7 things to do in Devon in September 2025
September is one of the best months to visit Devon.
The sea is at its warmest, the crowds of summer have gone and harvest season fills markets and festivals with local food and drink. You might even catch the leaves turning colour toward the end of the month.
From historic open days to cider pressing, here’s your ultimate September bucket list for Devon.
1. Explore hidden history with Heritage Open Days
From 12–21 September 2025, more than 145 free events take place across Devon as part of England’s Heritage Open Days festival.
Castles, gardens, churches, libraries, and archives open their doors, often with special tours and exhibitions not available at any other time.
Highlights include:
- Exeter’s Underground Passages
- Knightshayes Court in Tiverton
- Buckland Abbey near Yelverton
- Coleton Fishacre on the South Devon coast.
It’s the biggest programme in the South West, and the perfect chance to explore without spending a penny!
See my post about Devon’s heritage open days here.
2. Celebrate apple harvest
September is apple harvest time, so it’s the perfect season to visit an orchard!
September is apple harvest time, so it’s the perfect season to visit an orchard!
Courtney’s of Whimple – The Big Pick (20–21 Sept)
Join the annual Big Pick weekend in East Devon. Collect apples from the orchard, press your own juice, enjoy live music, browse local stalls, and relax with cider straight from the bar.
Sandford Orchards – Cheese & Cider Evening (12 Sept) + Tap Room Nights
At The Cider Works near Crediton, Sandford are teaming up with Cheese Queens for a special tasting evening on 12 September. Expect perfectly paired cheeses and ciders in their tap room.
Plus, every Friday and Saturday in September, the tap room opens with pizza served fresh alongside Sandford’s full cider range.
See Sandford Orchards’ website here.
3. Visit Exmoor for the red deer rut
Late September means the start of the red deer rut on Exmoor, one of the most dramatic wildlife events in the UK. Stags bellow across the moors and sometimes clash antlers in displays of strength.
Contact Red Stag Safari to arrange a safari experience on the moors!
4. Wander through gardens at their late-summer best
Devon’s beautiful gardens are bursting with colour in September. RHS Rosemoor in Torrington is especially good, with its hot garden full of late-blooming reds and oranges, and the fruit and veg garden heavy with produce.
National Trust gardens like Killerton, Knightshayes, and Coleton Fishacre all showcase dahlias and asters at this time of year.
Quieter paths and cooler air make September one of the best months to enjoy them!
And remember, if you’re visiting between 12th – 21st September, you might get free entry thanks to Heritage Days!
5. Take a dip in the warmest seas of the year
After a whole summer of sunshine, the sea around Devon is warmest in September. Beaches in North Devon like Woolacombe and Saunton and South Devon spots like Exmouth and Blackpool Sands, are quieter but still lifeguarded early in the month.
It’s the best time of year for wild swimming without a wetsuit. Always check local tide times and swim at lifeguarded beaches where possible.
6. Taste East Devon Festival (13–21 September 2025)
Every September, East Devon’s best food and drink producers come together for nine days of events across the region.
The Taste East Devon Festival celebrates the landscapes and harvests that make this part of the county a foodie destination.
From coastal Exmouth to the orchards of Whimple and the farmlands around Axminster, you’ll find everything from vineyard tours to farm suppers and seafood feasts.
The 2025 programme includes:
- Courtney’s Big Pick (Whimple, 20–21 Sept): Join in apple harvesting, press your own juice, and relax in a cider orchard with live music and food stalls.
- River Cottage Feast (Axminster): A foraging-focused supper led by chefs at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s famous food school.
- Pebblebed and Lily Farm Vineyards: Guided tastings and tours of East Devon’s award-winning wines.
- Darts Farm (Topsham): Cookery demos and tastings from some of the region’s top chefs and food brands.
- Otter Brewery (Honiton): Meet the brewers and sample beers fresh from the source.
Other venues include The Pig at Combe, Lympstone Manor, Deer Park Country House and The Donkey Sanctuary.
7. Enjoy quieter walks on Dartmoor and the coast
With summer visitors gone, September is perfect for walking.
The South West Coast Path is quieter but still dry underfoot, and Dartmoor’s tors are less crowded.
Popular walks like Haytor and the sections of coast around Ilfracombe and Woolacombe.
You’ll still get relatively long daylight hours (do plan ahead, however, as the days start fading quickly in September!) but without the heat of July or August.
