• Exploring Seaton tramway with kids and a dog
    days out - Devon

    Exploring Seaton tramway with kids and a dog

    September 4, 2023 - By 

    Sometimes I forget how lucky we are to visit some of the beautiful places in the UK. This summer we spent a week exploring East Devon, especially the coastal villages of Lyme Regis and the surrounding areas. One place we really wanted to take the children was the Seaton tramway in Devon, this is a narrow gauge heritage tram which runs between Seaton, Colyford and Colyton in East Devon’s glorious Axe Valley, travelling alongside the River Axe. Exploring Seaton tramway with kids and a dog We first visited Seaton tramway back in 2005 and it was really lovely to be…

  • Jurassic Glamping at The Red House Farm
    Devon

    Jurassic Glamping at The Red House Farm

    August 17, 2023 - By 

    We spent last week glamping with Jurassic Glamping at The Red House Farm, a small-scale, family orientated, luxury campsite on a smallholding in East Devon. We had been glamping back in 2012 with the kids so were really excited to do it again with them. Jurassic Glamping at The Red House Farm Our last experience was our own eight acres of private woodland in Devon, called The Wood Life. Just the four of us, a large tent, real beds and a wood burning stove. This time round we were staying on a small-scale glamping site, in one of six large safari-style…

  • Exploring the Moor Otters trail, Devon
    Devon - Family Life - Sculpture trails - World Otter Day

    Exploring the Moor Otters Trail

    August 12, 2021 - By 

    We love a public art trail and have been lucky to explore many of them in London where we live. When I heard about the Moor Otters Trail I knew we would have to go and find out more. My daughters favourite animal is otters and it seemed the perfect family activity whilst we were in Devon. Exploring the Moor Otters trail The Moor Otters Trail consists of 81 stunning sculptures of otters with cubs – all designed and decorated by local and national artists – who are spending this summer with businesses, community groups and in public areas across…

  • Exploring Lydford and Lydford Gorge with kids
    Devon - Family Life

    Exploring Lydford and Lydford Gorge with kids

    August 22, 2020 - By 

    Last week we had a great week exploring Devon. We try to go a few times a year to visit family and there’s always somewhere new to explore. We took the opportunity to meet up with some friends and met half-way from where we were staying at Lydford Gorge. This is the deepest river gorge in the South West with a 30m high waterfall, owned by the National Trust. Exploring Lydford and Lydford Gorge with kids Due to the current pandemic restrictions you can only visit certain parts of Lydford Gorge such as the waterfall car park, the circular walk…

  • Devon - Family Life

    Pick your own sunflowers at Darts Farm

    August 13, 2020 - By 

    Each year, Darts Farm grow fields of beautiful sunflowers and ask for donations to raise money for Hospicecare. We have been eagerly looking for somewhere to pick our own sunflowers. Last year we visited the Pop Up Farm in Hertfordshire but they sadly announced that they wouldn’t be open for sunflowers this year. Happily for us we were near to Dart’s Farm at just the right time to go sunflower picking today. A morning at Darts Farm It’s been a few years since our last visit to Dart’s Farm which is just outside Exeter in south Devon. On our visit…

  • A visit to Bradley Manor House, Newton Abbot
    Devon - Family Life

    A visit to Bradley Manor House, Newton Abbot

    May 5, 2019 - By 

    Although we’re frequent visitors to Devon there are still lots of places we want to visit. On our most recent trip we wanted to use our National Trust membership to visit both Bradley Manor House and Compton Castle. We packed a picnic and headed off to Newton Abbot for our day out. A visit to Bradley Manor House, Newton Abbot Bradley Manor House is a surprisingly complete medieval manor set in lovely woodland minutes from the centre of Newton Abbot. The house contains a collection of Arts and Crafts furniture and Pre-Raphaelite paintings. The earliest part of the house dates…

  • Ness Beach Shaldon
    Devon - Family Life

    Exploring Shaldon with kids

    April 27, 2019 - By 

    Shaldon is a village in South Devon, on the south bank of the estuary of the River Teign, opposite Teignmouth. The village is really pretty and unspoilt, full of quaint little streets and shops and definitely worth a visit. Last week we were staying in Teignmouth with a direct view over to Shaldon. We couldn’t wait to explore Shaldon with the kids. It’s a quick drive away but parking is limited so we opted to visit by boat! The Teign Ferry Shaldon and Teignmouth are linked by the Teign Ferry, very possibly England’s oldest passenger ferry service. A service has…

  • A day out at Babbacombe Cliff Railway and Model Village
    Devon - Family Life

    A day out at Babbacombe Cliff Railway and Model Village

    April 21, 2019 - By 

    Last week we were able to re-visit two attractions in the pretty coastal village of Babbacombe near Torquay in Devon. It had been a few years since our last visit to Babbacombe but there is plenty to see and do with the Cliff Railway, Model Village and more. Babbacombe Cliff Railway Our first stop was the Babbacombe Cliff Railway which first opened to the public in 1926. Although there is a very steep pathway down to Oddicombe Beach it is much nicer to buy a ticket and travel on the Cliff Railway. It’s open everyday (weather permitting!) so we bought our…

  • An Easter Egg Hunt at NT Compton Castle
    Devon - Family Life

    An Easter Egg Hunt at NT Compton Castle

    April 19, 2019 - By 

    It doesn’t seem to be the Easter holidays unless we visit a NT property and take part in an Easter Egg Hunt. This year we found ourselves near to Compton Castle in Devon. As the property is still lived in the opening hours are limited. Luckily we managed to visit on a day it was open and were delighted to find they were running a Cadbury’s Easter Egg Hunt for the children. NT Compton Castle Compton Castle calls itself a fortified manor house but it is so much more than that! Nestled amongst the hills of south Devon you suddenly…