Sampling the delights of Devon
Quince Honey Farm
Seems like a weird place to go however it is absolutely stunning and fascinating, there was loads of information on bees and their habitats, including beekeeper talks. For many it would appear as boring but if you take the time to appreciate the work going on around you, it definitely isn’t dull. You can even see the bees in action and their hives – there were some open ones in strange places such as post boxes and a chimney. There are plenty of activities and my dad planted some wildflowers to take home in a biodegradable pot. It has a great gift shop and café (with a water refill point) and is very open to dogs.
Castle Hill Gardens
A gorgeous estate with plenty of gardens to explore, plus an awesome tree that appears to grow at right angles. There is an amazing woodland with hidden temples, bridges, monuments and statues. You can choose to climb the huge hill to reach the castle at the top (hence the name), however the castle is tiny and not very impressive. It’s more of a cute castle rather than a fierce one. The view from the top of the hill is incredible though and there are even canons placed up there.
Woolley Farm
This was my favourite place over the holiday. From walking an alpaca called Max, to holding a lamb and baby goat and a chicken that thought it was a parrot. There were the perfect number of animals – big enough to explore, small enough for it to be a nice experience. The alpacas were my favourite animals however the goats were also incredibly cute. There were also dogs that were so sleepy, they didn’t even wake when you stroked them! The gift shop was amazing and you could buy things such as alpaca wool socks and gloves, and even the wool from the alpacas themselves (labelled so that you knew which wool you had). The staff were also absolutely amazing and really chatty and friendly.
Canonteign Falls
The home to England’s highest man made waterfall, Victoria Falls, which stands at an incredible 220ft. The walk shows you through Beautiful woods and gardens and a nice lake to walk around at the bottom if you don't want to climb all the way up to the top. It was a nice climb however it was very steep and slightly anticlimactic when I reached the top but it was a great view. Along the walk there are many signs filled with lots of history so I got to learn about the past of the location. For those that don't want to walk all the way to the top but want to see the waterfall, there is a nice viewpoint not too far up which is ideal for pictures. The people there were lovely and it was an nice enough gift shop. As a note you may not want to buy the duck food because they weren't very interested and were fully fed.
Tiverton’s Horse-drawn barge
This was probably the most relaxing activity that I did over the holiday - there was lots of wildlife to spot, ducks to feed and I got to meet the horse at the beginning and the end. The barge even has a bar and toilet on board so every need is catered for. At varying points of the journey there were talks and notes from the captain and crew which were highly informative and very interesting. There was a cute little gift shop and really lovely people who provided a more personal experience. The horse-drawn barge is one of the last of its kind and I would highly recommend going to see it.
Tiverton Castle
I don't usually like giving critical reviews of places, however this was slightly disappointing. It was overly expensive for a few gardens, which simply were a lawn, a walk to the river bed and a small gardening patch, and a tiny house. The house was quite interesting since it contained a lot of history and information such as paintings armoury and weapons however there were not very many rooms and very steep staircases to places such as the tower (which even I struggled to climb to). There was also basically no gift shop and only a few people that I could see working there. The only other good thing I have to say about it is that it was very picturesque outside of the house because it had plants growing up the sides.
Wildwood
This was a small but pleasant zoo and had a good variety of animals. I saw most of them: lynx, otters, birds of prey (including a rescue buzzard), bears, wolves, boars, the Scottish Wildcat and the peacocks however if you want to see the red squirrels you need to go there early in the morning (when they open) since this is the only time they come out. There was a really nice café and it also had a maze which was a slight nightmare and was quite difficult so I got lost - if you are planning to go in be prepared to be in there for a while!
Isabel Sheppard, Year 10
Seems like a weird place to go however it is absolutely stunning and fascinating, there was loads of information on bees and their habitats, including beekeeper talks. For many it would appear as boring but if you take the time to appreciate the work going on around you, it definitely isn’t dull. You can even see the bees in action and their hives – there were some open ones in strange places such as post boxes and a chimney. There are plenty of activities and my dad planted some wildflowers to take home in a biodegradable pot. It has a great gift shop and café (with a water refill point) and is very open to dogs.
Castle Hill Gardens
A gorgeous estate with plenty of gardens to explore, plus an awesome tree that appears to grow at right angles. There is an amazing woodland with hidden temples, bridges, monuments and statues. You can choose to climb the huge hill to reach the castle at the top (hence the name), however the castle is tiny and not very impressive. It’s more of a cute castle rather than a fierce one. The view from the top of the hill is incredible though and there are even canons placed up there.
Woolley Farm
This was my favourite place over the holiday. From walking an alpaca called Max, to holding a lamb and baby goat and a chicken that thought it was a parrot. There were the perfect number of animals – big enough to explore, small enough for it to be a nice experience. The alpacas were my favourite animals however the goats were also incredibly cute. There were also dogs that were so sleepy, they didn’t even wake when you stroked them! The gift shop was amazing and you could buy things such as alpaca wool socks and gloves, and even the wool from the alpacas themselves (labelled so that you knew which wool you had). The staff were also absolutely amazing and really chatty and friendly.
Canonteign Falls
The home to England’s highest man made waterfall, Victoria Falls, which stands at an incredible 220ft. The walk shows you through Beautiful woods and gardens and a nice lake to walk around at the bottom if you don't want to climb all the way up to the top. It was a nice climb however it was very steep and slightly anticlimactic when I reached the top but it was a great view. Along the walk there are many signs filled with lots of history so I got to learn about the past of the location. For those that don't want to walk all the way to the top but want to see the waterfall, there is a nice viewpoint not too far up which is ideal for pictures. The people there were lovely and it was an nice enough gift shop. As a note you may not want to buy the duck food because they weren't very interested and were fully fed.
Tiverton’s Horse-drawn barge
This was probably the most relaxing activity that I did over the holiday - there was lots of wildlife to spot, ducks to feed and I got to meet the horse at the beginning and the end. The barge even has a bar and toilet on board so every need is catered for. At varying points of the journey there were talks and notes from the captain and crew which were highly informative and very interesting. There was a cute little gift shop and really lovely people who provided a more personal experience. The horse-drawn barge is one of the last of its kind and I would highly recommend going to see it.
Tiverton Castle
I don't usually like giving critical reviews of places, however this was slightly disappointing. It was overly expensive for a few gardens, which simply were a lawn, a walk to the river bed and a small gardening patch, and a tiny house. The house was quite interesting since it contained a lot of history and information such as paintings armoury and weapons however there were not very many rooms and very steep staircases to places such as the tower (which even I struggled to climb to). There was also basically no gift shop and only a few people that I could see working there. The only other good thing I have to say about it is that it was very picturesque outside of the house because it had plants growing up the sides.
Wildwood
This was a small but pleasant zoo and had a good variety of animals. I saw most of them: lynx, otters, birds of prey (including a rescue buzzard), bears, wolves, boars, the Scottish Wildcat and the peacocks however if you want to see the red squirrels you need to go there early in the morning (when they open) since this is the only time they come out. There was a really nice café and it also had a maze which was a slight nightmare and was quite difficult so I got lost - if you are planning to go in be prepared to be in there for a while!
Isabel Sheppard, Year 10