Oakdown Holiday Park · Sidmouth · East Devon
Local Knowledge – October
Bronze hedgerows, quieter coastal paths then ten days of science, food festivals and Halloween trails.
October is genuinely good around here. Guests keep proving us right when they return for an autumn stay. Big skies, bronze hedgerows then those quieter coastal paths along the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast.
Below is our guide to the month’s events, family days out and insider tips, all within easy reach of the park near Sidmouth.
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Sidmouth Science FestivalFood festivalsHalf-term & HalloweenDays out all monthLiterary & culturalInsider tipsGetting aboutYour October base
East Devon
Sidmouth Science Festival
Ten days of hands-on experiments, family activities, talks and exhibitions at venues around town. Super Science Saturday on 11 October is the one not to miss — we have watched families spend a whole day bouncing between activities. The geology sessions work well if beach fossil hunting is on your list later in the week.
Science in the Pub at the Blue Ball Inn in Sidford on 16 October offers sociable evening science, while the Norman Lockyer Observatory Family Day on 19 October lets you build and launch rockets, explore historic telescopes then race jet cars. The Robot Workshop on 18 October is packed with remote-control challenges.
10–19 October 2025 · venues across Sidmouth — 3 miles, about 10 minutes by car. Most festival events are free thanks to local sponsorship, with donations welcome. The Observatory Day is £10 for adults and free for children. Worth booking ahead.
East Devon & West Dorset
Food festivals and long table lunches
Powderham Food Festival, 4–5 October. South West flavours in a castle setting, with artisan producers, chef demonstrations and tastings. With the castle grounds too it fills a whole day. Dogs are welcome outdoors. Twenty-five miles, about 40 minutes by car.
England’s Seafood FEAST, 26 September to 12 October. Menus, masterclasses and harbourside experiences across Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. Thirty-two miles, about 55 minutes by car.
River Cottage long table lunches, Sundays 12 and 26 October. Seasonal farmhouse feasting on the Devon–Dorset border. Pre-booking is essential. We have heard nothing but good feedback over the years. Eleven miles, about 22 minutes by car.
Closer to home — Otterton Mill runs Traditional Milling Days on 12 and 26 October. Watch the watermill working, then explore the bakery, farm shop and gallery by the River Otter. The café uses flour ground on site. Six miles, about 12 minutes by car.
East Devon
Half-term and Halloween
Seaton Tramway Trick or Treat Tram, from 29 October. A gentle spooky ride with an interactive story, well suited to smaller ghouls and goblins. Book ahead — it sells out quickly during half-term. Dogs are welcome on the lower decks, with water bowls provided. Seven miles, about 15 minutes by car.
Pecorama Halloween Evenings, 28 October to 1 November. A witches and wizards trail, after-dark train rides and entertainment at the model railway gardens, fancy dress encouraged. Not too frightening for younger children. Evenings typically run 5pm to 8pm. Eight miles, about 18 minutes by car.
The Donkey Sanctuary, half-term week. Family trails and seasonal activities. Entry is free with a small charge for the trail. It sits on your doorstep — many guests simply walk down our own field trail. Two miles, about five minutes by car.
Bicton Park pumpkin trail, late October into early November. A gentle trail through the gardens with a prize for young explorers — a low-scare option for little ones. The botanical gardens hold their autumn colour right through the month. Seven miles, about 15 minutes by car.
Half-term runs 23–31 October — Halloween trails, the Science Festival finale weekend and autumn colour all land in the same week, with comfortable temperatures and none of the summer congestion.
Jurassic Coast
Days out all month
Beer Quarry Caves, daily until 1 November. Two thousand years of history in vast man-made caverns. Cool underground, so bring a jumper and sturdy shoes. A good wet-weather option that holds adults as firmly as children. Stone from here built 24 cathedrals including Exeter and St Paul’s. Seven miles, about 15 minutes by car.
Stuart Line Cruises, throughout October. River Exe, Exeter Canal and Jurassic Coast cruises run year-round. Crisp autumn light gives wide coastal views. October often has clearer visibility than the summer haze allows. Twelve miles, about 25 minutes by car to Exmouth.
Seaton Wetlands, selected dates. Craft workshops, guided walks and family nature trails across reedbeds, lagoons and bird hides. October brings the migrating birds through. Seven miles, about 15 minutes by car.
Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, throughout October. Expert-guided family fossil hunts along the Jurassic Coast. Booking is essential because places fill quickly. Fourteen miles, about 30 minutes by car.
Fossil hunting tip — go within two to three hours of low tide for the best finds, check tide times before setting out then keep an eye on the water. Autumn storms expose fresh fossils that simply are not visible during calmer summer months.
Exmoor & West Dorset
Literary and cultural celebrations
Exmoor Dark Skies Festival, 17 October to 2 November. Stargazing sessions, astrophotography, planetarium shows and night walks under some of the clearest skies in the country. Wrap up warm then pick a cloud-free night — Exmoor’s elevation and low light pollution give viewing you simply do not get near towns. Forty-five miles, about an hour and a quarter by car.
Bridport Literary Festival, 26 October to 2 November. A week of talks, readings and discussions with well-known authors, in a market town whose rope-making heritage gives the festival its character. Eighteen miles, about 35 minutes by car.
Lyme Regis Fossil Festival, mid-October. Family activities, guided fossil walks and exhibitions celebrating the geology this coast is famous for. Lyme Regis brings together fossil heritage, Georgian architecture and a working harbour. Twelve miles, about 25 minutes by car.
Please check dates with the organiser before travelling. The Fossil Festival dates were still to be confirmed when this was written. Third-party events do move.
From reception
Our insider tips for October
Best light for photographs
Early morning on the coast path between Beer and Branscombe. Red cliffs and far fewer people. October’s low sun is at its best from 8am to 10am.
Somewhere to warm up
After beachcombing at Sidmouth, the esplanade cafés do hot chocolate with a sea view. The seafront keeps its sheltered seating even on a breezy day.
Pack layers
Caves, clifftops and stargazing all get chilly, so bring a jumper and a torch. October here can give you morning mist, afternoon sunshine then a cool evening in one day.
Dog-friendly October
Every beach nearby welcomes dogs without restriction from October onwards. Seaton, western Lyme Regis, Charmouth and West Bay are all open to four-legged family members.
Why October works so well — the summer crowds have gone, so popular sites are genuinely enjoyable again. You will find parking spaces, shorter queues and more attention at attractions, with autumn colour and comfortable temperatures on top.
Leave the car behind
Getting about without driving
The Route 899 hail-and-ride bus stops by the park and links Sidmouth, the Donkey Sanctuary, Branscombe, Beer and Seaton. It runs through the day with flexible stopping points — wave to the driver as the bus approaches. That takes the stress out of coastal village parking. The journey itself is a scenic one.
Sidmouth
Science Festival headquarters and Regency seafront.
The Donkey Sanctuary
Free entry, open all day, loved by families the world over.
Branscombe
A thatched village strung along its own valley to the sea.
Beer
Quarry Caves, fishing boats and a shingle cove.
Seaton
Victorian seaside charm and the Trick or Treat Tram.
Free with a bus pass
Many guests do not realise their pass works here. It does.
Two generations, one family
Make Oakdown your October base
Our family-run park puts every one of these events within comfortable reach. Ninety-seven touring pitches, five pet-friendly lodges and heated glamping, with the coast path a short drive away.
★ Award-winning washrooms
Family rooms included — welcome after a day on an autumn clifftop.
★ Dog-friendly
Barrel Pods and Premier Pods both welcome dogs, with a dog-wash for muddy paws.
★ Bus at the gate
Route 899 stops right outside, so you can explore without driving.
★ Rural setting
Quiet countryside, with the coastal attractions still close at hand.
★ Heated glamping
Every glamping unit has integral heating for cooler October evenings.
★ Oak Mead
Our café and nine-hole golf course, just over the road from the park.
Want to see what’s on in other months? Our full Local Knowledge guide covers the whole year near Oakdown.
Come and see our autumn
Event details change, so do check the organiser’s own listing before you travel. Better still, call in at reception and we will point you at what is on that week.