One of my favourite places in North Devon is the sculpture gardens at Broomhill. Just 20 minutes drive from Pickwell, the gardens provide a magical and enchanting couple of hours with the children (and probably a lot longer if you get to go on your own!).
Amazing that in this sleepy corner of North Devon is not only an exhibition of amazing sculptures but also a wonderful ‘slow food’ restaurant as well as a great venue for art exhibitions, jazz nights and a whole host of other activities. If you are on holiday at Pickwell you really must check out what's on at Broomhill.
The gardens take you down from the house and snake through beautiful woodland to the river below. The garden is packed with sculptures, some very prominent whilst others are gems that need a little more searching to find.
There is a stunning range of sculptures including the bright and bold.
From those as small as your hand....
To those as big as your house.....
There are even those that help you take a rest along the way.
Molly and Millie-grace particularly enjoy the opportunity to blend in with the sculptures ....
The next Tom Daly....
Feeling a little bit weary now
Maybe time for a little lie down
My absolute favourites are a series of bronze sculptures by Carol Pearce
There is plenty both to entertain, amuse, stir, as well as provoke. Perhaps the most unsettling is this futuristic landscape called 'Welcome to the Third Millenium' by Mike Roles.
In addition to the gardens, Broomhill also has two wonderful inside galleries, some great dining spaces and a sumptuous lunch and dinner menu.
The day on which we went this week was somewhat overcast and Broomhill provides a great outing when the weather is less accommodating for the beach. One great advantage is that the gardens never take you too far away from the house. So if the weather becomes unsettled (as it did) you can easily get back to the house for a spot of cake!!