#Watermouth Castle

[animatronicappreciation]

Since we've gotten requests for scary animatronics and submechanophobia content, here's someone just in time for Halloween that will hopefully satiate both of those needs: It's the Watermouth Castle troll! Lesser known than his crocodile counterpart, the troll is (in my opinion) far more distressing. He's a very simple animatronic; just a head on a rising lever with a water pump, but I'd say he still counts. It seems like he hasn't risen up in a long time, though, and only occasionally spits water.

Photo source.

-Mod Rat

[plinkoart]

i am a Moony Beam and the Shooting Stars stan

[lilpaste]

He is from Captain Andy’s River Town at Watermouth Castle! It’s an awesome animatronic show with lots of characters, I totally recommend checking it out :))

[amazing-animatronics]

Pictures of the animatronics in ‘TV's Family Favourites’ a dark ride that was part of the Crinkley Bottom/Blobbyland theme park in the UK. 

The ride was designed and manufactured by a company called T.H.E. Limited and several of the animatronics were created by David Aldridge Animations. It opened in mid-July 1995 and closed around 1998. It was a very popular ride at Crinkley Bottom,  

In the ride visitors travelled along a river in yellow and blue 'TV Dreamboats' through rooms featuring famous British children's TV shows. You would enter the ride through a giant television set, its screen smashed open to allow the boat to enter. Then you would travel though a black and white section before finishing up with children’s TV shows from the 1990s. The ride featured TV shows such as Bill and Ben (The Flowerpot Men), The Magic Roundabout, Doctor Who, The Clangers, Noel's House Party and Noddy. 

Watermouth Castle in Ilfracombe brought the ride in 2001. Salvaging what they could, the river track was turned into an open-air river ride, retaining the same boats and conveyor-belt system. Instead of animatronics based on TV shows the ride now features jungle themed animatronics that came from another theme park ride from the 1970s. 

A few of the animatronics from ‘TV’s Family Favourites’ also ended up at Watermouth castle such as Bill and Ben, Brian and Dougal (from The Magic Roundabout) and The Clangers. 

(Sources:xx||xx||xx||xx||xx)

[neon-flamingo]

Watermouth Castle Part 9

Crocodile in the woods. Think he’s a friend of Bert the Bunyip. 

Here’s a video of him coming up out of the water:

[paulclews]

#WatermouthCastle #NorthDevon #North_Devon #Devon #NDevon #Watermouth #Castle #Ilfracombe #CombeMartin (at Watermouth Castle and Family Theme Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1jcU_VA_su/?igshid=1kqc3418m08fc

[chinquix]

Re: previous post, im desperately trying to piece together the epic and heart-pounding plot of last nights fever dream but all i can remember is

working in a supermarket in a section that exclusively sold globes

a flashback to my previous life where i lived in a medieval tower and fed quorn mince to dragons through a little hatch that said The Boyz

Cardiff Flying Train (i spent this part of the dream questioning why there was a giant flying scifi train in cardiff while everyone looked at me, puzzled, and said 'well, we ARE in Wales' as if that was answer enough)

joining a cricket team because they were going to play a match at watermouth castle and i love watermouth castle (i have never been to watermouth castle)

the cricket team being run over by the Cardiff Flying Train on the way to watermouth castle

the Big Reveal that my mum had been poisoning me my whole life by feeding me a type of ice cream she called Special Treat that i was actually allergic to

the part immediately after the big reveal where I had to attend an excruciatingly awkward family dinner, trying to hide behind my bf so my mum wouldn't see me and know that I Knew About Special Treat, only my hair was very tall and neon green and not at all conducive to blending in

my grandad doing a powerful little dance that caused him to plummet straight through the floor, thus ending the dinner and the dream in its entirety

[buddasworld]

Mavic Pro visits Watermouth Castle, North Devon - Messing around on the lawn at the front.

[jenkinsjourneys]

Cycling through COVID 19

This year has seen us having to adapt to how we get out and exercise and for us this year’s usual cycle challenge had to be altered. When the government granted us permission to exercise for up to an hour a day, we took the opportunity to do an early morning circuluar route up our local country park on our new Orbea bikes. Luckily, we had got our new bikes just before Lockdown. We continued to do this every day, then when we was granted the opportunity to cycle for unlimited time, we decided to plan a weekly ride around the Somerset. and south along the north coast. Here the various routes we took:

Cycle 1: Portishead to Cheddar

We started out in Portishead and cycled to Clevedon and then on to Yatton where we picked up the Strawberry Line, this is a disused railway line so nice and flat and excellent for family rides. Along the route just before Cheddar, is a huge reservoir, ideal for a paddle and a spot of lunch. It was a roasting hot day, so we were glad for the opportunity to take a break and relax in the beautiful surroundings. Remember , this was during lockdown so normally we would of had a look around the village shops but on this occasion we took in a drink stop and had a nice iced coffee for the local Tesco. Total mileage was 40 miles.

  Cycle 2: Portishead to Burnham on Sea via Weston Super Mare

This route took us on three different cycle routes, The NCR 410, the strawberry line and the NCN 33. This was our biggest ride this year and we covered over 60 miles. There and back. We managed to cycle along the beach from Brean, which can be a bit tough, but the views on a sunny day made it worth while.

Cycle 3: Burnham on Sea to Kilve Beach

This was a mixed ride, through stunning country side past the Quantock Hills and down in to Lilstock where we picked up the England Coastal Path, along the cliffs edge. The route was made up of quite country lanes and stunning coast line. We saw alot of MTB’s drive past us and we found out there are a number of  MTB trail in the Quantock Hills. Take a look at TrailForks website for more details. This ride was more challenging due to the number of inclines along the route, but it put us in good stead for our forth coming Devon Cycle Tour.

Cycle 4: Kilve Beach to Minehead via Watchet

We did have to cycle along the A39 on a number of occasions on this day but the wonderful harbour once we reached Watchet, made it worthwhile. It’s a quaint little sea fisherman’s village. This picture is me taken sitting on Yankee Jack’s lap. His real name was John Short and he came to be known as Yankee Jack because he is seen as the father of Sea Shanties.

On wards from Watchet took us to Blue Anchor after a large decent on to the prom, this was a secluded beach, not at all touristy, we joined the coastal path here, which was on the rocky beach so we had to push the bikes for a short while before we picked up the path.You get to see the amazing Dunster Castle nestled in to the hill over looking Minehead. Once near Minehead, you can see the Butlin’s landmark way before arriving in to town, and it took me back to my childhood of the many fantastic family holidays spent there. As a treat, we had fish and chips before cycling back to Kilve out of town on the A39. This was a nice ride as we zipped along the road because it felt like the majority of the route was down hill. To be honest after having fish and chips I was grateful for the decents.

Cycle  5: We did a local ride from Home (Rubery, Birmingham) to Stratford Upon Avon

This is a great ride and we also start out early, one to avoid the traffic on the roads and two to enable us to ride before the temperatures increase. This week we invested in some Bar Ends, they where £10 from Amazon, and is probably my best investment for bike touring, simply because you can sit up and enjoy the views as you cycle along. We cycled through Henley in Arden, which reminded me of many a Sunday drive for an ice-cream as a youngster.

Cycle  6:Cheltenham to Winchcombe circular route

In 2019, we took part in an organised charity ride for the British Heart Foundation, a charity that means alot to me due to my Grandad having passed away due to a heart attack. So, we decided to do it again. Partly, because you get to see the majestic Cotswold stone houses and also because we knew that it would be great hill climbing training, especially up the Sudeley Hill, that runs next to the Sudeley Castle Estate. Phew, that was the toughest ride I have done but well worth the stunning views of the rolling farm fields below. It’s amazing how many gorgeous villages you pass through on this route: Bishop���s Cleeve, Gotherington, Winchcombe, Guiting Power, Brockhampton (stunning National Trust property), Whittington (no relation to Dick), Ham and then back to Cheltenham.

North Devon Coast Bike Tour

Lockdown had been lifted and we were finally able to organise a bike tour. We wanted to continue on from our Somerset adventures, so we decided to plan 2020 bike tour from Minehead and along the North Devon Coast. We decided to hire a car and the best location we could drop off was in Taunton, just 25 mile from Minehead (inland). That’s where we started our ride. For this ride we invested in some new bike pannier bags from Btwin, great dry bags and after learning from previous tours, we kept our packing as light as possible.

Day 1 Taunton to Porlock

 This route took us on prodominately on main roads. Where we could, we would take the country lanes and B roads, simply so you can enjoy the whole experience more in the sounds of the country side rather than the reving of car. The temperatures soared and luckily we took plenty of water to rehydrate along the route. By the time we reached Porlock we was ready to pitch up for the night, we covered 35 miles this day but it felt like more due to the high temperatures. This route covered a number of hill climbs but as we came down in to the village of Porlock we spotted a number of tents on the outskirts of the village. We pitched up at Sparkhayes, which cost us £10 per adult. It was a great site with views of the sea. This evening we had our dried food that we had taken with us.

Day 2 Porlock to Combe Martin

The campsite owner at Sparkhayes, suggested to us that we use the toll road out of Porlock as Porlock Hill was a major climb. Once we packed away our tent we got on the road at 7am, as we cycled out of the village we saw the signs for Porlock Hill it was 25% hill or a 1 in 4. When we got to the turn for the toll road, we had already decided we wanted to commit and get up the hill.  Wow, it was a tough climb and to be honest we bike hiked the majority of it. I was pushing on tip toes for the majority of it. I’d love to say the views were fantasic but the clouds and mist made it difficult to see no more than 10 foot in front of you. When I checked, the hill went on for approximately 2 miles, steeper in some places than others. This is a fantastic challenge for super fit road cyclist that want to challenge themselves.

We cycled down in to Lynmouth, in time for breakfast. and this is where we saw the Lynton Cliff Railway. Unfortunately, we was unable to ride the railway line because we had our bikes, but we took the coastal path which had a number of poems along the way in to Lyton and this is where we took these brilliant photos of the cliff railway. We picked up NCN 27 from Lyton which was again inclines passing through the Valley of Rocks and passed Martinhoe and on to Combe Martin after stopping for a lunch break at Hunter’s Inn (heddon Valley, Exmoor) Parracombe. Apparently this whole area was particularly popular in the Victorian era. The photo’s on the Inn’s wall shows a snap shot of the popularity of the area. After cycling on to Combe Martin we came across Newberry Valley camping park. Although they were full with prebooked campers, they was able to accomodate us on a Backpackers pitch. The staff here were extremely helpful. 5 star rating from us.

Day 3 Combe Martin to Croyde via Ilfracombe

The first thing we did once we got on the road was to climb the first big hill of the day. We were fast become use to the terrain in Devon, expect hills and enjoy the zips down (Make sure you have good brakes on your bikes, you’ll need them). We cycled through Watermouth and this had an amazing cove and a more impressive Castle. Which is a family theme park. I would definately, like to return here again. Beautiful part of the coast. We dipped through the village of Hele, this made us laugh because we was trying to work out the prenouncation of the place. Another lovely bay. We stopped in Ilfracombe for a take away cuppa and a spot of breakfast, while looking over the aqua blue seas of Wildersmouth Bay and Capstone Hill. The coastal path meanders all around these wonderful sites.

We then cycled across country skirting past Woolacombe to Croyde bay. This area is hugely popular with surfers and there are a number of sites for you to pitch up. We chose to stay at Ruda Park Dean holiday resort purely due to the location to the beach. As this was a short ride day, we decided to take the opportunity of soaking up the rays and relax on the site for the afternoon and evening. Enjoying fish and chips on the golden beach of Croyde Bay.

Day 4 Croyde to Barnstaple via Saunton and Braunton

We woke to Thunder and decided to make tracks early. This route is well worth it, because you look over Saunton Sands. Again very secluded with a huge stretch of golden sands and rolling sand dunes. I said it could be the Marbs of Devon with a bit of investment. We cycled in land following the estuary through Braunton to the River Taw into Barnstable.

Barnstaple is the main town in North Devon and was formely a river port for wool imports and exports. The town has a medieval feel and it still has its victorian market called the Pannier Market just below the Guildhall. Originally Barnstaple was known as Barum, before staple was added (which means market). We arrive just in time because the storms arrived just as we picked up our hire car from Enterprise. 

So that is the end of this epic blog. We hope it inspires you to get out in to our wonderful country and enjoy a staycation, while keeping fit. This has been the toughest bike tour to date but it was well worth the effort we put in.

Next route is to move on in to Cornwall and picked up the Camel Trail to St Austell on the south coast leg. Fingers crossed we can do it, this year. Well, I have already planned the route for the next adventure.

[neon-flamingo]

Watermouth Castle Part 1

Moony Beam and The Shooting Stars! These guys are in the first room of the castle. They played some great tunes and were really fun to watch, I loved them <3

Here’s a video I took of them (I wish I had videoed more of them)

[paulclews]

#Watermouth #Castle #Berrynarbor #Ilfracombe #CombeMartin #NDevon #North_Devon #NorthDevon #Devon #SouthWest #LoveNorthDevon #LoveIlfracombe #PlacesInNorthDevon (at Watermouth Castle and Family Theme Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0N4v2ogKbr/?igshid=434k5qymi8yj

[alittleredpanda]

In every seaside town across the UK you will find amusement arcades. When I was growing up, my grandparents lived in Cheshire, not far from the Welsh and Lancashire coast and my brother and I would save up all our 2ps, before eagerly running off to Southport or Rhyl and lose them all on those sneaky coin pusher (”2p”) machines, with Jean Michel Jarre’s Oxygène playing on loop.

North Devon, where my family lives, has a lot of them. And when we took my step-sisters to Watermouth Castle (a nineteenth century country house turned kids’ themepark), we found a treasure trove of old fashioned arcade games in amongst all of the really scary animatronics. I was not a fan.

Now as a game developer, who works so much within the digital world, seeing these machines was fascinating. They had to work, and be exciting, without the bells and whistles we see today. They couldn’t be updated with a new patch or hotfixed, they had to work. And they still do today, which is quite incredible, as Wikipedia says Penny Arcades have been around since 1905 (and many of the machines took 1d).

I also think it’s kind of amazing that these machines have inspired the games we waste our 2ps on today.

[ccwastaken]

what does snake think about... hm... hm

As Snake animal crossing I can say I think about [REDACTED] and also [REDACTED] and sometimes the animatronic crocodile in the woods at watermouth castle

[weddingwade3]

Rule Your Own Kingdom, At Least For A Short Time

Check out more on our website Private Homes For Rent For Weddings

The first in this list of castles to rent is in Ireland and is the Springfield Castle. It is the ancestral home of Lord and Lady Muskerry. The castle can accommodate up to 24 people for family reunions, celebrations, and special events such as weddings. It is essentially 2 castles. One being the castle itself and the other is the recently renovated East Tower wing. Springfield Castle rests on a 200 wooded acre estate which offers a peaceful tranquility and the feeling of being whisked away to another time. The prices vary according to the time of year you expect to stay.

Now, allow me to take you to Scotland about 6.5 miles from Inverness to the Castle Stuart, another among the castles to rent. This restored 17th century tower house is located on the banks of Moray Firth with Loch Ness only a 20 minute drive away. Construction of Castle Stuart began in 1619 and was completed in 1625. After a time, the house fell dormant and remained in that state for about 300 years until the 20th century, when it was restored. Each bedroom is unique to each clan who fought and died for "Bonnie Prince Charlie" at Culloden. The house is decorated throughout with historic memorabilia, old paintings, fresh flowers, and open fires. The Castle Stuart is a luxury 5 star hotel that was rated 2nd best castle in Europe for accomodation in August 2008 by Trip Advisor.

The third among castles to rent is in Italy approximately 50 miles from Rome and is the Fumone Castle (Marchesi Longhi De Paolis Castle). It is a 10th century castle with ancient origins. The Fumone Castle lies within a village atop a hill overlooking the Sacco Valley surrounded by woods and mountains. The medieval atmosphere, peaceful silence, and the hospitality of the people are what visitors remember most about this castle. Among the walls of this castle is a prison that housed Pope Celestino V and after only 10 months of imprisonment on May 19, 1296 Pope Celestino V died. In the year 1313 (17 years after Pope Celestino V's death) he was canonized as ordered by Pope Clemente V. Not only does this castle have a storied history, but it is among the oldest castles in use today.

Unlike the other castles to rent that I have listed the Watermouth Castle in England. is, by appearances, what I envision a castle to look like. Near Ilfracombe, North Devon the Watermouth Castle is a 50 acre estate with landscaped gardens that are great for romantic walks or just nice reflective strolls. The view of Watermouth Bay and the harbour is gorgeous. The castle was completed in the middle of the 19th century by the Bassett family and is currently decorated throughout in keeping with the style and feel of the castle.

While researching for a unique experience by renting a castle I have discovered that a castle isn't necessarily what I have imagined or seen before. Each castle has its own style, its own unique history. Some are quite elegant while others seem to be in shambles. The differences in these particular castles reflect each countrie's, and era's, ideas on importance of security, comfort, style and culture. In closing, I hope that you can have as much enjoyment researching the castle of your dreams as you do while living that dream. It is your time to rule your own kingdom, if only for a short time.

Mark Glendale is the marketing manager of A1 Business Search and has been responsible for the smooth running of both the internet and social media marketing for the last decade now. Adept in all areas of successful internet advertising for both A1 Business Search and their branch of subsidiary companies, it is Mark Glendale's goal to continue providing exceptional leadership and management qualities.

The beautiful house company thrive on providing people with beautifu homes and castles to rent and to enjoy for a short period of time.

See Full Article Here: Rule Your Own Kingdom, At Least For A Short Time

[tumbleweedkp]

Inside #watermouthcastledevon #exhibition #museum #funplace (at Watermouth Castle and Family Theme Park)