Burrator

BEACON Summer 2013

The Virtual Burrator Project – See page 18

2 Burrator Beacon

Editorial – Karen Batson

In the last issue, there was news of the clean-up operation in Walkhampton after the

exceptionally wet weather. Well, more cleaning up has been taking place in Walkhampton

recently. A group of five residents, armed with litter pickers and donned in high vis jackets

and gloves, spent a couple of hours picking up litter from hedgerows and the some of the

roads in the village. Amazingly, in that short time, four large black sacks were filled. We

should be proud of the beautiful environment we live in and it’s such a shame that it gets

spoilt by litter (of a very diverse kind!) Litter pickers can be hired free of charge, along

with high–vis jackets and gloves, from the West Devon Borough Council offices at

Kilworthy Hill in Tavistock. So if you think your village needs a bit of a spruce-up, why

not consider doing your bit for the environment? We’d love to hear about any future

initiatives of this kind...

Don’t forget to keep sending in your news and forthcoming dates (articles of interest from

individuals welcome as well as from local groups). The next issue of the Beacon will be

published at the end of August, so the deadline for submissions to the Autumn issue will

be Tuesday 6th

August, at the latest. That issue will cover the autumn months up until the

end of November. Please send all submissions as attachments.

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.

A Message from Mrs Frances Courtier, Meavy:

‘I would like to thank everyone for making my Birthday afternoon so enjoyable. For the

lovely flowers and plants and also a big thank you for the sum of £110 which is going to

Little Harbour Hospice for Children.’

John Boylett Electrical Services The Smithy, Meavy, Yelverton. PL20 6PJ. Tel: 01822 853456 / 07748 513469

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Burrator Beacon 3

Parish Clerk’s Report – Lucie Luke

The refurbishment of the benches on Meavy Green have been completed with thanks to

John Stickland.

Councillors have been pursuing a Community Speedwatch Scheme for the B3212 through

Dousland. Residents may have noticed that a data camera was erected by the Police, to

record the essential information to get the Scheme in place. The Data has showed that 73%

of vehicles, particulary in early morning, exceed the speed limit. Volunteers came forward

from the local Community, willing to be trained up for the Scheme however the Parish

Council are now informed that the Police currently do not have the resources (staff) to run

the Scheme at the present time. The Parish Council is hopefull that this is a temporary

shortage of resources and that this scheme will get in place at some time in the future.

A new boiler will shortly be installed at the Royal Oak Inn.

Many residents, of Dousland in particular, will have attended an Exhibition by Yennadon

Quarry, held at the Burrator Inn. This Exhibition has been held prior to the Quarry

submitting a Planning Application for an extension. When the Planning Application has

been submitted to Dartmoor National Park Authority, the Parish Council will be consulted.

In order for the Parish Council to prepare their comments and take on board the views of

the Community, a public meeting will be called at Walkhampton Memorial Hall. This will,

of course, be widely advertised when the time comes.

Burrator Parish Plan 2012 to 2016 – Annual Review and Update

The Burrator Parish Plan seeks to describe our local community, identify the aspirations

and issues of its people and, where practicable, put in place a set of planning goals that can

be delivered to support and improve our parish. The plan covers a 4-year period and its

contents reflect Parish-wide feedback gathered on a range of local topics. It was first

published in May 2012 and is subject to annual review in order to reflect any changes or

include new initiatives.

The proposed 2013 update is now available (Draft Version 2 – 2013 Update) on the Parish

Council website (http://burrator.gov.uk). The plan belongs to the people of Burrator and

every member of the community is encouraged to express their views freely and contribute

towards its on-going development. Comments on the current content plus any new areas or

ideas that you think should be included would be most welcome. The plan is administered

by the Parish Council and, following the feedback from this review, will be updated to

reflect that input and record progress against the planning goals.

It is requested that e-mail responses are forwarded to theclerk@burrator.gov.uk by 14

June 2013. If required, hard copies of the draft plan can be obtained from the Clerk (details

on the back page of the Beacon) and written responses returned by the above date.

4 Burrator Beacon

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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 Robert McIntosh 855523

Sheepstor Village Hall Trevor Rookes 853862

Walkhampton Memorial Hall Michael D’Oyly 852268

They will be able to advise you on availability, hire charges and terms & conditions of

hire.

St Mary's Church, Walkhampton

This historic Dartmoor Church will be open on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons,

between 2pm and 4pm, during June, July, August and September.

Stewards will be in attendance to help you enjoy your visit. There are leaflets for circular

walks from the Church for distances of 1, 3 and 5 miles.

Plenty of free parking and refreshments are available.

We look forward to seeing you.

Burrator Beacon 5

The Royal Oak Inn The Perfect Dartmoor Hideaway

For Drinking & Dining Meavy, Yelverton, Devon

Phone: (01822) 852944

Email: sjearp@aol.com

Web: www.royaloakinn.org.uk

If character is what you want from your visit then you’ll find no better place! 15th century Dartmoor Inn with exposed beams and original slate flooring.

The greatest care is taken to present a mouth-watering choice of traditional dishes with a modern twist. Only the best quality and, where possible, locally produced ingredients are produced. For the best drinking on Dartmoor join us in the bar next to the open log fire. We are renowned for the well-kept quality of our real ales, but if tradition is what you are after, then you must try our scrumpy cider. There is also a comprehensive wine list available

Windows, Doors and Conservatories

in quality UPVC

also UPVC fascia etc

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Units

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with insurance-backed guarantee Terry Wright

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Mob.: 07977 631776 Tel.: 01822 852275

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6 Burrator Beacon

West Dartmoor Federation: Lady Modiford’s and Meavy Schools

Gavin Hamilton – Executive Headteacher

It has again been a busy and exciting time for the children at Lady Modifords and Meavy

Primaries.

Both schools have been taking part in the cross country events run at several schools in the

area. All the children did exceptionally well and two in particular, Henry Varndell Dawes

and Jenny Millburn were of special merit. We would like to thank the hosts of these events

as a lot of hard work goes into the organisation to provide a great opportunity for local

children.

Meavy also held their traditional ‘Mad March Hair Day’ where children do crazy things

with their hair in order to raise money for an orphanage in Romania! This went very well

and we watched a video showing gifts being opened in Romania which the fund raising

helped to buy. Lady Modifords celebrated the end of ‘Fair Trade Week’ on the same day.

Children held a fair on the Friday afternoon and sold things that they had made during the

week. Both schools raised a princely sum and we would like to thank everyone who

supported us by parting with their money for these good causes.

On Saturday 2 March, both schools sent groups of children to take part in a concert at

Exeter Cathedral. Choristers from the cathedral had been working with the children over

several weeks on songs which we sang alongside several other school groups. The concert

was wonderful and the children all sang beautifully. There was hardly a dry eye in the

cathedral so good were the performances. I would like to thank the parents, Exeter

Cathedral Choristers and our hard working staff who gave up their Saturday to enable our

participation. I would also like to thank the children for giving us a fantastic concert.

Over the course of the last half term, the schools were audited by the Health and Safety

team and the financial auditors from the county. These happen every 3 years and make

sure the schools are safe places for us to be in. There are always minor areas where we can

improve and which are built into our action plans but on he whole both sites were very

pleased with the auditor’s findings.

There has also been a challenge issued by the children of Lady Modifords to the children

at Meavy. Mrs Wraighte (Lady Modifords) set the pupils the task of finding a photograph

of a famous building and then reproducing it with cocktail sticks, using Midget Gems

(sweets) as the vertices. The pupils at Meavy have the task of building better. This has

been a fun activity with its basis in good mathematics. Unfortunately the children made it

very clear I wasn’t to eat their constructions!!

The schools did not hold the traditional Easter services this year but brought home the

message in very interactive ways. The Lady Modifords children made crosses with their

Easter thoughts on them and carried them to the church behind a large cross. These have

now been displayed in the school. At Meavy the children celebrated Easter with Stations

of the Easter story. This was around our grounds and told the story in drama, dance, music

and prayer. Both services were very moving. Both schools were also involved in the

Exeter Cathedral Chorister outreach programme and the children sang beautifully in the

cathedral.

Burrator Beacon 7

The programme of activities for the Summer also looks very exciting. The newly

refurbished swimming pool changing rooms at Lady Modifords will be put to good use

and there are many joint activities planned.

Both schools took part in the area tag rugby finals and both acquitted themselves well.

Lady Modifords finished runners up to a very large school in South Tawton. It was a great

festival of rugby.

Walkhampton Fun Day and Vehicle Show – Peter Shapcott

This will be the 4

th Fun Day and Vehicle Show and will be held on Sunday the 8

th

September at the Walkhampton Village Hall.

This year promises to be bigger and better and we hope to add live music to the event. If

you would like to do a set please give me a ring.

We are looking forward to an interesting and varied collection of vehicles of all sorts. The

horticultural element is becoming a strong element of the day. This year we hope that there

will be demonstrations from some of the machines.

The Head Turners were a welcome addition to last year’s show and we hope to see more

this year. If you have a classic vehicle whether it be car, lorry, bus, motorcycle, tractor,

military, agricultural or, well you get the picture, we would love to see you.

There will of course be a bouncy castle , ice creams, stall, beer tent, barbecue, teas, cakes,

children’s races and well you get the picture.

If you would like to take part, help on the day, or just want to know what’s going on

please ring me.

Pete Shapcott - 855140

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8 Burrator Beacon

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Burrator Beacon 9

Yelverton & District Local History Society - Nigel Rendle

The Mariners' Way

John Risdon started his talk explaining how foreign trade blossomed after the Armada,

particularly between Devon & the US. However, so did the problems with Barbary pirates

who regularly plundered the return cargoes of both goods & slaves, around the South West

coast. It was because of these dangers & the hazardous rugged coastline that ships often

unloaded at Bideford & crew members made their own way across Devon to the port of

Dartmouth, hoping to catch a new ship - a route of 80 miles.

In 2008 John & a friend attempted to trace the route the mariners would have taken,

raising money for the RNLI on the way. His talk was accompanied by superb images of

their journey, interspersed with interesting humorous & historical anecdotes. The starting

point was Bideford, a very influential port in Elizabethan times thanks to people like

Raleigh & Grenville. This led them along the Tarka Trail following the Torridge & into

Torrington. Despite their frustrations at being unable to find anywhere open for a cup of

tea, they carried on through the ball clay areas of the Culm Measures into Hatherleigh, an

original Saxon town (originally part of the Buckland Abbey estate) , still busy with its

traditional sheep & cattle market.

After following the River Okement, they diverted to Okehampton, before travelling on

through Belstone & then the Taw Valley to Sticklepath & South Zeal - here unusually for

the trip so far, they found somewhere busy with a welcome stop at the local post office for

coffee! Then, continuing on past an overgrown red telephone box into Throwleigh with its

historic green lanes & the hamlet of Wonson - the pub here having adapted an old horse

box as a smoking shelter. Coming into the area of the Teign, the Mariners Way starts to be

marked for the first time with finger posts. A crossing of the East Bovey yielded a ford,

stepping stones & a clapper bridge. John's route took them past the historic 16th century

longhouse at Lettaford onto the fringes of the moor & the delightful, undisturbed farm of

West Coombe - here the Mariners Way is signed as going through the barn with its granite

drinking trough on the wall - clearly a place of rest for weary travellers heading across the

county.

A roast mutton & red wine supper awaited our modern twosome at Lower Hookner, before

another diversion across Hameldon, through Heathercombe & along the West Webburn to

Ponsworthy. Then at last the final major river of the journey - the Dart, to Newbridge (&

the inevitable ice cream) & Holne to Buckfastleigh. From the high moor above, the sea

was in sight. Spurning the main roads, they continued along the lanes to Dartington & into

Totnes with its 19th century Regency bridge. Here they did probably what the mariners of

old would have done & caught a boat to the destination of Dartmouth.

Today, not much of the Way is physically signed or annotated on maps & very little seems

to be known about the sailors who travelled its length. It is likely that some of them had

homes & maybe even wives & girlfriends along the way to break the journey, but some of

them may have travelled the whole route quickly across the county in search of their next

job of work. John & his friend covered the route in 5 days raising £800 for the RNLI - his

story made for an excellent talk.

10 Burrator Beacon

Devon Bench Ends

Dr. Todd Gray returned to our fold with what he described as one of his most difficult

research projects to date. Covering over 2,500 carvings & their associated social history,

he had visited all the 463 churches in Devon & also consulted numerous parish & church

court records, many of which had been damaged in the Exeter Blitz & therefore hard to

read. Devon is one of the leading centres in the country for these carved bench ends,

mostly made of oak, with 125 churches still possessing the benches (often called sedges).

He explained how attending church on Sundays was compulsory (before the Civil War) &

people were seated according to their public status, the higher the status the more

comfortable the seats, some sitting on just forms & stools towards the rear of the church,

others benefitting from designer benches at the front. Thus, they served as identifiers of

ownership, some even having their owner's initials or coats of arms engraved on them.

Amazingly, every church has different designs for their bench ends, carved only by local

Devon men, early images including the head of a Red Indian, a Bishop with his tongue

sticking out, & other curious faces. It was noted also that gravestones & roof bosses were

completely different to the bench designs.

Designs vary enormously, from the mythological to the evangelist symbols of lions &

bears, to snakes, frogs & angels, plain gothic tracery in East Devon & ornate Victorian in

Buckland Monachorum. Mid Devon benches show humorous warped images & faces,

figures in acrobatic poses, angels with bat wings & dinosaurs. North of Dartmoor we see

depictions of The Passion of Christ with saints, nailed feet & vinegar sponges, all possibly

associated with the Prayer Book rebellion of 1549. Clearly local village art & traditions

played a huge part in the designs, & trades such as farmers & ship merchants & their tools

evidenced in the variety. Special marks can often be seen on the benches representing the

tools used by the different craftsmen, of whom we know little.

Todd ended his talk expressing concern that with the modernisation of churches, these

superb examples of local craftsmanship & cultures are fast disappearing - very few

counties are left with the evidence of this part of our heritage.

Once again Todd entertained us with his in depth knowledge & fascination with a subject

not many others would attempt to discover & he did not disappoint. The number, variety

& quality of the questions from the audience at the end were a product of the interest that

he had stirred up in his talk.

A full programme is now in place for the rest of the year with indoor events taking place

on the 3rd

Tuesday of the month, 7.30 start at Meavy Parish Hall – all welcome. Full

details of our programme & more summaries of the above & other past events can be

found on our website www.yelvertonhistory.org.uk

Also available now at our events and at selected outlets (or direct from the Chairman), is

our must-have new 2013Journal – a bumper issue with an eclectic mix of members’

articles, accompanied by superb colour photographs, priced at £3.50.

Burrator Beacon 11

Could you be a Dartmoor Conservation Volunteer?

If you have a few hours to spare during the week or at weekends why not join the

Dartmoor Preservation Associations friendly volunteer groups working to keep Dartmoor

special? You can learn more about the Moor, meet new people and even keep fit at the

same time!

We do a variety of conservation work on the Moor throughout the year –at the moment we

are doing bracken bashing. Too much bracken in an area swamps other species, reduces

the biodiversity of the Moor and covers lots of the interesting archaeological features on

the open moor. The only way to tackle it, without harmful chemicals, is to bash it down,

weakening it and preventing it spreading further. In June, July and August we will be

working in the following places:

Wed 26th June Location tbc

Tues 9th

July Sharpitor and Leeden Hill, nr Princetown

Fri 12th July Devonport/Drakes Leats, Roborough Down

Wed 17th July Sharpitor and Leeden Hill, nr Princetown

Sat 20th July Devonport/Drakes Leats, Roborough Down

Tues 23rd

July Grimspound/Venford Reservoir

Sun 28th

July High House Waste/Hawns, near Cornwood

Thurs 1st August High House Waste/Hawns, near Cornwood

Thurs 8th August Location tbc

No special skills needed – just being willing to have a go! For details of where to meet,

what to bring and any other questions you may have please call Fiona on 01822 890646 or

email info@dartmoorpreservation.com

CLASSY K9’s Professional friendly dog grooming service.

One to one personal care for every dog. All breeds/cross breeds welcome.

Call Paula 01822 853446

12 Burrator Beacon

Walkhampton Stars in Latest Novel by Renowned Dartmoor Author

Historical novelist, TANIA CROSSE, has wanted to write a story set in Walkhampton

ever since she and her husband bought a cottage there many years ago. Inspired by the

strong community spirit that still exists in the village, she wanted to relate a fictional

account of its inhabitants during the First World War, based on the wheelwrights’ that was

at the hub of village life. ‘Several people told me that gun-carriage wheels were made

there during the Great War,’ she explains. ‘But when I came to research the story, I could

find no proof of this. However, a historic wheelwright in East Devon suggested that with

its widespread excellent reputation, the firm might on occasion have been sub-contracted

to do so.’

Also featuring in the story is Mount Tavy Hospital in Tavistock which specialised in the

treatment of shell shock and other trauma. But this, Tania’s ninth novel, is principally a

haunting and intensely moving tale of Walkhampton as the ugly tentacles of war reach

everyone in the village, leaving no one untouched.

WHEELS OF GRACE is now available from bookshops, Amazon and direct from the

publishers at www.halebooks.com and also in libraries.

It will also be available to download from September.

For further details visit www.tania-crosse.co.uk

Meavy Garden Society – Forthcoming Programme

18

th May Saturday Plants Sale “Summercourt”, Woodlands, Dousland

20th

May Abigail Crosby Marine conservation officer Looe Island

17th

June Mark Wash Bulbs & Perennials in Harmony (Plants for Sale)

19th

June Wednesday 6-30 pm “The White House” The Crescent,

Crapstone. Members’ Social Evening.

15th

July Catrina Saunders Head Gardener Overbecks Garden

10th

August Saturday 1-00 pm SUMMER SHOW

16th

September Stevie Smith Good Value Plants

TBA Lukesland Visit by private cars

21st October Jeremy Wilson Camellias (Camellias for sale)

18th

November Sarah Orme A Journey thro’ garden history

2014 17th

February AGM

17th

March Spring Fun Show

Burrator Beacon 13

August Bank Holiday Weekend

at The Royal Oak Inn, Meavy

Saturday 24th till Monday 26th August

Wild Food BBQ and Cider Festival

with live music each day.

Bring out your wild side! Join us for, Water Buffalo,

Crocodile, Kangaroo, Alpaca, Zebra, Goat, Camel and Wild

Boar Burgers

from the BBQ between 12noon and 8pm each day.

25 West County Scrumpy Ciders from the outside bar.

Live music outside The Oak Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday afternoon.

We hope you will join us over the weekend.

14 Burrator Beacon

Become A Befriender And Make A Difference To Others – Tavistock

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Tavistock Area Support Service is undertaking its next Befriender Training Sessions and

with over 36 people on a waiting list we need to hear from YOU!

Befrienders cover a wide area and support many people through various activities and if

you can spare a few hours a week to help make a difference to someone else we need to

hear from you.

TASS at present have over 30 Befrienders supporting over 50 clients in many ways, from

enjoying a chat over a cup of tea, to going out and supporting them at a local group that

makes a difference to their life!

To find out more about becoming a Befriender and helping make a Difference to the lives

of others please call Ann Wilson on 01822 616958 (Thursday or Friday mornings).

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Burrator Beacon 15

Meavy Oak Fair - Jenny Sharp – Chair, MOF Organising Committee

Plans are well underway for Meavy Oak Fair which this year is on Saturday 15th June. We

are hoping for better weather this year than the past few years but whatever the weather

this long running village event will go ahead to provide a great social event for locals and

visitors alike . The fair will start at 2pm with a pageant from Meavy Primary School. After

this there will be plenty to keep everyone occupied from traditional games such as hoopla,

skittles, a coconut shy and splat the rat to a bouncy castle for the youngsters. For the

energetically minded the Burrator horseshoe will start at 2:30pm. This 7 mile cross

country run is hotly contested by some of the best runners in the area – details on how to

register can be found at: http://www.meavy.org.uk/bh.htm. While you wait for the runners

to return you can enjoy a proper cream tea, browse the plants, produce and cake stalls or

have a go at the water pistols. Dartmoor Border Morris will be dancing during the

afternoon; there will be musical entertainment and entertainment for the young.

Be sure to get your raffle tickets for the Grand Draw, we have some great prizes including

a top prize of £100 cash. Don’t miss the Hog Roast for a succulent pork roll or the

Barbeque will be serving delicious local sausages and burgers from local butchers Bidders,

starting at 12:30am throughout the afternoon and on into the evening.

There is again a Family Dog show with classes ranging from Best Child Handler through

to Waggiest Tail and Dog Most Like its Owner. Schedules will be posted around the

village before the fair and will available on the day, rosettes awarded for 1st – 3rd place so

bring your dog along, there is sure to be a class for it!

Last year we made a great profit of over £3100 and as always all profits from the Fair are

given back to organisations local to Meavy. Beneficiaries included the Friends of St

Peter’s Church, Meavy School, Meavy Parish Hall, Meavy Friendship Group, West Devon

Explorers, Yelverton Guides, Walkham Valley Scouts and Meavy Preschool who all

helped out at the Fair.

We always need help on the Friday evening and Saturday morning to set up, during the

Fair itself from helping on the BBQ or hog roast, sell raffle tickets or programmes, man

the games – any groups who can offer help will be welcomed and will be eligible for a

donation from the profits. There are still spaces available for craft and trade stalls which

are available for £15. Raffle prizes are always welcome and all businesses who contribute

a raffle prize will get a free advert in the programme. For further information or offers of

help, please get in touch with me, Jenny Sharp, 853652 (evenings) or by email:

jennysharp@meavy.org.uk

16 Burrator Beacon

Walkhampton Cottage Garden Society – Peter Shapcott

The winter is gone and summer is beating it’s drum. The Garden Show will be on August

Bank Holiday Saturday as usual. What is not usual is that this will be the 70th show. The

first show was in August 1929. There have been a few breaks since then with the present

show running from 1972.

Schedules will be available from mid June. The judging of gardens and in situ classes is

on Sunday the 28th

July and the classes are as follows:

Class

69. Hanging Basket ( Max size 24” or 600mm diameter)

70. Best container of flowers.

71. Most visually attractive garden.

72. Best kept and cropped garden in the Parish of Walkhampton.

73. Best kept and cropped greenhouse.

74. Best plant.

75. Best water feature.

The prizes are awarded at the show on the 24th August. Now is the time to plan, plant and

grow for the show. The show committee is very happy to answer any questions and there

will be help at the market nearer the time to help with presentation and other questions.

There’s no mystery just the fun of joining in.

Peter Shapcott 855140

Iron Lon

Dartmoor rural services

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Burrator Beacon 17

The Friends of St Peter’s Church Meavy - Sarah Gordon

The Friends are manning the bookstall at Meavy Oak Fair on 15

th June and would be

grateful for any donations of books. All monies raised go to the Oak Fair committee who

distribute to local organisations. Please ring 01822 854298 if you would like to donate

books.

Our Forthcoming events

Summer Walk

Sunday 11th August 2:00pm starting from St Peter’s Church

An Exploration of the Mill Leat

Followed by a cream tea from 4:30pm. You are welcome to come for tea if you would

rather not do the walk.

A walk from Meavy to explore the route of the leat that supplied water to The Mill

in Meavy.

No charge for the walk, but a donation to Friends of St Peter’s would be most welcome.

Annual General Meeting

Saturday 21st September at 10:30am. In St Peter’s Church. Please join us for a cup of

coffee before our meeting which will be followed by a short talk on roof bosses given by

Sue Andrews.

Callington Community Gospel Choir

St Peter’s Church

Friday 22nd November 2013 at 7:30pm

Callington Community Gospel Choir is one of the largest Gospel Choirs in the UK.

Come and listen to the most joyous, spirited and energised singing to be found anywhere.

TOTALLY WIRED’ – Electrician

Local Electrician with 30 years Experience Covering all Dartmoor and surrounding areas All aspects of electrical installation Free Advice & Estimates

Approved Installer of Energy Efficient Electric Heating Part P Registered through NAPITS. Please call Alan on 07837 663575 or 01822 859021

See more details on my web page: www.totallywireddevon.co.uk

Terry Leythorne

Dousland Fuels For all coal and smokeless fuel requirements

Telephone 01822 890357

18 Burrator Beacon

Virtual Burrator – Professor Robert Stone

I would never have imagined that, over 40 years after my early trips to Burrator to “chill

out” on Yennadon Down in between school exams, I would once again return to the area

with my own students as part of a unique – and highly challenging – Virtual Reality (VR)

project! And I certainly would not have thought that we would be using that same

computer technology to recreate sites of regional archaeological significance within the

Burrator area. Virtual Burrator is one of two geographical 3D computer recreations we’re

working on (the other being Virtual Wembury). The main aim of these projects is to

investigate whether or not VR scenes of peaceful, attractive rural areas – forests,

coastlines, lakes, and so on – can support the recovery of patients who have undergone

serious or traumatic surgery, such as amputation, or can help improve the well-being of

those in rehabilitative or residential care.

Research conducted in the United States in the 1980s showed that, by exposing patients to

natural environments as simple as hospital window views onto small groups of trees, post-

operative recovery times and the need for pain killers could be reduced. These so-called

“restorative environments” are increasingly being recognised as powerful treatments for a

range of psychological and physical conditions. However, whilst such environments can,

it appears, deliver significant health benefits to those able to gaze upon, or venture out into

the great outdoors, our project is focusing on those individuals who are unable to benefit

from real-world nature, such as those confined to hospitals, hospices, civilian and military

rehabilitation centres, elderly care homes, and so on.

Our plan is to develop Virtual Burrator and Virtual Wembury, place them into a variety of

healthcare settings and evaluate their effects on patients’ well-being. We also want to

introduce a range of virtual activities, such as canoeing, pedalo pedalling, rock climbing,

even scuba diving, and link these to the virtual scenes using a variety of games controllers,

such as those used with the Wii, Xbox and PlayStation. In doing so, we hope to help

military and civilian amputees to keep their remaining muscles active whilst awaiting the

fitting of prosthetic limbs. We have already had some early successes in trialling the

Virtual Burrator and Virtual Wembury systems in the Intensive Care Unit and Military

Casualty Ward of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and are looking forward to

pushing forward with more extensive trials over the coming year.

To “build” Virtual Burrator, we used a variety of specialist software tools. For example,

the hills, tors and valleys of the region were constructed using a large computerised

“mesh”, made up of hundreds of points in 3D space. In the case of Virtual Burrator, we

managed to acquire a mesh representing an area of 3.5km2, covering the whole of the

Reservoir, plus other geographical features such as Sheepstor and Yennadon Down

(PICTURE 1). However, this mesh does not possess any trees, vegetation, buildings and

other man-made features. So, to increase the detail of this otherwise bare computer

landscape, two further steps were taken. The first was to obtain an aerial photograph of

the area to overlay onto the 3D mesh. This provided us with a template which was

invaluable in helping to locate more detailed 3D models of natural and man-made features

– trees, plants, flowers, rocks, streams, buildings, paths and enclosures.

Burrator Beacon 19

3D models of these features were either bought from the Web (for example:

www.turbosquid.com), or “built” from scratch by my team using popular 3D modelling

tools, such as 3ds max or SketchUp Pro. Finally, the model was imported into a specialist

simulation package, Unity3D, which enables us to explore the virtual terrain freely, as if

on foot (PICTURES 2 AND 3). Birdsong, the sound of the wind and of water lapping at

the shore of the Reservoir were added later, using recordings taken at the site.

But it’s not just the beauty and peacefulness of Burrator we wish to recreate for the benefit

of hospital, care home and house-bound patients. During our numerous visits to Burrator

to collect photographic images and sound samples, I was reminded of another important

quality of the region – its rich archaeological and industrial heritage. In particular, we

were drawn to the remains of Burrator & Sheepstor Halt, part of the old Yelverton to

Princetown railway line which is, today, hidden from the Reservoir by a line of trees not in

existence during its heyday. Opened in 1823, the original Plymouth to Dartmoor line was

constructed to support the conveyance of land reclamation materials and workers out to

the moor, and granite and mineral resources from King’s Tor Quarry, a few miles north

and east of Burrator, back to the Sutton Pool wharves in Plymouth. By 1825 the line had

been extended to Princetown, and a number of sites and artefacts still exist, including the

Royal Oak siding at Foggintor Quarry, which supplied granite for Dartmoor Prison and the

46m-high column supporting Admiral Nelson’s statue in Trafalgar Square, London.

Burrator Platform, which later became Burrator & Sheepstor Halt, was opened in February

1924 (over 40 years after the opening of the line itself) and performed an important role in

providing worker access to the construction site set up to increase the capacity of the

Reservoir to over one million gallons. The wind- and rain-swept platform was opened to

Dartmoor tourists and visitors a year later. The Halt eventually closed in March, 1956,

two years after it featured in a BBC Devon TV documentary called Brief Journey,

depicting a Royal Navy sailor’s trip from Plymouth to King’s Tor, filmed to mark the

opening of the South West's first television transmitter in 1954 (this short feature can still

be viewed on the Web today – the link is give at the end of this article). Burrator &

Sheepstor Halt was of a simple wooden construction with a very basic shelter. On

occasions, at the northern end of the platform, one might see a petrol-driven Wickham

Ganger’s Trolley, temporarily stored on wooden rails orientated at right angles to the main

track, on which it would run and carry small platelaying and engineering teams (remember

the appearance of such a trolley during the train chase sequence in the film The Great St

Trinian’s Train Robbery?).

So we simply couldn’t resist trying to recreate this part of Virtual Burrator in greater

detail, and, so far, progress has been very satisfying. Our aim is to recreate just a short

stretch of the railway line across Yennadon Down, past the Halt and, in parallel with part

of the Devonport Leat, on to the beginning of the Yennadon and Lowery Plantations. It

will be possible to travel this short stretch, initially in a virtual reconstruction of the

Wickham Trolley (PICTURE 4), but later in a typical carriage, hauled by one of the (at the

time) commonly seen 2-6-2T Prairie locomotives (PICTURE 5). We have also included a

basic reconstruction of the 1920s suspension bridge, constructed during the project

mentioned above to increase the Reservoir’s capacity. The anchor points for this bridge

can also be found today, on both sides of the Reservoir.

20 Burrator Beacon

Our attention is also turning to other possibilities in the Burrator, Sheepstor and Yelverton

area. Top of our list is Longstone Manor, the remains of which still exist next to the

waterfront of the Reservoir. Apart from one grainy illustration of what the Manor and

Farm might have looked like, we have not yet been able to discover any other pictorial or

descriptive records of the site. Hopefully, a little later this year, we’re also hoping to join

forces with the South West Lakes Trust and to run a Virtual Burrator event, where you can

come and see our work at Burrator Lodge. We will inform the Beacon’s editorial team of

the date and time as soon as we know. Finally, we have some exciting plans to team up

with some our commercial and academic colleagues in Devon and Cornwall to attempt to

recreate – again using VR – the Burrator/Meavy Valley as it looked prior to flooding in the

1890s. To do this, we plan to use a small, high-tech radio controlled boat equipped with

an echosounder to provide us with a 3D survey of the shape of the Reservoir bed, plus the

remains of any architectural features, such as the Sheepstor Road and Bridge and any

building structures. Using the results of this survey, together with any material that the

Beacon’s readers can make available (see below), we should be able to recreate an

interesting “walkthrough” model of the old valley.

So, can you, the readers of the Beacon, help? For instance, do you know of any old

pictures relating to the Burrator area, both pre- and post-flooding, or do you know of

someone who may have a collection or album hidden away in their attic, basement, or in a

shoebox under their bed? We would be very interested to hear about the existence of

pictures and other information relating to the old railway and platform, the leats, the

suspension bridge, the River Meavy, Wembley Walk, the quarries and explosives stores,

the people and forms of transport, even Longstone Manor. If you do know of anything of

historical interest, then please make contact – either directly to me (details given below) or

via the Virtual Burrator website at www.virtual-burrator.net, where there is a form you

can fill in online. We don’t expect this to be a short-term project, as there is still a great

deal to do. However, we do hope that, in the future, we may be able to attract sponsorship

to pull the efforts of my team together and to develop an interactive feature at the proposed

Burrator Visitor Centre. Of course, VR scenarios like ours will never replace the natural

beauty of places like Burrator, nor will it replace the rich experience of being able to visit

the area. However, in the meantime (and returning to the original aim of the project), if

Virtual Burrator helps even a small handful of patients in less-than-idyllic urban

healthcare facilities to recover, then I believe we will have done our job.

Prof. Bob Stone

University of Birmingham

r.j.stone@bham.ac.uk

www.birmingham.ac.uk/stone

Link to BBC’s Brief Journey Plymouth to Dartmoor steam train video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2007/07/02/brief_journey_train_archive_vide

o_feature.shtml).

Burrator Beacon 21

Virtual Wickham Trolley at Burrator Halt

Children’s Hospice South West - SUMMER EVENTS

“Afternoon tea at the Ritz” - something we should all do at least once in our lives! But, if

you find the journey to London too much and the expense too great...why not try CHSW’s

take with “Afternoon tea at the Royal”! Justine Cotton of Tor Royal Farm, Princetown has

most kindly offered the use of her fantastic house in a beautiful setting for an afternoon tea

on Sunday August 25 from 2.30pm. The cost is not the Ritz’s £48.50 but a mere £6.50 and

our cucumber sandwiches are just as good! We shall also be serving” cream teas” and a

selection of cakes for your tea. We look forward to seeing you there for an enjoyable

afternoon in aid of CHSW.

Later in the year we are planning a Wagger’s Walk: Sunday 15 September starting at

1100am at Clearbrook Hall. We will be serving a light lunch after the walk in the Hall

from 1200 - so bring your 4 legged friend to help us support CHSW (bonios provided!)!

And finally Linda Barrett and Sheila Glanville will be throwing themselves off Bickleigh

Viaduct on 21 July on a sponsored abseil - sponsorship of these two intrepid fundraisers is

available in the Yelverton Post Office.

22 Burrator Beacon

Chance To Win At Advice Road Show

Residents of Dousland and Walkhampton will get the chance to win a luxury hamper

worth £50 when a free advice and information roadshow comes to the parish in June.

West Devon Borough Council is teaming up with Dartmoor National Partk Authority and

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service to visit communities across Dartmoor.

The roadshow van will be at the Burrator Inn car park from 11.30am until 1.30pm and

then at Walkhampton Village hall car park from 2.30pm until 4pm on Monday June 10th

.

Everyone who visits the vehicle will get the chance to be entered into a free prize draw to

win a luxury Devon hamper worth £50.

Residents will be able to speak to a Borough Council advisor about a range of issues from

benefit changes to recycling. There will be advice on fire safety from a Fire Service

advocate and some residents may even qualify for a home visit and a free fire alarm.

Local Ranger Paul Glanville will also be joining the roadshow to talk to local people about

the work he does for the Dartmoor National Park Authority.

For more details, call 01822 813600 or go to www.westdevon.gov.uk or

www.dartmoor.gov.uk

Dates for your Calendar

June 1

st Sheepstor BBQ & Duck Race 01822 852979

15th Meavy oak Fair 01822 853652

August 11

th Friends of St Peter’s Walk & Cream Tea See page 17

24th Walkhampton Cottage Garden Show See page 16

25th CHSW Afternoon Tea at Tor Royal 2.30pm

28th Charity Preview Evening – Walkhampton Art & Craft Show 01822 855145

29th -1

st Sept Walkhampton Art & Craft Show 01822 855145

September 8

th Walkhampton Fun Day & Vehicle Show See page 7

15th CHSW Waggers’ Walk

21st Friends of St Peter’s AGM 10.30 am See page 17

November 2

nd Sheepstor Craft Fair

22nd

St Peter’s Church – Callington Community Gospel Choir See page 17

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: theclerk@burrator.gov.uk for more details.

Burrator Beacon 23

How to advertise in the Burrator Beacon

The Beacon is published quarterly in March, June, September and December 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 (approx)

when printed*

Size of advert to be

submitted (mm)

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) preferably

electronically i.e. as an attached word document. All advertisers are responsible for

checking the content of their adverts. Please inform the Clerk or the Editor of any

discrepancies immediately.

Darren Balkwill Bringing high quality improvement to your home or business

Painting & Decorating

Plumbing & Tiling

Bathroom Fitting

General Carpentry

Property Maintenance

Discount for over 60’s

01822 853035 07884 418997 Darren.balkwill@btinternet.com

Gratton View Burrator Road Yelverton PL20 6NE

24 Burrator Beacon

BURRATOR GROUPED PARISH COUNCIL

List of Members and Telephone Numbers (Area Code 01822)

Meavy Village Walkhampton Village

Mrs Bridget Cole 853563 Mr Bill Andrew 853008

Mr Mark Harding 855279 Mr David Wright 852252

Mrs Pauline Fisk 854853 1 vacancy

Meavy Dousland Walkhampton Dousland

Dr John Howells (Chair) 853865 Mr Phil Cater 853121

Mrs Jackie Moorhead 854800 Mr Neil Morrison 854880

Mr Frank Thomas Mr Brighton

1 vacancy 1 vacancy

Sheepstor Clerk to Council

Mr Keith Scrivener

Mr Stephen Hopson

854518

852979

Mrs Lucie Luke The Apartment, The Old Bedford Foundry, Lakeside Tavistock, PL19 0AZ

614278

Email: theclerk@burrator.gov.uk

West Devon Borough Councillor for Burrator Ward: Diana Moyse 820407

Published and issued quarterly, free of charge by Burrator Parish Council. The next

edition will be published middle of May. Copy deadline 23rd

April. Copy to be sent to the

Editor, Mrs Karen Batson, 10 Blackbrook Close, Walkhampton PL20 6JF Tel 855030

email: burratorbeacon@gmail.com 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.

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.