Higher Holcombe

Need to get your fix of fuzzy animals? The Donkey Sanctuary (15 minutes' drive) is home to hundreds of rescued and retired beats of burden of all shapes and sizes. For kid-orientated days out, head to Wildwood Escot (10 minutes), another nearby animal park; there are also zipwires, mazes and all manner of swings and slides here to keep visiting tiddlers busy.  The long-gone monsters of the Jurassic Coast are also within easy reach: make tracks to Lyme Regis for its Ammonite Terrace and impressive fossil museums, or get stuck in and do some digging of your own on the beaches around Charmouth (40 minutes). For alfresco swims, head down to the river Otter (a few minutes from base) or to the coast at Sidmouth (20 minutes). Other coastal towns of note include Seaton with its vintage tramway (25 minutes), Budleigh Salterton with its gorgeous quartzite pebbles (20 minutes) and Beer with its white cliffs and miniature train (20 minutes).