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Horse Drawn Barge Picture Pulls In The Votes

An iconic image of the Westcountry’s last horse drawn barge has been voted the nation's favourite image in this year’s BBC Countryfile Photographic Competition.

Taken at the popular Grand Western Canal, which is managed by Devon County Council as a Country Park and Local Nature Reserve, the photo will take pride of place on the front cover of the charity calendar for 2012, sold in aid of Children in Need.

Last year the calendar sold 268,000 across the country, and raised 1.19m for the charity.

If you would like to have a look at the finished calendar or wish to make an order in time for Christmas please follow this hyperlink: www.hcscalendar.co.uk

BBC Countryfile Calendar 2012 is sold on behalf of the BBC for Children in Need by Hallmark Consumer Services - now available for purchase, priced £9.00 - including FREE UK delivery. (Postage outside the UK is £2.50 per item).

The BBC hope to raise over £4 per calendar again with the Countryfile calendar that sold over 268,000 calendars and raised over £1.19m for BBC Children in Need.

Each month features a different photographic competition shortlist winner as shown below.

The competition, themed ‘Best in Show’ received over 55,000 entrants over 12 different classes and was judged by John Craven, Chris Packham and Janet Street-Porter.

The photographer, Sarah Williams will be taken on a champagne trip organised by the Tiverton Canal company on Sunday October 23rd at 1 o'clock.

Councillor Roger Croad, Devon County Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Community said: "This is good news and really puts the Grand Western Canal on the map. It is an important part of Devon's heritage and I am pleased to see a local photograph featured in such a high profile publication."

Mid Devon District Council member for Cranmore and the new Chairman of the Canal's Joint Advisory Committee, Councillor Kevin Wilson said: "I am delighted at the choice of 'pulling power' taken by Sarah Williams and will have the opportunity to thank her during her Champagne cruise on behalf of all canal users and business including the stars of the show 'Taffy and the Tivertonian'.

"This is, I believe just the first step in the emergence of the Canal as one of the leading tourist attractions in the South West. Work will commence shortly on the new visitor interpretation centre. Hopefully these two accomplishments will encourage even more visitors to enjoy what we are lucky enough to have on our doorsteps."

Devon County Councillor Des Hannon, Local Member for Tiverton East and Vice Chairman of the Canal's Joint Advisory Committee, said: "This is a beautiful picture of a wonderful canal. The horse and boat are looking at their very best and remind us all of how lovely it can be in the summer time in Devon. Our horse boat is unique in the region and I urge people to go and enjoy this bit of living history so that it can continue for a long time."

Mid Devon District Councillor and Devon County Council Local Member for Willand and Uffculme, Ray Radford said: "We must congratulate Sarah Williams for her entry and the fact that it has won the competition. This calendar will now hang in over a 1/4 million homes as a reminder of what a wonderful Country Park we have in Tiverton. This can do nothing but good to enhance visitors to Mid Devon."

Philip Brind, Managing Director of the Tiverton Canal Company said: "We must not lose sight of why this picture won the hearts of thousands of people across the UK. A simple, but very rare image of a Horse-Drawn Barge. I believe that heavy horses have a place in people’s hearts, conjuring an iconic image of much simpler days, when man and horse worked together in harmony as friends, on the land to achieve great things. Today, Taffy, Dandy and Ross happily tread the towpath to keep tradition alive for future generations. We believe that the Countryfile programme may have thrown a life line to Horse-drawn Barges as this Horse-drawn Barge is now the last of its kind in the West Country, with only 3 others remaining in England today."