Life at the Park; Past & Present
Hello and Welcome. My name is Dawn Gilbert and I am the oldest child of Robert Butcher; the founder of Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park in North Devon.
This blog is a place where I will share the history of the park; reflect on the challenges of running it as well as giving an insight into a day in the life of each of our animal keepers.
I will also introduce you to the many residents of the park such as the animals, dinosaurs and even ghosts!
Blog 4 – Where the Nuns Slept and Spirits Stirred
There is no doubt that Higher Leigh Manor is spooky; full of shadows, unexplained noises and ghostly apparitions. It has a rather checkered history. Built between 1851 and 1855 by Henry Keene Bowden, it has been a large family home, a convent, a hotel, a woolly...
Blog 3 – The Rise and Fall of Meghan the Allosaurus!
As previously mentioned, (SEE BLOG 1), the original dinosaurs here were very basic and their movements were limited. However at the time animatronics were a novelty, and there weren't many other dinosaur attractions in the country. In fact I cannot remember any others...
Blog 2 – Getting Involved….from lipstick to lemurs!
In 1997 I relocated to North Devon from Birmingham (although originally born and bred in North West London) with my 10 year old son and my adopted cat Daisy in tow. I visited the area every year to see my father who had established Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur...
Blog 1 – In the Beginning
My father, Robert (Bob) Butcher was an entrepreneurial man, never having worked for anyone in his life. On my birth certificate in 1964 he was listed as being a self employed window cleaner. Over the years in London he's been a private detective, an electrician, an...