Banish the winter blues with the National Trust in Devon: Events Jan-March 2025

The first signs of spring are starting to emerge across Devon and places are sparkling after their winter deep cleans. There’s plenty to entice you out and about this winter with Wassail events, February half-term trails and tree planting. What’s more, every time you experience a National Trust day out, you help care for these special places for future generations.    

Here is what’s happening near you this winter, please check the property website for opening days and times:     

Arlington 

Wild about Spring Children’s trail 
Daily 15 Feb to 4 April, 10am – 4pm  
Discover the different springtime animals found around Arlington as the estate wakes up from winter, learn fun facts and take part in activities as you go.  
Price: Free (normal admission applies). No booking required 

Locals’ free entry week for EX3 postcodes 
Daily 3 to 9 March, 10am – 4pm  
Locals living in an EX3 postcode can enjoy a week of free entry to Arlington Court. Simply bring along your driver's license or bill to show that you live in an EX3 postcode area and gain free entry. 
Price: Free for EX3 postcodes. Booking not required. 

Big book sale for World Book Day 
Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 March, 10am – 4pm 
Pick up a bargain book for World Book Day! We will be bringing out lots of our second-hand books for a bumper sale. 
Price: Free (normal admission applies) 

Buckland Abbey 

Mummers Play & Wassail! 
Sunday 5 January, 1-4pm 

Join Dartmoor Border Morris to scare away evil spirits in the orchard and ensure a good harvest this year at the Wassail. 
Price: Free (normal admissions apply). Booking not required. 

Tree Planting at Buckland Abbey 
Every Saturday in January, 10am-2pm 
Join the team as they plant 30,000 trees at Buckland Abbey. They are working with Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest to create, restore, and connect 52 hectares (128 football pitches) of priority habitat. All training and equipment will be provided. 
Price: Free event. Booking advisable.  

Write Your Own Fairytale Trail 
Daily 15 Feb to 30 March, 10am - 4pm 
Pick up a trail booklet and a pencil from visitor welcome and get creative. Follow the map to find all the writing spots and see what inspires your story along the way. 
Price: Free (normal admission applies). Booking not required. 

Children’s Collage Workshop: Wild & Wonderful Gardens 
17 February, 10-11am & 11.30-12.30pm 
Join local artist Grace Coombes from Linnet Workshops and create wonderfully colourful and creative collages inspired by the beautiful Buckland Abbey Estate. 
Price: £9pp, admissions apply. Booking essential.  

Coleton Fishacre 

Image: Coleton Fishacre

Monthly guided walks by the coast 
First Friday of January, February & March, 10.30am-12.30pm 
Join the volunteer walking team on a free accessible guided walk focusing on wellbeing along the coast. Suited for intermediate walkers. 
Price: Free event. Booking not required.  

Little Acorns welly walks at Coleton Fishacre 
Each Wednesday from 15 January – 28 March, 9.30-11.30am 
Explore the garden in the quiet moments before opened to the public, and take part in lots of creative activities on a welly walk. Come dressed for messy outdoor play – whatever the weather. Little Acorn sessions are suitable for children under 5 years old. 
Price: Free event. Booking not required. 

National Lottery Open Week 
15-23 March. 10.30am-5pm 
To say thank you to the Lottery players who have made so much of the conservation work possible, Coleton Fishacre are taking part in the National Lottery Open Week. Just present the lottery ticket or scratch card to explore Coleton Fishacre for free. 
Price: Free event. Booking not required.  

Lorna Doone Valley 

Literary Walk in the Doone Valley 
22 March, 10am-1pm 
Join Wild about Exmoor on a Literary Walk following in the footsteps of R.D. Blackmore. This includes a cream tea from and light refreshments halfway through the walk. 
Price: £45pp. Booking is essential via the website. 

Greenway 

Winter Treasures Spotter trail 
15 February to 19 March, 10.30am-4pm 
Self-led family orientated walk around the garden. Pick up a free spotter sheet from the visitor welcome and return once finished for a sticker reward.  
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required. 

National Lottery Open Week 
15-23 March, 10.30am-5pm 
To say thank you to the Lottery players who have made so much of the conservation work possible, Greenway are taking part in the National Lottery Open Week. Just present the lottery ticket or scratch card to explore Greenway for free. 
Price: Free event. Booking not required.  

Killerton 

Welly Wandering 
Daily 8 January to 5 February, 10am-4.30pm  
Pull on your boots, grab a coat and get exploring on one of our way-marked welly walks. Collect 3 ‘wellies’ and collect a free drink. 
Price: Free (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.  

Parke 

Waggy Walk with Devon Loves Dogs 
23 January, 10am-12.30pm 
Join Julie from Devon Loves Dogs and Nathan from the National Trust Dogs on Dartmoor project for a social, guided dog walk around the Parke estate. 
Price: Free event, booking essential via the website 

Wembury  

Family-friendly weekend tree planting  
Sat 11 and Sun 12 Jan, Sat 25 and Sun 26 Jan, 10am-3pm 
Come and help us plant trees in our Community Woodland at Wembury Barton Farm. This will form part of the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest, a partnership between the National Trust, the Woodland Trust, Plymouth City Council and South Hams District Council, and is part of the wider Defra-funded Community Forest scheme. You are welcome to come for the whole day or just an hour or two. You will be rewarded for your help with a warm pasty and hot drink. A free shuttle bus will be available from Wembury Village.  
Price: Free event. Booking required.  

Tree planting Tuesday  
Tues 14 Jan, 10am-3pm  

Join our rangers and volunteers for a day of tree planting in our Community Woodland at Wembury Barton Farm. 
We’ve got another 40,000 trees to plant this year and by March we hope to have planted over 100,000 trees in the past three years. You will be rewarded for your help with a warm pasty and hot drinks. 
Price: Free event. Booking required. 

Header image: Credit to National Trust / Trevor Ray Hart.