| HORSE RIDING HOLIDAYS - DOONE VALLEY TREKKING, CLOUD FARM, EXMOOR |
Horse Riding in the beautiful Lorna Doone Valley and surrounding moors |
DOONE VALLEY TREKKING
Cloud Farm
Oare, Lynton, North Devon EX35 6NU
Tel 01598 741234
www.doonevalleytrekking.co.uk
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Accreditation: VistBritain***
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Holidays at Cloud Farm - Doone Valley Trekking |
Rides from dawn until dusk all the year round through the stunning scenery of Exmoor's legendary Doone Valley. Horse riding and riding holidays for all ages and levels in Exmoor's most beautiful valley, hills and moors.
Riding Exmoor with us is an unforgettable experience - spectacular wooded river valleys, rolling hills and sweeping moorland make for the most memorable horse riding you'll find anywhere. The beautiful Doone Valley lies in one of only three remaining officially-designated "truly tranquil areas" of Great Britain, and our years of experience have proved that after riding Exmoor here you'll never want to ride anywhere else! Indeed, more and more want to return here for our Exmoor riding holidays. |
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Doone Valley Trekking
Miles of unspoilt countryside lie on the doorstep of our Doone Valley Trekking centre at Cloud Farm. The bridleways are excellent and there are no roads, making it easy and relaxing to ride through the idyllic landscape made legendary by the romantic novel, Lorna Doone.
All Levels of Riders Welcome
We cater for all levels of riding experience. Since we can take tiny children on our tiny ponies and huge dads on our huge horses, we can offer the most enjoyable, relaxed adult riding, family riding and childrens riding in the most idyllic of Devon landscapes.All our rides start from our Cloud Farm riding stables and are escorted through valley and open moorland, and experienced riders made ride out on their own if they wish to.
Horse Holidays
We also offer exceptional value, easy-going, 'Ride when you want' horse riding holidays, riding weekends and short breaks with self-catering accommodation in our comfortable, well-equipped farmhouse cottages at Cloud Farm. And there's plenty to keep the non-riding members of the party occupied too!
We are open 7 days a week, all year round.
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Accommodation at Cloud Farm |
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The Exmoor Riding Holidays, Riding Weekends and Short Breaks that we offer are high quality and excellent value. We believe that when you're on a riding holiday, you should be able to 'ride when you're ready', and not when the programme demands it. So riding with us is above all else relaxing, and can be fitted into your day when YOU want. Both the pace of your holiday and the level of riding, be it gentle novice steps on the lower valley paths, or exhilarating hacking over the moors, is entirely up to you.
We offer the following breaks, based on 2 sharing* in one of our comfortable three VisitBritain 3 star self-catering farmhouse cottage accommodations**
2 nights plus 8 hours riding... from £199
3 nights plus 12 hours riding... from £299
7 nights with the equivalent of up to 4 hours riding per day...from £499
Our Weekend Riding Breaks normally run from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.
And if you prefer to bring your own horse, that's fine...stabling and grazing are available here at Cloud Farm.
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The Doone Valley and Surrounding Area |
The Doone Valley lies tucked into the northern flank of Exmoor and is a remarkable place in its beauty and peacefulness. Officially designated in 2004 by the Council for the Protection of Rural England as one of only three remaining 'truly tranquil' places in England, the whole area around our centre at Cloud Farm gives riders the perfect opportunity to really 'get-away-from-it-all.' From the tumbling streams to the high moors, the abundance of wildlife, such as buzzards, otters, red deer, herons, lizards, kingfishers, curlew and many rare plants, also shows quite vividly that the area is both remote and undisturbed by human activity. A perfect place to ride and feel the breath of the countryside. And there are no roads!
This vast area encompasses a wide variety of horse riding terrains, from wooded river valleys to rolling hills and sweeping moorlands. This in itself means that there is scope for riders of all abilities, even beginners, to enjoy themselves. An hour's meander along the riverside paths up the main valley will present the novice rider with little more than a few gentle inclines, and a wonderfully relaxing ride. However, the position of Cloud, half a mile along our own private drive (which visitors are free to use), means that more experienced riders can hack straight from the doorstep out into hills and up onto the moors. The views from the uplands such as Malmsmead Hill, Great Black Hill, Withycombe Ridge and Brendon Common are truly breath-taking, but so is the shaded and protective splendour of the valley paths through Badgworthy Wood and Deerpark. And deciding where you'd like to go is very straightforward, as the whole area is well served by good, clearly-marked bridleways.
The Lorna Doone Legend
Of course, the area does still resound to the echoes of the Lorna Doone legend and it is easy to ride from Cloud Farm around many of the landmarks made famous by the book. The moors over which the Ridds and Doones rode in the novel still provide an exhilarating ride today. There is even a bridleway going directly over the hill from Cloud and down to the beautiful and ancient Oare Church.
Ride at any time of the year...
The area should, and can, be ridden at all times of the year in order to see and feel the land in all its many moods and guises. The only word of caution we would sound here is that the rapid changes from sun to mist, cloud and rain instantly can give the landscape a stark and eerie desolation. The experienced rider might well see this as the perfect chance to feel the elements unhindered; novices and others might well see it as an excellent time to tuck up by the fire in one of Cloud's cosy cottages, or have a lunch or cream tea in the tearoom. The weather can be a little unpredictable, but one thing, however, is certain here ... one ride is never enough.
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The Rides |
Rides 7 days a week, all year round
We have rides going out 7 days a week, all year round. You can ride with us at literally any time from dawn 'til dusk (and in some instances beyond!). All of our rides go out as escorted small groups or individuals, although we will willingly take out large parties. Experienced riders may ride out on their own. We cater for every level of rider, from total beginner just plucking up courage through to three-day eventers. We currently offer three levels of non-mixed ability rides: Novice, Semi-experienced and Experienced. Hats are supplied.
Book a Speciality Ride...
Our horses and guides know the terrain very well and there is a sure-footedness to our rides which goes a very long way to making all our rides, be they a slow walk up the valley or a full galloping hack over the moors, relaxing, safe and enjoyable. And there is no road work at all! We have one hour daytime rides going out every hour each day, plus one two hour ride going out each morning and afternoon. Or, if you want, you can ride out for three or four hours at a time.
We also have Speciality Rides, including Picnic Rides, Dawn Rides and Evening rides, and (for experienced riders) we do Moonlight Rides which draw the rider into a closeness with the landscape and wildlife that is truly unforgettable.
Turn up and ride...
All of the above rides are bookable by phone or email, but we've found that many people tend to make 'spur of the moment' decisions when it comes to wanting a ride, particularly if the Exmoor weather does one of its sudden about-turns and does away with the rain that had been forecast to last all day! So, you can 'Turn up and Ride'. The only proviso we put on this is that there might be a short wait while we get the horses ready, as we do not keep our animals tacked up unnecessarily. However, there is plenty to do here at Cloud Farm, including a tearoom and gardens which does superb snacks, lunches, cream teas and refreshments, so time passes very easily. We have up to five one hour impromptu rides going out each day.
The pictures cannot do the landscape justice; once you've ridden here, you'll want to keep coming back! |
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The Horses |
Horses for all ages, sizes and levels of rider
We currently have a stable of 30 hand-picked, quality horses. They range from little Shetlands to huge Ardennes, from cobs to thoroughbreds. The reason for such a range is simple. It means we can accommodate not only any age and size of rider, we can also match the horse with the experience of the rider. We have the perfect horses for complete beginners, as well as the right mount for someone experienced in cross-country hacking.
All our well-mannered, friendly horses are fit, and all know the variety of terrains found in the valleys and moors around us. We consider that sure-footedness of paramount importance in giving all of our clients a relaxed, enjoyable ride.
Why not bring your own horse?
We also recognize that some riders find it hard to be parted from their horses...So, why not bring your own horse? We have plenty of stabling and grazing available at Cloud Farm, and the horses that do come certainly seem to love it here!
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The Facilities |
We have on-site a whole range of facilities which will help make your visit even more enjoyable.
The Tearoom
There is a tearoom which serves everything from hot and cold snacks and refreshments to breakfasts, lunches and cream teas. Many riders find a visit here the perfect way to either end or start their day. The gardens overlook Cloud Hill and the sweep of the landscape down the valley towards Malmsmead. The whole atmosphere is one of total relaxation and peace.
The Shop
The shop also sells food and drink and everday grocery supplies, and has an off-licence, though this is probably best sampled after the riding!
Facilities
Given the unpredictable nature of the Exmoor weather, riders are welcome to use the excellent hot shower and toilet facilities (a new block was completed in summer 2004), and we also offer tumble-drying facilities.
Car Parking and Telephones
There is plenty of car-parking space and a public telephone - very useful since we are tucked away in the valley and most peoples' mobile phones will not work here!
Vet and Farrier
For riders bringing their own horses, we also have an excellent vet and farrier to hand should they be needed.
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CONTACT
DOONE VALLEY TREKKING - CLOUD FARM
 CLICK HERE to email
[email protected]
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DOONE VALLEY TREKKING
Cloud Farm
Oare, Lynton, North Devon EX35 6NU
Tel 01598 741234
www.doonevalleytrekking.co.uk
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Approaching from the South-West
The best approach is via Barnstaple, though be warned, its ring road isn't really one! It can take quite some time to get around all its islands, especially at peak holiday times. The town is prone to seize up with anything slightly more than normal traffic. The A39 turning to Lynton lies to the west of Barnstaple, and comes off the A361 Ilfracombe road. About 30 mins along the road, you will come to the first (Barbrook) turning to Lynton. We would recommend that you take this turning, go down into Lynmouth and come back out on the A39 signposted to Porlock and Minehead. From there follow the directions given above.
However, the more intrepid amongst you might like to continue past Barbrook and on to the Simonsbath crossroads approximately 2 miles down the road. Go straight over the junction following signs to Rockford, Brendon and Leeford and from there descend into the East Lyn River valley. This is a gorgeous drive, but the road is often single-track and you do need to be accomplished at reversing! Directly after Brendon, lies Malmsmead, and just over the Packhorse Bridge is the right turning to Cloud Farm.
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How to Find Cloud Farm
Approaching via the M5 - There are four options when coming off the M5
Route 1. You can leave at Junctions 23 or 24 and come on the A39 via Bridgewater, Minehead and Porlock (and up the hill!). It would normally take you about 1 hour to get to the Doone Valley via this route. It is a relatively easy drive, but can get clogged up in Bridgewater, and the drive can spin out to nearer 2 hours.
Route 2. You can leave at Junction 25 and come through Taunton, though this can often lead to hold-ups – Taunton on weekends and bank holidays is to be avoided at all costs! This route up the A358 to the A39 at Williton is generally no quicker than going through Bridgewater.
Route 3. You can leave at Junction 26 and come through Wellington. From there it's a drive across country and through some enchanting small villages, first via the B3187 to Milverton and Wiveliscombe, then via the B3186 to the crossroads just before Elworthy. Up to here it's a slowish and sometimes twisty drive, taking about 20 minutes. From here however, it is a remarkable quick, and beautiful, drive to the Doone Valley. At the Elworthy crossroads turn left and follow the B3224 to Wheddon Cross; from here continue straight on to Exford. At the green in Exford take a right turn up the hill past the Post Office, bear right and then left at the next two juctions and thence follow the signs to Porlock. This is a wonderful drive as it takes you through the heart of the Exmoor National Park, over cattle grids, through pony and sheep-dotted moorland and onto the main A39 at the top of Porlock Hill. This whole journey can take as little as 40 minutes, and even in busy times it is relatively uncluttered with traffic.
Route 4. The final option is to come off the M5 at Junction 27 and come on the A361 onto the Tiverton by-pass. Then turn up the A396 and go either directly to Wheddon Cross and Exford as described above, or cut off the A396 onto the B3222 to Dulverton (a lovely place), and thence via the B3223 to Exford. This will take you about the same time as option 3.
Whichever way you come, once on the A39 top road, it's straightforward to get to Cloud Farm and the Doone Valley. The turning from the A39 down into the valley area is marked by a signpost to Oare and the Doone Valley, but be warned it's a small, easily-missed turning. If you do overshoot, there's the County Gate carpark to turn round in some 400yds (sorry, metres) further on! You will descend into the valley area and come to Oare. Turn right at Oare Church and follow the road for about 1 mile (oh alright... 1.5 km) until you come to the clearly marked driveway entrance on the left to Cloud Farm. You have ARRIVED. Don't worry... familiarity, as you return year after year, will soon make the journey seem like second nature!
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