Babbacombe's miniatures come to life

TSW presenter Terry Underhill visits Babbacombe's model village for this special episode of Gardens For All. Terry talks to the proprietor Tom Dobbin about the history of the site, the models, the gardens and about the work behind the scenes. Babbacombe model village has been open for 58 years, it has around 426 miniature buildings, 13,178 figures and around 400 shrubs and conifers. Each building has a twin, so when cleaning or restoration takes place which can take up to 12 months the second model is used in its place. So there is never a gap, or anything missing from the small world. The water courses, the roads, the evergreens and gardens are just as important to help realism and scale. Topiary in this world is therefore is an art form.

The Babbacombe model village was opened by Tom and Ruth Dobbin in 1963, they had previously opened a model village in Southport in 1957, not to be confused with the Southport Model Railway Village which was started in 1995. Babbacombe's model village covers around four acres with various models, train tracks, mechanical parts and rivers. The buildings are based on humorous puns of brand names, British scenery and television shows. Including Marks and Sparks, Woolies, Stonehenge and the EastEnders set. The village is often seasonal with various new displays and illuminations.