11/07/2017

Nathan Bryant

Wonder Fields is as free and easy a festival as they come. This small bijoux festival is a refreshingly delightful alternative to the mainstream. Creative siblings Alice and Nick have certainly succeeded in their desire to ‘create a space to celebrate life away from the shackles of the outside world’. Now in its third year, this journey of undiscovered sensory delights is tucked neatly into the folds of the beautiful South Devonshire countryside. The surrounding land of Great Fulford manor playing host to the most relaxed and deliciously whimsical little festival I have had the pleasure of attending. Not bad at all for the mere £59.00 upwards demanded for a weekend of musical and creative adventure.

We arrived Sunday morning in the twilight of the festival with little more than a postcode in hand. A short drive from Exeter, we were led down a narrow country lane amongst rolling green hills with little sign of the chaotic revelry expected, our immediate thoughts of a wrong turning. Persisting, we began to pass weary looking revellers still in last night’s fancy dress until we turned into the farmland the festival takes place on. The relaxed atmosphere of the festival instantly descends on you, you feel the stress of life drain as soon as you enter. A jovial and helpful security guard still going strong on the third day of drunken and energetic antics showing us in. Fairies and horned merrymakers crawling back to vehicles in search of hydration and sustenance. Clearly, Friday and Saturday nights here were not to be missed!

More delightful staff welcome us straight into a world of woodland creativity, lush ferns and high tree canopies with a meandering path splitting in all directions. A sense of adventure and excitement building. Our chosen route taking us through a weekend of festivalgoer’s greenwood sculptures and quirky creations. This idyllic peaceful forest setting quickly opening up to a scene of complete energy and debauchery, The Enchanted Forest, Wonder Fields hidden woodland dance stage. A clearing in the forest playing host to a gigantic laser eyed beast mouth gaping with the moment’s performers, Denture Disco, blasting out fast paced beats and unmistakeable tunes. Party in full flow on this sunny Sunday lunchtime.

A fantastically colourful velvet lined tunnel leading us further into the festival, shoulder to shoulder with Mad Max extras and opening up into an expanse of beautiful South Devon hillside that makes up the main festival site. The usual festival stalls galore leading down to The Wonderland Stage, the weekend’s main stage, featuring a variety of the best up and coming acts and well-known names. A spectacular backdrop of manor house and lake complete with flock of Arctic Geese providing a feast for the eyes in between groove ridden sets. The mood is relaxed and the sights surreal. The ability to bring booze from campsite to stage fuelling the afternoon’s cheerful boogying. The festivals smaller size allowing us to sit close to this intimate venue and enjoy a few hours of cracking music. The pick of the afternoon for us, Phat Bollard, fresh off last weekend’s supporting of Natty at Maker Sessions. This travelling Cornish busking band are still enjoying their time in the spotlight after a YouTube video of them busking went viral. A bracingly honest, swear ridden, shouty and upbeat set whipping the crowd into a joyful frenzy. Straight out the car from Brighton, King Porter Stomp take the stage with their 8 piece reggae rhythms followed by the African dance-floor friendly beats of Afriquoi to round off a beautiful few hours in the sun.

The activities on offer at Wonder Fields really set it apart from similar sized festivals. There is a huge array on offer which has enabled the festival to finely balance its family friendly feel against its ‘anything goes’ relaxed atmosphere. What’s even better, the majority of these are included in the ticket price. This festival has been created for enjoyment, not profit. We take a stroll down to the lakeside where a friendly lady munching on a delicious looking burger hands us a bow, a handful of arrows, a quick explanation of finger placement and we are away trying to get a bullseye. No geese hurt, no money spent. Further along the lake, we reach the relaxation area of the festival, The Soul Garden. A collection of hot tubs available for hire for two hours, six people at a time, Prosecco included as well as spa treatments and massages, all at a small cost. Further up the hill, huge two person hammocks provide the best seat in the house field to unwind from the night before, positioned just behind The Shire Tavern to relax and appreciate this third stage.  Here you will find acoustic, hip hop and poetic acts under cover with bar incorporated.  Within hearing distance of this, an impressive mini golf area full of family friendly fun.

Whilst the inner child in all of us are clearly enjoying this festival, it is the actual children that seem to be having the most fun. They are everywhere and the organisers have done fantastically well to create a safe and entertaining environment for them. From hippie babies in ear defenders dancing with their dads at The Wonderland Stage to hordes of toddlers being curtailed by the amazing festival staff at Never Never Land, a world created for little ones to explore, run by a creative bunch of employed pixies. Children are treated to arts and crafts, castle and den building in the woods with their imaginations allowed to run wild during the day. For the older ones, there is slack lining lessons and dusk bat walks to complement the activities already mentioned. A quieter camping area is available for families when the energy runs low. The festival organisers hold two fairy tale banquets on the Sunday. For £27.50, you can feast at a fairy tale inspired three course banquet and fuel yourself for the final night of revelry.

We leave the festival deeply impressed and wishing we had committed to the full weekend of antics. I cannot wait to see the next instalment and cannot recommend Wonder Fields highly enough. Get your early bird tickets soon!