Owls, wolves and a cathedral
Meet owls and kestrels at Yarak Bird of Prey Centre, or wolves at Wildwood Escot. Up the adrenaline at Crealy Theme Park or bring your buckets and spades for Beer beach. Ride the Blackdown Hills on horseback. See Killerton’s great estate and family home. Head to Exeter for fine shopping and even finer cathedral.
Country kids
Hire a bike from Abbotshood Cycle Hire, enjoy 11 miles of safe cycling along the canal and spot ducks, coots and kingfishers along the way. Meet barn owls, kestrels, screech owls and eagles at Yarak Bird of Prey Centre. Or wolves at Wildwood Escot – plus maze, adventure play centre, drop-slide, zipline and Saxon village.
Up the adrenaline at Crealy Theme Park, with its 60-plus rides and attractions, indoor soft and adventure play areas, and over 200 cuddly farm and zoo animals. Brave the water rides, toboggan and sea-monster zone at Woodlands Theme Park. Or pack in some more action at Diggerland, riding, driving and operating real diggers.
Fire your imagination painting ceramics at the Honiton Pottery Workshop. Enjoy a big dose of muddy vitamin D on The Bear Trail, a physical and mental workout that includes a rickety bridge, zip wire and mountain, all topped off with a wood-fired pizza. Or watch the sheep racing and ride the go-karts at The Big Sheep.
Bring your buckets and spades for beautiful beaches at Beer (make sure mum and dad pick up some fresh fish), Branscombe, West Bay, Anstey’s Cove and Budleigh Salterton. Or trek the tracks and bridleways of rural Devon with your fleecy friends from Bearhouse Alpacas.
For the grown ups
Shoot some clay with the Big Shoot at Escot Park. See the sights of Lyme Bay with Beer Self-drive Motorboats: life jackets and fishing lines supplied for mackerel fishing. Get down to Honiton Golf Club for a mature parkland course with no big hills. Or fish the River Otter for trout.
Love walking? You’ll love Devon. Bring your dog and get good value on the 4.2km Higher and Lower Tale circular; a 7km walk through Ottery St Mary Woodland; the coastal walk from Branscombe to Beer between two beautiful beaches; along the Sidmouth to Seaton coastal path, or over the hills in Dartmoor National Park.
Ride the Blackdown Hills on horses hired from Sheldon Riding Centre or hack over the hills from Willowbrook Stables in Ottery St Mary. Or how about Allhallows Museum with its comprehensive collection of Honiton lace from the 17th to early 21st century, Honiton pottery, and war memorabilia?
Head to Killerton for a great estate that’s also a family home. Enjoy the glorious landscape parkland garden with its fine 18th-century house and lovely 5km walk in Killerton Park. Or get down to Exeter for one of the great cathedrals of England plus some fine shopping in chic boutiques and stylish independents.
Happy hens
The Pig at Combe’s the place to wander through the herb and infusion gardens and find yourself in the Potting Shed treatment rooms for exfoliation, massage, hot stones and bespoke facials. Or head over to Salcombe Gin Distillery for a tutored tasting, talk and tour, with ‘Salcombe and tonic’ on arrival.
Explore the bay and catch your tea on a line, with Lyme Kayak Hire at Lyme Regis. Drive Land Rovers at the West Country Experience Centre among 135 acres of private access grounds and a 35-acre off-road course. Or visit the Sandford Orchard cider farm complete with shop, tap room bar, tour and tastings.
Potter the antique shops of Honiton and Bridport. Or if you’re a foodie, time your visit to coincide with Dartmouth Food Festival, featuring workshops, seminars, tastings, competitions, demonstrations and over 120 hand-picked exhibitors. Or come in August to catch the Lyme Folk Weekend and Lyme Regatta and Carnival.
Head to Exeter to tackle Red House Mysteries’ escape rooms. Then how about afternoon tea at Heron Farm Vineyard, including finger sandwiches, canapes, scones and tea? Kick your way around the 19-hole course at Exeter Football Golf. Or get out of your comfort zone, get wet and meet some seals with Rock Solid Coasteering.
