Happy holidays, come rain or shine...

All-weather attractions are great to have on your holiday itinerary. Add these to your to-do list and be ready for rain or shine this summer.

EWEtopia

The Big Sheep in Bideford has one of the best indoor play centres you will find. EWEtopia is even suitable for any age, so mums, dads and grandparents can indulge their childish side too. Plenty of fun outdoors too, including quirky events like duck trials and sheep racing. Stonehaven Cottage at Horwood, north Devon, is the wing of a handsome detached house converted from 16th century barns: a fitting place to rest your head after exhausting the family in the play barn.

Lanhydrock House

Lanhydrock House and Pencarrow House and Gardens make two fantastic day trips just a short drive from stylishly renovated, ancient Dunn Cottage in Boscastle. Lanhydrock’s servants quarters and luxurious family areas give the Victorian house a sense of social history while largely Georgian mansion Pencarrow is still owned and occupied by descendants of the family who settled there in the 1500s. After touring these intriguing houses, enjoy the fresh air and panoramic vistas while exploring their extensive grounds and woodland walks.

Carnglaze Caverns

An underground tour of Carnglaze Caverns, St Neot, can’t be ruined by the weather. The three caverns and subterranean lake make a unique concert venue and self-guided tours are a daily event. Retreat to contemporary Christmas Cottage, set in 24 acres of private woods and paddocks – a haven for nature lovers and perfect base for walking and pony trekking.

The shared indoor swimming pool and games room add an entertaining dimension to a stay in one of four attractive cottages on this farm in Lustleigh, on the eastern edge of Dartmoor. While the swimming costumes are drying off, there’s more than enough to do indoors: table tennis, snooker and plenty of children’s games. On fine days, enjoy walks on the owners’ 35 acre farm or perhaps riding, fishing and golf, all nearby.

Of course, when the sun does comes out, you’re never far away from a beautiful beach in the West Country, so have your buckets and spades at the ready!

Take a look at the superb holiday cottages still available in July and August for a last minute break.

Happy holidays!

Have a Helpful Halloween...

What will you be doing this Halloween? Will you be trick-or-treating, attending fancy dress parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories or watching horror films?

Pecorama

If you’re looking for something slightly different, the West Country never disappoints – for instance, why not dress up in a Halloween outfit and ride the Frights Ghost Train at Pecorama in Beer? You could meet Dan the Hat and Ben the Juggler and win a free spooky treat! Over half-term you’ll also encounter ghost trains and tombstones, cobwebs and bats and witches on broomsticks in tall pointy hats! Park your broomstick at G36.

There’s plenty of Halloween fun to be had at The Big Sheep - during half-term week there’s masses of traditional Halloween fun to keep the kids amused during the day and ‘Scary by Night’ parties in the evenings. For those of you feeling especially brave, on 22nd October try a sponsored walk with a difference – across a 20-foot bed of fire! It’s all for a good cause - the Caroline Thorpe children’s ward at the North Devon District Hospital. There’s a foot-bowl of ice cubes waiting at K14.

Devon's Crealy will be putting on lots of spooky autumn fun with pumpkin carving, exciting games, thrilling rides, fancy dress competitions, live entertainment and a new haunted ghost train appearing especially for October half-term. Jump on board and get into the spirit! Ride the ghost train back to G31.

Halloweden

If you're a fan of the Eden Project, you'll want to celebrate Halloweden this October half-term, with attractions such as the beautifully-decorated Wishcraft Tent where you'll find lots of magical things to make and do, including pumpkin carving demonstrations, wand-making and potion mixing. Or, there's the Little Monsters' Ball Halloween disco, where you can get your fancy dress on and bring the whole family for an evening of 'fang-tastic' fun, with spooky activities and a bone-shaking disco. Kick off your dancing shoes at S8.

And finally, Somerset’s Dunster Castle has a series of events including a spooky pumpkin trail, ghostly story telling and ghost tours of the Castle’s attic and basement. Brush off the cobwebs at F59.

Check our special offers page for last minute deals on places to stay or give us a call on 01647 433593.