From Power Boats to the Red Arrows…Visit Devon for a Thrilling August Bank Holiday
Visit Devon this August Bank Holiday for a weekend of high speed thrills with awe inspiring aerobatics from the Red Arrows and the glamour and high octane rush of power boat racing. South Devon will be the venue for one of the most popular and widely anticipated events of the summer season, with the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta (26 - 28 August). This annual event attracts around 50,000 people to the banks of the beautiful River Dart to enjoy the spectacle of more than two hundred racing yachts and rowing boats taking part in 45 races during the three-day regatta. The highlight of the regatta is the fantastic aerial display from the Red Arrows who will be thrilling the crowds on Friday 27 August. For more details about the Regatta check out either www.dartmouthregatta.co.uk or www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk. Power boats and Thunder Cat circuit racing will be entertaining the crowds of excited spectators at Ilfracombe Harbour in North Devon (28 - 29 August). Ilfracombe harbour is the biggest harbour on the North Devon coast and is the perfect setting for the thrills and spills of this high adrenaline event, as competitors battle it out to break course records. See www.northdevon.com. A unique bonfire spectacular will also be taking place in North Devon during the Bank Holiday weekend, (Saturday 28 Aug) when the Great Torrington Cavaliers will be setting fire to a giant replica of the little known Great Torrington Castle. The mock castle is 100 foot wide and nearly 50 foot high with a working drawbridge and portcullis. The Torrington Cavaliers are celebrating their 40th anniversary and are internationally famous for their giant themed bonfires. The bonfires raise thousands of pounds for charity, and the castle will be a back-drop for various entertainments in the week leading up to the lighting of the fire on 28 August at Great Torrington Commons. See www.torrington-cavaliers.co.uk or www.northdevon.com. Those who wish to spend the Bank Holiday at a quieter and gentler pace would enjoy the Westcountry Storytelling Festival at Embercombe, a beautiful fifty-acre site near Exeter and close to the Dartmoor National Park (27 - 29 August). A weekend packed with stories, poetry, music, comedy and activities is on offer. Families can camp on site and there is a yurt village, and the weekend kicks off on the 27 August with the lighting of the children’s fire. The festival promises an enchanting mix of long-forgotten tales and stories that will inspire every generation. See www.weststoryfest.co.uk or www.exeterandessentialdevon.com. A chance to enjoy the raw beauty and wilderness of the Dartmoor National Park during the Bank Holiday weekend will be available to both adults and children as a number of specially devised walks have been organised by the Park Authority. For those interested in learning about Dartmoor, its wildlife and archaeology, and how to navigate it should visit www.dartmoor.co.uk. For a traditional family fun Bank Holiday experience, Hope Cove in South Devon has a special weekend of activities, with sandcastle competitions, street entertainers, tug of war, fancy dress and rock pool competitions (28 - 30 August) www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk . It will be “all aboard” for steam railway fans as the South Devon Railway is holding a special three-day steam and diesel gala event, as well as a fund raising real ale festival across the Bank Holiday weekend (25-27) www.southdevonrailway.org . Steam locomotive enthusiasts can enjoy steam trains of a much smaller variety at Pecorama at Beer in East Devon. Plenty of miniature trains will be on offer as the entire Peco fleet will be available to enjoy for this special gala weekend. Model railway layouts will be on display and there will be cream teas and live entertainment. www.pecorama.info or www.exeterandessentialdevon.com .
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