The Search is on for Devon’s Best Riddle Code Breaker

DEVON residents are being urged to crack a ‘near impossible’ riddle about the county to earn the coveted title of ‘Devon’s Best Riddle Code Breaker’.

Created by local riddle and code breaker enthusiast Nathan Timblin is a series of mind-boggling riddles that together reveal the location of a secret destination in Devon. The riddles were created by Nathan earlier this year to mark the 110thanniversary of the birth of the late Alan Turing (23 June 1912) this summer. Turing is a famous British mathematician, computer scientist and Nazi code breaker.

The first person to crack the code and submit the correct answer for the secret Devon location to Nathan at his place of work, Cofton Holidays, will be awarded the coveted title of ‘Devon’s Best Riddle Code Breaker’, alongside an award.

Nathan at Cofton Holidays said: “My mates at Cofton call me the ‘Master Riddler’ as I’m always challenging them to solve riddles that I make up on my lunch break. We heard that it would have been Turing’s 110th birthday this summer had he still been with us, and as my colleagues are yet to successfully solve any of my riddles, they’ve challenged me to open it up to the public to see just how difficult they are to crack. My boss Chris bets that no one will be able to solve them, so he’s promised to give away a free week’s stay in our best lodge during peak season.”

As well as being awarded the title of ‘Devon’s Best Riddle Code Breaker’, the first person to correctly submit the secret Devon location will also get a gift hamper - and everyone who submits the correct location will be entered into a nationwide ballot to win a one week stay at Cofton Holidays, the Devon holiday park where Nathan works. The one-week stay will be in a luxury dog-friendly lodge with a hot tub for up to four people (and two dogs) during peak summer season next year.

In total, there are five riddles to crack, the answers to which collectively reveal a secret location in Devon. The first riddle has already been made public (below) and the four other riddles will be released on the Cofton Holidays website each Monday…

"My make up is unique, endangered and rare,

The destruction of me leads to total despair,

For millions of animals make me their home,

I can be dense and thick - hence hard to roam,

Protect me you must, for the world I breathe,

Once I am gone, I cant be retrieved,

What am I?"

The person who takes the best photo of themselves in the correct Devon destination and posts it publicly on social media will also be given £250 to spend at Cofton Holidays.

Nathan is also urging fellow local code breakers to do Devon proud by solving riddles about nine other areas of the county to compete for the national title of ‘Great Britain’s Best Riddle Breaker’. To secure this title, entrants must be the first to crack ‘near impossible’ riddles about Devon, Cornwall, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Liverpool, Bristol and Bath.

To find out more and enter, visit https://www.coftonholidays.co.uk/cofton-summer-treasure-hunt/.