The area
We are based in the heart of Devon, within easy reach of the North and South Devon beaches, the moors and the cathedral city of Exeter, as well as North Cornwall and Somerset.
Sandford and Crediton
Sandford
Sandford is one of Devon's most beautiful villages, and it has two lovely pubs. The Rose and Crown is a quintessential Devon village pub: home-cooked food, real ales and cyder, all served with a warm welcome. The Lamb Inn is an award-winning village pub with an excellent restaurant.
The village shop, Sandford Community Stores, is owned and run by the community and also has the post office. They stock an extensive range, including a selection of locally sourced produce.
Crediton
Within minutes you can be in the market town of Crediton, with local shops and amenities including the leisure centre, parks, churches and Crediton Museum in the Old Town Hall. The Farmers' Market runs on the first and third Saturday of every month.
Crediton offers a range of restaurants and pubs. You can dine at the fabulously unique Three Little Pigs, or enjoy a meal or takeaway at the Crediton Tandoori.
Family days out
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Near Exeter
Crealy Theme Park & Resort
An award-winning family theme park set in over 100 acres of glorious Devon countryside, with rides, indoor play and animals.
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Exmouth
World of Country Life
A family fun day out with plenty to do and see: fun and play for the kids, a farm museum and a memory lane Victorian street.
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Cullompton
Diggerland
A unique adventure park where children and adults can drive real diggers and so much more.
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Exmoor
Exmoor Zoo
A lovely medium-sized zoo in the middle of scenic Exmoor.
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Paignton
Paignton Zoo
With more animals than anyone else in the South West, you're in for a really wild time. A great day out for all the family.
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Near Plymouth
Dartmoor Zoo
Set in 33 acres of beautiful woodland with stunning views of the surrounding countryside and a fantastic collection of animals.
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Bickleigh, near Tiverton
Devon Railway Centre
A unique railway experience with the opportunity to ride, drive and control both model and real trains.
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Near Bideford
The Big Sheep
An all-weather family attraction devoted to sheep.
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Zeal Monachorum
The Waie Inn
A country pub set deep in Devon's heartland, a short distance from Crediton, with large indoor and outdoor play areas.
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Crediton
Active Crediton (Lords Meadow)
Crediton's leisure centre, with a 25m pool and learner pool, an air-conditioned gym, a free weights area and fitness classes.
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Exeter
Tenpin Exeter
Bowling lanes, arcades, pool tables and a fully licensed bar.
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Near Exeter
Quad World
A multi award-winning quad biking attraction where everyone can join in.
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Bovey Tracey
House of Marbles
Makers of a world-famous range of glass marbles, with board games, classic toys, puzzles and pastimes.
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Dawlish
Dawlish Warren
A beach backed by sand dunes and small lakes, a haven for a great variety of wildlife. The beach stretches for miles, to the Exe estuary in one direction and Dawlish town in the other.
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Near Umberleigh
Cobbaton Combat Collection
A North Devon military museum covering mostly the Second World War, with exhibits from the Boer War right up to the first Gulf War.
History and heritage
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Exeter
Exeter Cathedral
A magnificent gothic cathedral in the centre of the city. There has been a cathedral on the site for nearly one thousand years.
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Exeter
Exeter's Underground Passages
Medieval passageways under Exeter High Street, dating from the 14th century. No similar system of passages can be explored by the public anywhere else in Britain.
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Exeter
Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM)
16 galleries take visitors from prehistory to the present day, and from Exeter all around the world. Entry is free, so you can come back time and again.
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Near Tiverton
Knightshayes
A Victorian country house with richly decorated interiors and a garden with an outstanding plant collection.
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Broadclyst
Killerton
A fine 18th-century house with a costume collection, hillside garden and estate.
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Near Exeter
Powderham Castle
Six hundred years of history within the walls of one of England's oldest family homes, home to the Earls of Devon.
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Exmouth
A la Ronde
A quirky sixteen-sided house built for two cousins in the late 18th century, with fascinating interior decoration and collections.
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Tiverton
Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life
Tiverton's own museum of social, agricultural, transport and local history.
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Tiverton
Tiverton Castle
With parts of the building dating back to the 1100s, this historic castle has many interesting things to see.
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Drewsteignton
Castle Drogo
Explore the last castle to be built in England.
Trains, moors and walks
The Tarka Line
One of Britain's most scenic railways, the Tarka Line runs for 39 miles between Exeter and Barnstaple, following the gentle river valleys of the Yeo and Taw. The line has linked North and South Devon since 1854, and calls at Crediton, just down the road from Hillside.
It is an ideal and picturesque way to visit Barnstaple, the capital of North Devon, or the great cathedral city of Exeter. Stop off at rural Eggesford, where the first state forest was planted in 1919. Once in Barnstaple, the beautiful North Devon coast is a simple bus ride away.
The Dartmoor Line
Reopened in 2021, the Dartmoor Line runs hourly from Crediton to Okehampton, on the northern edge of Dartmoor. The station there has a café and a Dartmoor National Park visitor centre, and is a great starting point for walks on the moor.
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Dartmoor
Dartmoor National Park
Dartmoor is breathtakingly beautiful, with extensive walks and sites of interest.
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Exmoor
Exmoor National Park
Stunning landscapes, wilderness and tranquillity. Exmoor is truly special.
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Starts at Barnstaple
The Tarka Trail
The famous cycle and footpath starts at Barnstaple station, a simple train ride from Crediton.