AstroAdventures Astronomy Holidays.

AstroAdventures, established in 2005, is situated in glorious North Devon, right on the Devon & Cornwall border. Within easy reach of coastal resorts such as Bude this is a marvellous holiday destination. We offer you the chance to combine your holiday with astronomy.

To cater for your interests in astronomy we have a large 20" (50cm) Dobsonian telescope and a dedicated imaging observatory with a 10" (25cm) telescope for you to use under some of the darkest skies in England.

Experience the wonders of the night sky. The Milky Way, galaxies, nebulae and the planets. With unobstructed southern horizons and the absence of light pollution and all can be seen at their best.

Enjoy comfortable and private self catering family accommodation in a peaceful rural location. For 2022 we have ONE timber lodge to let.
Wren lodge is set in attractive grounds with an outdoor swimming pool. The swimming pool is open from mid June through to the 1st week in September. Our pool is warmed by an air source heat pump during July and August.

The Devon countryside with its beautiful beaches & national parks plus local attractions, such as the Tamar Lakes, are easily accessible. This area known as Ruby Country is ideal for family holidays. We are also a great venue for out of season short breaks. The nearest beach is Sandymouth which is only 7.5 miles away! See this map for our location.

We aim to provide a relaxing retreat from everyday pressures. There is a large paddock, with a swing set, for children to play in. There is plenty of room even for football and cricket! There is a large wild flower meadow which has a path mowed around its perimeter. More health concious guests have used this as a jogging track. We have barbecues that you can use. We have barbecues that you can use.

During the summer season enjoy the outdoor swimming pool for laid-back days on site. The swimming pool is open from June through to the 1st week in September. As of 2016 our pool is warmed by an air source heat pump during July and August. Please note - The pool is unsupervised.

AstroAdventures was created in 2005 by lovers of astronomy for the benefit of enthusiasts of all levels. It has its roots in Murray, Valerie and Tony combining family holidays with their love of astronomy. Holidays became quests for ever darker skies and children and provisions were crammed into cars around ever larger telescopes. Nowhere was ever perfect and no one understood our requirements. Surely someone must cater for our needs?....and so the idea was born. Years passed and plans were laid.

Eventually in 2004 a holiday in Devon became a property hunt and Kimworthy cottage was found. Old lives were cast adrift and the AstroAdventure began. We love it. We hope you will enjoy it too. Here are short biographies of our two resident astronomers.

Murray was given his first telescope when he was seven years old and after progressing onto to a 60 mm refractor in his pre-teens he was to meet like-minded Tony at senior school.  The cost of telescopes led to Murray (and Tony) to grinding and polishing his first and only telescope mirror when he was 13.

This mirror was then replaced by a Fullerscope 10” mirror in his late teens and this led to the building of his first of many ‘back-yard’ observatories.  Although he has taken many astronomical photographs his interest is visual astronomy concentrating mainly upon the Deep Sky.

In addition to astronomy, he is also interested in space travel and military history.  His first book, Hitler’s Rocket Soldiers was published in 2011 by Tattered Flag Publishing.

He has operated a mobile planetarium for over twenty years and has given thousands of talks to children and adults on astronomy and related subjects – ‘Ancient Egypt and the Stars’ being a particular personal favorite.  He has written educational curriculum support information that is used internationally with planetariums.

 He has been a member of various astronomy associations and enjoyed a 6 year tenure as Chairperson for the Wadhurst A.S.  He has been a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society for over 20 years.

Tony became interested in astronomy in his early teens. Looking back he feels that growing up through the era of the 'space race' and Apollo missions it was inevitable that an enquiring mind would do so.

His first proper telescope was a four inch reflector loaned to him by the physics teacher at his school. With an adolescents disregard for others property the telescope was promptly taken apart, rebuilt and improved. This process occurred many times and set the precedent for future telescope related activities!

Alongside this ran an avid interest in photography and many old film box cameras were butchered and attached to telescopes with tape, glue and faith in the hope of capturing the objects fleetingly seen through the eyepiece.

Years spent in the photographic and printing industries became a foundation for the understanding of capturing images and processing the results, first on film and later with CCDs. He cut his teeth on Photoshop 2.5 which came on 3.5" floppy discs!

He was treasurer of the Ilkeston and District A.S. for many years.

There is an underlying love of the night sky and collecting photons from the universe with electronics or the biological camera of the eye that ensures his continued and fresh interest to this day.