Tony Beard is a farmer, a broadcaster and an entertainer. Each month he completes another page of his diary..... Hullo there, Are We Winning The War? I think that cautious optimism is the correct phrase for me to use in this month's Dartmoor Diary.

Ugly head
The dreaded foot and mouth is still raising its ugly head and as I write this our neighbouring County of Somerset is experiencing a sudden upsurge of outbreaks.

There will continue, I am sure, to be the odd incident for a while yet, but let's put a degree of optimism into this article. On a positive note, about 60% of Dartmoor National Park is now re-open to the public, (incidentally this year is the 50th Anniversary of the creation of The D.N.P.).

Sixty per cent of Dartmoor is now open once again

All of Dartmoor, south of the road from Tavistock, Two Bridges, Postbridge, Moretonhampstead and up to Whiddon Down, with the exception of the area around Dunnabridge, is now open for walkers and riders and the like.

About 90% of all footpaths are open too. I would however like to ask you to err on the side of caution in the way that you use the countryside, particularly the enclosed areas.

If in doubt -stay out!
Many fields and newtakes which have footpaths passing through them are grazed by livestock, so first and foremost please give all animals a wide berth.

Please give all animals a wide berth

Keep all dogs on SHORT LEADS, please do not let them run free, even now there is still lambing, foaling and calving taking place not to mention all the birds that are nesting too.


Your continued co-operation is desperately sought.

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