The new Ted Hughes Poetry Trail was officially opened on the 4th May 2006 by Councillor Des Shadrick, Chairman of Devon County Council in the presence of Carol Hughes.
The Ted Hughes Poetry Trail has been created at Stover Country Park to celebrate his poetry and long-standing links with Devon. Visitors to the Trail can read examples of Hughes' finest poems relating to the natural world. These poems have been chosen with the help of Carol Hughes to relate to the wildlife to be seen and heard around the Country Park. The Park features sixteen specially-designed 'poetry posts', each displaying a poem by Ted Hughes on a theme relating to the natural world.
There is also a short Children's Poetry Trail which lets families share together some of Ted Hughes' most memorable poems about the world of animals, some of which are illustrated by Raymond Briggs.
Allow up to two hours to complete the full poetry trail, or follow shorter circuits to suit.
Main Trail Poems
| 1. Wren | 9. Pike |
| 2. The Warm and the Cold | 10. Fern |
| 3. An Otter (Part I) | 11. The Harvest Moon |
| 4. A Cormorant | 12. Nightjar |
| 5. To Paint A Water Lily | 13. The Coming of the Iron Man (prose extract from The Iron Man) |
| 6. Roe-deer | 14. The Kingfisher |
| 7. The Thought-Fox | 15. Trees |
| 8. Work and Play | 16. The Lake |
For further information click on the links below.
Poetry Trail Leaflet - Inside page 
(263KB - pdf help)
Poetry Trail Leaflet - Front Page (224KB - pdf help)
Poetry Trail Leaflet - Back Page (152KB - pdf help)
The Ted Hughes Poetry Trail was created by Devon County Council in 2006. The project has been supported by English Nature, the Big Lottery Fund and WBB Minerals.
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