Family Life

Parents can explore the vital importance of outdoor play for their under five year olds, during a series of fun education sessions at one of the areas newest attractions.

Early Years teacher Hannah O’Donnell, who specialises in the role of outdoor physical movement and cognitive development of young children, will be running the informal sessions.

They will take place at the Bear Trail, an Army-style adventure course, featuring a series of obstacles, including a zip wire, tunnels and mud pits, near Cullompton.

As well as having a chance to find out how outdoors play...

Lush gardens created by the world’s first and greatest landscape gardener Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown have been revealed in Devon. The rare seascape by the original and most world-renowned creator and designer of English gardens, sits just 10 miles from Exeter, and is one of only two of his designs across all of Devon and Cornwall still in existence. Now, in a year where events are taking place across the country to mark the 300th anniversary of his birth, the gardens that Capability Brown shaped some 250 years ago on the eastern slopes of Haldon Hill, overlooking the Exe Estuary and...

A new children’s play area at Knightshayes Court will be officially opened on Saturday 22 October in time for half-term.

Injecting new life into four fallen oak trees, the installation includes a tree house as well as tunnels bored into the trunks of the huge trees.

For 150 years, the cluster of fast-growing turkey oaks towered over the gentle, rolling landscape at Knightshayes; until the high winds of winter 2014 resulted in all four blowing over. Three came down in just one night, casualties of a storm which caused over 100 trees to fall across the estate, the greatest...

A will-writing campaign that helps people to get their paperwork in order and raises money for charity is open for business.

Will Aid Month starts in November and lasts for just four weeks, linking people with participating solicitors in their area who prepare basic wills in exchange for a donation.

But there is a limit on available appointments which are expected to book up fast.

Campaign director Peter de Vena Franks said: “Will Aid is now open for business. You can make a November appointment right now and we suggest you do it as soon as possible to avoid...