The Big Sheep - Devon

This is the second review about a day out we had whilst on holiday down at Bideford Bay in Devon. We first came across a website for this place when I was searching for things to do in the area, a couple of weeks before we went and it did look quite good but as usual I forgot about it until we saw a bright leaflet for it with a big sheep on the front with the words, "The Big Sheep Needs You!" This was reminiscent of the wartime posters ...
.../> This next bit of the review can also be found on my Combe Martin Dinosaur and Wildlife Park review but as it is to do with joint payment schemes between the two attractions, I thought it would benefit readers who hadn't seen that one. If you have already seen it then you can skip it to the details of this attraction.

The leaflet we found for The Big Sheep had a 10% discount voucher on it and we grabbed it instantly as we are always ... more

This is the second review about a day out we had whilst on holiday down at Bideford Bay in Devon. We first came across a website for this place when I was searching for things to do in the area, a couple of weeks before we went and it did look quite good but as usual I forgot about it until we saw a bright leaflet for it with a big sheep on the front with the words, "The Big Sheep Needs You!" This was reminiscent of the wartime posters and caught our attention immediately. My bloke, my son and I all had a great time there and I thought it would be good to share our experiences.

This next bit of the review can also be found on my Combe Martin Dinosaur and Wildlife Park review but as it is to do with joint payment schemes between the two attractions, I thought it would benefit readers who hadn't seen that one. If you have already seen it then you can skip it to the details of this attraction.

The leaflet we found for The Big Sheep had a 10% discount voucher on it and we grabbed it instantly as we are always on a budget and saving a couple of quid here and there can make all the difference. Later on in the week we saw other vouchers off for The Big Sheep too so it is a good idea to have a look out for them if you are in the area and planning a visit. Anyway, we went to Combe Martin first and when we paid we were give a half price voucher for The Big Sheep for up to 6 people. Later in the week, when we went to The Big Sheep we were given a half price voucher for Combe Martin, so it's worth having a tally up to see which one to go to first so you save a bit of cash. Not sure if they do this in peak times as we were there the first week of July but it's worth having a look or getting in touch with them to find out before you visit.

***Where Is It?***

This was very close to where we were staying at the time so it only took us about 10 minutes to get there from Bucks Cross in Devon. It is just south of Bideford on the A39 Atlantic Highway and about 2 minutes from Bideford itself.

***What Is It?***

You might be wondering what exactly The Big Sheep is all about. I must admit when I first heard of it I hadn't a clue so let me explain. Really this is all about sheep - no little jokes please, it is a family attraction. There are various shows throughout the day and most of the displays can be watched from undercover, which was just as well, as it was the only day of the holiday that we had a little bit of rain. There are some outdoor things for the kids to do but if the weather is bad then there is a large indoor play area where parents can have a go too.

***What's On?***

Most of the attractions are on in the morning and then again in the afternoon so check out times when you get there. We found that it was easy to get from one thing to the next so we didn't miss anything and still had time to play indoors and outdoors too.

The Sheep Show - This show was all about different breeds of sheep and we all settled into a massive barn where we could sit around and see the Australian guide bring out all the sheep or rather rams as most of them were male. We learned that they all had their own personalities, names and even their own songs that they came out to. The guide was very entertaining and even my son didn't get bored as he told us all about the breeds and where they originated from. I hadn't realised that there were so many different types of sheep and that they were crossbred to produce a more superior wool. This went on for about 45 minutes and at the end there was a chance to get closer to the sheep and ask some questions although my son felt a little bit intimidated by the size of them and steered well clear at this point.

The Duck Trials - I have seen ducks being herded by sheepdogs locally before but this show was really good fun. First of all the children were invited to come into the centre of the pen and then separated into groups to stand at each gate where the ducks would be herded through. My son wasn't too sure to start with but got very excited when he saw the ducks running around and there were a number of different style gates for the ducks to go through as well as them going up a ramp and down a slide. They seemed to really enjoy this and there was no hesitation at all from them as they quacked away at the crowd. The display ended with the ducks going up another ramp, which took them into a little pond for them to splash about in.

Lamb feeding was something we hadn't done before and this really was one of the highlights of the day. The lambs were slightly older so weren't just cute little bundles of wool but they were lovely and this was something we all wanted to have a go at. It takes place in the barn area and we were all asked to sit down along the front seat. Then we were split into groups of 3 or 4 and given a big bottle. Luckily we just had the 3 of us in our group so our son got longer at holding the bottle than some other children got. When the 10 lambs were let into the arena it got a little bit frantic although this had already been explained to us so we were well prepared. The lambs being fed were either a twin or a triplet who had been removed when it hadn't been getting enough milk from it's mother so they were well used to being bottle fed. Our lamb took to the bottle like a duck to water and we all had a turn before the bottle emptied. This didn't take very long but it was lovely and I would say that if you have a little one with you, it's best to help him hold the bottle as the lambs do give quite a pull on the teats. I can only pity their mothers.

The Sheepdog Trials was held outdoors and we were given a full tutorial of how these lovely animals are trained to herd sheep from the time they are young dogs. It was both entertaining and amusing to watch as we saw sheep going through gates, being herded from one end of the field to the other and then being penned. The highlight of this show was actually when something went wrong and the sheep decided to jump a fence into the next field. This was hilarious and totally unexpected for the handler who then had to try to get them back through along with some helpers.

Sheep Shearing took place in the big barn too and we were told all about the history of shearing before being treated to a demonstration. It was then explained how the fleece would be rolled before being sent off to be cleaned and sold for a few pennies each. It also explains why shearers have to get through as many sheep as they can to make a bit of a wage.

Horse Whispering is an important part of training horses and this was shown in the field out the back where we were told that understanding the horses needs and gaining their trust is of the utmost of importance.

***Other Things To Do***

Now I hope Tange and Proxam are reading this as there is a brewery on site and you can learn all about how the beer is made and find out what it tastes like. I'm not a fan of beer myself so I'll leave it up to one of them to find out and review the taste for you.

The Nursery Barn is where you will get the chance to see and pet lots of young animals. The baby pigs were adorable as were the little bunnies and puppies. There were also some goats and young sheep that were very excitable in their pens and kept trying to escape. We were also treated to a fine musical display by some mechanical chickens. It had to be seen to be believed.

Outside there was a Combat Zone for those of you who want to have a go at war games with laser guns. This was for age 8 and upwards so my son couldn't have a go on this and I believe there was an additional charge for this too.

There were pony rides available at a charge of £1 a go but as the weather turned sour when we got to this area, my son didn't get a chance to have a go.

We were in the same boat with the Tractor Track, which also had an extra charge. It was raining quite heavily by then and my son had to give this a miss too.

There were a couple of other outdoor activities, which he did manage to have fun with. The first was the world cup shootout, which consisted of a big board with holes in it to kick the ball through. After a few attempts though he gave up and went up and popped the ball through with his hands - I think he's going to be a goalie. My bloke enjoyed this too. The other activity was the big trampolines and we all had a go on these. I was amazed at how well I did, considering it had been about 20 years since I had been on one. My son had a great time, not only trying them out for himself, but by watching his dad jump and fall about with no sense of balance whatsoever. It's a pity we can't put video clips on reviews although this may have been one to send to You've Been Framed.

***Ewetopia***

I've decided to give the indoor play area a section to itself, as there was so much to do in it. It is basically a huge area that has a combination of slides, ball pools and soft bits to climb and jump on. The beauty of this one is that not only are there under 2 and under 5 sections to keep the young ones safe, but the main area is for everyone so adults are allowed and often encouraged to have a go too. This is something that my bloke really enjoys and throws himself into it with great gusto. I held back a little bit to look after the bags and to laugh at him falling all over the place again. I did have a go on the bumpy slide but stayed away from the more daring ones, unlike my bloke and my son who couldn't wait to get stuck in.

The area also had an Internet café through the back and I took the opportunity to have a quick scan of my emails to see if there was anything important going on. This was free to use and it meant that I was able to clear out a lot of rubbish so that I didn't have quite so much to come home to.

At the front of the play area you could find Bo Peep Café, which had lots of big tables and seating areas in it. This area did get quite busy when the rain came on as everyone scrambled for cover. There is also a seating area upstairs from the café but this may not be so good if you have buggies etc. We took a picnic lunch with us so didn't actually buy anything from the café but from what we could see the prices weren't too bad. You aren't allowed to eat anything that you haven't bought from the café though and it does warn you that you will be asked to leave if caught out.

***The Big Sheep Race***

Have you ever seen sheep racing? We were clueless but this was the finale of the day for us and it was well worth the wait. Although the race took part outside there was an undercover gallery area where we could get a fantastic view of the contenders tearing down the field. Each sheep had a different coloured knitted jockey on them. There were a choice of 6 sheep to choose from and you could buy a badge to cheer it on. Our son chose Golden Fleece who had a jockey with yellow colours on it. If your sheep wins then you can swap your badge for a winner's one and get some goodies too. This only cost £1 and our son was very excited by the race. Unfortunately we backed the wrong one and it came in last but we still had fun and no sheep or jockeys were injured in the race. The way they get the sheep to run down the hill was simple. They had a sheepdog herding them down from one area to the pen at the bottom.

***Other Information***

These activities kept us busy the whole day and there was no time for us to get bored. If you did have some energy to burn after all this though then you can pop next door to the South West Mountain Boarding Centre and with your ticket to Big Sheep you can get free use of the centre, the lift and free lessons. We didn't go to this as we didn't think it would be suitable for our son who is 4 but there is apparently an extra charge for hiring the boards and the safety equipment.

There is also another restaurant, which serves a more adult style of meal and although we didn't eat here it did look lovely and clean inside and had some outdoor tables too. We had our picnic at some other wooden tables before the rain came on and these were spotless too. My son was kept amused by a cheeky sparrow that kept looking at us hopefully until we threw it a little bit of bread.

Throughout the summer holidays there is also a pottery display area but as we visited at the start of July, this had not started. There are also special events at Easter, Halloween and Christmas along with a few special festivals throughout the summer months, including horse shows, gourmet evenings and a beer festival (again Tange and Proxam may be interested in that one).

You can also book the Ewetopia section for birthday parties and the usual goody bags and food are included. You can get more information about these on the website.

No attraction like this would be complete without a gift shop and this one is very nice. The prices of the toys and books were very reasonable and my son chose a small bunny to buy with his holiday money. This was only £2.50 so we were more than happy to let him get it. There was also a good selection of preserves, shortie and of course the beer to choose from, all from local suppliers.

This attraction is wheelchair friendly and allows guide dog entry although other dogs are not allowed into the area. There are some free kennels which are available on a first come basis and a large dog walking area.

***My Thoughts***

This was an excellent day out and well worth the money, especially getting the half price deal, as it only cost us £11.50. There were a great deal of different things to do here and we were never bored as we watched and learned about all the shepherding information. The guys who presented the shows were brilliantly entertaining and funny. They interacted with the audience and made us all feel like we were very welcome.

I think this park is a fun and novel way of showing children that there is more to life than just elaborate theme parks with big rides. Although we live in a town, we are used to seeing farm animals around the area, but I know that for many children who grow up in cities rarely get to see animals such as sheep and pigs close up so this would be a fantastic opportunity for them to experience something completely different.

Apart from the sheep race at the end of the day, my favourite part had to be feeding the lambs. They were lovely and my son thoroughly enjoyed this special job. This was just something that you would not normally get a chance to do and was a very rewarding experience.

***Prices & Opening Times***

Adults £7.95
Children £6.95
Family (2 adults and up to 4 children) £29.50

Children under 3 feet tall are allowed in free which stops any fighting about ages. There are discounts available if you pre-book and for schools, etc.

If you come back within a week you can get in for only £2.50 each.

The Big Sheep is open all year round but has limited opening times and shows in the winter season although prices reflect this and you are encouraged to phone for details.

The summer season runs from 1st April until the end of October and is open daily from 10am to 6pm.

***Address and Phone Numbers***

The Big Sheep
Bideford
North Devon
EX39 5AP

Tel: 01237 472366

www.thebigsheep.co.uk
 

...less