Family Attractions
Our self-catering holiday cottages in Woolacombe are ideally situated to enjoy a range of family attractions nearby. Just a stone’s throw from our holiday village, you can enjoy a host of activities that are guaranteed to keep even the youngest members of the family entertained.
North Devon is home to a wide selection of indoor and outdoor attractions to enjoy throughout the year. Whether you’re looking to step back in time and explore historic castles, try out exciting outdoor adventure activities or see wildlife up close, we guarantee you’ll be spoilt for choice when deciding how to spend your days!
To help you plan your free time, we’ve listed just some of our favourite North Devon family attractions to try out during a stay in our cosy cottages, by the coast.
Family Attractions & Activities in North Devon
The Big Sheep
A visit to The Big Sheep is a guaranteed fun-filled day out for the whole family! There's a wide variety of things to see and do, including rollercoasters, watching an exciting show, enjoying some gentle fun at the animal petting zoo, or spending a few hours in the outdoor play zone!
The outdoor play zone is the ideal place for children to burn off some steam as they explore the various equipment.
For families travelling with younger children, there is also an excellent toddler zone at The Big Sheep. The toddler zone includes safe and gentle rides including a tractor safari, a vintage carousel, swan pedalos, pony rides and a piggy pull-along.
The Milky Way
The Milky Way isn’t just a galaxy in outer space, but also a fantastic adventure park for families to enjoy in North Devon. The Milky Way Adventure Park has been voted as the UK’s best amusement park by TripAdvisor every single year since 2015! There are so many incredible activities to enjoy as The Milky Way has been described as having acres full of both outdoor and indoor activities and rides! Some of the most popular attractions include ‘Ziggy’s Blast Quest; which is an interactive laser quest ride, Droid Destroyers dodgems and a fantastic family assault course called ‘The Ninja Stars Games Arena’.
Watermouth Castle
A visit to Watermouth Castle is a fun day for those with young children. This Victorian castle turned theme park, has a selection of fun things to do – from rides and attractions, crazy golf, Toboggan Run, water shows and so much more. Discover the castle’s secret treasures and tour around the great halls, creep your way through the dungeon or watch in wonder as you watch the incredible Water Show Extravaganza.
The main attractions are split into two parks at Watermouth Castle, Merry Go Land and Adventure Land. Merry Go Land is a fun fair for young ones, featuring a Mystical Water Garden, Haunted Mill, Steam Carousel, Floating Ball, Swing Boats and other gentle fun activities which all nod towards the site’s Victorian heritage. Adventure Land is fantastic for those aged for slightly older kids between the ages of eight to twelve. Adventure Land has a wide variety of fun attractions including Crazy ‘Fountain’ Golf, Sea Lion Water-Go-Round, Cooking Pot Ride, Snail trail Ride and the popular Thunder Luge Toboggan Run.
If you would like to visit Watermouth Castle, you must book your tickets in advance of your day out.
Popular Devon Family Attractions
Cobbaton Combat Collection
If you love tanks, trucks, artillery, and other military memorabilia, then you’ll love Cobbaton Combat Collection. This private collection is an excellent afternoon out for the tank lovers in your family. With plenty of exhibitions and other things to see, the collection is owned and looked after by collectors and history buffs, so you’re guaranteed a truly authentic insight into the artefacts on display.
Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park
Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park has plenty of things to see and do and is an excellent day out for the whole family. Walk through the large animal enclosures and discover a variety of animals from across the world, from the great African lion to the little African penguin.
There are also plenty of experiences which you can book, including a personal guided encounter with a selection of animals such as grey wolves, seals, lions, raccoons and more. If modern-day creatures don’t pique your interest, then you might love the Dinosaur park. There are Dinosaurs dotted throughout the park at CMWD – some of which will wake up every hour to wake up and roar. If the thirty life-size animatronic dinosaurs simply aren’t enough to satisfy the dinosaur lovers in your family, there is also a Dinosaur Museum on site. This small museum is full of fossils, eggs and other dinosaur-related displays.
Quince Honey Farm
If you’re looking for a unique day out for your family, consider visiting Quince Honey Farm. The award-winning working honey farm has plenty of activities for everyone to participate in. The Play Hive is an excellent place for young ones to run around, whilst the guided tours are a truly informative way of learning the ins and outs of the honey-making process. Once you’ve finished walking around this family-run farm, you can enjoy a handmade snack at the Nectary Restaurant or browse the range of honey-related produce at the on-site shop.
Tarka Pottery Studio
Tarka Pottery Studio is an excellent place to visit if you’re feeling a little creative. This pottery studio has a few different classes for families and young children - such as the Creative Clay Modelling class which is a creative session where you can decorate a slab or build a pot. Another popular session is the Family and Friends Throwing Experience where you and your family are allowed to throw clay on a potter’s wheel. For more activities for families, children, and adults, visit Tarka Pottery Studio’s website.
Scott Cinemas
If you’d like to watch a new film whilst staying at Willingcott Valley Holiday Village, then we recommend visiting Scott Cinemas. This cinema releases a mixture of blockbusters and independent films with regular offers like saver monday.
This cinema is also perfect for those who have sensory needs as Scott Cinemas holds supportive screenings which are also autistic-friendly.
Haldon Forest Park
A gentle stroll, or a cycle ride, is an excellent way to immerse yourself in the gorgeous woodlands of North Devon. Haldon Forest Park is an excellent forest to visit with your family. There are plenty of routes to suit a wide variety of abilities around this picturesque forest. There is also a fun activity trail for children to follow whilst walking around the forest park, simply download the ‘Zog: a Forest Adventure’ app to access the trail and more exciting activities.
Outside in Rollerdrome
We love the summer here in Devon; however, we all know how unpredictable the British weather can be. If you’re looking for a fun-filled activity to beat a rainy day, we recommend visiting Outside in Rollerdrome. This rollerdrome is the biggest indoor skate rink in the South West and is fully equipped with lighting and laser special effects, fog machines, canons and so much more.
Family facilities at Willingcott Valley
If you don’t fancy travelling offsite, we have a small selection of family friendly facilities to enjoy within our holiday village. Within easy reach of our self-catering holiday cottages, you can while away a sunny afternoon in our outdoor heated swimming pool.
We also have two children’s play parks geared towards younger children’s. They feature a range of play equipment, including a climbing frame, slide and swings.
