Now the better weather is here it is lovely to be able to enjoy the many pleasant walks around Witheridge, especially part of the Two Moors Way that goes from beside the Parish Hall down to the Little Dart river.
It was a lovely surprise after navigating our way through the nettles just last week to find the path had been cut back and widened to make the walk even more enjoyable.
If you are unsure of the path mentioned it is highlighted red on this aerial view:
The path carries on across and down the side of an open field. At the bottom you pass through a gate into The Woodlands Trust Yeo Copse. Follow the path through the trees and at the bottom of the little hill is the Little Dart where you can sit and enjoy the sounds of the water, birds and other wildlife.
Tiverton, Devon is a beautiful town located in the heart of the county. With its rolling hills, picturesque countryside and quaint villages, it’s the perfect place to take your furry friend for a walk. There are many dog-friendly walks in and around Tiverton that offer stunning views and plenty of opportunities for your dog to explore.
One popular dog walking spot in Tiverton is the Grand Western Canal. Also known as the Tiverton Canal, this country park and local nature reserve meanders through picture-perfect Mid Devon countryside. The canal is a perfect place for a leisurely walk with your furry friend. When walking along the canal, dogs must be kept under control and out of adjacent farmland. The canal offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside and is a great place to spot local wildlife.
Another great place for dog walks in Tiverton is Knightshayes. This National Trust property offers a parkland circular dog walk that starts from the stables lawn and takes you along Home Farm lane, through parkland and past the Heathcoat Cricket club. It then winds back up parallel to the drive in the vast parkland in front of the house itself. The walk is moderate in difficulty and takes between 25-45 minutes to complete. Along the way, you’ll be able to enjoy stunning views of the surrounding countryside and Knightshayes House. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/knightshayes/visiting-knightshayes-with-your-dog
If you’re looking for more dog walking routes around Tiverton, you might want to check out Bickleigh Mill’s website. They have information about several dog walking routes around Tiverton, including the Bickleigh Castle Loop and stages 4 and 5 of the Exe Valley Way. The Bickleigh Castle Loop is just over 4 miles in length and takes around 2 hours to complete. The walk takes in country lanes, farmland and one long steep track. Stages 4 and 5 of the Exe Valley Way are also great options for dog walks. Stage 4 starts at Thorverton and makes its way to Bickleigh, while stage 5 starts at Tiverton and makes its way to Bickleigh. These walks offer stunning views of the Exe Valley and are a great way to explore the local countryside.
In addition to these walks, there are many other dog-friendly activities in and around Tiverton. For example, you could walk part of The Two Moors Way, visit one of the many local parks or nature reserves with your furry friend. There are also many dog-friendly pubs and cafes in Tiverton where you can stop for a bite to eat or a drink with your dog by your side.
In conclusion, Tiverton is a great place for dog walks with its beautiful countryside and many dog-friendly walking routes. Whether you’re looking for a leisurely stroll along the canal or a more challenging hike through the countryside, there’s something for every dog (and owner) in Tiverton. So why not grab your leash and head out on an adventure with your furry friend today?
In today’s Clear Messages bulletin, we will be telling you all about the bathing season – what is it and how it’s monitored, and shining some light on which beaches you can and can’t walk your furry friends on during the warmer months. For more information, please keep on reading!Bathing season – what is it and how it’s monitored
This year, bathing season is running from the 15 May to the 30 September.For those of you who aren’t aware of what bathing season is, it’s a period of time when the Environment Agency monitor the water quality of over 400 designated bathing waters – this includes beaches, lakes and rivers.Weekly assessments measure the water quality, and at a number of sites, a daily pollution risk forecasts is issued.While the standard of bathing water quality in England is usually very high, the weather can have a temporary impact on the level of water quality. Knowing more about it can help you plan your trip to one of many beautiful blue spaces and get the most out of it!Annual ratings classify each site as excellent, good, sufficient or poor based on measurements taken over a period of up to four years. An interactive map and more information on specific locations can be found on the Environment Agency’s website.If we are alerted to a pollution risk, we would like to reassure you that we would pop something on our North Devon Council social media channels and have signage put up at the area affected.Dogs and beaches
Many of the beaches across North Devon are dog-friendly – some have open access all year round, whilst others offer different zones in peak seasons, but all are clearly marked.Most beaches in North Devon are privately owned and most also allow dogs between 1 October and 30 April, however, we would encourage you to please visit our webpage for a full list of which beaches allow dogs, whether they should be kept on a lead and which months they are and aren’t allowed.It’s useful to note that the following privately owned beaches have site-specific enforceable dog controls and do not allow dogs on their beaches between 1 May and 31 September:
Let’s make a difference together! Don’t forget the power of our local communities! We currently work with partners and community groups to combat issues in targeted areas. If you would like to get involved and keep North Devon beautiful, we welcome any approach for collaboration. Follow us on Twitter @NDCWardens and Facebook @northdevoncouncil and share our posts to help spread the word. Don’t forget, if you see us out and about, feel free to come and say hello.
Thanks for taking the time to read this bulletin, we hope you found it useful.
Dogs are wonderful for people’s physical health and emotional well-being. We’re lucky to have plenty of beautiful open spaces to enjoy with our four-legged friends here in North Devon, however, while the majority of dog owners are responsible, there is unfortunately an irresponsible minority! In today’s bulletin, we will be reminding dog owners of their responsibilities…
Microchipping, collars and lost dogs
Collars
In 1992 it was made a legal requirement that any dog in a public place must wear a collar with the name and address (including postcode) of the owner engraved or written on it, or engraved on a tag. And although there is no legal requirement for a dog to have a collar and tag on private property, every year hundreds of dogs sadly go missing from homes and gardens! In April 2016, it became compulsory for every dog to have an up-to-date microchip.
Microchips
A microchip is a small electronic chip, around the size of a grain of rice, which is implanted under the dog’s skin and contains a unique number that can be read by a scanner. The dog owner’s contact details relating to each number are logged on a central database, so should the dog ever go missing or be stolen it can be scanned by the authorities and returned to his owner swiftly and safely. Dogs over eight weeks old must be microchipped and the details must be kept up to date. You can be fined up to £500 if your dog isn’t microchipped. Unfortunately microchips sometimes fail so it’s a good idea to ask your vet, during your pets annual checkups, if the chip is still in working order. Watch our video to find out more.
Lost dogs
If you have lost your dog, please phone us (during office hours on 01271 388870, or on 01271 388240 out of hours) – to see if the dog has been picked up by our dog warden. We post pictures of lost dogs on our Facebook page, so it’s worth checking there too. Please be aware, that once we have found the owner of a dog, the owner may be liable for fines, fees and charges – including: statutory fine – £25 administration charge – £6 plus VAT boarding (for each period of 24 hours or part there of) – £20 any required veterinary costs, for example if the dog is injured other relevant fee Please do the responsible thing and make sure you dog is microchipped and has a collar to avoid these fees. It will also make our lives easier when trying to reunite them with you!
As an authority, we recognise that the vast majority of dog owners are responsible and respectful to their local community. However, we do receive regular complaints from residents about dog fouling and the behaviour of some dogs, and we we are obliged to act upon these complaints. If you are in charge of a dog, whether you are the owner or not, you must by law clean up after the dog has fouled in any public access area. This includes car parks, grass verges, recreation and sports grounds, parks, river walks, pavements and footpaths, gutters and carriageways, beaches. Failure to do so can result in a fixed penalty of £80 or a maximum fine of £1,000. Call it out, call it in, clear it up Help us tackle dog fouling by following these three simple steps: Call it out – If you see someone fail to pick up after their dog, call them up on it. Do it politely, perhaps by offering them a spare bag. Don’t put yourself at risk. Call it in – Report dog fouling to us online or give us a call on 01271 388870. It can help us catch and prosecute the culprits and also builds up a picture of where the problem areas are, so we know where to patrol. Report a dog fouling incidentClear it up – If you aren’t willing or able to call it out or call it in, if you have a spare poo bag then helping to remove the problem is a really positive contribution, no one will step in it and it keeps standards high, which helps prevent further dog fouling.
Dog bins Although we as a council don’t have a statutory duty to provide dog litter bins or empty them, we do offer a number of dog bins across North Devon. These are emptied on a regular basis. If you’re looking for one, please visit our website: Find dog litter binsDid you know, as well as using dog poop bins, you can also use any public litter bin to dispose of your dogs waste? Help keep North Devon clean and tidy when out walking your canine companion! More information on dog fouling and bins
Dogs controls
Whilst the majority of dog owners are responsible, unfortunately a minority still fail to pick up dog waste and allow their pets to run out of control. Please see our ‘Dogs Public Space Protection Order’ page for full details. The order contains a number of measures to enable us to address this irresponsible behaviour – including requirements for: owners to pick up after their dog owners to place any out of control dog on a lead if requested dogs to be on a lead in a public cemetery dogs not to be present on any formal sports pitch or enclosed children’s play area between 1 October and 31 March, dogs not to be present on or near land used as a High Tide Roosting Sites for overwintering birds between 1 May and 30 September, dogs not to be present on Croyde or Combe Martin beaches dogs to be on a lead in certain locations in Braunton Burrows at certain times of year Dog owners who do not adhere to these controls could attract a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100, or prosecution. Watch our video of one of our Neighbourhood Officers talk about the dogs PSPO.More information on dog controls
Let’s make a difference together!
Don’t forget the power of our local communities! We currently work with partners and community groups to combat issues in targeted areas. If you would like to get involved and keep North Devon beautiful, we welcome any approach for collaboration. Follow us on Twitter @NDCWardens and Facebook @northdevoncouncil and share our posts to help spread the word. Don’t forget, if you see us out and about, feel free to come and say hello.
Thanks for taking the time to read this bulletin, we hope you found it interesting. If you’re looking for more information dogs in North Devon, please don’t hesitate to visit our website.
Judging by the number of happy dog walkers you see around the village every day, this map seemed like an important one to share!
Anyone fancy suggesting some of the best dog walks in the area?Just click the button, write an awesome article, upload and add a “featured image”, then select to “Article” under “Category” in the right hand toolbar. Simples!
