Edward Capern Festival and Poetry Competition

Heanton Punchardon Residents Association and St Augustine’s Church proudly present the Edward Capern Festival 2026

Two days of activities (4-5 June) to celebrate this local literary hero, including a new poetry competition for citizen poets

A new annual event to honour the ‘Postman Poet of North Devon’, also known as ‘Devonshire’s Robbie Burns’ or ‘Devon’s Bard’.

Edward Capern (1819 - 1894) composed a wealth of poems and songs about the Devon countryside while going about his job delivering the mail to far-flung villages. He became famous throughout Victorian England. He died in Braunton and was buried in the churchyard at St Augustine’s in Heanton Punchardon, where the first day of an annual Festival to commemorate this local literary hero is being organised by the church and the residents' association.

Thursday 4 June, 7 - 9 pm, An Evening of Music and Poetry at St Augustine’s Church

Local author Liz Shakespeare, an authority on Capern, joins musicians Mick Wyke and Becki Driscoll to celebrate the life, poems and songs of ‘Devonshire’s Robbie Burns. Tickets £10. Drinks and snacks are available. 

Friday 5 June, 1 - 3 pm (schools), 3 - 7 pm (public), Capern’s Countryside Exhibition at Wrafton Hall

Art, poetry, displays and choral music created by local schools and residents based around six of Edward Capern’s best-known poems, reflecting the North Devon countryside, coasts and rural life. Announcement of the first Edward Capern Award for the ‘Postman Poet’ of 2026, with a prize of £500 (sponsored by Devon CPRE). Tea and cakes are available.

Entries for the poetry competition should be emailed to sjcrowther@btinternet.com by Friday, 29 May 2026.

To book tickets for the event, email sjcrowther@btinternet.com or call 07775 787579.

To find out more about the festival and the poetry competition, go to CPRE Devon’s YouTube: Devon CPRE sponsors the inaugural Edward Capern Festival, 4-5 June 2026