We have beautiful weather in the summer in England but we can still have those rainy days which has definitely been the case this week! After the heatwave of the summer you may also be looking for a day out where you don’t need to worry about the sunburn or can shelter in some shade. Below is a list of indoor venues the whole family can enjoy.
Suitable for children from 18 months (take a look at the timetable on the website). The Trampoline park offers, full size Olympic style trampolines, a sea of wall to wall interconnected trampolines, a super soft, landing air bag, and dual tumble tracks. On site is also The Hangout Café where you can sit and watch the kids play. The café serves a variety of hot and cold food from peanut butter stack cake to pizzas. Free parking is available onsite. Pre-booking is essential.
Located just down the road in Great Torrington is the largest British Crystal factory and you can take a tour. Entry for the tour is free to under 16s. As the factory is a working factory, the tour is only open Monday – Friday. In the Visitors’ center you can learn about the history of Dartington Crystal, take part in creative activities (different charges apply) and visit the glass shop. On site is The Pavilion Café serving freshly prepared food, coffees and cream teas. In the factory tour you can see skilled glass makers at work and view every stage of the glass making process. On site there is free parking for visitors. Seasonal opening times apply so please check these on their website.
Holding 640 men, HMP Dartmoor Prison is a working prison. Public entry to the main prison is prohibited but Dartmoor Prison Museum displays the history of keeping prisoners on Dartmoor all the way back to the war of 1812 with America and then back to 1805 and the war between Great Britain and France. See keys, weapons and artwork made by prisoners over time and visit the museum shop which sells items made by the current prisoners.
Check opening hours online as on some days the museum may have to close.
Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Great Torrington Museum is free to visit and run by volunteers. The museum exhibits display the diversity of the ancient market town. From the Rolle Canal, glove making to pottery and the civil war, the history is fascinating.
Located in the city of Plymouth, it is the largest aquarium in the UK. A part of the Ocean Conservation Trust, the aquarium works to connect people to the ocean. Made up of four areas, you will see many exhibits and animals. Starting your journey through the aquarium in Plymouth Sound you will travel across the globe to the Great Barrier Reef. See fish, octopus, turtles, sharks and stingrays.
Book your visit and experiences at https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/
Admission to the museum, gallery and archive at The Box, Plymouth is free. Located in two buildings, visits could be as short as an hour or take all day. With a café on site, lunch is sorted. With exhibits on world cultures, photography, moving images, natural history, art, archives and local study and Cottonian collection, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
There’s not just bowling on offer at Let’s Go Super Bowl. Enjoy karaoke, the solid strike area, pool and snooker and interactive darts. Food is on offer in the café along with a variety of drinks. Free parking is on site if you register your vehicle at Reception.
Pre-book online at https://letsgobarnstaple.com/bowling
With three escape rooms of varying difficulty from their Kingsman inspired escape room to the search for blueprints and a search for deeds. There’s fun for the whole family with team sizes from 2 – 6 people and well-behaved dogs are also welcome. Book on their website: https://www.devonescaperooms.co.uk/
Swim as a family, enjoy the inflatable fun or relax with a moonlight swim at Great Torrington’s indoor pool. Aqua fit classes are held 4 times a week. After a swim, why not enjoy a session in the sauna? The timetable on Active Torridge’s website is updated frequently.
With swimming, soft play and wild play on offer there is lots for little ones. The Wild play area is complete with sand pits and painting and contains a racetrack for competitive fun. Wild play is open for 0-8 years old. Including a range of play equipment from ball pools to slides the soft play center is open 7 days a week. With the Coral Cove Café on site, refreshments for you and the children are easy.
Open daily from 9 am – 6pm there is fun for all the children aged (0-15). During busy times, pre-booking is essential. For children who prefer quieter environments, it is best to book early mornings. Onsite there is a café that makes food fresh to order.
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum, located in Exeter is free to enter. For those with young children, you can borrow a beastie bag from the museum which contains a selection of toys and ideas for the children to enjoy whilst they are there. Play RAMM bingo as you explore the exhibitions or dress up as a roman, have a go at making a mosaic and climb into a real WW11 bunker. There are many other things for you all to enjoy whilst exploring the history of Exeter and across the world.
Containing collections from their most ancient rocks to contemporary artworks, the Museum of North Devon and Barnstaple is the place to go to find out about our larger local area. Learn about furniture making, the Royal Devon Yeomanry, geology and our very special North Devon Biosphere.
Let out your creative side at Tarka Pottery. Throw a pot on the potters wheel, paint a pot or just enjoy getting creative with clay, this is fun for the whole family. You will also have something to take away with you at the end of your holiday. Tarka Pottery is located in the village of Little Torrington and is within walking distance. Collect a leaflet from Reception for a 10% discount off of pottery painting.
Travel from the source of the river all the way to Lundy Island as you go through the aquarium. Children can take part in the quiz trails throughout and see frequent daily fish feeds Ilfracombe Aquarium is wheelchair friendly and food is available to eat in or take away from the Pier café.
Located in Drake Circus, The Barcode is Plymouth’s 16,000 square foot tropical crazy golf. Featuring two 18-hole golf courses, there is plenty of fun to be had. Submerse yourself in the jungle atmosphere as you golf around rocks, tiki huts and ruins. Enjoy food and drinks from The Bunker, located on site.
https://www.paradiseislandgolf.com/Plymouth
North Devon’s largest outlet, Affinity Devon, contains 25 shops where you can enjoy up to 60% discount off top brands. Visit Next, Crew Clothing, Quba &Co., Sports Direct, Animal and Klass for your fashion needs whilst also visiting Mountain Warehouse and Tresspass for your camping and outdoor activity supplies. Indulge in a coffee from Costa or the Cornish bakery and pop around the corner to Aldi and Asda for your grocery shop. This indoor shopping outlet has all you need for the whole family.
Really Wild Planet by Really Wild Learning allows you to get up close and personal with bearded dragons, pythons, crested and leopard geckos and milk snakes. You can also see bumblebee and blue poison dart frogs and many invertebrates such as praying mantis and scorpions. Visit Really Wild Planet at Affinity Devon.
Providing entertainment for children ages 0 -11, World of Wonder Devon allows children to play and explore in some of the world’s most famous landmarks. Enjoy sliding down the giant runway slide, clamber on the Pyramids of Ancient Egypt, climb the Grand Canyon and explore London. WOW can be found at Affinity Devon.
Free to enter, the Burton Art Gallery is located in Bideford on the edge of Victoria Park. In the past at the Burton Art Gallery you have been able to view works by Michael Morpurgo, Picasso and David Hockney.
We are lucky to be in easy reach of several National Trust properties such as Castle Drogo, Knightshayes, Arlington Court, Waters meet and serveral others. Whilst these do have outdoor areas to explore, these properties can also be explored indoors.
For groups of adults, why not enjoy a private bar at Gotland Gin or a cider, gin and rum tasting at Honeywood Orchard. Plymouth Gin is an easy drive along with wine tasting at TorView Wines. At Sam's Cider you can enjoy a cider making tour and grab a bite in the cafe.
Why not enjoy a cafe or pub and a board game? Dice and A Slice in Ilfracombe is open 4-11pm Friday - Wednesday (12 - 11pm Saturday). At Stacc, Ilfracombe, Thursday nights are game night with a range of board games to borrow. The Globe Inn at Beaford has a selectiobn of board games for its patrons to enjoy. Play a game, grab a bite and enjoy a pint.
In North Devon and the surrounding there is as much on offer to enjoy inside as there is outside. On your holiday at Smytham Rain cetainly won't stop play book today!
