Round-up from across East Devon – including community news, photos and events from Exmouth, Sidmouth, Honiton, Axminster, Ottery St Mary, Budleigh Salterton and Seaton. Send your community news to: newsdesk@eastdevonnews.co.uk
Honiton
Honiton Town Crier Dave Retter, 73, last week announced ‘the glove is up’ marking the start of the annual hot pennies celebrations.
Hot pennies were scattered onto the waiting crowds in the street below.
Photo: with permission.
Caroline Kolek, seen here, left, at the 2025 hot pennies celebrations has taken on the town crier role for Honiton.
Photo: with permission.
The 2025 Hot Pennies ceremony was town crier Dave Rutter’s last, because of retirement.
Photo: with permission.
These photos show excited crowds, joining in with the 805-year-old town tradition, eagerly caught and collected the warm coins raining down onto the pavement below from the second floor windows of some of the High Street businesses and pubs.
This year’s hot pennies event was Dave’s last as town crier, due to him retiring and handing over the tradition to his deputy, Caroline Kolek, who has taken on the role for Honiton.
The hot pennies celebrations date back more than 800 years.
Photo: with permission.
Dignitaries celebrated with the crowds at the Old Pannier Market.
Photo: with permission.
Sidmouth
Sidmouth’s number 9 bus became the K9 service when trainee guide dogs were welcomed onboard as part of their early education.
Stagecoach South West teamed up with the Guide Dogs charity, inviting the young dogs and their puppy walkers onboard at the Sidmouth Triangle bus stop.
All aboard the K9 service in Sidmouth – Pictured here are guide dogs Verity and Borro, plus puppy walkers.
Photo: with permission.
The charity said the experience helped the pups get used to the sights, smells and sounds of public transport.
A spokesperson for Guide Dogs said: “Familiarising itself with public transport is one of many things a guide dog puppy needs to learn.
“With the help of their puppy raisers, the pups learn to remain calm and confident in new environments.”
Peter Knight, Stagecoach South West managing director, said: “We’re really proud to support Guide Dogs to help puppies build confidence as part of their training. It’s a small way we can help make a big difference to someone’s independence in the future.
“We are committed to making bus travel inclusive and welcoming for everyone in the community.”
The trainee guide dogs boarded the bus at the Sidmouth Triangle stop.
Photo: with permission.
Exmouth
Firefighters from Exmouth were on Friday morning (August 1) called to an area of the town after a report a vehicle had crashed.
When crews arrived, they found a car involved in a crash with a concrete post and fence.
Firefighters helped free two people still in the vehicle, who were treated at the scene by the ambulance service.
A fire service spokesperson said: “Fire control mobilised two fire engines from Exmouth to a report of a road traffic collision involving one vehicle with persons believed to still be within the vehicle.
“The incident was confirmed as a small vehicle in collision with a fence and concrete post. The fire crews assisted two people from the vehicle who were treated by the ambulance service.
“Crews used road traffic collision equipment, one hose reel jet and small tools.”
Sidmouth
Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat was launched. Photo: with permission.
The lifeboat at Sidmouth launched at the end of July to help search the East Devon shoreline between Budleigh Salterton and Chiselbury Bay.
The Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat crew worked alongside Beer and Exmouth coastguard teams, and a drone from south Devon rescuers.
A Sidmouth Lifeboat spokeswoman said: “Sidmouth Lifeboat deployed two crew members ashore to assist with a land-based search, working in conjunction with shore teams.
“After an extensive search, no persons were found in distress and the search was stood down.”
Ottery St Mary
Sections of a damaged bridge closed to the public for almost two years will leave Ottery St Mary under police escort, it has been revealed.
The Coleridge bridge was shut to pedestrians and cyclists around 18 months ago, after a tree fell in December 2023, damaging the walkway and beams.
The bridge has been out of action for almost two years.
Photo: DCC.
Work to repair the bridge started at the end of July and is hoped to be complete in September 2025.
A Devon County Council spokesperson said: “The pedestrian and cycle bridge has been closed for safety reasons since December 2023, after it was struck by a falling tree, damaging the bridge deck and truss.
“Structural investigations also found that extensive erosion of the west riverbank has started to undermine the central support foundations of the bridge. This support was not designed to be within the river channel, but the loss of the riverbank means that part of its foundation has now been exposed.
“The repair scheme addresses both of these issues to ensure it will be safe to open to the public as well as future-proofing it in the event of further erosion if the River Otter continues to move west.
“A temporary surface has been laid adjacent to the bridge to support a 1,550 tonne crane which is currently being erected on site. The crane will lift out both bridge spans, and these will leave site in four sections under police escort. Parking suspensions have been implemented along the access route to facilitate this.”
The county council said three of the four bridge sections will be repainted and resurfaced, while the damaged fourth section will be taken away for recycling and a new, replacement section made.
The reopening of Coleridge Bridge to members of the public is expected to follow soon after.
The authority’s spokesperson added: “Work will also be carried out to protect the central support from erosion of the riverbank by installing a ring of sheet piles topped with concrete around the existing foundation.
“As this involves working in the river, extensive consultations have been undertaken with the Environment Agency over the past year to enable this to go ahead.”
Axminster
Emily Gordon, aged 25, is pictured here on the bridge after pursuing a cadetship with the company.
Photo: with permission.
An Axminster woman has become one of eight female cadets in 2025 who can be found at the helm on a Marella cruise ship.
Emily Gordon, aged 25, is pictured here on the bridge after pursuing a cadetship with the company.
Emily, who is the first from her family to work at sea, initially found her first job on the bridge ‘a bit daunting due to the responsibility’, but was inspired to take on a cadetship in a bid to tackle a ‘challenging job’.
A spokesperson for the fleet said: “She is excited about continuing to learn and travel to new places.
“Emily feels fortunate that she has always been supported by her bridge teams and hasn’t been treated differently as a woman.”
Joel Hipple, head of marine and port operations, at Marella Cruises, said the number of women onboard was a ‘massive milestone’ for the company.
He said: “Our future is to have a whole female bridge team onboard our ships, and we hope this celebration of a 50 per cent female workforce on the bridge showcases how important this is to us as an ocean cruise line brand.”
Sidmouth
The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth is celebrating being awarded a 2025 Travellers’ Choice Award from the world’s largest travel guidance platform, Tripadvisor.
The Tripadvisor awards recognise travellers’ favourite businesses around the world, based on reviews and ratings collected over 12 months, and The Donkey Sanctuary has ranked in the top 10 per cent worldwide, based on genuine feedback from visitors.
Pictured here are some of the visitor team at The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth.
Photo: with permission.
Laura Drummond, visitor marketing officer at the Sidmouth sanctuary, said: “We are thrilled to be recognised in Tripadvisor’s worldwide top ten per cent and are so grateful to our wonderful visitors who took the time to leave a review – it means a lot to us all and is testament to the hard work of all our teams.”
The award will be ‘proudly displayed’ with a number of other accolades, including recognition from VisitEngland and Devon Tourism.
The Donkey Sanctuary, which attracts more than 400,000 visitors a year, is open seven days a week, from 9am until 5pm. Entry and parking are free, and dogs on leads are welcome.
East Devon
Volunteers who help the district council care for some of East Devon’s beauty spots are celebrating winning national awards for four of the area’s parks and gardens.
Connaught Gardens and Peak Hill Slope in Sidmouth, Manor Gardens in Exmouth, Seafield Gardens in Seaton and Seaton Wetlands have all been awarded the Green Flag Award for 2025.
The Green Flag Award on display at Exmouth Manor Gardens.
Photo: EDDC.
Councillor Geoff Jung, at East Devon District Council, said: “Thank you to every single person involved, from staff to volunteers, for keeping these spaces beautiful, accessible and thriving.
“We’re proud to see four Green Flag Awards again this year and hope to grow this number in the future.”
The Green Flag Award on display at Seaton Wetlands.
Photo: EDDC.
Budleigh Salterton
Beach lifeguard patrols have begun on Budleigh Salterton beach for the first time after the RNLI joined forces with the district council.
Lifeguards will patrol the beach daily, from 10am until 6pm, from now until Sunday, September 7, monitoring the bathing area between the red and yellow flags, plus giving advice on local conditions and hazards.
RNLI lifeguards will now patrol Budleigh beach for the summer season.
Photo: with permission.
An East Devon District Council spokesperson said: “The steep drop-off and hidden undertow in the waters can make it deceptively dangerous at the paddleboard hotspot, particularly for children and less confident swimmers.”
East Devon
Landowners in two East Devon villages are urged to give up some of their ground and get involved with a project to plant 3,000 trees.
The district council is looking for fresh sites in Broadclyst and Poltimore to finish the project, which has been backed by the authority, Devon Wildlife Trust and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Hundreds of trees will be planted in Broadclyst and Poltimore. Pictured here are volunteers who have kick-started the project, planting 150 trees. Photo: EDDC.
A spokesperson for East Devon District Council said: “Volunteers have already planted the first 150 trees, forming a new hedgerow at the upcoming Clyst Meadows Country Park near Broadclyst Station.”
Volunteers have planted native trees, including rowan, hazel, crab apple, and elder, grown from seeds collected locally by volunteers at Broadclyst Tree Nursery.
Saving Devon’s Treescapes is a four-year project that aims to plant and nurture 250,000 trees outside traditional woodland settings across Devon by 2026.
To take part, email the Treescapes team savedevonstrees@devonwildlifetrust.org
Axminster
Clay embankments between Salisbury and Axminster have dried out and shrunk. Photo: with permission.
The dry weather impacting on clay railway embankments between Axminster and Salisbury has prompted in changes to South Western Railway services between London Waterloo and Exeter St David’s.
From now until further notice, the service will not call at Crewkerne, but be replaced by a bus service, connecting to Yeovil Junction and Axminster.
South Western Railway (SWR) said the change was due to clay embankments between Salisbury and Axminster drying out and shrinking.
A SWR spokesperson said: “The condition known as ‘soil moisture deficit’ has disturbed the levels of the tracks above, meaning trains cannot travel safely at their normal speeds.”
They added: Buses will connect with arriving trains at Yeovil Junction and Axminster, with journeys taking approximately 30 minutes in both directions. Customers are advised to allow extra time to complete their journeys.”
For more information see the SWR website.
East Budleigh
Firefighters called to a crash near East Budleigh at the end of July freed a person trapped in a vehicle.
When fire crews from Exmouth and Middlemoor, in Exeter, arrived at the two-vehicle crash on the afternoon of July 27 they found two people were trapped, and paramedics treating four casualties.
A fire service spokesperson said: “Two people were free and clear prior to arrival of fire service, one person was able to self-extricate following assessment by ambulance and one person was released by fire crews.
“Crews made the scene safe by isolating the vehicles and placed environmental absorbent pads down to soak up leaking engine fluids.”
They added: “One vehicle involved was a hybrid so crews were also at work isolating the vehicle to ensure the scene was safe.”
Seaton
Celebrations have been held by Seaton Museum after its ‘saviour’ curator was named volunteer of the year 2025 by a group championing arts and culture in East Devon.
Laura Hewitt started volunteering at Seaton Museum in 2023 and quickly became assistant curator. And when museum curator Ted Gosling died, she took over the role.
Laura was recently presented with the 2025 Art & Culture East Devon Volunteer of the Year award.
Pictured here is Laura Hewitt with her award.
Photo: EDDC.
She said I am delighted to receive this award. The dedication and commitment of our small team of volunteers, including the assistant curator, Peter Thomas, my husband, Tim, the AVHA Trustees and Seaton Town Council, have been crucial to the museum’s survival.”
She thanked museums in Axminster, Exmouth, Honiton and Ottery St Mary for their ‘invaluable’ support and training.
Laura added: “Volunteering has been an amazing and rewarding experience and I would encourage anybody who is considering volunteering, in any area, to do so – every contribution makes a difference.”
The district council said Laura had also provided a much-needed source of income through successful grant applications and a programme of talks.
“She has been the saviour of Seaton Museum and it now has a bright future,” an East Devon District Council spokeswoman said.
Special recognition for an outstanding contribution to arts and culture was won by Louise Cole from Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub and Sidmouth School of Art.
Shortlisted nominees were announced as Adrian Ayres – Axminster Guildhall, Rebecca Green – Axminster Heritage Centre, Peter Hayes – Exmouth Museum and Heritage Centre, Daphne Searle – Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Rebecca Selby – Sidmouth Folk Festival, Caroline Steggles – Beehive Honiton, David Wright – Budleigh Music Festival.
Councillor Nick Hookway, at EDDC, said: “This annual award recognises the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our cultural sector across the district.
“The range of nominations was so impressive. It was a difficult decision for the panel to make, given so many volunteers go above and beyond what is expected, but Laura’s dedication to Seaton Museum really is an outstanding commitment to celebrate.
“Thanks to her enthusiasm and eagerness to learn new skills in collections care and conservation, Seaton Museum is going from strength to strength.”
