Visit Devon and enjoy the pick of the autumn crop!
Visit Devon this Autumn and indulge all your five senses with a season bursting with exciting festivals and events that will please the eye, stimulate the mind, soothe the soul and delight the taste buds. For more events and information on accommodation in Devon, including late availability and special offers check out: www.visitdevon.co.uk. For book worms who enjoy solving a great crime mystery, then unlock the secrets surrounding the life and times one of the world’s most famous crime writers Agatha Christie. The Agatha Christie Festival (12-19 September) is a special celebration of the achievements and works of this most prolific author, and the Festival marks the 150th anniversary of her birth. The Festival promises an exciting mix of murder, mayhem and fun where visitors can walk the Agatha Christie Mile which highlights a wide range of locations featured in the author’s books and life. Step aboard the Dartmouth Steam Railway for a murder mystery, or enjoy lunch at the famous Art Deco hotel Burgh Island, and to really soak up the ambience take a boat trip to Agatha Christie’s summer residence, Greenway, which has recently been restored on the glorious banks of the River Dart. For more details about the Festival, visit www.englishriviera.co.uk/agathachristie/festival. Hercule Poirot would have enjoyed the chance to snoop around some unusual and historic properties that are now being opened to the public, many for the first time in Exeter as part of the Heritage Open Days (9-12 September). This is a nationwide event and celebrates architecture and culture; there are more than 30 events in Exeter. For Information & Tickets – Tel: 01392 665700 email: evit@exeter.gov.uk Visit: www.exeterandessentialdevon.com. Devon’s most famous country fair, Widecombe Fair, gets underway on Dartmoor (14 September) when Uncle Tom Cobley and his grey mare take part in the event’s grand annual parade. Widecombe Fair is as Devonian as a cream tea and equally as enjoyable with all the usual stalls and events that you would expect to find at a traditional country show. Enjoy the glory of Dartmoor from the air with the Westcountry Balloon Fiesta and day at the races at Tavistock (3 – 5 September). Dozens of balloons are taking part in the event, early morning or evening balloon rides are available. Check out www.visitdartmoor.com. If your mind needs a makeover and you want to revel in the delights of nature then join in the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the designation of South Devon as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – visit: www.southdevonaonb.org.uk. A major part of the anniversary celebrations will be the South Devon Walking Festival (25 September – 3 October). Breathe in the clean South Devon air and stand well back to enjoy the spectacular views of coast and country in a packed programme of more than forty inspiring walks which will an insight in to some of the UK’s most unspoilt and beautiful locations. Savour autumn’s bounty with wild food walks, forage for fungi and berries from nature’s larder under the watchful eye of an expert. Explore the beautiful Kitley Estate on the Yealm Estuary, where you can enjoy watching otters and woodpeckers and then finish your day with an indulgent Devon cream tea. Visit: www.southdevonwalkingfestival.co.uk or see www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk for more details. If that was not enough for those hungry for more walks and spectacular scenery, then head north in Devon for the North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival (1 -4 October). North Devon is also celebrating fifty years as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Festival has a wide range of walks to suit all abilities from an area stretching from Lundy Island to Dunkery Beacon. Check out: www.exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk or visit www.northdevon.com for places to stay during the Festival. Enjoy the splendor of autumn through a celebration of theatre, dance, music, art and poetry, storytelling and exhibitions at the annual Exeter Autumn festival (29 October -14 November). Visit www.exeter.gov.uk/festival for more information. Devon is fast becoming a must see destination for gastronomes and the nation’s dedicated foodies will be heading to Dartmouth for the annual food festival (20 – 24 October). Check it out on: www.dartmouthfoodfestival.com . Dartmouth Food Festival boasts an exciting line up of some of the UK’s most renowned chefs, from Devon’s own Michelin starred chef Michael Caines, seafood chef and writer Mitch Tonks, Mark Hix, Fergus Henderson, Valentine Warner and Jane Baxter from the Riverford Field Kitchen. The Festival, which is free at the point of entry, also showcases the talents of the county’s superb range of local food producers and South Devon crab will be very much on the menu as the Festival devotes a day (Friday 22 October) to crab, with demonstrations, recipes and tastings. Visit: www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/crab for the latest news of the South Devon crab campaign which has recently launched. A multicultural mix of music, culture and dance is celebrated at the Respect Festival in Plymouth (30-31 October). This is a free event and includes 40 live performances, with dance workshops, from meringue to belly dance. Samba Saturday is a fun parade, and a must do part of the Festival, so don’t forget your feathers! See: www.plymouthrespectfestival.blogspot.com. As the nights draw in then warm up with a fantastic firework display on Plymouth Hoe on 5 November, www.visitplymouth.co.uk or for those a little braver head for Ottery St Mary in East Devon for the world famous tradition of rolling flaming tar barrels. Not for the fainthearted, this is a tradition that is believed to date back to the sixteenth century. Tar coated barrels are set alight and then carried on the backs of local villagers in a procession around the town. Seventeen barrels in total are carried throughout the day until the final barrel is carried in to the town’s main square at midnight. The “barrel rollers” jealously guard the right to carry the barrels, a right sometimes involving generations of the same family. Visit: www.otterytarbarrels.co.uk. About Visit Devon Visit Devon is the destination management organisation responsible for promoting Devon to the world. The organisation acts as a voice for tourism in Devon and its aim is simple - to increase the number of visitors to Devon by promoting the county as a year-round destination for business or leisure. The organization brings together, adds value to and enhances the work and activities undertaken by the six Area Tourism Partnerships across the county. Visit Devon is committed to growing the tourism sector sustainably, increasing the skills within the industry, and raising the quality of the visitor experience. Visit Devon is a public-private partnership limited by guarantee. The not for profit company comprises of nine member organizations including the six Area Tourism Partnerships (Exeter and Essential Devon, Visit Plymouth, North Devon+, The Dartmoor Partnership, The English Riviera Tourist Board, and Visit South Devon) Devon County Council, The Devon Association of Tourist Attractions (Data), and Devon Farms. Visit Devon is the trading name of Destination Devon Ltd.
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