Beach Toy Library

Dragging buckets, spades and inflatables down to the beach every morning gets old fast when you're staying near Ilfracombe for a week. That's where this clever community initiative comes in handy. The Beach Toy Library operates on a simple trust system - borrow what you need, return it when you're done. Families staying at nearby parks like Hele Valley Holiday Park or Watermouth Valley Camping Park have cottoned on to this brilliant scheme. You'll find a decent selection of sandcastle-building kit, fishing nets and beach balls stored in weatherproof containers dotted along the seafront. Kids love rummaging through to find the perfect bucket, and parents appreciate not having to lug heavy beach gear in the car or pay inflated seaside shop prices. The system works because locals and regular visitors keep it stocked - you might even find yourself popping to the shops to replace a broken spade you've borrowed. It's particularly useful for families staying at places like Sandaway Beach Holiday Park who fancy exploring different stretches of coast without the faff of packing and unpacking beach kit. Best part? Everything's free to use, though a small donation to help maintain the scheme wouldn't go amiss. Perfect for spontaneous beach trips when the weather suddenly brightens up along this stretch of the North Devon coast.