The Valley of a Million Bulbs

An explosion of 1 million yellow, white and blue flowers is about to happen in a picturesque South Devon valley.

See the swathes of daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and bluebells for free when you visit Sidmouth this Spring.

HISTORY: The idea of a Valley of a Million Bulbs came from Keith Owen, who left a £2.3m legacy to the Sid Valley.

• He wanted to support conservation and natural heritage and create a beautiful sight for visitors. The flowers have become a big tourist draw.

School children and volunteers have been planting bulbs every year since 2013, with big swathes at Peak Hill and The Byes.

WHY SIDMOUTH? Although Keith Owen was from Totnes and worked as an investment banker in Canada, he visited his mother in Sidmouth and thought the town reflected England “as it used to be.” More details.

Where is heaven? Off grid in North Devon

It’s a documentary about off-grid life exploring the winding lanes and hidden tracks of North Devon, and discovering fascinating people living without mains electricity.

Directors Gerard Bryan and David Rafique filmed where is heaven? over 10 years, capturing the rural beauty and the charming and spirited off-grid characters.

THE CAST: They are “a diverse collection…whose stories at first appear meandering tributaries but quickly swell to become an intricate weave of philosophies and vibrant wit, uniting around our common search for happiness.”

REVIEWS: “Charming, funny and life-affirming.” “I got sucked in, it’s really great.”

Watch the trailer.

From 6pm (film starts at 8pm), Thursday 6th February. Outside Multi-Use Space, Bantham TQ7 3AA. Tickets: £15, including a bowl of vegan food.

Doors open to a quilting and patchwork paradise

An estimated 2 million people in the UK love these crafts, from casual hobbyists to the seriously committed.

Which explains the popularity of events like the South West Quilt Show taking place in Newton Abbot on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd February.

WHAT’S ON: Featured quilt displays from top quilters and textile artists, workshops and patchwork & quilting supplies aplenty.

• Among the displays are 20 Years of Quilting by Fiona Macaulay Davies, My Tula Pink Obsession by Lisa Leverton, and Explorations in Modern Quilting by Cambridgeshire Modern Quilt Guild.

WHEN AND WHERE: 9:30am to 3:30pm, Newton Abbot Racecourse TQ12 3AF. Free parking. Advance tickets: Adult £7, 65+ / Disabled £6. U16 free.

Evocative Dartmoor in photography, art and film

Dartmoor: A Radical Landscape is a new contemporary art exhibition exploring Britain’s southern wilderness through different media.

The exhibition of pieces from 1969 to 2024 includes images of River Dart bathers, the wild camping campaign and exhausted young people in the Ten Tors race.

WHAT ELSE? Large scale experimental photography, earth pigment collages and a collaborative book, bringing together themes of ecology and climate crisis.

Expect to see your favourite Dartmoor locations such as Wistman’s Wood in a new light.

Watch a film about the exhibition here.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM), Exeter. Until 23rd February. 10am to 4.30pm. Tickets £6.

Sword-fighting for beginners

Fencing is fun and exciting, keeps your body and brain active, and is open to all ages.

To enjoy the benefits and learn the difference between a foil, epee and sabre, why not join up for a beginners course?

• Learning attacking and defending skills develops good co-ordination, balance and flexibility making fencing an ideal way to keep fit.

🤺 WHERE TO FENCE:

Barnstaple Fencing Club, Tarka Leisure Centre.

Heart of Devon Swords, Lords Meadow, Crediton and Halberton, Tiverton.

Plymouth Fencing Club. The Millfields, Plymouth College Preparatory School. “A great welcome with great coaching.” Facebook review.

Exeter City Fencing Club. Countess Wear Community School.

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Boost your business by reaching an engaged, fast-growing audience of Devon leisure and events lovers. Opportunities coming soon. See the features list.

Devon Curiosities #41: Tawstock Castle

As regular readers know, we like to provide something unusual in this section, but it’s not often that the curiosity is up for sale.

If you fancy it, Tawstock Castle near Barnstaple, with 18th century roots and Grade 2 listed could be yours for £1.5m.

You also get 8.4 acres, a 360 degree view of North Devon and a refurbished interior including a King Arthur round table. See inside (video)

BACKGROUND: For most of its history, the castle was regarded as a folly, “built in form of look-out tower" according to Wikipedia. In the 1980s it was extended with more towers and a great hall, creating something closer to a castle.

• Tawstock was recently available as a holiday home with prices starting at £1,057 per week.

The property could be a bargain for someone: it’s been on the market since August 2024.

WHAT ELSE IS ON?

🌊 North Devon 

JANUARY

Sat 18th

ART | 🖼️ Introduction to Suminagashi paper marbling with George Rayner | The Corn Store, Barnstaple | Tickets £30

Fri 24th

MUSIC | 🪘 Drumming Experience with Djembe Devon | The Corn Store, Barnstaple | Adult tickets £15, children £5

CRAFT | 🎨 Introduction to Indian Block Printing with Tara Knight | Studio KIND at the Corn Store, Barnstaple | Tickets £25

ENTERTAINMENT | 💃 1950s / 60s Jamboree Weekend | The Barnstaple Hotel, Barnstaple | Tickets from £299 per person for dinner, room and breakfast.

More North Devon events

🐬 South Devon

JANUARY

Sat 18th

WASSAILING | 🍎 Morris dancing, juggling and entertainment. 4pm til late, Community orchard | Stoke Gabriel

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE | 🌍 Explore the solar system | Market Hall, Plymouth | Other dates in January | Tickets £6.31, U17s £4.19

Fri 24th and Sat 25th

COMEDY | 😆 Rob Beckett: Giraffe | Princess Theatre, Torquay | Tickets from £35.18

Sun 26th

BALLET | 🩰 Swan Lake | Princess Theatre, Torquay | Tickets from £25

More South Devon events

🏆️ Get lucky! Win Devon leisure prizes

FEATURED: 💫 A luxury 2-night spa break at a South Devon hotel including Prosecco on arrival, 2x 1-hour spa treatments, dinner both nights, and a cream tea (31st Jan)

NEW!  😛 A “Full Monty” fudge gift set (6x 175g boxes) from a family Devon fudge-maker (Instagram, 19th Jan)

NEW!  🥳 Fluffy scones, rich clotted cream and fruity jam in a luxurious Devon cream tea hamper for 4 (31st Jan)

NEW!  🍺 A healthy bundle of zero and low-alcohol beer from a leading Devon brewer (31st Jan)

🥓 Bed and breakfast for 2 at the Future Inn, Plymouth before the end of February. (31st Jan)

 ☕️ An afternoon tea and treat for 2 at an Exeter spa, worth £190. (EX and TQ postcodes only. 31st Jan)

👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 A hot tub luxury caravan break for a family of 4 near Totnes (31st Jan)

🩰 An overnight stay for 2 with dinner and breakfast and tickets to Cinderella at Theatre Royal Plymouth (4th Feb)

🩰 A second chance to win the prize above! (5th Feb)

NEW!  2 tickets for Cinderella as above but no overnight stay (no closing date given)

NEW!  ♨️ A 7-night stay at a Cofton Holidays lodge with hot tub in South Devon. (7th Feb)

🍾 A 1-night stay with dinner for two, plus Prosecco on arrival, at one of the oldest pubs in South Hams (28th Feb)

⛵️ 3 nights away for 2 people in Sidmouth and Salcombe with breakfasts and 1 dinner plus £1,000 spending money (28th Feb)

NEW!  👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A family ticket to drive diggers and dump trucks at Diggerland (23rd Mar)

NEW!  🥧 £150 of your choice of Devon-made pies, pasties and sausage rolls delivered to your door. (30th Mar)

NEW!  🏖️ A 6-person, 3-night weekend break at a Woolacombe Bay holiday park (no closing date given)

🌊 A luxurious waterfront weekend mini-break for 2 in Plymouth, including dinner and free cinema tickets (no closing date given)

New member? Catch up here

🏴‍☠️ For those who like to book early for 2025

🍎 Bless the fruit trees

🎭️ Must see Devon shows 2025 (3)

🌊 Is this Devon’s biggest winter swim?

That’s all for this week.

Thanks for being a member.

With Devon love,

Andy, Esme, Lara and the Go Devon! team