Summer Holiday 2015: Donkey Sanctuary

For this year's summer holiday, our first having to deal with school holiday schedules, I put my foot down against the grossly inflated prices most holiday locations charge.  Don't get me started as I could rant all day about it!  Instead we decided to have a Trip Advisor holiday...... we picked the general area, this year we went with the Plymouth area of Devon as I had many happy family memories of holidays there during my own childhood.  From there we searched Trip Advisor to find a place to stay, places to eat and fun things to do.  Accommodation was B&B in a small guesthouse (The Phantele)which was charming, hosts were wonderful,breakfast was delicious and price didn't blow our budget!

Day one we chose to spend the morning visiting the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth. (The Donkey Sanctuary).  I've always loved donkeys and we thought a quick visit to this charitable center was a good way to start our week - we hadn't expected to still be there at lunchtime - so much to see and do!

We arrived just after opening time so parking was a doddle - there is an overflow car park which was in use by the time we left.  Entrance is free but I think after visiting you'll feel motivated to make a donation as you leave to support the great work they do.  First on the agenda was donkey grooming, for a small donation children can groom one of the older donkeys and get a certificate to show they did a great job.  C was a little unsure being so close to what, for him, was a big animal, but he soon got into the groove and his donkey was very tolerant!

The site has several planned walks ranging from a short simple stroll to a strenuous hike out across the cliffs - we were tempted by this but a) it looked like it was going to rain and b) there was mention of a naturist beach along the way and we weren't quite ready for the 5 -year old questions about that!  So we opted for Route C which took us about an hour or so, with all the detours to visit the donkeys along the way.  There is a beautiful remembrance garden which is testament to the founder and some of her original donkeys.  A beautiful bronze statue commemorates "Buddy"- one of the originals.

Around the corner we came across a maze....which C couldn't resist.  Daddy initially opted to stay on the outside to guide us out if we got lost, but soon succumbed to his childish intrigue and joined us!

It was more challenging than I expected!  But we celebrated finding our way to the little pagoda in the middle before retracing our steps (sort of!) to find our way back out.

We then began a lovely walk out across a number of fields with lots of donkeys (and a few local sheep) which all proved very curious and friendly. It is so spread out and we didn't see many other people while on our walkabout - just lots of donkeys!

The Poitou donkeys are amazing.  These French gentle giants were mainly used as breeders for mules, but after transportation took over most of the mule work in the world they became endangered.  This small herd (is that the right word for a group of donkeys!) played an important role in establishing a breeding program to secure their future.  Their super long ears and shaggy coats are so endearing and we spent quite some time in peaceful interaction as they loved a good scratch!  

As we made our way back to the center a gentle rain started falling, but we really didn't mind.  We had spent several hours in the company of these wonderful animals and we all equally enjoyed it.  The site also has a cafe serving snacks and lunches and a gift shop.  This picture of C leaving one of the large paddock areas about summed up our impression of this fabulous center.  Please add it to your "places to see" list - you may be surprised how much you enjoy it!

This post is linked to Country Kids from Coombe Mill - great ideas for getting the family off the couch and enjoying the great outdoors!