the Yeo Uplands and Slopes respectively.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/teignbridge-and-east-devon-area/exeter-slopes-and-hills
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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The estuary is the visual focus of this area; and although Devon has a number of estuaries few are as extensive as the Exe. This is a landscape of open skies characterised by the sound of seabirds, the masts of boats, and mud and dunes at Dawlish Warren. Views over the river are distinctive and the detail of the scene changes according to tide and season. The open expanse of intertidal mudflat when covered with water reflects the colour of the huge skies above. The whole scene is framed by rising landform on either side, which provides low level enclosure. The land rises gradually to the high ground of Woodbury Common to the east and Haldon to the west.
This landscape is complex and diverse, combining ridge and valley systems with the open estuary landscape and red sandstone cliffs. The patchwork of fields and hedgerows, designed landscapes, woodlands and estuarine and coastal features creates a landscape of high scenic quality which forms an important part of the setting to Exeter, Exmouth and Dawlish. The underlying red soils, frequent vernacular buildings, estuarine and coastal views and hillside backdrops lend a strong sense of place. The shoreline railway and canal add distinctiveness and frequent small boats and moorings emphasise the maritime character.
This area focuses on the Exe Estuary to the south of Exeter and extends inland to the east and west to include adjacent farmland. The northern boundary is defined by the built up area of Exeter, and the southern boundary by open sea. The eastern and western boundaries are transitional and defined by declining association with the estuary as the farmland becomes increasingly undulating and rises to meet Haldon Ridge to the west and Pebble Beds to the east.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/teignbridge-and-east-devon-area/exe-estuary-and-farmlands
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
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A family home and a great estate. Glorious landscape garden surrounded by parkland with fine 18th-century house.
We look forward to welcoming you to the gardens, house and parkland this summer. Enjoy a full day out with the children, pop in to walk the dog and enjoy a coffee, or stop by to take in nature, beauty and history.
You no longer need to book your visit to Killerton - just in time for spontaneous summer adventures.
Staying safe at Killerton: If you’re showing any of the symptoms of coronavirus, or if you've been in contact with anyone that has the virus in the last 10 days, please don’t visit.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/killerton
Killerton Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon, EX5 3LE
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Love to Ride: https://www.lovetoride.net/devon/companies/12429
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Woodland Trust Huxham Brake is a quiet, mostly coniferous woodland with lots of wildlife, especially in the deciduous edges. Hilly and muddy, it can be challenging to find your way through, but it is lovely for a peaceful nature filled walk.
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/huxham-brake/
Little Devon Huxham Brake Woods Walk, East Devon
A walk through a towering coniferous woodland with meandering paths and a surprising short interval through a field with an impressive view.
Huxham woods, just 3 miles from Exeter, is a beautiful loop especially in the low light of winter. It’s perfect for little legs that like to explore a woodland and get very muddy – it might be a bit tricky for the really little ones though!
The brief walk through the field a third of the way through offers gorgeous countryside views, reminding us why we love where we live. The Outdoor’s Group also host their forest school here so you may be lucky enough to spot the kettle boiling, but unfortunately (and understandably) the equipment is only for their use.
https://www.littledevon.co.uk/huxham-brake-woods/
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Located on the outskirts of Exeter, Darts Farm is home to a large variety of wildlife. These include flocks of linnets, fieldfares and redwings during the winter, dragonflies, skylarks and kingfishers in summer. There's also a popular shop and tearoom here, part of a larger shopping complex.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/darts-farm/
https://www.dartsfarm.co.uk/lifestyle/rspb
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Welcome to Cranbrook Country Park, 30 hectares of beautiful varied habitats and public amenity spaces.
The natural world and our existence go hand in hand and it is so important for everyone to have access to green spaces. The health and wellbeing benefits of green spaces are immense and being outdoors in nature has been proven to deliver lasting mental health benefits. Not only that, green spaces help reduce pollution by filtering dust and pollutants from the air; they draw carbon out of the atmosphere helping in the fight against climate change; they provide a range of food and habitats for wildlife, and trees in particular help reduce the erosion of soils during flooding.
Cranbrook is so fortunate to have this incredible resource at the heart of its community.
https://www.cranbrooktowncouncil.gov.uk/country-park/
Map https://www.cranbrooktowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Country-Park-Map.pdf
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Devon Gardens Trust An intensely Gothic mansion remodelled by William White in 1860-4; a transformation of a house of c.1800 which itself incorporated remains of the most important medieval country residence of the bishops of Exeter (acquired in1265 and used by them until 1546). The Pleasure Garden was, according to Mrs Price in 1805, in its ‘infant state’ but it did have an avenue of elms which formed an arch. White (1850) noted that the house is a commodious building , pleasantly situated on a commanding eminence, in a well wooded park, on the east bank of the small river Clyst. Stockdale described it as ’an elegant spacious Gothic structure chiefly composed of the materials of the ancient palace…… the approach is formed by a beautiful avenue of trees, which, with the surrounding plantations have been much improved. A new Gothic lodge has also been erected.’ When the property was sold in 1833 it had its own pheasantry and aviary, together with a commodious covered summer-house, melon and cucumber beds, fruit trees and an orchard, as well as a rookery of noble beeches, elms and oaks, mingled with limes and chestnuts.
https://devongardenstrust.org.uk/gardens/bishops-court
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Seaton Jurassic is an all-weather interactive experience that allows visitors to travel through 250 million years of the history of the Jurassic Coast. As Devon Wildlife Trust’s flagship visitor centre, Seaton Jurassic shows how by travelling to the past we can help everyone think about the future of our planet. A fascinating and interactive exhibition where nothing is off-limits to the adventurous and curious.
As well as the attraction, the centre also has a stunning café run by Taste of the West, is home to Seaton’s tourist information centre, its gift shop is stocked with a stunning range of local and environmentally friendly gifts and souvenirs, and the centre welcomes groups of all ages and sizes (including schools and tour parties), and has meeting spaces to cater for meetings from 2 – 152!
Seaton Jurassic The Underfleet, Seaton EX12 2WD
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