The February 2012 edition of Country file features the Wye Valley

The February 2012 edition of Countryfile magazine has a major article on the Wye Valley.  We may be biased but it is well worth reading.  In adition to the article Countryfile TV programmme will cover the Wye Valley on Sunday 22 January.

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Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Visitor Guide

The 2012 edition of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Visitor Guide is now available.

• Download a copy
• Order a copy to be sent by post

The guide lists places to stay, things to do, places to eat etc.  Most of this information, and more, can be found on our website.

Helen and Roger Wynn with the Visit Wales Gold Award

Wilton Court Hotel Restaurant with Rooms in Ross-on-Wye has achieved yet more recognition in the announcement of the prestigious Gold Award in Visit Wales List of Accommodation 2012. The news follows just a matter of weeks after Wilton Court picked up the Visit of Herefordshire Restaurant of the Year award.

The latest Visit Wales Gold Award recognises and rewards outstanding quality, exceptional comfort and hospitality. In addition to delivering a consistently high standard, properties must also demonstrate their commitment to training and accessibility

On hearing of Wilton Court’s latest success owner, Roger Wynn, said,

“My wife, Helen, and I are very honoured to be judged amongst the best in Wales for the fourth year running. Our team all work incredibly hard and I am thrilled for them that all their dedication is recognised by a much coveted award. It is their impeccable attention to the smallest of detail and their enthusiasm for ensuring that we consistently exceed the expectations of our guests.”

Volunteers holding the award for the Best Local Food Retailer in the prestigious BBC Food and Farming Awards

Brockweir and Hewelsfield Village Shop has been named Best Local Food Retailer in the prestigious BBC Food and Farming Awards.   Brockweir is in the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean close to Cheptow.

The event, cited by Jamie Oliver as the “Oscars of the food world”, brings together Britain’s best food and drink producers, farmers, local retailers and food markets, street food cooks and dinner ladies. The Brockweir shop was set up seven years ago by local people after the last existing shop in the village closed. It is staffed by over 40 volunteers, as well as a full-time manager and book-keeper.

The awards ceremony, hosted by presenter Sheila Dillon, was broadcast on Friday November 25 in an extended edition of Radio 4’s The Food Programme.  The programme will be repeated on Christmas morning.  The BBC describes the Best Local Food Retailer award as celebrating all those local shops that make our lives more delicious, from butchers and farm shops to bakers and delis.  The trophy was presented by Valentine Warner, TV cook and author to Alison Macklin, manager of Brockweir Village Shop, who was accompanied on stage by four regular shop volunteers, wearing their blue aprons. Asked by Sheila Dillon what advice she would give to other villagers faced with the closure of their last local shop, Alison replied: “Don’t wait for someone else to do it. Just get on and do it yourselves.”

Full story from Mike Topp.

Coldwell Rocks at Symonds Yat taken by Linda Wright

We are not a boastful lot in the Wye Valley. We are used to people waxing lyrical about the landscape, the river, the views, the history, the fine food and the welcome to be found in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and we have earned a fair number of accolades throughout 2011.

These included the Best River in England and Wales, the Nation’s Favourite Park for The Old Station Tintern and top restaurant in Wales for the Crown at Whitebrook to name but a few.

We were however delighted to hear that the Wye Valley Walk has earned third place behind Hadrian’s Wall and the West Highland Way in the Countryfile Magazine Awards for the Britain’s Greatest Walking Trails.

The awards were launched in the April issue of Countryfile Magazine and featured 10 categories, from conservation projects and food heroes to walks and trails and our finest nature reserves. In each of the ten categories, a panel of experts drew up a shortlist of candidates. The awards were then voted for by readers of the magazine and members of the public via post, email and on the Countryfile Magazine website,

The Wye Valley Walk, a 136 mile walk from Chepstow to Plynlimon through some of the finest river lndscapes in the British Isles, is managed by a partnership from the Wye Valley AONB, Monmouthshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Powys  County Councils and have redcently brought out a new amended official guide to this Walk through the well known trail guide
publishers Cicerone.

Tara Chettle with her mother Lisa Chettle testing out the new launch at Ross on Wye

Innovative canoe launches were officially opened at Ross on Wye and Kerne Bridge recently.  The project, funded by the Advantage West Midlands Natural Assets fund through Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Wye Valley AONB Sustainable Development Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund and developed in partnership with Herefordshire Council, is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.

The unique designs by EPD-UK offer better access for canoeists with disabilities. Although the canoe launches aren’t fully Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant they will allow more people with disabilities to get to the water and offer a safe and robust area for all who wish to savour the delights of canoeing this stretch of the River Wye.

As well as the major facelift, the launch sites have also had new interpretation boards erected detailing information about the sites. This interpretation reflects the two new publications designed for the project which are available to all canoeists and canoe hire operators.  The first, an updated and colourful Canoeists Code of Conduct, will target all users of the Wye with information about how to use the river correctly and with regard to other users. The second, Perfect Paddling, is a waterproof guide to all the sections of the Wye with maps and useful information about the landscape, history and
heritage of the area. This is intended for canoe providers and designed to be placed in a waterproof pocket in each canoe to give the user a much richer experience whilst paddling along the Wye.

Dane Broomfield  the Lower Wye and Herefordshire Land and Water Team Leader from the Environment Agency stated ‘”We are delighted that in line with our vision for navigation on the Wye, improved canoe access is being delivered by partner projects like this one. Working with  these partners has been very rewarding.  We hope these facilities will give the opportunity for a broader
cross-section of people the chance to enjoy the river and local environment”.

Chris Hawkesworth , the Planning and Facilities Manager for Canoe England  praised the new launches

These new innovative access facilties on the Wye are the first anywhere in the country whereby disabled and able canoeists can take their craft to the water’s edge.  Just passaging on the river between the two landings at Ross and Kerne opens up a whole new world for the disabled paddler. If these can be replicated elsewhere it would be fantastic and would enable paddlers of all abilities to enjoy the river environment. A great big well done to the Environment Agency, the Wye Valley AONB, Designer Andy Laird and to all concerned from Canoe England.

For more information or details about  the two launch sites and how to obtain your copies of these publications please contact Andrew Nixon, Wye Valley Development Officer on 01600 710841. Email development@wyevalleyaonb.org.uk

Dean Heritage Centre

On Saturday 15th October, Lord Melvyn Bragg visited the Dean Heritage Centre (DHC) to show his support of the planned Dennis Potter archive and exhibition which will open at the heritage site in 2012.

Following an appearance at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Lord Bragg enjoyed a packed visit at the centre and met with all the partners involved in the project including Voices in the Forest, the University of Gloucestershire, the Rural Media Company and Lakers School, before taking a tour of the site and viewing a small selection of the archive.

The DHC, in partnership with ‘Voices in the Forest’ and the University of Gloucestershire, secured £120,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and £30,000 match funding from the Local Action Group (LAG) to purchase, preserve and display the Dennis Potter archive at the heritage centre. Potters’ work is an important aspect of the history and heritage of the local area and the HLF grant meant that it was not lost to a private collection or overseas.

The Potter archive has a huge significance to Lord Bragg as Dennis Potter spoke openly to Bragg about his life and work in his final television interview in 1994 before his death from cancer a few weeks later.  Commenting on Potter, Bragg said: “I think the idea of using the archive as a launching pad, irrigating the appetites of the young people of the area, is as good as it gets really. I couldn’t think of a better way to employ it, rather than it being something to be stared at. Taking it on the way that you are doing is very imaginative, it’s the sort of thing that Dennis would have been extremely happy with”

Bragg and Potter followed similar life paths and came from working class, tight knit communities and both attended Oxford universities, although in separate colleges.

Bragg continued: ‘We were both keenly aware of the importance of “place” and where we grew up and were both drawn back to it in our different ways because it was home but also because we wanted people to know about it.’

Bragg has been patron of ‘Voices in the Forest’ since 2004 and Voices’ co-founder, Rich Daniels said: ‘We felt it was important for the archive to be at the Dean Heritage Centre. The Potter archive is of such international, national and local significance, the Forest of Dean and specifically the Dean Heritage Centre is the right place for it to be”. The plan is to conserve it by using it as a living archive, not just putting it away in a cupboard.’

Jason Griffiths and Dr Joanne Garde-Hansen from the University of Gloucestershire will use the archive as a tool for students and researchers. Jason will develop an audio guide with radio production students as part of their studies that will then be used at the centre by visitors. While Joanne will be supervising postgraduate research on the Potter archive’s relationship with the community and explore how the DHC attract visitors and sustain visitor numbers using tools such as events, festivals, exhibitions and learning opportunities.

Rachel and Adrian Lambert from The Rural Media Company will use the archive for their work with students at Lakers school. They will be using what they learn from Dennis Potter’s work to document their very own Forest of Dean life in the 21st century. Adrian Lambert, Creative Director at the RMC said “We’re extremely pleased to be part of this very exciting project. Dennis Potter was a true visionary and his work and legacy deserves to be celebrated in this way, in the place and with the people that played such an important part in his life and career.”

Commenting on the partnership venture, Alison Elliot, head teacher of Lakers school said: ‘Using the Potter literature will help the school children with their aspirations. These sorts of projects are the ones that help them to feel powerful within their own environment.’

The Potter collection comprises material spanning several decades of his writing career, and incorporates typewritten, handwritten or copies of scripts, notebooks and production documentation of his plays. It also includes well known works and unpublished works, initial drafts and final scripts.

The Dennis Potter Archive is an important historical archive but the DHC would also like it to become a living, lasting legacy by including memories, memorabilia and artefacts from people in the local area who either knew, worked with or have recollections of time with Potter.

Alan Stringer with two of his 40 black and white prints

It has taken local photographer, Alan Stringer, over a year to create a social landmark for Ross-on-Wye in the form of a photographic record of local business and their owners in the town.

His work is to be displayed in Ross-on-Wye library from Saturday 22^nd October.

Although winner of numerous National and International medals and awards Alan still describes himself as an ‘enthusiastic amateur’ photographer and despite the lure of the digital age he still prefers to use black and white film and develop and print in his own darkroom.

“We are fully supportive of Alan Stinger and his tireless efforts to persuade local business owners to allow him to photograph them at work.” said Mike Morgan of Mike Morgan Media, the Press Officer for the Association of Ross Traders. “Having already viewed Alan’s work I’m convinced that the complete portfolio is going to be the makings of an iconic milestone in the history of Ross-on-Wye.”

An exhibition of Alan Stringer’s 40 black and white photographic ‘portraits’ of business life in Ross-on-Wye will be on display in the new exhibition area at Ross library from Saturday 22^nd October to
Saturday 12^th November. Ross library is open Monday to Saturday and is located in Cantilupe Road, Ross-on-Wye, HR9 7AN.  Entry to the library and the exhibition is free.

An exhibition of wildlife paintings at Taurus Crafts

The Natural World an exhibition showing at Taurus Crafts Garden room is on show to the public daily from 8^th October until 23^rd October 2011.

Jackie Cox –artist and tutor of the group says:

The theme of The Natural World this was prompted by the fact that so many of the group were choosing animal and  floral themes. I felt their work was so good that it deserved a wider audience than the one we have at our local village hall.   The group has been going for many years and used to be run by the Royal Forest of Dean College. In 2003 I took over the teaching and when the college no longer put the class on we decided to form a group and carry on.

It’s a great exhibition, showing that practice does make perfect and how living in a rural haven like the Forest of Dean can provide plenty of inspiration.

The Old Station, Tintern

A few days after the Old Station at Tintern was voted the UK’s favourite park we received this poem the Revd Preben Andesoon which very nicely summarises this tranquil spot.

Just past the majestic Body of the Abbey with 900 years of history

whispering to the soul

lies the Old Station tranquil, remote, yet quite within reach, awaiting our visit,

our ultimate goal.

Where else can you park for hours on end for 70 p, meander and dream

enjoy an ice cream

take the dog for a walk, on the field with the sheep, and the valley beneath

and the hillside across

let the children run wild on the swings and the slide with the calm and the peace

and the utter release

from the stress and the woes

here everything goes.

A trip on the train for a pound go for miles

the chatter the smiles

the feeling of space yet away from the race

of everyday life

hand in hand with your wife.

We love this oasis of beauty and wonder, the treats there on offer

the never commercial warm invitation

to come round and see

and simply to be!

And on the way home, refreshed and recharged

the Abbey looms tall with the memories clear of an age dead and gone

and yet so alive as we treasure the contrast with where we have been

at the Station in Tintern where life carries on

and the valley is green.