Fun things to do in Devon

This is a facinating place, so allow plenty of time. Near the Harliquins shopping centre in Queen Street, the museum has many objects from all over the world.

Admission is free & opening hours are from 10am to 5pm except Sundays & bnak holidays. Some of the gallaries on show are:

Archaeology
Ceramics
Clocks, watches and timekeeping
Fine art
Geology
Glassware
Local history
Natural history
Sladen gallery
Silver
World cultures

There's lots of hands on for children, including quizzes & trails. Please visit the website for more information.

Paignton zoo is very interesting place to visit. We were staying in Teignmouth when we decided to come & visit. We caught a bus from The Triangle to Torquay Harbour, here you change bus’s. There’s usually one which drops off at the zoo direct, it’s an open top bus which stop’s at Paignton bus station before carrying onto the zoo. If you don’t want to eat at the restaurant ( as it can be pricy) there’s a Safeways Supermarket next door. When we arrived it was the summer holidays & the queue was horrendous, it stretched halfway back from the entrance to the street. The first place we visited was the Reptile House, it’s very hot & steamy inside large; signs tell you not to touch the plants as their dangerous & full of toxins. Here is where the snakes live in big tanks; most of them were asleep behind the glass. A bird fly’s about & dives bombs people, there’s also a large desert area before the end with spiders in.

Dotted around are ice-cream kiosk’s which sell ice-cream by Childhay Manor, I don’t know a lot about Childhay Manor except I think monk’s live there with bee’s that make honey. Circling the park is a miniature railway, has one of those diesel trains that you used to get in the late 1960’s when they were first introduced to the UK; it’s alright for children. There’s a café at Paignton Zoo, can sit about 350 people in total, there’s outside seating & seagulls come into land hoping to get food. Peacock’s strut about hoping to get food as well, one of them like’s chips! The tables are a bit wobbly, so tea lands up everywhere except the cups. The elephant’s are good to see, & the zebra.

Adults are £6.20-£5
Child are £3.50-4.30

Torbay on the south Devon coast, it is really a collective of 3 towns Torquay, Paignton & Brixham also 2 villages, Cockington & Galmpton.

Torbay is also known as the English Riviera, the collective name of Torbay relates to Tor Bay the name of the bay these towns & villages sit on.

Very much a tourist area, thousands of young foreign students flock here in the summer to the many language schools. Also very popular with British families & older people.

Attractions in the bay are: the Golden Hind ship, Babbacombe Model Village, Kents Cavern, Paignton Zoo, Cockington Country Park, Berry Head Country park, South Devon Stream Railway, Go Karts, Greenway (home of Agathe Christie).

Quite a selection of beaches in Torbay. Brixham beaches like Fishcombe & breakwater are pebbly there is also a sea water swimming pool called shoalstone.

Paignton beaches are mostly sandy, the most popular being Goodrington & Broadsands there is also a large beach with a pier at Paignton town.

Torquay has a mixure of both types, the main Torquay beach is man made, so great for sandcastle building!!

Cockington is a beautiful "Olde Worlde" thatched cottage village, There is a wonderful country park here, with 3 lakes surrounded by mature plants, 12th century church, court house, cricket ground, glass makers, pretty walled rose garden.

The village square is surrounded by thatched buildings, the forge, old school house, granary etc. You can get a horse & cart from Torquay sea front down the lanes to the village.

Try to get here early morning before the other tourist arrive, go back in time & have this picturesque place to yourself.

Dartmouth is located in far south of Devon and not far from Torbay.

I suspect that many people think of the Dartmouth in the US or Canada, however the original Dartmouth is here!!

Dartmouth is at the end of the trail of the River Dart from Dartmoor. It has a rich 1000 year old history, evident from the buildings around the town. The Royal Britannia Naval College stands proud on the hills above Dartmouth and dates back to 1902, however the interest in the sea has dated back far longer with Dartmouth Castle being an inportant defensive post for the folk of Dartmouth in days past.

Please see my Dartmouth page for more tips on this area of South Devon.

Cockington Village is an olde world horse and cart village in Torquay, set about 1-2 km from Livermead Beach and a 2-3 km from the top of town.

There is a beautiful old church circa 1000-1200 next to Cockington Court.
In the summer there are beautiful walks around a series of man made lakes (these are not grand, however they are set within a wooded landscaped area with a lot of changing flora).

If you like thatched old buildings - this is an old English paradise!

The Drum Inn local pub isn't bad too - good food and drink throughout the day.

More information about Cockington can be found on my Torquay page.

This is the main beach on Torquay Sea Front.

The firm sand is ideal for making sand castles yet still soft enough to make it pleasant to walk on.

The tides in Torquay will cover the entire beach twice over a 24 hour period.

In this picture there is no sand to see :-(

Facilities: Ample parking; Dogs banned; swimming, safe with care; warning flags in operation; life saving equipment; first aid post; toilets nearby; cafe/refreshments; deck chair/sun bed hire; public telephone