Property for sale: Flat 4, Montague Gardens, Moorlands Road

Budleigh Salterton agents Palmers Whitton and Laing are offering what they describe as a particularly spacious ground floor flat in Montague Gardens, Moorlands Road. The property has a large private and sunny terrace and benefits from most attractive communal gardens.

Montague Gardens is approached from Moorlands Road via a tarmacadam driveway leading to a visitor's parking area and flanked by lawns fringed by hedgerow. The flat has a shared outer hall. A reception hall gives access to all rooms, including Georgian paned glazed doors to the sitting room and dining room, and there is also a cloakroom with a white suite and ceramic tiled floor. The sitting room, measuring 22'10" x 11'5" (6.96m x 3.48m) has a UPVC double glazed window to the front aspect with a pleasant outlook and distant rural views and a further UPVC double glazed window to the rear with a delightful outlook across the private terrace to the communal grounds. There is a marble plinth for an electric fire.

There is a similarly pleasant view from the dining room, which measures 11'10" x 10'8" (3.61m x 3.25m).

The kitchen has a range of fitted units in white with curved edge worktops comprising an inset one and a half bowl stainless steel sink by Franke with mixer tap, cupboard and plumbed in Hoover washing machine beneath; adjoining worktops to either side with drawers and cupboards beneath incorporating inset Proline ceramic hob, plumbed Bosch dishwasher and towel rack. There is a Hotpoint eye level electric fan oven and Panasonic combination microwave with cupboards above and beneath; a recess with high level shelving housing Hoover refrigerator/freezer; a tall shelved larder cupboard; a generous range of matching eye level cupboards incorporating a Tricity extractor hood above the hob, three lights beneath and one concealing the Glow-worm gas fired condensing boiler supplying central heating and hot water which was installed in March 2007.

All three bedrooms have an attractive outlook over the grounds.

The bathroom has a white suite comprising panelled bath with mixer tap, hand shower and thermostatically controlled shower unit above with glass shower screen; there is a partially recessed counter-top wash basin with mixer tap, pop-up waste, cupboard beneath and two deep eye level cupboards above flanking a central mirror; a close coupled WC. The walls are fully tiled with additional eye level shelved cupboard. There is a ceramic tiled floor and a tall towel radiator.

The garage, which measures 17'2" x 8'6" (5.23m x 2.59m) is situated in a block of 4 with up-and-over door, striplight, double power point and shelving.

Lawns fringed by flower beds adjoin the front of the apartment and a gate on the right hand side leads to a paved terrace with rotary clothes line which is shared with the first floor flat. This terrace provides access to a further terrace running full width across the rear of the apartment measuring approximately 60' x 11' (18.29m x 3.35m). This is bordered by an attractive stone retaining wall surmounted by deep flower beds with a fine variety of mature shrubs and flowering plants. The terrace has a sunny southerly aspect and a very fine outlook over the extensive communal grounds which are beautifully maintained and a most impressive feature of the development. Adjoining the terrace is a water tap and a loggia providing a sheltered covered sitting area with paved floor, access from the dining room and a built-in storage cupboard.

There are a total of eight properties in Montague Gardens, each one owning two shares in Montague Gardens Management Company (Exmouth) Ltd in which the Freehold of the entire development is vested. This flat is sold with a 999 year lease and no ground rent is payable. The maintenance charge is currently £85 per month. The maintenance of the building within which Flats 4 and 5 are located is apportioned equally between the two properties. Council Tax Band - E

Offers in the region of £295,000 are invited.

For further details see http://www.palmerswhittonandlaing-search.com/

Rolling Stone Survey

People with pebble structures on their properties are being asked to help with a four-year survey which will take place in the local area.

Chris Tilley, Professor of Anthropology at University College London, is heading the team which is researching the landscape and archaeology of the East Devon Pebblebeds. He is interested in the present day value and significance of the heathlands as well as the use of pebbles in contemporary architecture.

Above: East Devon’s pebbles have long fascinated geologists. Here a group of students is visiting the Budleigh Pebblebeds.

Pebble structures form an important part of the contemporary domestic architecture and local heritage of east Devon. Team member Jill Cobley is currently recording all structures built out of pebbles in the area of East Devon between the river Exe and the River Otter from Ottery St Mary in the north to Budleigh Salterton in the south.

Local pebbles are great for wall-building

With others she has been recording pebble walls, pebble pavements and courtyards, wall footings, drains, paths, house walls and pebble decorative features – in short anything made of pebbles. The aim is to create a comprehensive record of the use of pebbles in this area of East Devon which eventually will form a digital photographic archive on the web.

Pebbles make useful rockery ornaments

“There are probably many hidden pebble structures not visible from roads or paths in people's back gardens or in sheds and barns and in older houses, for example cellar floors, walls, barns and so on,” says Professor Tilley. “If you have or know of such structures we would like to hear from you so that we can record them. Please email Jill Cobley at jillcobley@tiscali.co.uk or telephone her on 01404 814406.”

In addition, excavations will be taking place between 29 August 2009 and 20 September 2009 on Aylesbeare and Colaton Raleigh Commons. Further research will be carried out by team member Kate Cameron Daum. Kate will be carrying out brief car park surveys of visitors this year to find out the views of the pebbles from the public using the Commons.

“What do you like, or dislike, about our Pebblebed heathlands? Where do you like to walk, or cycle, or ride? What are your favourite places? How would you like the heathlands to be in the future?” are some of the questions to which Kate will be seeking answers.

Professor Tilley said today that very little research has been done into the heathlands since the 1930s, when a retired civil servant George Carter settled in Budleigh to write about the pebblebeds, having spent much of his career with the Indian Civil Service studying the history, archaeology and folklore of Pakistan.

Above: A simple drainage channel using pebbles outside a house in Budleigh

Property for sale: 1 Sherbrook Hill

A mature semi detached house in a most convenient position just off West Hill, midway between the town centre and the golf course, the property provides two charming reception rooms, three bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor, and has the benefit of gas fired central heating.

Bays are a feature of both the sitting room and the dining room, with the former having a period fireplace with inset living flame gas fire and ornate coving. The dining room has windows on two aspects.

The kitchen has a range of fitted wall and base units with gas and electric cooker points. There is a Glow Worm gas fired boiler, complete with programmer, supplying the central heating and hot water.

Bedroom 3 on the first floor has an airing cupboard with factory lagged cylinder and a supplementary immersion heater.

Outside there is a shared double width driveway with Yew Tree Lodge. The lower driveway provides additional parking for several cars. The gardens feature lawns and shrub beds. There is a patio and a gazebo.

The property has a garage with up and over door.

All Main Services are connected. Council Tax Band 'F'.

Offers of £335,000 are invited via agents David Rhys. For further information see the website:

http://www.david-rhys.co.uk/

Town Council Surgery

For some months now Budleigh Salterton Town Council has held a regular surgery at the Public Hall in Station Road, where residents can pop in for an informal chat with Town, District or County Councillors or a member of Devon & Cornwall Constabulary. It is a great opportunity to raise any queries or complaints, says the Council, and if we are unable to assist we usually know someone who will able to help.

The next Surgery will be held on Saturday 4 April at the Public Hall from 10.00 am until noon.

Call to protect an East Devon Conservation Area

Budleigh residents who appreciate the peaceful setting of the nearby Commons and the Pebblebed Heaths for walking, cycling or horseriding are being asked to report illegal activities which could damage an area recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Above: One of the many tracks on Dalditch Common

And the battle to keep off-road drivers and fly tippers from spoiling one of Devon's most important rural habitats has taken a step forward with the forging of closer links between owners Clinton Devon Estates and the police.

Student Police Officer Chris Warfield has been shadowing East Devon Pebblebed Heaths' warden Bungy Williams as part of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary's Community Engagement Scheme. As part of their initial training, Student Officers work alongside staff and clients within key organisations and community groups on two one-week placements, gaining first-hand knowledge and essential community perspective that will greatly assist them in their future careers. Bungy hopes the experience will help Chris appreciate the importance of the 3,000 acre site which is listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

"This is a great opportunity to spend time with someone who will be patrolling this area in future and to explain to them what we are doing and the problems that we have with such large areas to protect," says Bungy.

"Illegal campers, off-road drivers and people dumping rubbish are a real threat to this very special environment. It's not just the damage to the habitat either. Vehicles using the heaths illegally could easily cause an accident and just recently we had rubbish with asbestos in it dumped here - it's not good for the flora, the fauna or people who want to enjoy the area responsibly."

Above: Looking towards Squabmoor Reservoir

Student Police Officer Chris Warfield, has welcomed the chance to learn more about the Heaths. Chris will be based in Exmouth when his training is complete. As well as spending time on the heaths, Chris's week-long attachment to Clinton Devon Estates also involves sessions on forestry, pest control and a day with the Land Agent.

According to Chris, "It's a brilliant opportunity to learn more about Clinton Devon Estates which plays such a major part in the area. Even though I was brought up in Sidmouth, I hadn't realised how much impact the estates have on life in East Devon.

"This induction is giving me a valuable insight into what goes on here and will be of great help in understanding key local issues when I get out on patrol."

Meanwhile, Clinton Devon Estates is also asking the public to be its 'eyes and ears' in a growing battle with the motorists using the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths for off-road driving. John Wilding, General Manager of Forestry and Environmental Economy wants people using the Heaths for legitimate leisure pursuits to collect the registration numbers of any vehicles using the land illegally and report them to the Estates office or the local police. He says that the biggest danger caused by illegal off-roading is to the public; "We're naturally worried about the damage this is causing to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but our biggest concern is that a car, motorbike or quad bike could collide with someone walking, cycling or riding.

"Vehicles are getting onto the Common because barriers are regularly broken and we do have to keep access points open for horses.

"The Royal Marines have permission to use the land for training and our management team at Clinton Devon Estates sometime need to take 4X4's onto the land - but that doesn't mean it's a free for all," says John Wilding.

"We take a very serious view of this kind of illegal activity and we are working closely with the police and with local people to make sure it stops," he adds.

Illegal motorists face being charged under the Road Traffic Act, which can mean a fixed penalty fine for a first offence to a maximum fine of £300 for persistent offenders who are sent to magistrates court. Those who damage the Site of Special Scientific Interest also face charges of Wildlife Crime which can result in a prison sentence and fines of many thousands of pounds.

If anyone witnesses vehicles illegally using the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths, they are asked to contact Clinton Devon Estates wardens on 07976 062712 or 07976 062717.

A posting we all look forward to

He doesn’t have a black and white cat called Jess, and he laughs at the idea of using a gyrocopter and a Blackberry to deliver his letters, but Steve Harrison, our local postie has all the qualities which made Postman Pat everyone’s favourite mailman. And I reckon he must be 100 times fitter when I see him cycling up Exmouth Road.

Postal workers, it’s said, are living the nightmare of modernisation: job losses, closures and pensions at risk. But Steve keeps smiling. In a traditional town like Budleigh there is still an expectation of telephone boxes, village policemen and personal friendly service in local shops. And in our rural area the arrival of the postman does a little to reassure us that commitment and stability are still possible in the unstable and crazy world that we live in.

Above: Budleigh postman Steve Harrison

You could say that the traditional postie is still at the heart of British life, and there are plenty of people who will stand up for him or her. Devotees of TV’s best-known postman who has recently received a 21st century make-over have even revolted against the media trendies who want to turn Postman Pat into a “gadget obsessed freak.”

One of approximately 15 postal workers at Budleigh Salterton’s Delivery Office, Steve Harrison has worked for Royal Mail for over two years, having previously worked as a social worker in the Greater London area. The move to Devon was one of the best decisions he made, he feels. “I get really affected by the pollution now whenever I go back to London.” He reckons that the sea air combined with all the cycling and walking that he does as a postman have certainly contributed to a healthier lifestyle. Within the first nine months he found that he had lost three stone in weight. “I used to be cooped up in a van or an office. Now I’m in the open air most of the time. It’s a definite plus.”

He uses a bike to deliver mail for only part of his shift, on what he calls his ‘small loop’ along Exmouth Road, including Moorlands Road and Lansdowne Road, and through Knowle Village and Little Knowle. For the longer loop through Castle Lane, Dalditch Lane, Inner Ting Tong and Bear Lane he uses a van. Not only is this faster – his speed in the van averaging 6 mph, including deliveries, being double that of the bike – but also easier, as the weight of mail to be delivered can be considerable: Steve often finds that his bags can weigh as much as 16 kg (35 lb). In fact Health & Safety rules dictate that up to 32 kg (70 lb) is allowable on a bike, although as Steve points out this would be impossible on some of the gradients that he has to tackle.

Issues like the average speed of delivery and mail-load weights are bound up with the various management initiatives aimed at making Royal Mail more efficient, and Steve admits that such matters are very far from people’s view of their friendly postman with time for a doorstep chat. That’s certainly an aspect of the job that he appreciates, but he points out that Mondays and Tuesdays are best from that point of view. By mid-week, when businesses are back at work sending out mail after the weekend break, pressure is building up for postal workers.

Above: The Victorian letter box at the corner of Links Road: as traditional a feature in Budleigh as our local posties

Steve Harrison is in fact working on a part-time basis of 34 hours per week, but even so has to make an early start at around 7.00 am to be finished by 2.15 pm. There is a certain amount of flexi-time to the job, with long weekends on a cyclical basis giving it some variety. Meeting different people as he makes his deliveries is also something that he enjoys when he is not in a hurry; he agrees that the postman has a social role to play. A friendly conversation of 10-15 seconds is enough to check that an elderly resident is in good health, for example. On one occasion he spotted that a door had been left open; it turned out that the house had been burgled. “I always make an effort,” says Steve. “Of course I have to balance that out with the time pressures.”

The only people he is not so keen on chatting to are those with dangerous dogs. Injuries to postal workers’ legs and fingers really are an issue, it seems. “I’ve been bitten twice within a month,” he says. Some post-workers believe that feeding the animal before making a delivery is the answer, but Steve disagrees. “I’ve been chased down the road by dogs wanting biscuits.” Not surprisingly Royal Mail wants the law governing dogs to apply to private as well as public land.

The other major negative of Steve’s work involves the weather. “Cold I can cope with, heat is bearable, but wet weather is awful. Nothing’s worse than pushing a soggy letter through a letterbox.”

When arranging the interview with Steve I had worried that my suggestion of using email as “an easy way of communicating” was a tactless blunder, given the decline in the number of people posting letters. No, said Steve. He is a fervent believer in the Internet. “It’s true that the volume of letters is going down, but the weight of mail deliveries is going up all the time. A paperless council tax mailing would have saved me hours of work today!” And many people in rural areas like Budleigh still tend to write letters as well as getting more parcels because they order goods by post or the Internet rather than do their shopping regularly at big city stores. For that reason, he believes, Royal Mail has an advantage over firms like TNT, which would prefer business with a high volume urban distribution.

Above: Steve with his Royal Mail bike and an appreciative customer

And what about the new technology that Postman Pat has been threatened with to make him more efficient? Scanners are certainly used now for dealing with registered and tracked mail, says Steve. “Some time ago they were talking about motorised carts for making deliveries, but it didn’t really work out.” Maybe Budleigh’s awkward gradients were the problem.

So we hope to see Steve for many years to come, preferably on two wheels. The sight of him pedalling up Exmouth Road always inspires me to dust down my bike and get fitter by tackling some of those hills that drew us to Devon.

© Michael Downes 2009

Criminal execution on Exmouth Road!

Monty Ray Syprus* of 12 Exmouth Road has been executed this week. He was tried and found guilty of criminal damage, attempted murder, and failing to keep within the limits of his territory.

Mr D. Clarke of number 10, said that just before Christmas he was out walking his dog, when the said subject hurled an enormous branch at him.

Above: Monty Ray Syprus at the height of his powers

Fortunately he just missed, but it was attempted murder! On the same day the criminal tried to murder the postman and also to prevent the escape of a friend who called at the address to collect something.

Fortunately all these attempts failed, but it was agreed by the authorities that this should not be allowed to continue. The executioners were called to the address on 17 March to carry out the deed.

Right: The executioners assess Monty's weight

Monty was hung, drawn, quartered and indeed carved up into thousands of pieces to be sure that his activities are no longer able to cause a menace to the community.

Above: The executioners set to work

Below right: Monty's last moments

* AKA Monterey Cypress or cupressus macracarpa. Janet and Chris Parrish write: We have received consent

from EDDC to take down the large tree in the middle of our drive. In a way it is sad because it was such a ‘grand’ old tree but after the collapse of several branches before Christmas, it was left in a poor state and the gash left by the fall would have attracted rot and disease. So it was really past its sell-by date and we felt this was the time it had to go. All the authorities agreed. We have guessed it was 100 years old or so; the EDDC Tree Officer thought a little less. Whatever, it must have been planted, we think, before the house was built in 1925.

Photos and text © Janet and Chris Parrish