Dawlish Sands

Make the beach at Dawlish Warren your first stop: this two mile sandy stretch is a clean and safe spot backed with sand dunes and with old style seaside shenanigans: fairground rides, Punch and Judy, crazy golf and free events during summer; pooches are welcome too from 1 April to 30 September and the beach is lifeguarded during peak season. Dust the sand off your toes and also make your way to the Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve with its several different habitats and the wading birds and wildfowl of the Exe Estuary, before taking naturally curious caravanners to the award-winning Pennywell Farm for guinea pigs and go-karting. For non-strenuous sightseeing, the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway chuffs for seven miles along the Torbay coast from Paignton to Churston with seascape scenery across Lyme Bay to Portland Bill spottable on clear days, or take a cruise on the River Dart from Dartmouth to Totnes. A swashbuckling day out can be had at the Golden Hind, the full-sized replica of Sir Francis Drake’s sixteenth century ship at Brixham, where you can go under deck to see how his sailors lived or go aaaarr every Thursday in season with the Brixham Buccaneers. The twelfth century home of the Earl of Devon, Powderham Castle, is also worth a look for time traveller types, as is Topsham Museum, set in seventeenth century buildings overlooking the Exe Estuary. Day trips in the area include the towns of Torquay and Paignton, although when the kids realise the Crealy Great Adventure Park is just seven miles away from the park it’s likely there’ll be a day there too; they might also clamour for a trip swinging among the trees at Go Ape! or getting their revenge for you beating them in arcade games by paintballing the parents at Ashcombe Adventure Centre.