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Weird and wonderful things to do while on holiday on Devon

27th August 2019

Categories: Visitor News

While Devon is well known for its traditional holiday resorts in places like Torquay, the incredible surfing opportunities in the north of the county and the wonderful cities of Exeter and Plymouth you might be forgiven for thinking that something a little off piste would be possible. However, Devon has lots of weird and wonderful things to do while you’re on your holidays for anyone who wants something a little more alternative to keep them entertained.

Feel like a giant for the day at Babbacombe Model Village

Aside from being one of our favourite accounts to follow on social media, Babbacombe Model Village just outside Torquay has an array of architectural styles and eras of building on show but in miniature, there is even a tiny Eastenders set for you to enjoy!

Try some wormcharming

Forget snake charming, here in the west country, we’re all about worm charming. In fact, the Blackawton International Festival of Wormcharming is an annual event which sees people descending on the south Devon village to try and beat the all time record of 149 worms. Basically, visitors are allowed to enter their own teams who then get to devise their own worm charming tactics which can range from everything to playing the flute to Morris dancing. However, there are some very strict rules over what techniques you can use to entice the worms to the surface, so if you attend make sure to pay close attention, no one wants to anger the Old Father Worm or the Grand Worm Master.

Catching a sea tractor

From Bigbury on Sea beach you can see the iconic Burgh Island, which is accessible on foot in low tide but at all other times it is advised that you catch a sea tractor which has been working as transportation in the area since the 30s and honestly, why wouldn’t you? The island was once a smugglers’ haunt but is now the base of an art deco hotel that was a favourite of Sir Winston Churchill’s. Agatha Christie based some of her most celebrated novels at the island and one of the oldest pubs in Devon is also in the region, so it is a pretty fascinating place to go. Plus, how many of your friends can boast that they’ve ridden a sea tractor on their holidays.

Going underground

If you take a trip to Exeter and you’re not scared of the dark or confined spaces, one weird but wonderful thing you can do is explore the underground passages. These are the only ones of their kind open to the public in the UK and are a network of medieval underground tunnels with their own tour guides who take you underneath the city. They’re a wonderful addition to any trip for history fans.

Race a pig

Pennywell Farm is one of Devon’s top family-friendly attractions and with the number of events and activities they have on offer, that’s hardly surprising. What is surprising though is that you can add miniature pig racing to your list of weird things you can do on your holidays. The farm regularly host pig races with their adorable mini pigs all of which have some truly puntastic names, like Snoop Hog, Stephen Porking and Amy Swinehouse.

Can you think of any more weird and wonderful things to do while in Devon? Let us know! You can find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!