In this month’s blog, we take a look at some of the spring and Easter-related activities in our beautiful part of the world.
Spring flowers
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
– William Wordsworth.
Daffodils at Jacobs Ladder, Sidmouth – Maria Thorne
If you, like Wordsworth, are a fan of these bold blooms, we recommend a trip to Sidmouth where, at this time of year, you will find the picturesque seaside town swathed in a golden cloak of daffodils. In 2007, Neil Owen, a former RAF pilot, on finding out he was terminally ill, bequeathed a generous amount of money to pay for the planting of millions of bulbs. Since then, the Sidmouth Daffodil Society continues to promote their planting throughout the Sid Valley to build on this legacy.
Did you know there are two types of bluebells? The British, or common, bluebell, which you’ll find growing wild in woodland across the south west, has ‘droopy’ stems and its bell-shaped, watercolour blue flowers hang daintily down one side. Their Spanish cousins are a more recent import and, whilst they also now grow wild, can be differentiated due to their more upright stems and the fact that the brighter, cobalt flowers grow all around the stem. Find bluebells from mid-April and into May, depending on the temperatures, at Blackbury Camp in Southleigh; growing inside the ancient ramparts at Hembury Fort; or indeed here at Forest Glade where we enjoy a sea of bluebells every year.
Wondering where you can tiptoe through the tulips? Visit one of the more formally planted gardens in the area: read all about out pick of the best gardens open to the public in Devon and Somerset.
Easter Events
Coldharbour Mill at Uffculme often have events on bank holidays. This Easter Bank Holiday Monday, they encourage you to enjoy a day out with “Mad Hatters and March Hares”. Enjoy a tea party in the Fox Gallery and go on an egg hunt whilst finding out more about the C19th steam engines, which they will be ‘steaming up’ especially for the day.
The National Trust offer Easter Egg Hunts at many of their properties and our two most local are Killerton and Knightshayes. The trails run daily from 9 – 24th Aprils 2022 from 10-5 at Killerton and 10-4 at Knightshayes. At the start of the trail, pick up your activity pack to find the bespoke trail you’re going to follow. Each of these properties has a glorious garden to explore and various nature-inspired activities along the way. Knightshayes is also a super place to see new spring lambs gambolling around the fields in front of the main house.
For an egg hunt with a twist, Crealy theme park invite children to their “Eggo-saurus Dino Hunt”! If you visit between 9th and 24th April, you can figure out the clues and riddles to reveal the secret dino egg locations across the park and fin them using your prehistoric map.
Hestercombe near Taunton are putting on a whole raft of children’s Easter activities, from colourful crafts, to bunny marshmallows and a special petting zoo. Combine those with a walk around the extensive gardens for a whole day out with the family.
Not Easter themed, but a super Easter treat for the children, Gangsta Granny Live Onstage takes place at the superb Northcott Theatre in Exeter this spring between Thursday 21st April and Sunday 24th April, for both matinees and evening performances.
All the information in our blogs is correct to the best of our knowledge at time of writing, but please always remember to check with a venue or attraction before visiting to avoid a wasted journey.