Burrator

BEACON Winter 2018

Front page of the first Burrator Beacon

2 Burrator Beacon Editorial – Karen Batson In the last issue, Andy Paskins invited readers to submit articles of interest to the Burrator Beacon, following feedback from the Community-led Planning exercise undertaken in . I, for one, am always interested in reading about local people and issues and I am sure that there are others like me in the Parish who would welcome some more items of local interest to read about. Nigel Rendle, of Yelverton Local History Group delivers a fascinating read in each issue about diverse areas of our local history. Disappointingly, (and unbelievably), there was only one response to Andy’s challenge. But a big thank you to Tub Aves and Andy Gordon from Dousland PO for sending a copy of the very first Burrator Beacon from Winter 1982. You will notice from the front cover that it looked a bit different then. In fact, it was only four sheets of A4 stapled together. If you are interested in seeing the rest of it, you will be able to find it on the Burrator Parish website. It would be great to hear from anyone who was involved in its production in those days. The spring issue of the Burrator Beacon will be published at the end of February. Deadline for copy will be Tuesday 5th February, at the latest. That issue will cover the months up until the end of May 2019. Don’t forget, this is your magazine for your parish, so we would like to hear from you! Do consider writing a piece about anything of interest. Please send all submissions as Word attachments, as this makes the cut and pasting process much simpler!

Parish Clerk’s Report – Lucie Luke The Planning Committee have recently been consulted on the following applications with the Parish Council’s comments in bold:

0436/18 Application for Certificate of Lawfulness for a proposed development, internal alterations to allow conversion to habitable floor space, 20 Boundary Road, Tavistock SUPPORT 0470/18 Proposed erection of covered manege and stable block, Moorland House, Burrator Road, Dousland SUPPORT 0477/18 Proposed new road for agricultural vehicles (160m x 2.8) at OS 534676, Land at Meavy, Yelverton. SUPPORT 0443/18 Proposed use of church for champing (retrospective) at St Mary the Virgin Church, Walkhampton NEUTRAL VIEW 0516/18 Proposed partial construction of existing loft space with no changes to roof structure other than addition of dormer windows at Quinta Park, Road, Dousland SUPPORT 0551/18 Proposed slate hanging to south gable at The Old Threshing Barn, Welltown, Walkhampton SUPPORT

The new multi fuel burner and flue have been fitted at the Royal Oak Inn in good time for winter months ahead. The Parish Council and tenant are delighted with the installation. The inscription to the Meavy War Memorial has been a long ongoing matter, with the railings to be removed, to allow the inscription equipment to reach the newly flattened area of surface. This should now be resolved very shortly. Applications from Community groups are invited for grant funding from the Parish Burrator Beacon 3 Council, which will be subject to finance availability. Please write to me, the Parish Clerk with your proposals and amount requested, a recent set of accounts and outline the benefit of your proposal to the local community. May 2019 will see the Parish Council Elections take place. Burrator Parish Council has 16 seats. Now is the time to consider what you can bring to the Parish Council for the next four years. Nomination forms will be available from West Borough Council and the Clerk of Burrator Parish Council nearer the time. If you wish to have an informal chat about what is involved, please do hesitate to contact me or any of your current Parish Councillors.

Village Halls Please support our local village halls for your meetings, parties and activities. All the halls have disabled access and they vary in size and facilities so one of them will suit your requirements. All the Halls are run by willing volunteers who strive to keep them in good repair providing vital facilities for our communities. Meavy Parish Hall Alison Stoker 853389 Sheepstor Village Hall Patrick Drennan 853186 Walkhampton Memorial Hall Sheila Glanville 859215 They will be able to advise you on availability, hire charges and terms & conditions of hire. What’s on in Sheepstor…

Sheepstor Village Hall Report Autumn 2018 Patrick Drennan - Chairperson Sheepstor Village Hall

The Quiz evening at the beginning of October was much enjoyed by almost 30 locals, well fed by Corinna & John, entertained by Simon & Corinna as quiz persons, and gathered over £100 for the Village Hall repair fund. The SVH Committee will endeavour to make this an annual event. On November 30th Corinna is hosting a German themed evening which will hopefully be as successful. Thank you to John & Dave who have undertaken a survey of the hall and advised on priorities for repair. The first will be replacing the soffit boards on the exterior, which may require some slate replacements on the roof as well. We will be seeking estimates from interested builders and then applying for grants from the appropriate authorities and aiming to raise monies from the hall events to top these up. The SVH Constitution & Deeds subcommittee is planning to have its inaugural meeting in the New Year, to tackle some of the anomalies and idiosyncrasies that appear to arise from the machinations surrounding the original sale of the hall to private ownership in the early part of the 20th century, returning ownership back to the community of Sheepstor in the latter part of the century. Someday, I hope to persuade the descendants of the families involved to give a talk in the hall one evening on their understandings of the history surrounding the Hall ownership, but if a local historian thinks they have the answer please let me know! You may also be called upon to act as an impartial chairperson for the proceedings! 4 Burrator Beacon Unfortunately, the request put to SWLT for the Hall to have its own representation on the Burrator Advisory Group has so far been rebutted, apparently on the grounds that Burrator Parish Council has a representative on BAG who can speak for the Hall. This seems to ignore the fact that PC rep has to speak for the four villages of Burrator Parish rather than just Sheepstor itself, and yet Sheepstor Village Hall is the only one immediately affected by SWLT’s activities because of geographical proximity. I have been asked by the committee to pursue our request vigorously, so I hope reason will prevail. Dates for your diary: Friday February 8th Bingo evening; 7 for 7.30 pm, with finger food, BYOB, raffle and prizes. Entry by donation and all profits raised will go to the repair fund. We also hope to follow up on an offer from our local twitcher for an escorted group early morning walk around the area he has been visiting and recording sightings for many years, followed by cooked breakfast in the hall. I think that should take us safely through to the AGM in May 2019!

Sheepstor Villages in Action Patrick Drennan

The Ninebarrow concert on Nov 24th (apologies for my date error in the previous Burrator Beacon edition) was not a VIA event, but the result of a collaboration between myself and the performers to fill the void after VIA’s house “went dark” two years ago. Despite their rapidly growing success, they honoured their agreement to come back, and reminded us all why they have such a following. I’m just recovering from the logistical nightmare of trying to squeeze 131 ticket holders into St Leonard’s Church without upsetting anyone! We had to follow the churchwardens’ example from the Carol Service and use the Lady Chapel as an overflow. There was only one sour face in that section that I spotted, and even she didn’t want to swap places when some very generous spirited concert goers offered to exchange seats at the interval. I did not think Ninebarrow’s inaugural performance here two years ago could have been surpassed, but they were even better this time, introducing their latest album “The Waters & the Wild”, some new songs, and taking our breaths away with one amazing unamplified and unaccompanied harmonisation. They have tantalisingly suggested we might like to consider becoming one of the exclusive club of venues that have had three sell out Ninebarrow concerts, so watch this space in a couple of years’ time! Kay very kindly allowed the use of the Hellingtown Farm field off Nelder’s Lane, but even so there had to be some overspill onto Portland Lane. Thank you to Sue for the lovely flower display in the church. Thank you also to the dedicated band of volunteers (Suzanne, Larry, Kay, Pat, Trevor, Simon, Mark and Annie) who did all the hard graft setting up and running the refreshments, donating food, manning the car park, managing the prepaid ticket queue, acting as toilet monitors, looking after the performers, and having to stand at the back despite paying for a ticket! The evening raised over £1100, which will be split equally between the Friends of St Leonard’s Church Sheepstor and Sheepstor Village Hall. This is the most money collected for one of our concerts, but I do feel that future concerts should have a maximum ticket sale which excludes the use of the Lady’s Chapel for seating.

Burrator Beacon 5 I have a provisional date of Saturday April 13th 2019 for a performance of “The Drystones”, www.thedrystones.co.uk, as part of the Carn to Cove/Villages in Action menu. They are a folk duo, nominated for a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award, West Country based, hailing from Bristol. However, their music is a little more upbeat than Ninebarrow’s dark themes. Tickets £9(adult), £7(child), £25(family) on 01822 853186 or [email protected]. I am very grateful for the continued financial back stop provided by FOSLS, Sheepstor PCC and Sheepstor Village Hall Committee and for the support from all the punters out there who give so generously for their tickets and refreshments. and Walkhampton…

Walkhampton Village Hall - In Aid of Project George

CHRISTMAS QUIZ

Friday 14th December 7-30 pm

The hall committee are hosting a quiz to raise funds for the next stage of "Project George" To make more improvements to the village hall...... "closing the gap"

Popular quiz master Shaun McDermott will provide the questions

Bar...... tea/coffee...... bumper raffle……ample parking

Entrance £5 per person to include a pasty. Teams welcome to book early.. contact Linda 01822 852142 e-mail [email protected]

Walkhampton Cottage Garden Society Chairman’s Report for 2018 – Richard Dixon

This year, as well as holding the Walkhampton Flower and Produce Show on Saturday 25 August 2018 in the Memorial Hall, we organised an ‘Open Gardens’ event, raising funds for Project George, which took place on the same day as the judging of the garden classes. We had a good selection of excellent gardens open for the day, but the weather was so bad that even the judges delayed their tour till the afternoon. In the circumstances, the tally of paying visitors was better than expected at 47, but well below what we might have had in fine weather. We will

6 Burrator Beacon donate the whole of the entry fees, £235, to Project George, with the income from sale of refreshments being retained to cover the costs of staging the event. Fortunately we fared much better with the weather on the day of the show, which helped to ensure a good attendance and plenty of custom at the tea tent. The total number of entries this year was 552, the highest in the last five years and a increase of 135 on the previous year, with all divisions except Produce and Photography having more entries than last year. Entries in the junior classes at 130 were a significant increase on last year’s 48 entries, largely due to an initiative by Caroline Paskins and Corinne Shutt with Lady Modiford’s school. Many thanks to them both. The overall number of entrants was also significantly increased, at 120 compared to 66 in 2017 and 69 in 2016, with 50 of the increase being children entering from Lady Modiford’s school. In addition, there were a further 9 new entrants compared to 17 in 2017. E-mail entry and pre-printed entry cards continued to be popular, but paper entries are still preferred by some. Organisation of the show again went very smoothly, with the prize giving starting on time once again. Mike Goddard has decided to stand down from the post of Treasurer and I would like to thank him for his long service in this position. I am pleased to welcome John Barton, who has agreed to take over as Treasurer. Rachel Waldron has also decided to take a year or two off from her responsibilities with the society and I wish her success in her business venture and hope to see her back on the committee when it is up and running successfully. We have yet to work out how to cover some of the tasks that Rachel has done for several years. I would like to conclude by thanking all members of the committee, for their generosity and enthusiastic work though the year and in making the show successful once again. Next year’s show will be held on 24 August 2019.

Monday 29th April 2019 Walkhampton Memorial Hall at 7:30pm The Tin Box - starting your family history Have you ever wanted to discover your family history and not sure where to start? Maureen Selley from the Devon Family History Society joins us to talk about where and how to research your family history. £3 per person includes refreshments. Reserve a ticket by visiting www.growalkhampton.weebly.com

Burrator Beacon 7 Lady Modiford’s School Tercentenary Celebrations Sue Andrew

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me with information about, and photographs of, Lady Modiford’s School, Walkhampton. Our archive, which we will use when compiling our book celebrating the 300th anniversary of the school’s foundation, is slowly growing. We have several exciting events planned for next year, with the first being the unearthing of a time capsule buried to mark the 275th anniversary in 1994. On Friday January 11th 2019, at 2pm we will meet outside the schoolhouse to discover if the capsule and its contents really have stood the test of time! Those who were there 25 years ago when the capsule was buried will be particularly welcome to attend. Afterwards there will be chance to chat over tea/coffee and cakes and for former pupils to bring along memorabilia from their schooldays. 2019 marks an important milestone in the life of Lady Modiford’s and we would very much like the local community to be involved in our celebrations! Email: [email protected]

Monday 25th March 2019 Walkhampton Memorial Hall at 7:30pm

Dowsing - Can it help in your Garden? Talk by Nigel Twinn

Dowsing is an age old craft, still practiced widely in the countryside, but also quietly by utility companies, engineering firms, archeologists and the general pubic. It has a wide range of potential uses - including in your garden and your home. Most people can pick it up fairly quickly. It just requires an open mind and not too many distractions! Former Walkhampton resident, Nigel Twinn, has helped to run The Tamar Dowsers since 2002, and is a long-standing member of the British Society of Dowsers (See their website britishdowsewrs.org)

£3 per person includes refreshments.

Reserve a ticket by visiting www.growalkhampton.weebly.com

8 Burrator Beacon and Meavy….

St Peter’s Church Meavy Candle Lit Carol Service Thursday 20th December 2018 At 4pm Come and enjoy some Christmas carols and readings and see our lovely church decorations. Donations in aid of St Peter’s Church

MEAVY GARDEN SOCIETY MEETINGS

Monday 18th February 2019 Annual General Meeting

Followed by a talk on `Garden Tools - their history and how to care for them`

The speaker is Steve John from Abbey Garden Machinery - includes a quiz and time for questions about garden machinery.

Monday 18th March - Spring Fun Show

All meetings start at 7.30pm Meavy Parish Hall. Refreshments, time to chat and often plants for sale from 7pm. Enquiries 01822 852672 and 01822 852984

Visitors very welcome

Burrator Beacon 9 and Dousland….

The Burrator Inn Annual Community Christmas Evening Monday 17th December

Commencing 5.45pm – 6.45pm with Father Christmas for the children (small gift for each child), following to the usual Community Carol singing in the bar at 7pm

Christmas Draw at approx. 8pm (draw squares on sale at the bar £1 a square) with beers, ciders, spirits, wine, hampers and cash prizes This annual event is always well supported and open to all, so why not pop along and enjoy an hour or two of Christmas Community cheer

Yelverton & District Local History Society Nigel Rendle (Chairman)

Yelverton Village Walk

A gentle evening stroll led by Stephen and Claire Fryer highlighted some of the fascinating history of the village. Donne’s map of 1765 shows barely any development in the area and it was not until the mid 1800’s with the coming of the turnpike roads and the railway that major changes started to happen with shops and cottages and a pub appearing at Leg O’ Mutton. The building of the churches and the opening of the railway station, plus Yelverton being portrayed as a healthy place to live led to more houses and the village centre moved across the road to the Green in the early 1900’s. The opening of Harrowbeer airfield in 1941 hastened further changes particularly to the road layouts and the shops; the airfield Interest Group has done an amazing job in collecting historical details on its website. We were kindly allowed into St Paul’s Church where superb examples of Violet Pinwill’s carvings (one of our previous talk topics) can be seen. Curiously the interior seating is chairs not pews. A plaque sits on the outside wall dedicated to a Typhoon pilot killed in a crash nearby. The and Devonport leats run close by. The Parade of shops is much changed, the most obvious feature being the lowering of the roof levels because of the airfield. Stephen explained how many of the shop fronts had been extended out over gardens and how the businesses had altered. The Co-op however has been there since 1906. The 1826 tramway crossed the green and the Texaco garage now stands on the original wharf. 10 Burrator Beacon Our tour concluded with an exhibition of old photographs and historical documents in the Rock Inn, courtesy of the owner Sue Callow. Originally a coaching house from the 16th century, a private house until the 1880’s then becoming a hotel. The “Wet Rock” ceased to be a hotel in 1967 and was converted into apartments. Grenville Park, the housing development behind the Inn was originally pasture land for their livestock and the local Surgery stands on what was the vegetable plot. Many of Sue’s photos highlight these changes including images of the old stables, tennis courts and croquet lawn. Close by, scarcely noticeable is a rescued sign pointing the way to the old Moor House Hotel, originally at Leg O’ Mutton and latterly blown up!

A Stroll of Discovery around Yennadon

Following on in her series of walks for our Society around local downs, Liz Miall led us on a quick tour of this popular walking spot full of surprisingly historical interests. First mentioned as Eana’s Hill or Yhanadouna in the 13th century and comprised of metamorphic stone its features include railways, mines, quarries, leats, a reservoir, WW2 relics, medieval and prehistoric archaeology and fine views. Liz started by showing some photos of troop manoeuvres on the Down in 1873 (12,000 troops passing through) and a reference to a visit here by the author Edith Holden in her “Country Diary”. As we set off, the first stop of interest through the trees was the dome of Dousland reservoir dating from 1906 and fed by pipeline from the Devonport Leat. At the bottom of the slope we picked up the path of the 1923 horse drawn tramway and noted some of the remaining granite block sleepers along the route. Below the path a shapely stone bridge holds up a drainage culvert. A deep gulley and waste tip further along are the remains of the 1836 Meavy Iron Mine. A blocked adit and shafts and a surviving boundstone can be found further up the hill. Manganese, lignite and ochre were also thought to have been mined in the area. We passed by the entrance to the quarry which has been working on and off since the mid 1800’s, now producing garden stone. It still employs 18 mainly local people, its immediate future now guaranteed by permission to extend. At the top of Iron Mine Lane, we encountered relics of WW2 in the form of concrete hut bases thought to be associated with a searchlight battery, and then passed over a large clapper bridge on the Devonport Leat. Nearby are Bronze Age field systems and a cairn. We traced the circuitous loop of the old tramway and followed the route of the 1883 steam line to Burrator Halt. This was originally just a platform built for the workers on the dam extension in 1924. A 1st class ticket then to Ingra Tor Halt would have cost 9d. (4.5p)

Burrator Beacon 11 As the light faded, we reached the summit of the Down at 301 meters, where once stood a trig point and now a PCWW stone, one of 72 marking the 5, 360 acres of the Burrator reservoir catchment area. We ended our interesting stroll at this superb viewpoint watching the distant flickering of the Plymouth Breakwater and Eddystone lights.

Crownhill Fort – a guided tour

The first thing that strikes you as you pass through the impressive front gateway is the sheer size of the place, situated high up at the head of 3 valleys but almost invisible from the busy adjacent A386, the inner fort spread over 16 acres. It was built during the 1860’s and finally completed in 1872 after a series of delaying strikes. Britain had become increasingly concerned at the time about the build up of French military power under the leadership of Emperor Napoleon 111. Lord Palmerston’s government subsequently approved a major upgrade of the country’s fixed defences, including 10 forts and batteries around Plymouth (later called Palmerston’s follies as they were never used in battle). However, it was used by the military up until 1985 mostly as a training venue in the 19th century, a recruitment and mobilisation depot in WW1, use by Allied troops in the build up to D Day and by 59 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers who provided logistical support to the Falklands Campaign. Its future was secured in 1987 when it was purchased by The Landmark Trust who have undertaken major restoration works to retain its Victorian layout. Our guide Ed Donohue led us on an extremely interesting tour of the various buildings and armaments including the barracks which once housed 20 men per room, now full of their memorabilia; the officers’ quarters with an earth roof to resist enemy fire (13 roomy casements now self-catering apartments); gun sheds and stables and the underground magazine and cartridge stores – an extremely claustrophobic and potentially dangerous area to work. Walking around the substantial ramparts we were shown some of the 17 guns, including the 1811 small bore with its .75-mile range, and the even more impressive 1998 replica of a Moncrieff with its 4-ton hydraulic counterweighted barrel and a range of almost 3 miles! – one of only two in the world. Caponniers are situated at each corner of the fort with its smooth bore warship guns focussed on the surrounding ditch leaving no blind spots open to attack. The evening was rounded off by the firing of an early 19th century field gun. Today the fort is open to the general public once a month and to pre-booked groups. An impressive and worthwhile place to visit.

12 Burrator Beacon

Full details of our 2018 programme are available on our website. Also summaries of other past events are available at www.yelvertonhistory.org.uk

We meet at Princetown Community Centre on the first Tuesday of the month, at 19:00 for a 19:30 start. 4th Dec 2018 - AGM and Christmas Social 8th January 2019 - Derek Gore Coins, Slate and Daub: Fieldwork and Excavations at Ipplepen, South Devon 2007 - 2018 5th February 2019 David Lemon Building the Kariba Dam. princetownhistoryclub.weebly.com

Burrator Beacon 13 Making the Invisible Visible Virtual Reality Mapping of Burrator Reservoir

Thursday 21st February, 2-5 pm Meavy Parish Hall PL20 6PJ

Devon-born Professor Robert Stone will return in February to give a presentation on this high-tech project and its future application. Bob is Professor of Interactive Multimedia Systems, as well as a Director of the Human Interface Technologies (HIT) Team, at the University of Birmingham.

For all details and to book (by 15th February) please see the events section of our website www.dartmoorsociety.com

The event is hosted by The Dartmoor Society & The Yelverton and District Local History Society All are very welcome and the cost is £5 including tea.

The Rotary Club of Yelverton (Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland) No. 1726: District 1175

Our Rotary year kicked off in July with our usual mix of fundraising activities in support of local and international charities. On one Sunday, due to previous bad weather, we found ourselves running a Car Boot sale at Yelverton Memorial Hall in the morning and a Dog Show at Postbridge in the afternoon - every member of the Club was involved in ensuring the events were both successful. In recognition of the help given by Michelle Brusey in judging our canine friends, a donation was made to Cinnamon Trust. As in previous years, we assisted with the car parking at Harrowbeer 1940’s Weekend and at Widecombe Fair and anticipate a donation to our Charitable Fund from the Fair’s organising committee. 14 Burrator Beacon We’ve also organised a Harvest Barn Dance in the Memorial Hall at Yelverton with the proceeds partly used to help the on-going funding for the Yelverton Memory Café which was founded by and continues to be organised and financially supported by our Club. We have continued to offer de-fibrillator/CPR training following the installation of the de-fibrillator at Yelverton Doctor’s Surgery in conjunction with the Parish Council but demand for this is now (thankfully) slowing down. Our main focus for fundraising is now the Christmas door-to-door collections with Santa’s sleigh in Princetown and Horrabridge plus the collections at Tesco and the Yelverton shops. A significant portion of the money collected will be donated to Shelter Box. Our evening programme of speakers and activities has also been busy with talks from: Mick Harrison from the Police & Crime Commissioner’s Office who spoke about the reasons for the establishment of the Office, it’s function, it’s achievements, and the (then) up-coming decision on merging Dorset and Devon & Cornwall forces. Professor Richard Thomson OBE from the University of Plymouth who talked about ‘Plastics in the Sea’. He covered the history of plastics, the development of our ‘throw-away’ society and its impact, the specific nature and impact of marine pollution from plastics, and his view of what needed to happen to bring things back under control. Gillian Mill from West Devon Safe Haven who spoke to us about Syrian families who have been ‘allocated’ to West Devon as part of the UK’s contribution to the refugee crisis. These families have arrived in Devon with virtually nothing and Heather described how a group of volunteers working with WDBC is helping them become established in our community. Heather Chapman from Princetown and Tavistock libraries who talked about the history of public libraries from their inception in Victorian times to the present day. It was a surprise to many of our members that the running of Devon Libraries has been ‘sub-contracted’ from Devon County Council to a charitable trust – this is being watched, and potentially copied, in other parts of the UK and overseas. Roger Mechan who spends two to three weeks each year walking, mainly on the pilgrim Caminos, to raise funds for St Luke’s Hospice and Help for Heroes. Roger’s commitment and enjoyment shone through his talk which was full of interesting and funny anecdotes. Sophie Nicholls to whom we gave a grant to help her climb Kilimanjaro in aid of Meningitis Research. Sophie, aged 19 at the time, gave a graphic account of her arduous expedition up & down the mountain in 5 days. We try to get out and do something different on the ‘5th Wednesday’ of any month that has one. So far this year we’ve held a croquet evening (strictly beginners standard) at Plymouth Croquet Club along with members of Tavistock and Roborough Rotary Clubs; we’ve been out for a walk on Dartmoor finishing with (optional) dinner in the Forest Inn; and we’ve had the third of a series of local history walks round Tavistock. Our next ‘away-day’, in January, is a tour of the new Mayflower Water Treatment Works.

Burrator Beacon 15 Our Club meets on a Wednesday evening in the Moorland Gardens Hotel at 7pm for 7.30pm. The format is very informal with an optional meal followed usually by a speaker, a planning meeting, or a fellowship evening. We presently have 16 members (including 4 female) but attendance on a given evening can be anything from half a dozen to the full crew depending on members’ other commitments. If you’re interested in finding out more about us and what we do, you are welcome to come along on any Wednesday evening but suggest that you contact [email protected] or phone our President, Sandra, on 07979 505723 beforehand to ensure that we will be there (we occasionally have an ‘away’ meeting) and so that we can advise the Hotel of an extra guest for dinner. You can view our website at www.yelverton.rotary1175.org and our Facebook page www.facebook.com/yelvertonrotaryclub. We’re also are planning an open evening in February – look out for the advert. For further information please contact; Ken Farnham tel: 01822 853176 or 01822 853640

Exciting events coming up at Burrator Evening Talks at Burrator Discovery Centre: Tuesday 11 December: 7.30pm-8.30pm – “Opportunity to learn about Dartmoor Search & Rescue as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, by Neil Richards, Tavistock Team. Wednesday 30 January: 7.30pm-8.30pm – “Introduction to coppicing and green woodworking” by Peter Lanyon and Dave Curno. Each talk costs £4 per person and includes refreshments. Please book your place in advance by ringing 01822 855700, e-mail [email protected] or visit Burrator Discovery Centre. Family Wildlife Watch Programme: Come and take part in a range of wildlife and heritage themed activities followed by hot chocolate and biscuits. We meet at Burrator Discovery Centre, unless alternative meeting point has been advertised. £3 per child, £2 per adult. Please wear outdoor clothing & footwear. No booking needed. Sunday 27 January: 10.30am-12.30pm Sunday 24 February: 10.30am-12.30pm – ‘Fungi’ School Holiday ‘Drop In’ Family Activity Days: Our school holiday family activity days involve a wildlife or heritage themed trail, woodwork, environmental art and outdoor cooking in and around the Burrator Discovery Centre. £3 per child, £2 per adult. Please wear outdoor clothing and footwear. No booking needed. Wednesday 20 February: 10:00am-3:00pm Seasonal Event:Saturday 15 December – Wreath Making – Drop in between 10am-4pmCome along and make your own Christmas wreath using natural materials from Burrator. The event will be taking place at Burrator Discovery Centre. You can drop in between 10.00am – 4.00pm. £7.00 per wreath (please bring cash as we don’t have online payment facilities). Support, materials and refreshments will be provided.

Burrator Reservoir News

Emily Cannon – Community & Learning Officer

Site updates at BurratorForestry Work: As you may have noticed our annual forestry work is now complete and reinstatement works are under way. This autumn in addition to routine thinning, the main focus has been to clear fell the mature stands of conifer around the inner reservoir section with the long-term plan for this to become a broadleaf woodland and link to the 20,000 planted trees in the deer fenced areas near the centre and Lowery Moor creating wildlife corridors and increasing biodiversity. 16 Burrator Beacon Improved Signage: For the past few years SWLT have been working with partners in Burrator Parish Council, West Devon Borough Council, Dartmoor National Park & Devon County Council alongside local Sheepstor village residents on solving some of the expanding traffic and congestion issues around Burrator reservoir. Following the installation of the yellow lines between the Quarry car park and Burrator dam last year we needed to think about the displacement of those vehicles now unable to park there. It was always the intention to improve the signage for visitors to the other car parks around the reservoir, rather than cram themselves into an unsuitable location at the dam. We are pleased to announce that these have now been installed. These provide sensitive yet effective signage to direct visitors to further car parks at the Discovery Centre, Norsworthy Bridge and Arboretum. Improved Visibility: It has been on our wish list for some time to improve the visibility for site visitors coming out of the quarry car park. Last month we were able to secure some funding for the work to be carried out. It definitely makes leaving the car park a lot easier and safer now. Opportunities for learning This autumn we welcomed two new placement students, Jody and Bella, studying Land and Wildlife Management Diploma at Bicton College. We have nearly completed our first 10 week Student Rangers programme with 14 Year 10 students from Tavistock College in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police, with the aim of them receiving their ‘Discovery’ John Muir Award for their efforts. In addition, we have facilitated a series of evening talks which were very popular: Butterflies & Moths, The Double Anniversary, and Birds of Prey; and enjoyed running informal evening sessions for Dame Hannahs and Walkham Valley Beavers. In September over the Heritage Weekend people enjoyed a unique opportunity to visit Burrator Reservoir’s Head Weir Gauging Station. The history of the three head weirs was outlined (for the Plymouth Leat, and then the original and enlarged reservoir). This provided the chance to examine the now disused but ingenious mechanical pen and paper water level recorder – a throwback to the pre-electronic age. Visits were also made to the main dam where the history of its construction was explained. This was supported by a special exhibition in the Discovery Centre of period photographs taken during the 1893-8 and 1923-8 construction works. For our October half term family activity day our theme ‘Water and Bridges’ inspired a number of young civil engineers of the future. Thank you to our volunteer Les, who designed the activities so families could build 4 different model bridges, construct sea defences, dig for water in a sand well, learn about liquefaction, make windmills, create water filters, dressing a well, and of course some cooking! Opportunities to get involved Welcome back to our returning and new student volunteers from UPSU, who join us on our monthly Sunday practical days, which involves clearing around young trees in the plantation opposite Lowery Moor, and removing & collecting redundant tree guards in Norsworthy Plantation. In addition, our regular volunteers have been busy processing fallen trees after the storm, clearing drainage ditches, fighting through brambles and bracken to rescue young oak trees, meeting & greeting visitors in the centre, helping deliver the Heritage weekend walks, research for the special exhibition, assisting with our monthly family wildlife watch sessions, family activity days and our annual ‘Spooktacular’ event. Discovery of the Remains of a Torpedo Net On the 3rd and 4th September, Professor Bob Stone & the Human Interface Team from Birmingham University, who created the Virtual Burrator Project, were granted permission to dive two ROVs, a BlueROV2 and a Trident 'underwater drone' (a smaller but highly agile submersible), into the reservoir (taking advantage of it being at 50 per cent capacity due to the 2018 summer drought), in order to discover if the remains of the anti-torpedo net still existed. "It was a real Titanic moment," said Bob. "It was magical. We've proved there is something notable down there; it's not a village, but in my opinion, it has more historical significance." For the full article: https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/history/world-war-two-torpedo-net-2002623

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Volunteering At Burrator There are lots of different volunteering projects to get involved in to suit your interests and time availability. These include site maintenance, practical conservation and archaeological preservation projects, monthly bat surveys, assisting with educational visits and family events, or as a visitor guide in the Discovery Centre, plus much more. Dates for the practical group days are below:

Midweek Days – 10am-3pm • December: Tues 4, Mon 10 and Tues 18 • January: Tues 8, Mon 14, Fri 25 and Tues 29 • February: Mon 4, Tues 12, Fri 22 and Tues 26

Weekend Days – 10.30am-3.30pm • Sun 9 December • Sun 20 January • Sun 10 February To find out more please pop into Burrator Discovery Centre (open Tues, Wed, Thurs & alternating weekends), ring 01822 855700 or e-mail: Emily at [email protected].

18 Burrator Beacon

KIM SHEPPARD BTAA

Bowen Therapy is a gentle Therapeutic soft tissue release technique that balances tension patterns in the body, by treating the body as a whole, not just the presenting symptoms. By assessing posture and movement, a Bowen Therapist will look for, and treat, the cause of the pain or discomfort, which isn’t necessarily where you are feeling the pain.

Bowen Therapy is a holistic therapy and can be helpful in addressing a wide variety of imbalances as well as muscular and structural ones. It is suitable for all ages and people in all walks of life.

Please give me a call if you would like further details or visit: www.burratorbowentherapy.co.uk Tel 01822 258 147 [email protected]

Boiler repairs and installation Bathrooms and kitchen Landlords certificates Fully Insured

Gas safe and Oftec registered

Tel 01822660364 or 07980697004 Email: [email protected] Website: www.clearbrook.biz

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John Boylett Electrical Services The Smithy, Meavy, Yelverton. PL20 6PJ. Tel: 01822 853456 / 07748 513469 Domestic Electrical Installations - Rewiring - New Builds - Smoke Alarms Consumer Units - Lighting - Electric Showers - New and Replacement sockets All work tested, certificated and guaranteed Very Competitive Rates Friendly local service Part ‘P’ Elecsa Approved Contractor

CLASSY K9s

Professional friendly dog grooming service. One to one personal care for every dog. All breeds/cross breeds welcome.

Call Paula 01822 853446

P. J. Shields OIL BOILER SPECIALIST - OFTEC REGISTERED SERVICE - REPAIR - MAINTENANCE Tavistock 614664 20 Burrator Beacon

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Got a computer problem at home or

office?

We are the LOCAL help you have been looking for!! Based at Crapstone, we come to where the problem is We are a computer shop on wheels Virus and spyware removal a speciality Expert with wireless networking we can give advice about Broadband We have a broad range of experience with people of all ages/abilities Take a look at the website for all you need to know

Since 2003 Call 01822 855822 for an appointment

22 Burrator Beacon

WRIGHT WINDOWS

The local tradesman for uPVC, double-glazed windows, doors, porches and replacement double-glazed units.

FENSA registered with insurance-backed guarantee. TERRY WRIGHT Sharpitor, Burrator Road, Dousland, Yelverton PL20 6NE Tel: 01822 852275 Mobile: 07977 631776 ‘A tradesman not a salesman’

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Dates for your Calendar Page

December 14th Quiz Walkhampton Memorial Hall 5 17th Burrator Inn Community Christmas Evening 7 20th Candlelit Carol Service St Peter’s Meavy 6

February 8th Sheepstor Bingo Evening 3 18th MGS AGM & Talk 7

To have your event included in future issues please send details (date, time location, contact name and phone number) to the Editor as soon as you have decided on the date. This will ensure maximum publicity and avoid clashes with other events.

Parish Council Meetings Full Council Meetings are usually held at 7:30pm on the last Thursday of the month (but not always!). For the dates of the next few meetings, please visit the Parish website: www.burrator.gov.uk The Planning, Finance and Royal Oak Inn Committees meet on other dates throughout the year – please contact the Clerk: [email protected] for more details.

How to advertise in the Burrator Beacon The Beacon is published quarterly at the end of February, May, August and November and delivered to all homes in Burrator Parish which covers Walkhampton, Dousland, Meavy, Sheepstor, Hoo Meavy and Lovaton. Business are able to advertise in the Beacon at the following rates:

Single Issue Four issues Sixes in mm Size of advert to be (approx) when submitted (mm) printed* 1/6 page £12.00 £30.00 30 × 130 42 × 180 1/3 page £20.00 £60.00 60 × 130 85 × 180 half page £30.00 £90.00 90 × 130 130 × 180 full page £48.00 £144.00 180 × 130 260 × 180

*The Beacon is printed A5 size i.e. 210mm high by 148mm wide. However, adverts should be submitted A4 size. All prices are subject to VAT. Invoices will be raised by the Parish Clerk upon receipt of your booking and will be payable upon receipt. Adverts should be submitted to the Editor (details on the back page) electronically, i.e. as an attached Word document.

24 Burrator Beacon BURRATOR GROUPED PARISH COUNCIL List of Members and Telephone Numbers (Area Code 01822) Meavy Village Walkhampton Village Bridget Cole 854810 Graham Palmer 852524 Pauline Fisk 854853 Andrew Paskins 853377 Tricia Powell 854859 Barry Landick 852142 Meavy Dousland Walkhampton Dousland Brian Willis 853901 Corinna Legassick 852613 852613

Jackie Moorhead 854800 Richard Glanville 855914

2x vacancies Robin Aves 852904 1 vacancy

Sheepstor Clerk to Council Keith Scrivener 854518 Mrs Lucie Luke 614278 The Apartment, The Old Stephen Hopson 852979 Bedford Foundry, Lakeside Tavistock, PL19 0AZ Email: [email protected] Published and issued quarterly, free of charge by Burrator Parish Council. The next edition will be published end of February. Copy deadline Tuesday February 5th 2019. Copy to be sent to the Editor, Mrs Karen Batson, 10 Blackbrook Close, Walkhampton PL20 6JF Tel 855030 email: [email protected] as a Word attachment. If you require this publication in large text please contact the editor: Karen Batson on 855030 Burrator Parish Council is a body which complies with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Contact the Clerk, Mrs. Lucie Luke for specific details about parish business. Advertising: Local events are publicised free of charge. Businesses and clubs and societies (which have membership fees) can advertise in the Beacon and should contact the Editor for advertising rates. A note to advertisers: Please check your adverts as they appear in each issue. Every effort is made to include the correct information at the time of going to press, but omissions can result where adverts are sometimes moved around in order to fit new articles in. Burrator Web Site: The Burrator Parish Website is http://burrator.gov.uk/ You can find details of meetings plus other information. The opinions expressed in the Burrator Beacon are not necessarily those held by Burrator Parish Council. Every effort is made to ensure that information in these pages is accurate. However, the Council cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. Including information does not imply recommendation and any subsequent contact is made at readers' own risk. Burrator Beacon 25