We’re writing to inform you of some upcoming essential Signage work on the A38 between South Brent and Rattery. Our work will also include VRS removal.

We’ll work overnight from 29^th June 2026 to 7^th August 2026, Monday to Friday, 20:00 to 06:00.

What to expect 

To carry out our work safely, we’ll close the A38 Westbound between Dart Bridge Junction and Marley Head Junction. During closures, a fully signed diversion will be in place. Please follow the signed diversion and not sat navs. This closure will be in place from 20:00 6^th July 2026 to 06:00 18^th July 2026, Monday to Friday.

The road will be open as normal throughout the day and at weekends.

Access to frontages and emergency service vehicles will be maintained throughout. 

Diversion routes 

During closures, a fully signed diversion will be in place. 

Westbound traffic will be diverted from Dart Bridge Junction to Marley Head Junction via the A384 and A385.

Please follow diversion signs and not satnavs.   

Please plan ahead and allow extra time for your journeys. 

Dates may change at short notice due to poor weather conditions or operational reasons. If we’re unable to complete our work as planned, we may need to continue beyond the dates stated above. 

You can check our daily closures page for details about upcoming closures.

Help us to spread the word 

Please help us by sharing this update with your connections and network, as well as on your own channels.   

More travel information  

To keep up to date with our work in the South West, please visit: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-west/south-west-maintenance-schemes/ or follow us on X at @HighwaysSWEST  

You can also check out our daily closures page,  sign up to our subscription service and receive regular emails on planned works or find live travel information on our Traffic England website. 

Any questions? 

If you have any queries or comments about the work, or would like further information please contact our Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000 or by email info@nationalhighways.co.uk  

For Programme, Schedule and Entry Form click here

Saturday 1 August 2026 – Rattery Garden show & Sports day. Click here for show programme and schedule.

Saturday 19 December – Rattery Christmas extravaganza

Bidwell Brook Living Laboratory

There was a fantastic Research Symposium held in January in Rattery, bringing together around 35 people from various universities and organisations (including the Environment Agency) to talk all about the Bidwell Brook Living Laboratory. Read more (PDF file)

You may already know about the Bidwell Brook Partnership, a local organisation bringing together local people and organisations to make the Bidwell Valley even better for both wildlife and for those of us who are lucky enough to live and work here (see https://bidwellbrook.org/).  An important part of our activities has been working with various universities, with our team of ‘citizen scientists’. These are local people who are interested in helping in several different research projects, trialling new equipment/sensors etc.

The Symposium brought together the various researchers and organisations, so they could share information and findings, with the aim of the Bidwell Brook becoming a formally designated ‘Living Laboratory’. This would encourage further research, innovation and collaboration – as appropriate to local needs. We also talked about how to manage the mass of data becoming available and make it publicly accessible and understandable.

Local Involvement

Local people have already been involved in the research – big thanks to everyone who has helped so far. This year, there will be further opportunities, including workshops and more training for Citizen Scientists, with new research areas.

We will also be exploring some key questions, such as:

• What further research would be useful locally?
• Are you a local land/business owner who might like to find data/information to help you address a particular issue?
• Is there some monitoring equipment (that doesn’t already exist) that it would be useful for a University to (potentially) create?

We welcome all ideas – let us know, at: info@bidwellbrook.org

Why the Bidwell?

Apparently, the UK is considered to be a leader in Europe in citizen science and community engagement, and the Bidwell Brook is playing an amazingly important role. Here are some highlights from the discussions at the Research Symposium:

* The Bidwell Brook is of national and potentially international significance, with an ambition for it to become a UNESCO Geohydrology Demonstration Site (University of Plymouth)

* The project in the Bidwell has helped validate the new Bactiquick equipment for use by Citizen Scientists everywhere (Uni. of Plymouth)

* The Bidwell Brook is an exemplar of catchment monitoring (West Country Rivers Trust)

* The Bidwell is very important to answer how Citizen Science can most usefully be used (Uni. of Exeter)

* Data from the Bidwell is being used to create a digital twin in Sweden & Poland (Chelsea Technologies/Uni. of West of England)

* Nature-based solutions to help control water are being trialled in a farm in Dartington (West Country Rivers Trust)

* Data from Dartington Combined Sewage Outlets (CSO) is being used in a project for SWWater to understand their discharge impacts (Uni. of Exeter)

It’s brilliant that we have so much really useful work going on locally. Most importantly: our main reason for involvement is to obtain high quality information that we can use to help improve our local environment. Ideally, this will also be useful as examples to help elsewhere, nationally and internationally.  

The BBP is also working with other organisations on other exciting developments, including: supporting local landowners on landscape recovery; education initiatives, particularly with young people; and improving the wildlife corridor along the Bidwell.

For more details on these, do have a look at our website: https://bidwellbrook.org/     If you’d like to join in, in any way, we’d love to hear from you! info@bidwellbrook.org

Kim Howard, Bidwell Brook Partnership

Our friendly group meets weekly on Fridays from 10.15 to 11.45 in the Baptist Church Hall, Exeter Road, Ivybridge, PL21 0BQ for peer support, information, exercise and refreshments. £5 per week for the person living with Parkinson’s and free for carers. For more information contact Helen on 07528655419.

Parkinson’s UK Local Support website

If you are involved in running a small to medium sized business, a charity, a public sector body or a local community group, and you are concerned about the security of your computers, your IT systems, your website or your Social Media account, please allow me to sign-post you towards the South West’s Cyber Resilience Centre.

Please see here –  Home | Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West

The SW CRC is part of UK Policing’s TEAM CYBER UK and headed up by Steve Shepherd who was previously a Devon and Cornwall Police, Cyber Protect Officer.

The SW CRC is a not-for-profit organisation, funded by the Home Office and regional policing. The SW CRC exists to help South-West based small to medium sized businesses, organisations, charities, voluntary groups, and public sector bodies, with their Cyber Security.

Cyber Security can feel complicated, expensive, and unmanageable. It can be hard to know where to start, or how to improve resilience.  Professional Cyber Security support is often costly and for many, obtaining such assistance can be well beyond their financial means.  These regional CRC’s have been set up by Government to help those who find themselves in just that position.  

Much of what is on offer from the CRC is absolutely free.  If you are a sole trader / SME, a charity, public sector body or local community group, concerned about your IT set up, I would highly recommend you sign up with them.

 Should you wish to sign up you can do so here – Join Us | Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West

Alternatively, you can contact Steve Shepherd direct at –  steve.shepherd@swcrc.police.uk

I hope you find this information useful, but please also accept my apologies if you are already aware of the SW CRC.  

Lastly, please feel free to share this message across your wider network of associates, including SME’s, charities, small to medium sized organisations and voluntary groups in your own local area.

Thank you for taking the time to read this message.

Mick HARRISON

PSE 31015 

Cyber Protect Officer

Details and information can be found here