6 great garden centres in South Devon

Being in most cases partly outside and partly undercover, garden centres are well suited to the changeable British weather, as well as to our world-famous love of gardening. There are an estimated 2300 garden centres and retail nurseries in the UK and the garden market is said to be worth around £5 bn!

From our stylish beachside cafés and indulgent local ice-creams to our luxurious range of holiday accommodation, in South Devon we like to add a special twist to everything we do. This even applies to our garden centres – the fantastic cafés at Avon Mill and Stokeley Farm Shop, for example, are two of the most popular eateries in the region, serving fresh, homemade delights based on ingredients sourced from just a few miles away.

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Here are six garden centres in South Devon, all great for green-fingered holidaymakers.

1. Avon Mill Garden Centre (Loddiswell)

In a beautiful spot on Woodleigh Road at the edge of the village of Loddiswell, Avon Mill Garden Centre includes a farm shop, deli and café, along with a gift shop, art gallery, fashion boutique and even a personal fitness centre.

Since last year, Avon Mill has also started doubling as an occasional theatre. On 16th and 17th June, local group Theatre Hub will perform The Tempest in the open air (under a canopy so there’s no chance that an actual tempest will spoil it!)

The dog-friendly café at Avon Mill is a popular place to visit all year round, but is especially enticing during the warmer months as you can sit outside to make the most of the relaxed atmosphere, fresh air and pleasant views.

We’ve included Avon Mill in our blog post on the best local places to go for breakfast, as well as a top café for a Devon Cream Tea.

2. Garden Time (near Dartmouth)

Image courtesy of Garden Time

A few miles from Dartmouth on the A3122, Garden Time is in a convenient spot to pull over for a quick stroll around, perhaps on your way in or out of the town. There’s a farm shop and butcher by the entrance where you can pick up food that’s as local as it gets. The Glasshouse Café is a nice place to take the load off while you enjoy a coffee, homemade pastry or perhaps a full English breakfast (open from 8 am).

The Garden Centre stocks a wide range of plants, shrubs and trees, and the friendly, knowledgeable staff are on hand to advise when needed.

3. Stokeley Farm Shop

Self-described as a ‘food market, deli, restaurant & garden centre’, Stokeley Farm Shop offers plenty for foodies, gardeners and all lovers of the great outdoors to enjoy.

Stokeley Café, also featured in our top places for scrumptious South Devon breakfasts, is one of our local team’s favourite haunts, whether that’s for a hearty ‘farmer’s breakfast’, a tasty lunch or indulgent afternoon tea. The ingredients are mostly sourced on site, reflecting their aim to ‘keep it all under one roof’.

Even the plants, shrubs and trees in the garden centre are mainly sourced locally, from nurseries in Ashburton, Slapton and Somerset.

4. Fermoys (Ipplepen)

Just north of Totnes in the village of Ipplepen, Fermoys is a sizeable Blue Diamond garden centre with a farm/giftware shop and café plus several other businesses onsite. These include:

• a butcher
• a florist
• the Newton Pet and Aquatic Centre
• a hair salon
• a bird of prey centre
• conservatory and log cabin sales

There’s an outdoor play centre to keep kids entertained, and a café with indoor and outdoor seating. Particularly well known for its delicious homemade cakes, Fermoys Café also serves full English breakfasts (until 11.30), traditional roasts on Sundays and a wide range of lunch options throughout the week. The emphasis is on produce from the local area, with the meat coming from the onsite butcher.

5. Endsleigh Garden Centre (Ivybridge)

With a similar aim as Fermoy’s to provide everything under one roof, Endsleigh Garden Centre is a large complex with a café offering a range of light bites and treats, a farm shop/deli, a pet shop and a kids’ soft play area.

The undercover garden centre itself stocks a huge variety of products, and it’s worth browsing for homeware and related gifts even if you’re not looking for anything for the garden as such.

You’ll find Endsleigh Garden Centre conveniently located on the A38 on the western edge of Ivybridge.

6. Noyces (Kingsbridge)

More practical and less leisure-focused than most of our local garden centres, Noyces stocks an impressive range of attractively displayed plants and gardening accessories, along with cookware, homeware, DIY and camping/outdoor equipment. You can also order sheds and greenhouses to be delivered to your door.

Their motto, ‘look no further’, illustrates their aim to provide everything home and garden-related you could need, in a place that’s easy to reach from anywhere in the South Hams.

There’s no café at Noyces, but being just a few minutes drive from Kingsbridge on the eastern side of Bowcombe Creek (A379), it’s well worth a visit, either when looking for something specific or just when you’re in the mood to browse.

Do you love gardens? Take a look at this article on our favourite gardens in South Devon.

South Devon makes the perfect place for a relaxed holiday, with so many indoor and outdoor attractions to explore, a wonderful variety of pubs, cafés, restaurants, and some stunning natural scenery to discover.