Fans of Dawlish Dittos are in for a festive treat this year with the launch of a Christmas story trail.

A yet to be confirmed number of the Ditto houses in the centre of Dawlish will feature different chapters of the Christmas story for visitors to follow.

Since launching in 2023, the Dawlish Ditto Trail launched has proved popular across generations and captured the imaginations of all ages.

Dittos are cheerful and hard-working small creatures who take care of their town of Dawlish by helping to look after the wildlife and recycle things that humans leave behind.   

The pair that brought the Dittos to life are brother and sister David Hardie and Diana Townsend.

The mystical creatures had featured in stories David had told his children and his nieces and nephews when they were young.

Then, when David was recovering from a serious illness during lockdown, Diana encouraged him to build houses for the Dittos to keep him occupied. David is a talented craftsman and had previously made models and figures for miniature villages across the UK.

David embraced the project and, as the intricately carved houses took over their home, his family suggested they might make a special trail for tourists to follow around Dawlish.

The Ditto trail Christmas story is written by Diana who is an accomplished author and screenwriter. She has already written a three book series about the Dittos. The first book in the trilogy, ‘The Captain of the Black Swan’, won first prize in the BookFest Juvenile Fiction competition.