WOULD you let your four-year-old take the wheel of a £52,000 construction vehicle? Well, if you have a wannabe digger in the family the good news is there is a theme park where children and adults alike can operate heavy plant machinery.
Diggerland focuses in on all things diggers, with 20 different attractions and over 100 machines to grab your attention. There are of course height restrictions, but my four-year-old daughter, Abigail, was over 110cm and capable of driving most of the vehicles, including a JCB 3CX backhoe loader, JCB skid steer loaders and even an eight-tonne giant digger.
Even children over 90cm can do most things sitting on a parent's lap, while those over 140cm and under 17 years old can even get behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Pajero and go for a joyride in a police four-wheel-drive SUV.
The friendliness and enthusiasm of the staff was above and beyond. There was no chessy theme part music, just earthy, muddy good fun. My digger mad seven-year-old son, Noah, was in his element scooping up buckets full of soil.
While Diggerland may look like a dad-and-son day out, mum and daughter loved it too. I especially enjoyed driving a dump truck and taking in the spectacular surrounding views from 50 feet up on the Diggerland Skyshuttle. Abigail fell in love with Spindizzy – a specially constructed, super-sized digger with seats in the bucket that lifts riders 15 metres into the air and spins them around and around. She had four 'spins', but still wanted more.
The following day we tried to entice her on to her previously beloved playground ride, the roundabout, but she was having none of it. Even the offer of a ride on a carousel didn’t amuse her. “I want to go on Spindizzy,” was her strunty reply.
Before getting in a spin at Diggerland, our Devon adventure started in the picturesque and historically interesting city of Exeter. Predating the arrival of the Romans in AD50, Exeter’s history is rich and long, reflected in its Underground Passages, which visitors can explore below beneath the city.
Or first stop of call following our short hop over the Irish sea to Exeter, was Tea on the Green and a window seat on the second floor, overlooking the 900-year-old cathedral.
The 16th century building, which was once used as a public library, now boasts indoor and outdoor dining, with a full range of day-long breakfasts, lunches and afternoon Devonshire cream teas.
The food was as good as the view. Everything is prepared to order using local ingredients. The smoothies were a big hit with the kids and my mushrooms were the most flavoursome I’ve ever tasted.
There is no children’s menu, with children being offered smaller portions. However, my son insisted he wanted a sausage sandwich and this was offered with a smile and with delightful presentation.
We then walked the short distance to Exeter Cathedral and enjoyed a self-guided touring using an audio guide, which can be hired form the welcome desk, together with free children’s activity leaflets and explorer backpacks.
There are plenty of sights and facts to keep the kids entertained, including spotting the various animal carvings among the 400 round stone bosses. Exeter Cathedral is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture anywhere and has the longest vaulted ceiling in England. My favourite part was the working astronomical clock, with its ancient cat flap, which allegedly inspired the nursery rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock.
Exeter has a real sense of individuality, with an eclectic range of independent shops and boutiques, including the friendliest shoe shop I ever encountered – Ridgeways Shoes – just off Cathedral Green, where the shop assistant even followed me around the shop to ensure my foot wasn’t slipping.
Our holiday base was Dawlish Warren, 15 miles north of Torquay, which has a host of self-catering holiday parks and accommodation options. This June the town completed a huge beach renovation programme which involved round-the-clock dredging, with the the equivalent of 50 Olympic swimming pools full of sand being pumped on to the beach.
A delightful seaside town, with typical holiday shops, amusements and ice cream parlours, it also boasts a nature reserve, where you can walk spot sand lizards and brent geese.
The entertainment centres on Funder Park with it's pirate-themed 18-hole crazy golf course, pirate ship, bumper boats, giant slippery dip slide and other rides.
Next door is Grand Prix Go Karts, which has two-seater family sports karts, enabling younger children to ride alongside mum and dad. After the fast and furious family rivalry on track, where girl-power ruled – albeit because my husband's kart broke down on the final lap – we needed to refuel our bodies and found the perfect spot in The Boathouse.
Located at the end of the pier, this nautical-themed gastro pub is great for families, with a free children’s soft play area upstairs as you wait for your food and pictures of meal options on the children’s menu.
Our final day of adventure was at Crealy Great Adventure Park and Resort, based at Clyst St Mary on the outskirts of Exeter. The theme park is quite similar to Tayto Park in Co Meath, with the addition of over 75,000 sq ft of indoor soft play and rides.
Featuring over 60 rides and attractions, there is lots for younger visitors including a visit to prehistoric times in the the Jurassic jungle Dino Jeeps, a splash zone and animal attractions, from meerkats to racing piglets.
The park also boasts several special events and live shows throughout the year. This summer we enjoyed the high dive show – a team of American divers, dressed as penguins, performed a series of fun-filled synchronised dive sequences.
Spinning and driving was again the theme of the day for my little thrill seekers whose favourite attractions were: the Junior Driving School, complete with proper road signs and traffic lights; bumper boats, where you could shoot your fellow captains with water – a huge hit with my pair; and the winding track of the Twister rollercoaster.
Devon has many beaches, attractions and towns to explore. Driving in this area can be both relaxing and challenging. As well as enjoying quaint seaside towns and villages, we encountered many narrow country lanes and forest roads, where signs saying 'stags for sale' are commonplace. There is no doubt our trip left my family in a spin and yearning for more.
FACT FILE
:: Flybe fly daily from Belfast City airport to Exeter.
:: Jenny Lee hired a car with Avis at Exeter airport. You can manage rentals easier than ever with the Avis App. See avis.co.uk/app.
:: Crealy Great Adventure Park and Resort, Sidmouth Road, Exeter offers seven days of fun for the price of one. See crealy.co.uk
:: There are five different Diggerland parks in England, in Devon, Yorkshire, Durham, Kent and Worcestershire. The park is closed November-January. See diggerland.com
:: For further information on all attractions and events in the area see visitsouthdevon.co.uk and visitexeter.com
