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Hi all, Thinking of booking at Ladram Bay this year and having read most of the reviews the thing that most concerns me is how steep is the site? as we have a 19 month old boy and nobody has commented about the use of a pushchair although it may keep us fit!  Any other recommendations on site or what to do in the area,days out where to eat would be appreciated. We also have a six year old girl so something that would entertain her as we will be going for 2 weeks.

Thank you

Can't comment on site but a great place nearby for kids is Crealy Park near Exeter.  Has indoor and outdoor play areas, rides, petting zoo etc. 

http://www.crealy.co.uk/devon/

Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth - free entry, although not a "commercial park" you can visit the donkeys, they have a restaurant, gift shop, nature centre and a number of walks (ideal for a picnic!)

http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/visit

Bicton Botanical Gardens near Newton Poppleford.  Over 63 acres of gardens, has indoor and outdoor play areas (with under 5's area), maze, Woodland railway.

https://www.bictongardens.co.uk/onlineshop/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=8

Exmouth - nice sandy beach (as Budleigh is pebbles), just set off the beach next to the lifeboat station on the seafront is a playpark for the kids, it's really cheap (about £1.50 per child approx, adults free) and you can come and go as you please all day with a wristband. Kids can play safely.  Also boating lake, crazy golf and amusement arcade all next to each other on seafront.

World of Country Life, Exmouth (just outside Haven Sandy Bay site). 

http://www.worldofcountrylife.co.uk/

We  have stopped at Ladram bay twice, although we did treat ourselves to a static caravan on both occasions. As campers we did take a look at the pitches and Ladram bay have invested heavily recently in the touring pitches, they are in rows going down the hill, all terassed and level. The camping field though is steep and I would not recommend you camp there.

The site itself is very nice and well run, clubs, arcade, club, bar, pool, own beach, it has it all and South Devon and Dorset within easy reach.

Hope this helps!

We went to Ladram Bay 7 yrs ago just before we got into camping we stayed in one of the caravans. The site was OK - didn't really use any of the facilities - club house looked a bit like one of those 60's pubs you see on the edge of estates. Small play area, shop, chippy. May have been upgraded since then. Didn't see much of the camping area but what we did see (as you drove in and out) was that parts of it at least were flat with lots of terraces.

A slope (slipway) down to the beach that needed a winch to get anything back up it and the beach itself was those big potato sized stones and mostly on a 45 degree angle - my  hip joints have honestly never recovered from walking about a mile all the way to the rock pools and a bit of sand when the tide went out.. Unless you have arms like Popeye you will never get a buggy along it.

We went to Monkey World for the day (bad road, long drive) which was good - the village of Ladram was quite pretty. Only stayed a few days - weather was horrendous and we'd left our puppy in kennels for first (and last) time. Went and bought a tent so we could take him with us.   Exmouth has a lovely sandy beach - we spent the day of the Boscastle floods there in glorious sunshine - if it were me I would probably try and find a site nearer to a sandy beach for your little ones. I think pebble beaches are better when the kids are older. 

Quote: Originally posted by 89angela on 27/1/2011

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  We went to Monkey World for the day (bad road, long drive) which was good

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Quote: Originally posted by chelsea girl on 27/1/2011

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Quote: Originally posted by 89angela on 27/1/2011

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  We went to Monkey World for the day (bad road, long drive) which was good

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Monkey World is about a 2 hour drive from Ladram Bay, way past Weymouth.  Long way to go to see some monkeys!  You'd be better off going to Paignton Zoo.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ah yes! but we had rented the caravan from a friend of a friend and son, then aged 6 had spent the past 3 years watching the TV programme about Monkey World so we just had to go

( I hate zoos - I thought that Monkey World would be a bit better- it wasn't it was just the same)

 

 

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Quote: Originally posted by 89angela on 27/1/2011

Ah yes! but we had rented the caravan from a friend of a friend and son, then aged 6 had spent the past 3 years watching the TV programme about Monkey World so we just had to go

( I hate zoos - I thought that Monkey World would be a bit better- it wasn't it was just the same)

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So thats ow you spell terraces

Quote: Originally posted by lloyd67 on 27/1/2011

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So thats ow you spell terraces

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