Grenville House Outdoor Education Centre

Grenville House Outdoor Education Centre Grenville House is an Outdoor Education centre that provides residential and non-residential experiences.

Grenville House was built in 1863 founded by the 'British Seaman's Boys' Home' charity as an orphanage. Social changes saw the need for Grenville House diminish, leading to its temporary closure in 1988. Two years later it re-opened as the Nautical Venture Centre continuing its work with young people, particularly local schools. In 1995 the name finally became established as Grenville House Outdoo

r Education Centre. Since then continued growth and an increasing reputation both regionally and nationally has seen expansion in all aspects of the operation. Major ongoing investment in the buildings, the facilities and the development of Outdoor activities has led to Grenville House building a core base of schools, Colleges and Youth and Community groups coming to use the Centre annually. Initially the Centre developed as an associate member of the Devon Discovery group of outdoor centres forming close links with both Devon County Council Education Department and Plymouth City Council. Whilst still acknowledged by them, Torbay Council, which now has unitary status actively promotes Grenville House in the Torbay area. Consequently the majority of schools coming to the Centre are from within the county boundary of Devon. Since 2006 Devon and Torbay Councils have recognised Grenville House as a leading provider of outdoor education in Devon and consequently we are one of only a handful of establishments holding Category 'A' status.

The Grenville House Experience!Many schools come visit us each year, bringing fresh excited children for a week of Outdo...
17/06/2026

The Grenville House Experience!

Many schools come visit us each year, bringing fresh excited children for a week of Outdoor Adventure! Your children may have been with us, or might be due to come stay us soon, and you might wonder what is the Grenville House Experience!

A stay with us isn't simply a standard residential experience with outdoor activities to keep you occupied. We pride ourselves on using the outdoor activities we do, to focus on the personal and social development of the children, as well as emphasising the environmental education the outdoors can bring.

Some of our activities may bring more challenges than others. Our instructors are there to support and guide children through such challenges, in order to motivate children to push out of their comfort zone and feel great about their achievements when doing so.

The centre's philosophy of teamwork and shared experiences is spread from the activities through to the residential side where they are nurtured as part of a team. This may be making their beds, setting up the dining room or cleaning up after mealtimes.

We use reflection throughout the week on our sessions, and our end of week reflection is often a highlight of all the great achievements they've accomplished during their stay.

If you have stories of your time at Grenville House, we would love for you to share them in a comment below.

This week we are exploring the historical aspects of Brixham Town and it's divide into two community areas of Higher Bri...
15/06/2026

This week we are exploring the historical aspects of Brixham Town and it's divide into two community areas of Higher Brixham and Lower Brixham.

Higher Brixham, known as Cowtown, originated as a Saxon settlement. St Mary's Church is at the centre of this area and is believed to have been built in the 1400's along side it's graveyard. This area developed into a Victorian agricultural community and many of the older buildings can still be seen in the area.

Lower Brixham, known as Fishtown, also has Saxon origins and is named after its thriving fishing industry. The trawlers and fishing boats bring in a huge financial value of fish every day and have been doing so for hundreds of years. In 2025 the fish market brought in £77,000,000 worth of fish with nearly 70% of that being exported to Europe. The main catches are Cuttlefish, Sole, Squid and Monkfish.

If you would like to hear more about the history on our doorstep or see what we get up to each week at Grenville House, then like and follow our pages for more.

We have Grenville House Adventure sessions available to book over the Summer holidays! For the week between 10th to 14th...
10/06/2026

We have Grenville House Adventure sessions available to book over the Summer holidays!

For the week between 10th to 14th August we have availability morning and afternoon for SUP, Sit on top kayak, Canoeing and Abseiling.

Coasteering is available on Monday 10th morning and afternoon as well as the afternoon on Tuesday 11th.

For the week of 24th to 28th August we have SUP and Sit on kayak Monday to Thursday; morning and afternoon.

Canoeing is available all day Monday 24th, Tuesday 25th morning and Wednesday 26th morning.

Coasteering is available Monday 24th to Wednesday 26th both morning and afternoon.

Abseiling is available Monday 24th to Friday 28th.

The sessions each last 3 hours Inclusive of kit up time and changing afterwards.

If you would like to book on, visit our website.
https://www.grenvillehouse.co.uk/adventure/

This week, we are highlighting the historical significance of Battery Gardens.This area of Brixham has been utilized sin...
08/06/2026

This week, we are highlighting the historical significance of Battery Gardens.

This area of Brixham has been utilized since 1586, initially for defense against Spanish incursions, including the Spanish Armada in 1588. Remnants of the original gun platforms are still visible on site.

The majority of the structures currently present date from a more recent period, specifically around 1940. These buildings served as defensive installations during World War II, protecting against threats from enemies occupying France. They comprised of a battery, harbor defense guns, anti-aircraft weaponry, and searchlights with associated generator rooms.

These searchlights were fitted with mirrors, enabling them to project beams nearly four miles out to sea on clear days. This represented a notable technological achievement given the absence of modern LED and advanced lighting technologies at that time.

Many of these historical structures remain, and the site now includes a museum for exploration, alongside its terraced gardens.

Would you like a Grenville House Adventure?!Our expert-led sessions offer a range of land and water-based activities des...
03/06/2026

Would you like a Grenville House Adventure?!

Our expert-led sessions offer a range of land and water-based activities designed for families and individuals during school holidays and weekends. Each 3-hour session includes equipment safety briefing and shower time for water activities, and can be booked online as an individual or group. You may even meet new people if multiple individuals book the same session. These sessions are for adults and/or children.

Our sessions are tailored to your needs, providing an informative, fun, and skill-building experience.

Book your session on our website at https://www.grenvillehouse.co.uk/adventure/ for £35 per person per session. A Grenville House Adventure is an excellent opportunity to try something new or spend quality time with your family.

This month, we are exploring some of the local history that is evident throughout Brixham.Many of our activity groups vi...
02/06/2026

This month, we are exploring some of the local history that is evident throughout Brixham.

Many of our activity groups visit Berry Head Nature Reserve, whether for abseiling in the quarry, orienteering near the fort, or simply for a leisurely walk.

Berry Head has undergone significant transformations over the past few centuries due to various human activities. Around the 1780s, limestone was extracted from the remarkable cliffs for nearly 200 years, serving purposes in construction and road building.

Utilizing this rock, the fort and battery were erected in 1795, offering defense against French assaults during the Napoleonic War, which spanned from 1803 to 1815.

The remnants of both forts are still visible, alongside some cannons and portions of the old barracks, kitchen, and magazine stores.

Nearly a century later, in 1906, the lighthouse was constructed to assist ships navigating around the headland. This particular lighthouse holds the distinction of being both the highest above sea level and the shortest in height within the UK.

The lighthouse remains operational, and the fort and battery are now integral parts of the nature reserve, which provides a habitat for numerous rare species of flora and fauna.

27/05/2026

Our instructor team took advantage of the good weather to take our new fleet of canoes for a test drive this week!

We have 4 new 16 foot Silverbirch canoes ready for use with our groups exploring Brixham Harbour.

If you would like to have a go at canoeing, we offer Grenville House Adventure sessions for families and individuals.

See our website for more info!

The sun in shining and what better place to be than in the sea!We have Kayaking and Stand Up Paddleboarding sessions ava...
27/05/2026

The sun in shining and what better place to be than in the sea!

We have Kayaking and Stand Up Paddleboarding sessions available Today and Friday as well as Coasteering on Friday afternoon!

All bookable on our website https://www.grenvillehouse.co.uk/outdoor-activities/

Book now!

26/05/2026

A whale in Brixham harbour! 🐋

Address

Grenville House Berry Head Road
Brixham
TQ59AF

Telephone

+441803852797

Website

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