MEDIA RELEASE

Tall Ship sails in to Minehead for celebration of town's Harbour Festival & unveiling of new Maritime Heritage Plaques

Heralding the start of Minehead's annual Harbour Festival will be a very special visitor in the form of Tall Ship, Irene of Bridgwater, which will be sailing in on 11 July to celebrate the unveiling of seven Minehead Heritage plaques on the harbour wall together with a dedicated book that will tell the story of Minehead's maritime history. The project is part of the Minehead Vision Action Plan to celebrate the town's maritime legacy, and raise the status of Minehead's Quay Town as a cultural tourism attraction.

This year's Harbour Festival is truly a great celebration of everything Minehead has to offer as both a seaside resort and gateway to Exmoor National Park. On 12 July Minehead will host a day of fun and laughter with a live pirate band,The Pirates of St Piran, in aid of the Children's Hospice.www.piratesofstpiran.co.uk

As well as pirate workshops, visitors can expect to hear sea shanties, storytelling and new information that will prompt further exploration of this historic area.

As part of the RNLI Open Day, there will be a lifeboat launch at 4pm and the station is also hosting an evening performance by the Darktown Strutters together with a Summer BBQ, a perfect venue to sit back and enjoy a summer's evening overlooking the sea.

During the day, the arts, crafts and produce market will bring flavours of the countryside to its colourful stalls. After consuming all that local produce, a walk up North Hill will deliver breath taking views over the harbour, out towards the Welsh coast and across to glorious Exmoor National Park. There is so much to see and do whether it's visiting the WWII tank grounds, greeting the inquisitive Exmoor ponies or possibly spotting some famous Red Deer.

For visitors who decide they would like to take a break and enjoy everything the area has to offer at a more leisurely pace, there are excellent b&bs, guest houses, self-catering properties and camping and caravanning to choose from. Further details from the website:www.visit-exmoor.co.uk.

For further press information or hi res images, contact Jane Adkins, A Head for PR, T/: 01935 813114 or E/: jane@aheadforpr.co.ukwww.aheadforpr.co.uk

For further information about the ETP, contact Dan James, Sustainable Economy Manager at Exmoor National Park Authority;DTJames@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.ukT: / 01398 323 665

Notes to Editors:

The Exmoor Tourism Partnership (ETP) is a virtual tourism body comprising public and private sector organisations. Partners include the Exmoor Tourist Association, Exmoor National Park Authority, West Somerset Council, North Devon + and Somerset County Council.

The COOL Tourism Project is an EU funded partnership programme that aims to promote and grow rural tourism. West Somerset Council and Exmoor National Park Authority are working with Somerset County Council, Sedgemoor District Council, Essex, Norfolk and Kent County Council's, Visit Kent, Pas de Calais Tourisme, Somme Tourisme and Gites de France. The Cool Project has been selected in the context of the INTERREG IV A France (Channel) - England European cross-border co-operation programme, which is co-financed by ERDF.

June 2014 (VE 05)