Nov 27

Paignton Zoo was founded by Herbert Whitley, a shy, eccentric, millionaire, and was opened to the public in 1923. Torbay Zoological Gardens, as it was known, included monkeys, bison, zebras, baboons and many birds.

The Zoo is now an education and scientific charity dedicated to conserving our global wildlife heritage and inspiring in its many visitors a life long respect for animals and the environment.

The zoo is Divided into 6 different zones:

  • Primley
  • Savannah
  • Forest
  • Wetland
  • Tropical Forest
  • Desert

All of these represent world habitats, except for Primley, which is an area of the Zoo where you can find animals from a variety of habitats.

Paignton Zoo is home to thousands of animals all housed in 80 acres of natural habitat. You will find elephants, giraffes, camels, monkeys, gorillas, birds, crocodiles, snakes and much more.

The Zoo has received many awards, most recently the Silver Award in the Enjoy England Excellence Awards 2006 and was also a finalist in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards in 2006 for the best Large Visitor Attraction.

Paignton Zoo is open daily (except Christmas day) from 10.00. Closing times vary throughout the season.

A trip to Paignton Zoo is within easy reach from most of our hire centres taking:

The times above are taken from the AA Autoroute Planner.
Nov 25

Cheddar, Wells and Glastonbury offer the visitor many interesting sights. A trip to these mid-Somerset destinations is within easy reach of all of our hire centres. The classic day-trip would take in Cheddar Gorge, Wells Cathedral and Glastonbury Abbey.

A drive through the Gorge is always spectacular, and the Cheddar Caves are also well worth a visit. An all-in-one explorer ticket includes admission to Gough’s Cave, Cox’s Cave, The Cheddar Man and the Cannibals Exhibition, and between March and October an open-top bus tour of the Gorge.

The small city of Wells is a short drive along the A371, which winds through the lower reaches of the Mendip Hills on the edge of the Somerset Levels. Wells is a city only by virtue of the presence of the Cathedral, and is in reality not much bigger than many villages. It is a very pleasant place to spend time in. The High Street is traffic calmed and there are some intesting shops to browse around, as well as somw good cafes, pubs and restaurants. Next to the Cathedral is the Bishop’s Palace. Both are good to visit, and if you are lucky you will see the swans in the Bishop’s Palace moat ring a bell to ask for their dinner!

Glastonbury also has a traffic calmed High Street, and some interesting shops and eateries. The Abbey is in the heart of the town, just along from the High Street. The Tor is also well worth a visit, and is a short drive out of the town.