The combination that Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park has found, wildlife park meets life-sized dinosaur encounter, is an oddly brilliant one, and the park has been running with it for long enough to have perfected the execution. On 28 acres within the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this is a day out that offers real range without ever feeling like it is trying to be all things to all people.
The wildlife section takes conservation seriously. Lions, European grey wolves, sea lions performing in shows, penguins, meerkats, capuchin monkeys and spider monkeys are all present, along with a strong programme of keeper talks and animal encounters throughout the day. The conservation messaging is woven in without being heavy-handed.
The dinosaur section is exactly what younger you imagine it will be. Life-sized animated models and impressive static reconstructions are positioned throughout the park, including a full-scale T-Rex that consistently generates the same reaction in children of every age. The combination of real animals and imagined prehistoric creatures in the same visit has an undeniable appeal.
The park covers a natural valley, and the layout is attractive and well-maintained. There is good on-site catering, and the site handles crowds well during peak season. A solid full day for families.
Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park is about 9 miles from Woolacombe on the A399 at the edge of Combe Martin village. Open daily from March to October.
The park’s location within the AONB means that the surrounding landscape is beautiful in its own right, and the views from the higher sections of the site across the valley to the surrounding hills add a dimension that most urban or suburban wildlife parks cannot offer. Sea lion shows and keeper talks are timetabled throughout the day, and planning your visit around these scheduled events makes the most of the park’s educational programme. Open daily from March to October, with reduced winter hours.
