The donkeys of the Weston Plats

There are donkeys near here - there have always been donkeys near here.  The Donkey Sanctuary only came when the donkeys of the Weston Plats left.  The donkeys today walk well-trodden ways - their hooves slipping into old paths worn by  ancestors carrying their loads from sea to beach to the Plats, and from Plats to hill-top to roads and beyond.

Just down from the Donkey Sanctuary and along the valley at Weston Mouth are the near-invisible remains of small plots of land huddled under the cliffs - called the 'Weston Plats'.

From Victorian Times to the mid-20th century, the Plats provided a livelihood for local people where they could grow crops such as potatoes and corn, as well as fruit and flowers. The cliffs rising above the Plats protected them against wind and frost, while the southerly aspect benefitted from the warmth of the sun, resulting in near perfect conditions for a long and mellow season of growth.  The most widely known crop was the, "Early Branscombe Potatoes" - which were sold as far away as London.

Climbing a donkey path from the sea...

The Plats were fertilised with seaweed which was carried up from the beach by the donkeys.  The donkeys were also used to carry the crops home and sometimes onwards to the distant railway stations and markets.

When the Plats were finally abandoned in the 1960s and tourism came to East Devon,  the old barns and storage sheds were converted into holiday chalets and  the donkeys were used again, this time to transport tourists' luggage up and down the steep slopes.





Steep slopes and steps lead from the Donkey Sanctuary to the beach, and Phil and I have walked this way many times... unwittingly walking donkey paths down to the sea...