This is the 'valley of a million bulbs' in Devon bursting into bloom eight years after a £2.3m will bequest paid for fields of daffodils.

In 2017, Keith Owen, a terminally ill Canadian investment banker, decided to leave his life savings to the Sid Vale Association (SVA), based in Sidmouth, Devon.

The capital was to be invested as a permanent endowment so that the annual interest and dividends could be spent on projects and activities within the Sid Valley.

One of his own suggestions was for the SVA to plant a million bulbs. 

This became a major project over several years and volunteers from many organisations, together with hundreds of individuals of all ages, planted nearly three quarters of a million bulbs (daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops and bluebells) at around 100 sites throughout the valley.

This built on the work of the Chamber of Commerce which had previously planted daffodils. Volunteers from the recently formed Sidmouth Daffodil Society continue to plant bulbs in the town – with  grants from the Keith Owen Fund.

John Townsend formerly of the Keith Owen Fund said: "We planted naturalised bulbs as far as possible as they are more likely to re-appear year after year.

"Some bulbs were planted in clumps. Small bulbs (snowdrops, crocuses, and bluebells) were planted in handfuls.

"We are grateful for the generous co-operation of Sidmouth Garden Centre in the logistics of handling, storing, sorting and distributing the bulbs."

News of 'The Valley of a Million Bulbs' has spread worldwide and the daffodils have become a major tourist attraction for the town.