An entrepreneurial South Devon farmer who built one of the largest theme parks in the county has died from heart failure, aged 92.

Graham Bendall opened the Woodlands Family Theme Park in Totnes in 1989, offering a mix of amusement rides, shows, a campsite and a zoo.

Mr Bendall, who passed away at his East Hartley Farm home on October 28, was previously a dairy farmer before deciding to open the leisure park with his wife, Pat.

Woodlands attracted 64,000 visitors in the first year and grew in size to include upmarket facilities for families. In 1990, it went on to win the prestigious AA Campsite of the Year award.

The couple reportedly bought the 160-acre site in 1971 before transforming it into the leisure park. The land also included 30 acres of woodland and three small lakes.

Mr Bendall went on to plant exotic species of trees across the entire estate, including Giant Redwoods from California.

A keen traveller with an adventurous spirit, Mr Bendall came up with the idea of creating the theme park “one wet, dismal day in Dartmouth”, according to his daughter, Ginny Philpot.

“Watching beleaguered parents battle bedraggled children around the narrow streets, (he) thought, ‘there must be a better way for families to enjoy their hard-earned holidays’ And so, as the bottom fell out of milk, Woodlands was born.

“Dad put his heart and soul into building an exciting place for families to enjoy the benefits of the countryside together,” she said.

Mr Bendall leaves wife Pat and seven children. His funeral will be held at St.Michael's Church, Blackawton at 11am on Wednesday, November 27.

In lieu of flowers, the family said donations can be made to the Barn Owl Trust, Waterleat, Ashburton “to reflect Graham's passion for wildlife and the countryside”, or via Kingsbridge Funeral Directors, Devon Square View, Lower Union Road, Kingsbridge.