Wildwood Devon

Wildwood Devon is a proper zoo experience tucked into the Devon countryside near West Hill. You're walking through wooded trails with enclosures housing everything from wolves and lynx to smaller mammals and birds - it's designed to feel less like a traditional concrete zoo and more like you're encountering animals in something approaching their natural habitat.

The place rewards a slow wander. You could blitz it in ninety minutes if you're just ticking boxes, but the real value is spending time at each enclosure, watching behaviour rather than just snapping photos. The wolves are hypnotic if they're active. Kids tend to engage well here because they're not just staring at animals behind glass - the landscaping and woodland setting make it feel like an adventure.

It works well as a half-day activity if you're staying at somewhere like Cuckoo Down Farm Glamping nearby. You won't need the whole afternoon, which means you can pair it with a walk elsewhere in the area or a pub lunch in West Hill without eating up your holiday.

Admission costs money - it's not a free-entry sort of place - so factor that into your planning. Best visited mid-week if possible when it's quieter. Weekends can get busy with school groups and families, which takes some of the peace away. Go when it's overcast rather than scorching hot, as the animals are more active and you won't melt walking the trails.