Feather Down - Fountain Violet

This part of Devon is beach and watersports central. If you fancy a lazy day or picnic on the sand, Mill Bay (half an hour’s walk) has a tiny cove that’s often almost deserted. To up the activity levels somewhat, you can kayak, paddleboard, surf and sail on the River Dart (five minutes’ drive), or treat the kids to rockpooling at shingle Man Sands (15 minutes). See the coastline with rambles along sections of the South West Coast Path (half an hour’s walk), or take the weight off your feet with a trip around the Dart Estuary on the Dartmouth Steam Railway (five minutes’ drive). For a maritime perspective on your surroundings, take a leisurely river cruise from Dartmouth (25 minutes) to Totnes (half an hour). For a slice of history, head over to National Trust-owned Greenway (15 minutes), the 1950s summer residence of author Agatha Christie, for tours of luxurious rooms and leafy gardens. And talking of well-known people, another NT property nearby is the sprawling arts and crafts-style mansion at Coleton Fishacre, once home to theatre impresario Rupert D’Oyly Carte.