Stonechat Meadow

If you fancy a more mammoth yomp, the Tarka Trail links up with the Devon Coast to Coast route between Ilfracombe (an hour's drive away) and Plymouth, while the wildlife and views of the 630-mile South West Coast Path can be yours in whole or in easier sections by heading to the sea at Westward Ho! (40 minutes). The beach there is popular with surfers and Bude (an hour) can satisfy just about every craving for sea-based watersports. You can hone your skills inland too at the Ultimate Adventure Centre in Bideford (half an hour), where surfing and kayaking are on offer alongside laser tag, a Nerf arena and an assault course. Bideford and Ilfracombe are busy with boat traffic in the summer months, taking day trippers out to the wild solace of Lundy Island with its seal colonies, wild deer and goats and long, quiet walking trails; book a return at sunset if you can for maximum romance/photo opps. To get a little closer to the wildlife, drive a minute from the site to go walking the local hills in the company of a friendly alpaca herd. The Big Sheep at Bideford also has many pettable pals in its animal barn (alongside a rollercoaster and microbrewery), while lions and wolves, wallabies and meerkats mingle with animatronic and somewhat older lifeforms an hour away at Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park.