Visit Mid Devon… for a long weekend.

If you want to Visit Mid Devon for a long weekend you’ll find lots to do to keep you busy. Here are few ideas to inspire you.

Get your foodie fix

Local produce isn’t hard to find in Mid Devon so it’s the perfect place to spend a weekend exciting your taste buds!
Self-catering? Head to one of the region’s excellent farm shops or spend a morning wandering around the fabulous Farmers’ Markets in Cullompton, Crediton and Tiverton where you can shop like a local and pick up free range organic meat, fresh eggs, luxury cheeses, fresh breads and cakes and much more before heading back to your accommodation to cook up a feast with your wares.
Spend a few hours in beautiful surroundings learning more about your favourite tipple with a tour at Wellhayes Vineyard or Hanlon’s Brewery. Treat yourself to excellence during your stay by booking into one of Mid Devon’s award winning eateries for a fine dining experience or a homely pub meal.

Explore

Step into your walking boots and spend the weekend sampling our walking trails. Take a gentle wander along the towpath of the beautiful Grand Western Canal keeping your eyes peeled for kingfishers, delve into magical woodland in Eggesford Forest or take in the views across the Culm Valley with a yomp up to the Elizabethan Culmstock Beacon. There’s plenty of choice from short, easy strolls to more challenging longer routes that really blow the cobwebs away. If a long weekend of walking gives you a taste for the countryside then why not plan a return trip to take on the long distance Exe Valley Way or Two Moors Way, both of which come through Mid Devon.
If you prefer travelling on two wheels then pull on the lycra, don your helmet and head out to tackle our rolling hills and country lanes. Wend your way through country villages and beautiful valleys. The hills may be tough but the views from the top are worth the slog! For a gentler ride take in the scenery along the flatter river valleys or the Grand Western Canal Country Park. Both the Tarka Trail and National Cycle Network route 3 also pass through Mid Devon.
There are also a myriad of bridleways and several local stables if you want to experience Mid Devon from horseback.
Don’t forget to check OS maps and rights of way before exploring.

Get back to nature

Spend a weekend spotting local flora and fauna. Mid Devon has several hidden away nature reserves and wildlife sites which provide perfect habitats for insects like dragonflies, species of lizard, harvest mice and lots of interesting plants and flowers. Head to Hackpen Hill, Blackborough Wood or one of our other beautiful woodlands for a wander through majestic oaks, firs and chestnut trees and look out for butterflies and bluebells. Create your own ‘I Spy’ by choosing 5-10 things, like a leaf from a particular tree, an acorn or a funny shaped stick, for the kids to look out for on your walk. There’s plenty of opportunity for birdwatching in Mid Devon. Look out for the iconic bird of prey soaring above Buzzards Woodland, keep your eyes peeled for a fleeting glimpse of a kingfisher darting above the Grand Western Canal, and train your binoculars on the many other diverse species of birds that visit or breed in the area. Our rivers and waterways are home to otters, herons and water birds. Spend an enchanting evening with a unique up close view of wild badgers going about their nightly lives at Devon Badger Watch. Complete your nature weekend with an eco-friendly glamping experience, a stay in a mongolian yurt or a self-catering lodge nestled in stunning countryside.

Have a mini adventure

Mid Devon is a rural idyll but that doesn’t mean you have to adjust to a slower pace of life. Get the adrenalin pumping on rough muddy mountain biking trails around Eggesford Forest or take the bike up to Exmoor for some really challenging off-road cycling in stunning, rugged terrain. Get your trainers muddy trail running along our tracks, through forestry land and up and over our punishing rolling hills. Take flight with Aerosaurus Balloons and drift effortlessly over the world below with a dawn or dusk adventure. Pick up a li

cense and head to the water in a kayak. Bring your own or hire one while you’re here to explore the canal and other waterways. Spend the weekend fishing in stunning scenery at one of Mid

Devon’s many fishing lakes, some of which have their own holiday cottages. Try out the large muddy obstacle course at the Bear Trail or look out for one of the attractions offering Segway or quad bike hire for a different way to see the countryside.

Don’t forget to check OS maps and local rules and regulations before setting out on your adventure.