EXMOOR farmers William and Henry Dart are this year's winners of an award given by the Exmoor Society for conservation.

The society's annual meeting heard it was for their work over more than 50 years with Devon cattle, Exmoor Horn & Devon Closewool Sheep, and Exmoor ponies.

Society President Sir Antony Acland presented them with the Samuel Foss Award for their hill farming enterprise.

Sir Anthony also gave artist Mary Chugg, from Bishops Tawton, the Founder's Award. Mary was involved with the original petition against the afforestation of The Chains in 1958 and has continued to support and encourage the society's work, especially with children and latterly as the chairman of the Exmoor Society's Barnstaple Group.

Baroness Mallalieu gave the main speech, telling members among other things, that country sports were the spirit of Exmoor and that the staghunting community of Exmoor was determined to survive and fight the injustice of the hunting ban.

In her annual report, chairman Rachel Thomas emphasised that campaigning to protect Exmoor was at the heart of the Society's work. It acted first as a watchdog where the main issues affecting the moor were followed and where the society hoped to influence the outcomes.

A debate ranged from wind farms and turbines, affordable housing to erosion of the moor by 4X4s and new woodland planting. The importance of Exmoor's influence on the early romantic poets was well illustrated by Elizabeth McLaughlin and Jerry Weedon Head of Federation of Exmoor Schools emphasised the importance of using Exmoor as an outdoor classroom.

Steven Pugsley rounded off the day with an account of Exmoor's myths, stories, legends and customs.