The free newsletter of the Tamar Valley AONB Summer 2013 Mining Heritage Cordiale and Tackling plant Project update beyond invaders Culmination of ten Simon Bates Tamar Invasive years’ hard work reports Group fights back Pages 4-5 Page 16-17 Pages 18-19 Tamar Valley Food Hubs launch at Tavistock College A new way to buy Tamar Valley produce has been launched in Tavistock. Similar to a veg box scheme and online supermarket, its range is growing to include fresh veg, meat and fish, locally made crisps, fudge, puddings, cakes, juices and cordials, flowers and gifts. Household items, fairtrade and organic wholefoods are also supplied by Essential Trading co-operative. Members can place an order bee-keeping and orchard online or over the phone for their management. weekly shop. The order is ready to collect on Fridays from 3.00pm Tamar Valley Food Hubs to 4.30pm at Tavistock College, has been generously funded where there will be a mixed by the Tamar Valley AONB’s produce stall for buying last Cordiale project. For further minute items and trying out new details, to sign up as a customer products. The aim is to shorten or find out more about supplying the supply chain between the project, visit www.tamar producer and consumer and valleyfoodhubs.org.uk ■ reduce costs for shoppers, as the group will be buying as whole. Find out more about Tamar Grow Local’s activities on Free delivery is available to pages 22-23. Harrowbarrow and Metherell (see the website for all delivery *The Cordiale project was selected under the European Cross-border information). There will also be Cooperation Programme INTERREG opportunities for members to IV A France (Channel) – England, visit producers and take part in and co-funded by the ERDF. food-related courses such as The free newsletter of the Tamar Valley AONB Welcome The sun shone on lots of smiling The most poignant event for me in faces at the official opening of the those 10 years was when the HLF Tamar Trails Centre, grandees visited… Gulworthy, on 28th March. Contents We met at Kilworthy Park in Tamar Valley Food Hub 1 A celebration after 10 years of hard Tavistock, and we played it low Welcome 2 work, frustration and delivery of the key… in fact very low key, as we Your local Tamar Valley Centre 3 mammoth Tamar Valley Mining Heritage knew that overdoing it with the HLF Ten-year Mining Heritage Project. For the Tamar Valley AONB can be suicidal. We then headed to Project opens up Valley for all 4 team and all involved, it was a real Morwellham for lunch. It was a cold, Spring Trail Festival 5 sense of ‘We’ve done it!’, with the dull, December day and we were all TVAONB Management Plan 6 papers approved and signed off by sat around the large kitchen table New views of the Tamar 7 the Heritage Lottery Fund. eating beef stew (no veggie option Coombe Trenchard - in those days) and boiling hot red a model estate 8 The ironic thing for me was how cabbage. We did not talk about the Port Eliot’s heritage award 9 few of those initially involved with Project, but the rare three-sided Heritage exhibition on tour 9 the Project were there to celebrate rush, the Heath Fritillary butterfly and the Greater Horseshoe bat whose Saving the Heath Fritillary 10 this completion; the question was asked and, of the 70 gathered, only colony had been recently found by Events Calendar 11 around 4 of us raised our hands. Rosemary Teverson ¾ mile Local Train Times 14 underground in an adit! Supporting our valued The idea was actually mooted when volunteers 15 Alison Sherrell was Countryside So, in tribute to absent friends and Cordiale and beyond 16 Officer, and then taken forward by colleagues; without their input, there Tackling plant invaders 18 Tim Selman with staff seconded from would have been no Project. You Invasive Plant Facts 19 Cornwall and Devon Councils. Much were missed and remembered for Landscapes For Life encouragement also came from a your efforts and the huge amount of Conference 2013 20 great range of local groups who set volunteering. My Environment website 20 the positive need for such a scheme. Shamrock’s voyages of This was well supported by West Such input turned the heads of the orchard discovery 21 Devon’s Council Members, Christine HLF and now we have access, new Fieldwalking in the Valley 21 Grills and Robin Pike, followed by facilities and a fascinating area to Friends of the Tamar Valley 21 the huge push of the Cornish Mining explore, enjoy and celebrate in what Tamar Grow Local 22 WHS inscription led by Barry ever way you find suits your needs, Sally has her nose to the Gamble and Deborah Boden. from tree surfing to cycling, horse grindstone at Cotehele Mill 24 riding to dog walking, or just soaking New book helps children up what was and is now. Please discover wildlife 24 partake and encourage others to do so. More from us... As ever, Produced by Tamar Valley AONB – Sign up to receive monthly e-bulletins 01822 835030 from the Tamar Valley AONB – a great Charlotte Dancer, way to keep up-to-date with progress of [email protected] projects and calls for volunteers in Editorial support: Rowena Millar, between issues of The Valley newsletter. Natural Word Please visit www.tamarvalley.org.uk Design: PED - Paul Eustice Design Print: Pepper Communications Ltd. and click on ‘News’ to sign up This newsletter has been printed on Follow us: 100% recycled paper. Please pass this Cllr Neil Burden newsletter on to a friend before recycling. TVAONB @TVAONB Chair, Tamar Valley AONB Partnership 2 www.tamarvalley.org.uk The free newsletter of the Tamar Valley AONB Your local Tamar Valley Centre Fantastic exhibition opportunities are on offer at the Centre at Drakewalls, near Gunnislake. Would you like to hire this space? The home of the Tamar Valley from the AONB and surrounding while the windows and doors let in AONB offices, Calstock Parish area wherever possible. large amounts of natural light. Council and Calstock Parish The Centre was designed as a low A meeting room is also available Archive also has a beautiful energy, zero fossil emission to hire, with full conferencing exhibition area where artists and building and meets the Zero facilities. ■ photographers can exhibit their Emission Development (ZED) work. standards. All exhibitions are charged on a commission basis. For room hire Set in attractive natural Inside is a unique and interesting charges, please contact Becki by surroundings, the Tamar Valley space to exhibit both traditional emailing bookings@tamarvalley. Centre is a modern building for and modern artwork. White panels org.uk. Visit www.tamarvalley. a modern age. The robust can be set up to provide a clean, org.uk for further information. materials used, both inside and fuss-free background, allowing out, were sourced and supplied viewers to flow around exhibitions, Events at the Tamar Valley Centre this summer Cornwall Open Studios variety of projects. Suitable for all levels of Drawn to the Valley Sat 25th May – Sun 2nd June experience, you will be inspired and guided Open Studios 10am – 4pm, FREE to create something spectacular by local Sat 31st August - Artists and craftspeople from jewellery designer/maker Karen Gronow. Sun 8th September all over Cornwall throw open the doors Cost includes all materials and refreshments 11am – 4pm, FREE to their studios for a week at the start of (please bring lunch). Booking essential: This event allows local summer. The event showcases the best email [email protected] or call artists to profile their art the county has to offer, breaking the (01822) 835030. new work. The Centre will once again mould of traditional Cornish art, with host the work of four local artists. This is visitors able to see a range of Peninsular Imaging – a regular feature in the regional calendar, contemporary work from the diverse Photographic Exhibition in which art lovers can meet artists within pool of resident artists. Sat 20th July – Sun 28th July their studios or exhibition space to An opportunity to admire a discuss their work. Jewellery Workshop great selection of photographs Sat 8 June inspired by the local landscape 10.30am – 4pm, and local people. £45 per person Make your own jewellery, choosing from a www.tamarvalley.org.uk 3 The free newsletter of the Tamar Valley AONB Ten-year Mining Heritage Project has opened up the Valley for all The opening of the new Tamar Trails Centre at Gulworthy on by a specially made bridge), 28th March marked the culmination of a massive ten year adits, shafts, wheel pits and programme of conservation, renovation and interpretation former leats. As well as mining work; the Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project. The result features, the route affords of the £7 million project is that people of all ages can enjoy dramatic views over the Tamar. 25km of trails through this part of the Valley, which incorporates historic sites and exciting leisure activities. The Devon Great Consols Trail continues south to Morwell Rock The tracks and trails remaining structures around the and Morwellham Quay. A new track Extensive work along the Tamar arsenic processing complex at the leading down to the Tavistock Canal Trails has made spectacular vistas, centre of the site (now a Scheduled provides a link for cyclists and horse fascinating historical remains and Monument) have been consolidated riders from Morwell Rock to natural heritage accessible, from and made accessible, and the former Morwellham Quay and on to Scrub Tor south of Horsebridge mine office houses an interpretation Maddacleave, via a new bridge down to Morwellham and Weir Quay.