Pollard’s Combe

Peer out from the turrets of Dartmouth Castle (25 minutes' drive) and pretend you’re a 14th-century sentry guarding the River Dart, before venturing into the town of Dartmouth itself (25 minutes). Here, you can catch the vintage steam railway (kids can pretend to hoot at passers-by), cast your rod at the beach, or paddle further out in a sea kayak and keep your eyes peeled for passing seals or dolphins. Closer to home, you might want to pick your way across the shingle beach at Slapton Sands (10 minutes), before putting on your inspector’s hat to search for otters and starlings at Slapton Ley Nature Reserve (10 minutes), where woodland, marshes, and the lakewater are ripe breeding grounds for a whole host of unusual wildlife. The sheltered coves of Mill Bay (30 minutes) will take you away from the tourist crowds of Darmouth – hire a sailing dinghy here and navigate your way around the different coves. You can also sail right into Salcombe (30 minutes) to stop by the gin distillery or grab a traditional Salcombe mud ice cream for the kids.