Langford Farm

Fancy a relaxing wander through orchards or woodlands accompanied by an alpaca? Then you might want to visit Little Orchard Alpacas (15 minutes’ drive), where you can do just that, as well as take pictures with these inquisitive, friendly animals and feed them their favourite treats. For the knitters among you, the centre also has an alpaca yarn shop. If you’re into animals with wings rather than hooves, Seaton Wetlands nature reserve (20 minutes) is the place for you. Hides and viewing platforms give you plenty of opportunities to spot kingfishers, oystercatchers and dunlins in the marshes. There are also dragonflies and butterflies to spot, plus a pond with otters. Famed as the birthplace of fossil hunter Mary Hanning, Lyme Regis (25 minutes) still yields spiral-shaped ammonites on its Jurassic Coast beach. Those who don’t have the patience to sift through the pebbles can head to one of several fossil shops. You can also take a stroll along the Cobb, an iconic stone pier.