Two donkeys graze in their paddock at the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth.

© Gartland/Shutterstock

Donkey Sanctuary


This irresistible attraction is home to around 400 donkeys, some rescued from mistreatment or neglect, others retired from working the beaches. Walkways pass fields full of the creatures happily grazing, trotting and rolling in the grass. In the main yard you can mingle freely with animals specially chosen for their fondness of people. It's 3 miles east of Sidmouth. Donations welcome.

Signs alongside explain donkey body language (head down is resting; ears up is interested; a swishing tail means don't come any closer), while collars bearing names and ages allow you to know who you've just met. Because donkeys bond with each other, those that come into the sanctuary together are kept together for life. When one goes into the veterinary hospital, their friends join them to keep them company.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Norman Lockyer Observatory

1.45 MILES

Because of relatively low light pollution, high cliffs and an expanse of sea, East Devon is prime stargazing territory. At this observatory, high-powered…

2. Sidmouth Museum

2.49 MILES

East Devon's history emerges here, from the town's connections to crime novelist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the incisive Victorian diarist Peter Orlando…

3. Beer Quarry Caves

3.33 MILES

Beer's creamy chalk cliffs hint at the presence of a seam of high-quality masonry material called Beer stone. It's been used in countless famous buildings…

4. A La Ronde

10.3 MILES

This quirky 16-sided cottage was built in 1796 so two spinster cousins could display a mass of curiosities acquired on their 10-year European grand tour…

5. Pebblebed Vineyard

10.79 MILES

You get more than a whiff of southern Europe on these winery tours that take in south-facing slopes, neatly staked vines and the heady aroma of fermenting…

6. Cobb

11.18 MILES

First built in the 13th century, Lyme's iconic, curling sea defences have been strengthened and extended over the years, and so don't present the elegant…

7. Dinosaurland

11.44 MILES

This joyful, mini, indoor Jurassic Park overflows with fossilised remains; look out for belemnites, a plesiosaurus and an impressive locally found…

8. Town Mill

11.44 MILES

An atmospheric, creaking, grinding, 14th-century working watermill. Cafes, art galleries, a jewellery workshop and microbrewery sit alongside.

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "england/sidmouth/attractions/donkey-sanctuary/a/poi-sig/1350178/1341784",
      "position": "superzone"
    }