Tinhay Retreats

Active types can soon be kayaking, paddleboarding and waterskiing at Roadford Lake (15 minutes’ drive), where there are also dinghies for hire. Keen to catch some waves? Surfers can reach the north coast’s Widemouth Bay within 35 minutes by car. A foray into Dartmoor National Park (20 minutes) turns up prehistoric monuments like Fernworthy Stone Circle (45 minutes), and scrambles up to granite outcrops including Easdon Tor (45 minutes) for views over vast tracts of moorland. Cyclists can explore the park along the Granite Way cycle path from Okehampton, stopping off at the Museum of Dartmoor Life (both 20 minutes) to see dioramas of traditional life in times gone by. Take the kids to see the vintage bumper cars and carousels at Dingles Fairground Museum (10 minutes), follow family-friendly nature trails in Becky Falls Ancient Woodland Park (50 minutes), or hike boardwalk through woodland in National Trust-owned Lydford Gorge (20 minutes) to a dramatic waterfall. More easy walks start at another National Trust hotspot, the 17th-century Fingle Bridge (35 minutes), with its photogenic stone arch spanning the River Teign.