Three of South Devon’s leading tourist attractions have joined forces to offer visitors a full and extremely varied day of activities that will have something to appeal to almost everyone – and all, effectively, on a single site linked by a steam railway!

Launched on Tuesday 19th April 2011, a new family-oriented, value-for-money marketing initiative called: “3 Great Attractions – 1 Amazing Day” gets underway involving the South Devon Railway; Dartmoor Otters & Buckfast Butterflies, and the Totnes Rare Breeds Farm.

All three attractions are pooling their resources to promote the great money-saving and absorbing family day out on offer better in which visitors not only can enjoy the amazing charms of both the Dartmoor Otters & Buckfast Butterflies and Totnes Rare Breeds Farm, but also ride on the steam trains of the South Devon Railway which links the two animal-based centres.

The ‘3 Great Attractions – 1 Amazing Day’ marketing initiative is designed:

• to expand and enhance the enjoyment for visitors to all three attractions by offering them a full day out with a variety of activities and hands-on experiences;
• to give real value-for-money to families via attractively priced joint tickets.
• to reduce car journeys and fuel costs by encouraging visitors to remain on one linked site for a whole day (there is ample free car parking at Buckfastleigh which is just off the A38 Devon Expressway and just 25 minutes from Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay);
• to add further to the local economy of both Totnes and Buckfastleigh by bringing in more visitors to Devon.

The award winning and highly scenic South Devon Railway operates heritage steam trains seven miles along the beautiful valley of the River Dart between Buckfastleigh and Totnes, www.southdevonrailway.co.uk

Adjacent to the SDR’s station at Buckfastleigh is Dartmoor Otters & Buckfast Butterflies where visitors can experience new butterflies emerge in tropical surroundings and see otters swimming underwater in specially built glass enclosures, www.ottersandbutterflies.co.uk

Adjacent to the SDR’s station at Totnes is the award winning Totnes Rare Breeds Farm, home to a fascinating array of wildlife that visitors can see and experience at close hand, www.totnesrarebreeds.co.uk

Commenting on the ‘3 great attractions – 1 amazing day’ launch, South Devon Railway’s then General Manager Dick Wood, said: “We hope this new joint initiative will attract many more visitors to sample what has to be one of the best value and most varied days out in Devon. We have something to interest people of all ages and interests ranging from otters, exotic butterflies, owls, red squirrels and rare breed animals to a leisurely seven mile train ride through stunning scenery hauled by a GWR era steam locomotive.

“We are running trains every day from Easter until the end of October, so the ‘3 great attractions – 1 amazing day’ scheme is going to be an added bonus for all of our visitors, especially those on fixed incomes. Most people have now felt the recession’s bite and are looking for great value for money days out.

“We have also improved and enhanced a number of the facilities on the railway over the winter months, including the total refurbishment of our catering kiosk in the main Buckfastleigh car park now called “Bridge View Kiosk” – a name suggested by SDR volunteer worker Hilda Hookins.

“Our extensive and award winning Refreshment Rooms, also at Buckfastleigh, was given the top ‘Five-Star’ rating by Teignbridge District Council’s environmental health department in 2011 for the high standards achieved in our kitchen, so we offer good quality food at reasonable prices too.”

“There are some superb views of the lovely valley of the Dart to be had at this time of year, and there really is no better way to see them than from one of our relaxing steam trains. The line-side is always at its best in the spring with beautifully manicured banks and hundreds of primroses in bloom.”