Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park
Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park is a family-oriented attraction situated in the village of Combe Martin on the northern coast of Devon, tucked into one of the longest and most unusually shaped villages in England. The park combines a wildlife collection with animatronic and model dinosaurs, making it something of a hybrid between a traditional zoo and a prehistoric-themed attraction. It is set within a wooded combe — a narrow valley — which gives the whole experience a lush, enclosed quality quite unlike a flat open-plan safari park. The combination of live animals, including primates, big cats such as snow leopards, meerkats, and various birds, alongside life-sized dinosaur models positioned throughout the grounds, gives the park a distinctive character that appeals to younger children in particular. It is one of Devon's notable family days out and draws visitors from across the South West and beyond during the holiday season.
The park occupies land within a deeply incised valley that has long been part of the Combe Martin landscape. Combe Martin itself is a settlement with medieval roots, historically known for silver and lead mining, and the village's extraordinary linear form — stretching for nearly two miles along a single valley floor — reflects the topography that also shapes the park's layout. The wildlife park developed through the latter decades of the twentieth century as a leisure attraction making creative use of the wooded valley environment, adding the dinosaur element as a popular draw that proved enduringly successful with family audiences. The animatronic dinosaurs are periodically updated and have become something of a beloved fixture for generations of Devon holidaymakers who return with their own children having visited as youngsters themselves.
In person, the park has a genuinely immersive and slightly otherworldly atmosphere. Because it occupies a steep-sided valley, paths wind uphill through dense woodland and open clearings, so that visitors move between shaded canopied areas and sudden sunny glades. The sounds shift noticeably as you move through — from the chatter and screech of primates to the rustle of woodland birds overhead, occasionally punctuated by the theatrical roar or movement of an animatronic dinosaur emerging from behind foliage. In summer the whole valley feels intensely green and humid, with moisture from the surrounding hills keeping the vegetation lush. The terrain is uneven and involves slopes, which gives the visit a sense of gentle physical adventure, though it also means the site can be challenging for pushchairs or those with limited mobility on certain paths.
The surrounding landscape is spectacularly beautiful even by North Devon standards. Combe Martin sits at the point where its valley meets the Bristol Channel coast, and the village itself is flanked by high moorland rising toward Exmoor National Park. The coastline immediately adjacent includes dramatic cliffs and rocky coves, and the nearby Hangman Hills — Great Hangman being the highest sea cliff in England — are accessible by the South West Coast Path. The broader area offers excellent walking, rock pooling, and coastal scenery. The seaside village of Ilfracombe lies just a few miles to the west along the coast, and Exmoor's open moorland is readily accessible to the south and east, making Combe Martin a useful base for exploring an unusually rich concentration of natural landscapes.
Visiting the park is most rewarding during the spring and summer months when the animals are most active and the woodland vegetation is at its most dramatic. The park is typically open from Easter through to late October, though hours and seasonal opening should be confirmed before visiting as they vary year to year. Combe Martin is accessible by road via the A399 from Ilfracombe or the A3123 from Barnstaple, and parking is available at or near the park. Public transport options in this part of North Devon are limited, and most visitors arrive by car. The park can become very busy during school holidays, particularly in July and August, so arriving early in the day is advisable. Families should allow at least a half day for a thorough visit, and the combination of animal encounters and dinosaur trail makes it well suited to children in the roughly two to ten age range who tend to find the experience genuinely memorable.
One of the more curious details about the park is how naturally the dinosaur theme integrates with the valley setting — the dense woodland and rocky outcrops make the model creatures feel surprisingly plausible in their environment, an effect that would be entirely lost on flat or open ground. The park also sits within a village that holds its own unusual distinction: Combe Martin's Pack o' Cards Inn, a historic pub in the village, was supposedly built in the eighteenth century by a gambler using his card-game winnings, with architectural details said to correspond to a deck of cards including four floors for the suits and thirteen doors for the card values. The whole village, park included, has this quality of gentle eccentricity that makes it distinctly memorable as a place rather than simply a themed attraction bolted onto an anonymous landscape.