Geography School Trip to North Devon

Waves crashing against dramatic cliffs. Boats floating in the picturesque harbour of a traditional fishing village. The sound of children laughing as they build sandcastles on a wide sandy beach…

It’s the stuff of dreamy seaside escapes, right?

Sure. But it’s also the perfect setting for a geography school trip exploring coastal and river processes, biodiversity, the complexity of sand dune ecosystems, the impact of tourism and land-use conflicts.

After all, immersing students in a dramatic coastal landscape will spark their curiosity and make tricky geographical concepts more memorable.

You’ll be based at Skern Lodge or the Ultimate Adventure Centre. Skern Lodge is a brilliant purpose-built youth residential centre where adventure and education come together. Sitting right on the North Devon coastline (where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet the sea), the centre offers direct access to beaches, cliffs, estuaries and dune systems for practical geography studies. And the on-site classrooms, lab equipment, and accommodation make it easy to combine theory with fieldwork over multiple days.

The Ultimate Adventure Centre is also a fantastic, purpose-built youth residential centre. It enjoys a tranquil setting in 35 acres of parkland nestled in the rolling hills of North Devon’s countryside. Like Skern Lodge, the centre boasts accommodation entirely set up for school and youth groups, so safeguarding and supervision are made super easy for you and your team. There are brilliant facilities, from the superb dining room offering panoramic views of the countryside, to a high ropes course, climbing wall and assault course, as well as various other activities around the site. There’s also a small lake for watersports, and firepits where you can toast marshmallows and enjoy the campfire vibes.

Lead the fieldwork element yourself, or choose to add the services of our centre’s instructors, who are experienced in delivering geography curriculum content and safe outdoor learning sessions. Whichever you choose, the fieldwork will be designed to meet GCSE and A-level geography requirements (including data collection and evaluation tasks).

When you’re not out collecting data or discussing findings in the classroom, you’ll have the option to enjoy some incredible adventure activities (we’re talking orienteering, climbing and kayaking, among others) to help develop teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving skills alongside academic goals. Of course, risk assessments, safety briefings, and fully supervised activities mean you can relax and focus on your group’s learning outcomes.

Geography School Trip to North Devon

From

£435^PP

4 days, 3 nights

Waves crashing onto black rocks at devonshire beach

Long view of clear sandy beach under a blue sky

Fishing boats lined up in small coastal harbour

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Depart from school

Afternoon

Arrive at your accommodation and check in

Group to take part in Appledore Lookout Walk

Evening

Evening meal at accommodation, followed by a team quiz

Day 2

Morning

Visit to Hartland Quay

Afternoon

Visit to Westward Ho!, including Pebble Ridge

Evening

Evening meal at accommodation, followed by a campfire

Day 3

Morning

Full-day visit to Braunton Burrows (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve)

Evening

Evening meal at accommodation followed by either a disco or a movie night

Day 4

Morning

Guided tour of Hinkley Point Nuclear Power Station

Evening

Return to school

3 nights' full-board accommodation
Executive coach travel
All activities as per the itinerary
Free staff places
Itinerary planning service
Detailed information pack
Vamoos travel app - giving you access to all your trip documents on your phone or tablet
VAT at current rates to tour operators

Curriculum

All levels

Coastal processes - study erosion, transportation and deposition processes.
Coastal landforms - understand the formation of cliffs, stacks, arches, beaches, spits and sand dunes.
Coastal landscapes and systems - explore systems along the coast, including sediment cells, dynamic equilibrium, feedback loops, geomorphological processes, aeolian processes in dune formation, and plant succession/zonation.
Coastal management - use case studies to understand stakeholder conflict and evaluate coastal management strategies.
Sand dune ecosystems - explore ecosystem dynamics and species adaptations.
Fieldwork and data presentation - investigate physical coastal processes and human responses.

A Level

Study coastal landscapes and systems, including sediment cells, dynamic equilibrium, feedback loops, geomorphological processes, aeolian processes in dune formation and plant succession/zonation.
Explore stakeholder conflict and evaluate management strategies (e.g. tourism vs conservation, ecosystems under stress).

GCSE

Investigate physical coastal processes and human responses through fieldwork and data presentation.
Use case studies to understand human interaction along the coast and coastal management (e.g. sea defences, managed retreat).

Key Stage 3

Learn about coastal processes such as erosion, transportation and deposition, and the formation of landforms (e.g. stacks, arches, spits and sand dunes).
Examine ecosystem dynamics and species adaptations.
Evaluate human impacts and coastal management strategies at Westward Ho! and Braunton Burrows.

Accommodation

Skern Lodge

Skern Lodge is so much more than a residential centre. The whole ethos here is built around experiential learning and adventure.

A great base for geography and environmental science trips around the North Devon coast, the centre also offers an incredible variety of activities, from high ropes and climbing to kayaking and surfing.

But unlike other centres, the team always brings the focus back to the educational impact all this fun is having on the students. And, because it’s been purpose-built to host school and youth groups, the centre is ideally set up to ensure both you and your students have a safe, enjoyable stay.

More about Skern Lodge

Location: Skern Lodge is ideally located on a tranquil 22-acre site within the UNESCO Biosphere of Braunton Burrows. Just a short stroll away is the quaint village of Appledore.

Features: The centre boasts incredible activity facilities, from a high ropes course to a heated outdoor swimming pool. There’s also a dining room that seats 110, where fresh, locally-sourced food is served to ensure your group are properly fuelled, as well as a disco room where you can celebrate the end of a successful trip.

There’s free WiFi throughout the centre, as well as several meeting rooms, classrooms and social areas (in fact, each accommodation block benefits from a communal area that can be used for activities, as a classroom, or even simply as a useful meeting point before heading out on your next adventure).

Bedrooms: The four separate accommodation areas all boast drying rooms and central heating throughout. Students will stay in multi-bedded rooms with shared bathrooms, while accompanying staff will be accommodated in en-suite rooms close to their group, making supervision easier.

Ground-floor bedrooms with wet rooms are available on request. And (unlike many residential centres) your beds will be made up for you before you arrive, so you can get stuck straight into the activities.

Ultimate Adventure Centre

The Ultimate Adventure Centre is a purpose-built activity centre nestled within the picturesque North Devon countryside, close to Bideford.

Combining purpose-built youth accommodation with an incredible variety of on-site activities (including high ropes, mountain boarding, assault course and archery), this is the perfect setting in which to make lifelong memories with your group.

More about Ultimate Adventure Centre

Location: Set in the scenic North Devon countryside just 1.5 miles from Bideford town and surrounded by outdoor attractions like The Big Sheep theme park, Westward Ho! beach, and the Tarka Trail, the centre combines a safe, friendly stay with easy access to the natural adventure—making it a wonderful, practical base for an unforgettable school residential.

Features: Facilities include modern toilet and shower blocks, a washing‑up area, an onsite café and camp shop, Wi‑Fi zones, 24‑hour reception (perfect for late arrivals), and spacious social areas—great for gatherings and relaxation.

Bedrooms: The centre offers a mix of private and hostel-style rooms with beds pre‑made (linen included) for a hassle‑free arrival. Your group will stay in blocks, with students sleeping in dormitory-style rooms with shared bathrooms, and accompanying staff in twins with en-suite bathroom facilities (within the same block as your group to ease supervision and safeguarding).

Educational Activities

Hartland Quay

See dramatic coastal scenery and geological formations shaped over millions of years.

Westward Ho! and Pebble Ridge

Explore this lively seaside village and its natural feature, Pebble Ridge, formed by coastal processes.

Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station

View of power station from across green fields

Take a guided tour of this new generation of nuclear power stations that aims to help Britain achieve net zero.

Braunton Burrows (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve)

Visit Europe’s largest sand dune system, home to rare species and dune ecosystems.

Clovelly Fishing Village

Explore the charismatic fishing village of Clovelly.

Quince Honey Farm

Close up of a ripe yellow quince on a tree

Discover the importance (and magnificence) of bees at this family-run, working honey farm.

Cultural Activities

Explore North Devon Beaches

Explore the spectacular beaches of North Devon.

Appledore Lookout Walk

Scenic view of coastal town from across a beach

A scenic introduction to the area, including key locations and an overview of Skern Lodge and its surroundings.

Assault Course in North Devon

Wooden climbing apparatus with high ropes and balancing logs

Test your resilience and teamwork skills by taking on the assault course.

High Ropes Course in North Devon

Gear up for an exhilarating experience on a high ropes course.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.