Monks Thatch Cottage
🏖️ 0.5 miles from Ladram Bay (Excellent water quality)
Sidmouth, South West England
Sleeps 4
£347 per break
Check availabilityMuseums & Galleries · Sidmouth
Countryside Museum
📍 EX9 7BQ
Photo: bictongardens.co.uk
- Collection documenting early 20th century farming and village life
- R.A. Lister Co. display of portable petrol and diesel engines
- Two cinemas showing films on agricultural machinery and Lister history
- Exhibits sourced from across the UK, including Scotland and Ireland
Countryside Museum sits within Bicton Park Botanical Gardens in Bicton, East Devon, and traces how village life, farming, horticulture and rural crafts changed during the early 20th century. Exhibits include tools, household items and farm machinery gathered by NDG James, alongside the R.A. Lister Co. display of portable petrol and diesel engines, with two cinemas showing related films. It suits families, school groups and anyone keen to reflect on earlier rural ways of life. The museum is housed in a permanent structure within the wider gardens. If you're staying nearby, Ladram Bay beach is just 1.6 miles away, Lympstone Village station is 5.3 miles off, and there are 102 bookable places to stay within 5 miles on BritStays.
Practical details
- Best for
- School field trips and visitors interested in rural history
- Open
- Bicton Park is currently open from 10am–4:30pm
From the attraction's own website on 17 Oct 2026 — check before you travel.
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Create a free account to claimPlaces to stay near Countryside Museum
Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
1.2 mi
1.5 mi
Ladram Bay Holiday Park
✓ Private beach on the Jurassic Coast with rockpooling and kayaking
🏖️ a few minutes' walk from Ladram Bay (Excellent water quality)
Sidmouth
2.2 mi
Pooh Cottage Holiday Park
✓ Secluded, fully serviced pitches within walking distance of the beach
🏖️ 1.31 miles from Budleigh Salterton (Good water quality)
Budleigh Salterton
2.2 mi
2.3 mi
2.7 mi
🎪 What's on near Countryside Museum
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
Greenish Day - A Tribute to Green Day - Torquay
The Foundry Torquay, Torquay · 16.9 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:30
Forbidden Nights
Babbacombe Theatre, Torquay · 15.6 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 4 Dec · 19:00
Silent Drop Presents Danny Rankin
Arena Torquay, Torquay · 16.8 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 4 Dec · 19:30
This is Floyd
The Babbacombe Theatre, Torquay · 15.6 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to Countryside Museum into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
🚆 Or come by train
- Lympstone Village 5.3 miles
- Exmouth 5.4 miles
- Lympstone Commando 5.5 miles
Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page