VisitEngland Gold award for Devon donkeys  

The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth has been awarded VisitEngland’s highest accolade – ‘Gold’ - in its prestigious Visitor Attraction Accolades for 2022-2023 – one of only four attractions in the South West to do so.  

The accolades recognise high-quality visitor experiences on offer across England and only all-round top scoring attractions are awarded the Gold accolade.    

Free to enter, dog-friendly, and set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Sidmouth sanctuary’s main visitor centre is home to more than 200 resident donkeys and is the headquarters of the international animal welfare charity.  

The sanctuary is a top visitor attraction in the South West, and with over 400,000 visitors a year, is a major benefit to local businesses in the area.    

It’s onsite restaurant, an award winner in its own right, prides itself on providing fresh, local, seasonal produce in a relaxing and friendly atmosphere. It’s not only popular with visitors from outside of Devon, but with locals alike, many of whom are regulars at the venue overlooking the world-famous Jurassic Coast.  

Although there is no entry fee, visitors to the shop and restaurant can be assured that any money they spend on-site will go toward improving the lives of donkeys here in the UK and all over the world. 

VisitEngland’s Accolades are designed to celebrate excellence within the visitor attraction sector and showcase those businesses in their VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme that go the extra mile to provide a high-quality day out.    

Andrew Stokes, VisitEngland Director, said: “The attractions honoured today (5 October) go out of their way to make visits memorable, creating reasons for people to travel to new locations, also boosting local economies across England.”     

Marianne Steele, CEO of The Donkey Sanctuary said: “The Gold Accolade in these prestigious awards are testament to the hard work and dedication our staff put in to ensure our visitors have a wonderful time at the sanctuary.”   

Our visitors can not only be assured of a gold-standard experience when they visit us, but their unfaltering support ensures we can continue our work reaching more donkeys in need across the world.