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Travel Influence
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  • About me
  • Content creation services
    • Brand partnerships and advertising
    • User generated content
    • Social media management
    • Words for your website
  • My travel blogs
  • thoughts on blogging
  • Contact

Hi! I’m Claire Hall, a copywriter and digital content creator ready to help boost your profile online

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My recent travels

tinboxtraveller

Mid-life mum sharing adventures big ✈️ & small 🌱, places I 💚 & unpolished moments
I’m also @omanwanderlustcom @devonwithkids @travinfluence More👇

Stonehenge is famous worldwide. But just 20 miles Stonehenge is famous worldwide. But just 20 miles to the north is a circle of rocks that dwarfs it.

The Avebury’s henge is 430m in diameter and is thought to have had more than 170 stones the it was built - compared to Stonehenge’s 80 - making it the largest in the world.

I’m a bit embarrassed that it’s taken us over a year to visit after relocating to the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire border.

Avebury’s scale becomes clear when you drive into village and realise it is partially contained by these gargantuan rocks.

Like smaller neighbour, Avebury is shrouded in mystery; facts about their construction, meaning and destruction mostly lost over the past 6,000 years.

Some locals even went as far as pulling down, burying and breaking up the stones to use in new buildings.

The vast, partially restored curves that you can see today have been resurrected thanks to drawings made by Devon clergyman William Stukeley, who visited in the 18th Century. 

We know him as an ancestor of the Stukeley family who still live in Hartland Abbey in North Devon - a place we visited this summer. Stukeley was a man about the Southwest and had a keen interest in Avebury and Stonehenge.

Later, in the 20th Century, archeologist Alexander Keiller excavated Avebury’s henge and restored the circles as they stand today.

You can visit the stones, village and National Trust cafes for free - just pay for parking*. 

Add on Avebury Manor and gardens to find out about the people who have called it home since the 12th Century, and the small museum which tells you more about Avebury’s archeology. Both are managed by the National Trust. 

New exhibition: if you’ve been to Avebury before it’s worth revisiting to see the autumn sculpture exhibition that has just opened in the gardens. This continues until 18 October 2026.

Was Avebury on your ancient monument radar?

*Free for National Trust members.
Double take 👀 I promised the girls a day trip to L Double take 👀 I promised the girls a day trip to London over the summer and the Museum of Illusions was firmly at the top of their capital wishlist. 

It’s a collection of 70 hands on and walk in exhibits that use science to mess with your mind. 

The London museum is one of 70 around the world, so if you’ve seen somewhere similar during your travels it’s was probably part of the same chain that originated in Croatia just over a decade ago.

The 11-year-old and I loved it. The 13-year-old was a bit less impressed, but mostly because of the bottle necks at some of the exhibits. I’ve got a tip below to avoid toe-tapping teens.

Here’s some handy things to know:

🎟️ A family ticket (2+2) costs from £84 depending on the current discounts. Book in advance for the best price.

⏰ Allow at least an hour and book an arrival time before lunch for a quieter experience

⚠️ Some of the illusions are more popular than others. My tip is to skip the queues and keep moving. Once you are in the museum you can go back around as many times as you want 

🚇 Nearest tube station Tottenham Court Road

🦽the whole museum is on one floor and there’s a lift to access it. There’s a disabled toilet 

🗺️ each interactive illusion has written or video instructions 

🧺 The museum doesn’t have a cafe but there’s lots of places to eat in the area. We opted for sushi from Sushinoya and donuts from Donutelier - both a short walk from the museum 

📍 Tottenham Court Rd, London W1T 1BJ

Have you been somewhere similar? What did you think?
🎶 This is the end 🎶 As we swung onto the motorwa 🎶 This is the end 🎶 

As we swung onto the motorway slip road, Adele’s 007 anthem sounded downbeat against the K-pop heavy playlist that had accompanied us on the two hour journey to school. 

The 13-year-old promised it was Spotify that had randomly picked the track.

But Adele was correct in many ways. This was the end of the summer, back to school and the start of new chapters for us all. 

📚 Our girls are now both at boarding school 

🪹 Mr Tin Box and I have found ourselves empty nesting much sooner than we ever imagined.

🪖And we were all on the cusp of finding out which way military life is going to take us next. 

To be fair, we’ve turned many pages in the past year. If the Meta algorithms have been in my favour, you might have spotted that.

So this isn’t the end, but things might change around here. Less family days out, more grown up adventures and lots of precious family time in between. 

All empty nester advice very welcome!
Not all gems are hidden, but this is one I’m guilt Not all gems are hidden, but this is one I’m guilty of gatekeeping 🙊

📍 Blackpool Sands, Dartmouth 

We spent A LOT of our summer here and have no regrets.

Whole days, half days and evening dips 👌 

Here’s some handy things to know before you visit:

⏰ There’s no need to check the tide times. You’ll always find plenty of beach at Blackpool Sands

⚠️ First-time visitors are always perplexed that this is a shingle beach, not a sandy one. Honestly, I prefer it!

🌊 This beach is great fun for water confident swimmers, but the steeply shelving shingle means there’s often large waves along the shoreline. Children need to be supervised

🛟 RNLI lifeguards are on duty over the school summer holidays

🛶 This is a great place to kayak and paddle board. Both can be hired with buoyancy aids from @redequipment

🏄 Our girls like to float around on their body boards, but this is not a good beach to catch a wave - the shoreline is too steep

🧖‍♀️ Pimp your beach day by booking into the  @brya.life beach sauna 

🚗 The car park has an ANPR system. Pay at one of the machines before you leave. Prices vary throughout the year. A full day costs £9 in the summer holidays

🐶 Dogs are banned over the summer and welcomed back from October to April 

🧺 Bring a picnic, or visit the takeaway or restaurant for fresh food on the go or al a carte dining 

🕺 Check the @blackpoolsandsdevon socials for updates about live music, themed dining and events throughout the year

📍 Blackpool Sands, Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 0RG
It’s not often we visit somewhere totally new to u It’s not often we visit somewhere totally new to us in Devon. But on our way back from the North to South coast we did just that. 

RHS Rosemoor is a collection of 22 beautifully curated gardens spread over 65 acres in the Torridge Valley.

I can’t lie, the lawns and roses were looking a little sun-scorched, but it was still a joy to explore whether you’re green-fingered or not.

The 11-year-old enjoyed the Brick Explorers trail (on until 30 August), the grandparents loved the formal gardens (and turned their day tickets into annual membership before they left) and I could have hung out beside the peaceful lake much, much longer than the kids would allow.

We’ll definitely return! 

Handy things to know: 

🎟️ pre-book for the best prices. Adults from £13.60 and children aged 5 to 16 £6

📆 RHS Rosemoor is open all year round excluding Christmas Day

🐶 RHS Rosemoor is unique because it welcomes from Monday to Wednesday and bank holidays. They must be kept on a short lead. Look out for signage about areas they cannot go

🧺 bring a picnic or pop into one of the cafes. We thought they were reasonably priced.

🛝 Families with younger children can find natural woodland playgrounds around the informal gardens. There’s also nature themed brass rubbings

⏰ Allow at least three hours to explore 

📍 Great Torrington, EX38 8PH

Do you have an RHS near you? Have you been?
Did you know that the CBBC series Malory Towers wa Did you know that the CBBC series Malory Towers was filmed at Hartland Abbey in North Devon?

The 1940s boarding school drama, based on Enid Blyton’s books of the same name, was one of my kids’ favourite shows for a while. 

We first visited the year before filming began - scroll for a few pictures from our 2018 visit 🥰

The girls have always wanted to return. But despite visiting Hartland regularly, it has taken us eight years. The reason being that it isn’t always open.

The Stucley family, whose ancestors were given the 12th Century Abbey by Henry VIII, still live here, which is why you need to carefully check the website before you arrive. 

The Abbey is a mix of historic house and family home with some fascinating murals, furnishings and heirlooms inside. Photography is not allowed, so you’ll have to take my word for it.

Fans of Malory Towers can also find props and information about the filming of the show’s seven series here and in the grounds.

If you walk a mile to Blackpool Mill Beach you might also recognise a cottage used in the filming of The Night Manager.

Handy to know:

🎟️ a family ticket including entry to the house for two adults and up to three children costs £42. You can get tickets just for the grounds and gardens

📆 Hartland Abbey is open to the public Sunday to Thursday between mid-March and the beginning of October. Double check the website.

🐶 Dogs are welcome on a lead in the grounds and on the beach at but not in the house

📍Hartland, near Bideford, EX39 6DT

Have you visited somewhere because a TV/film was made there?
It’s rare to find places in the UK that are still It’s rare to find places in the UK that are still relatively untouched by modern conveniences, like coffee shops with reward apps. But Clovelly in North Devon can count itself among them. 

This ancient fishing village that clings to the cliffs above Bideford Bay has steep cobbled streets lined with lived-in homes and independent businesses. There’s also a year-round programme of community-led events.

Clovelly has been here since before the Dooms Day book and has been owned by just three families since then. But for most of that time it was ‘hidden’ by modern standards.

It was in 1855 that it was made famous by Charles Kingsley, the author of ‘Westward Ho!’, whose salty tale about pirates and adventure sparked a boom in Victorian tourism.

Earlier this month we visited for what must be the third or fourth time with our kids. And this was the first time that no carrying was required on the 120m hill 🎉 We’ve stupidly negotiated it with a pushchair in the distant past!

The street through the village is unsuitable for cars and even walking up and down the steep clobbed street isn’t for the faint-hearted. But the harbour views and seeing the cute houses is worth it.

Pause at the bottom for a paddle in the harbour, food from @redlionclovelly or a walk along the beach before stomping back up the hill or catching the Land Rover shuttle service up the less scenic back road. 

📍 Clovelly, near Bideford, EX39 5TA

🚗 parking is free at the visitor centre

🎟️ a family ticket (two adults + two children) costs £25 this summer

📆 check the clovelly.co.uk website for the event calendar. Most events are included in your entrance fee.
I think I’ve found my new favourite National Trust I think I’ve found my new favourite National Trust property.

Castle Drogo at Drewsteignton is England’s newest castle, completed in 1930, and one of several National Trust places offering extra family activities over the summer.

We stopped off on our journey to North Devon last week. I’ve had my eye on a visit for a while. Last time we came the castle was covered in scaffolding, having its roof fixed.

This visit was very different - we were able to step inside the modern fortress and explore rooms draped in tapestries reminiscent of medieval times alongside 20th Century family rooms. It’s beautiful and fascinating.

There’s also plenty to entrain younger visitors. Look out for knitted versions of the Drewe family’s favourite pets around the castle, play games in the nursery corridor and play room, dress up in 1920s garb and find the woodland play areas beyond the formal gardens.

You can also explore the walks through Teign Gorge below the battlements or use them to enjoy views of Dartmoor.

Summer of Play activities continue in the castle grounds throughout the school holidays.

Here’s some handy things to know before you visit:

📍 Castle Drogo, Drewsteignton, EX6 6PB. There are some very narrow lanes as you get closer to the castle

🚗 parking is free for National Trust members. Non-members can park using the machines in the car park or the JustPark app

🏰 the number of rooms open in the castle can vary depending on the number of volunteers on duty

🧺 bring a picnic or pop into the modern cafe beside the car park 

🐶 dogs are allowed in the castle grounds but not inside

What do you think? Is this a castle you could live in?
Solar Eclipse 2026 📍 Slapton Sands, South Devon, w Solar Eclipse 2026 📍 Slapton Sands, South Devon, with the fam and @flip_flops_or_wellies 

Where did you watch?
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