VISITORS and locals can savour the best of West Devon next month by enjoying a cream tea in some of the area's top holiday attractions.

Devon Farms, a co-operative of more than 100 working family farms which offer bed and breakfast or self-catering holidays, has organised a week-long event to promote the area and its attractions.

Visitors are welcome to call in at one of 14 farms in the county — three of them in West Devon — and enjoy a cream tea for just £3 or £1.50 for children. Those taking part have the chance to win a £250 voucher for a stay on a Devon farm and the delicious snack will also help a good cause — Devon Air Ambulance.

Jenny King, who runs one of the venues, the popular Higher Cadham Farmhouse at Jacobstowe, said: 'The cream tea week is to raise people's awareness that the countryside is now open.

'A lot of publicity will be going on for the event and we hope people who stay down here in bed and breakfast places and hotels will come along, then tell all their friends about it when they go back home.'

A converted farmhouse at Higher Cadham has 12 rooms for bed and breakfast, three of them recently modified to cater for the disabled.

The open week is also the holiday businesses' way of saying thank you to all those who helped them in last year's foot and mouth crisis.

Higher Cadham was the business in Devon worst hit by the crisis — it was closed for six months and the farm livestock went under the contiguous cull procedure.

But things are looking bright for this season. 'We've just had the busiest fortnight ever,' said Jenny. 'People seem to want to come down and support us. They are coming from all over the place. In one day I had bookings from Switzerland, Germany and Alaska — I hope they don't bring the snow with them!'

The week kicks off at Lower Nichols Nymet Farm at North Tawton where proprietor Jane Pyle is no stranger to cream teas — she runs a popular tea rooms at the farm which is on the Okehampton to Crediton Road.

Jane, who has six B&B rooms and can take up to 30 people in the tea rooms, said many visitors were delighted to 'discover' West Devon.

'They say it's a wonderful area and that it was not until they came here that they appreciated just what it has to offer,' she said.

Visitors on her cream tea day will be entertained by folk singer Bill Murray, of Sticklepath, during the afternoon.

Jo and Phil Down's Little Bidlake Farm on the old A30 at Bridestowe was also the scene of a contiguous cull last year. But the couple are now busy taking bookings for the farm's six cottages housed in a large, converted barn.

Jo said: 'Foot and mouth showed clearly just how much different businesses and organisations in the countryside depend on each other.

'They were difficult days but we received wonderful support from the community and this is our way of saying thank you — I hope as many people as possible will come along.'

Nationally known celebrities who live locally have also been invited and could be calling in at some of the venues.

n Cream Tea Week opening dates and times are: Lower Nichols Nymet Farm, 11am to 5pm on the first day of the event, Saturday May 4; Little Bidlake Farm, 11am to 5pm on Wednesday May 8; Higher Cadham, 10.30am to 4.30pm on Thursday May 9.