Meldon Lake and Woods

With direct access from the farm, Dartmoor National Park is ready and waiting to be explored on foot, horseback or bike. You can often spot spot wild ponies grazing on the moor on strolls round Meldon Reservoir (20 minutes’ walk). The hilltop ruins of Okehampton Castle are an hour's hike away, while the prehistoric Nine Stones Circle is a two-hour yomp over the moors. Climbers should head for Irishman’s Wall, a granite tor at Belstone, and those of a brave disposition can scramble through waterfalls and shoot rapids along Lydford Gorge (both 15 minutes’ drive). Long-distance cyclists might like to follow Route 27 to Plymouth (three hours and 20 minutes) or Tavistock (an hour and 40 minutes); if you’re holidaying with kids, try the Granite Way for easy, traffic-free biking on paved tracks. If you’d rather explore by car, head for Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (45 minutes’ drive) to potter around the quayside at Morwellham (35 minutes), or head for Teignmouth (50 minutes) to paddle in the waves and munch fish and chips on the wooden pier.