Molton Monthly - March 2024

Welcome to the March edition of Molton Monthly. The cover and masthead is printed in the colours of Ukraine, to mark the second anniversary of the invasion by Russia which has caused more than 8 million people to flee their homes to seek safety.

Some like Olena Subocheva settled here in North Devon, and she has now been living with her generous hosts in South Molton for almost two years. As the deadly war continues, you can read what life is like for Olena and her family in a special interview this month.

Congratulations to South Molton Pannier Market (cover photo by Karolina Andreasova) on being voted Britain’s Best Community Market for the second year running.

The North Devon Link Road ‘improvement work’ now faces a delay of at least six months, and won’t be finished until “summer 2024”... or longer if there’s bad weather.

We welcome North Devon Theatres to a packed what’s on section, as we head towards Easter and the clocks going forward at the end of March!

Peter Robinson, Editor & publisher Molton Monthly is also published free to read on our website moltonmonthly.co.uk and we have daily updates for news and events on Facebook and Instagram @MoltonMonthly

What’s Inside - March

P6-7 Photo of the month

P8 Link Road project delayed again

P11-17 What’s On

P18-19 Market’s national award double

P23-25

Ukraine war second anniversary

P29 £300k grants for South Molton

P31 March gardening tips

P34-35

Health & Wellbeing

P38-39 Farm Life - hedge highways

P43 Dental van for South Molton?

P47 Chulmleigh goes wild!

P50-52 Community News

P61

Schools and Learning

P62 Index of Advertisers

P63 Local Information

Molton Monthly magazine is printed on recycled, carbon neutral paper using solar energy as part of our ongoing commitment to a sustainable future. More than 5,000 copies are delivered free, door-to-door, by our dedicated local team to East and West Buckland, North Molton, South Molton, Heasley Mill, Filleigh, Charles, Clapworthy Mill, Bishops Nympton, Bish Mill, Chulmleigh, Chittlehampton, Alswear, Kings Nympton, George and Queens Nympton. We also have pick-up points around South Molton, Pathfields Business Park, Filleigh, Atherington, Chawleigh, Umberleigh, Rose Ash and Chittlehamholt, plus it is available at select North Devon and Exmoor pubs.

have the most beautiful fleece!

Ewe

by Sarah Hailstone

Farming is at the heart of our community and our landscape, so it’s great to highlight a wooly wonder out in the wilds of Exmoor as our photo of the month!

“The sheep is a Scottish Blackface, grazing on Brendon Common and belonging to the South Family from Farley Water Farm,” said photographer Sarah Hailstone, who is well known locally for her walking guides ‘Exmoor with Jack’.

“She particularly caught my eye because of her wonderful thick and pristine fleece and her direct gaze. The horns are coloured in this way for ease of identification when there is more than one flock grazing an area of remote moorland.”

Alongside the iconic Exmoor ponies, Highland cattle and wild red deer, flocks of sheep are a regular feature across Exmoor National Park.

You can see more of Sarah’s photography and her local walking guides on social media: @exmoorwithjack

Whether it’s rural life like this, wildlife, a landscape or seascape, nature, special events, sports, a local character or something else - please keep emailing us your pictures. We usually only feature one each month in the magazine, but show more on our Instagram and Facebook pages: @MoltonMonthly