Buttles Farm

The level plateau of the Blackdown Hills provides ample options for cycling and walking – just ask Carl, the friendly owner of Buttles Farm, for his recommendations or to lend you a walking book. There's also a cracking good 13-mile circular walk at Castle Neroche (15 minutes' drive), through traditionally managed woodlands grazed by English Longhorn cattle up the broad vistas from the hilltops. If the heights of Neroche or your trip to the old airfield have your gaze fixed upwards, visit the aerodrome at Dunkerswell 15 minutes away for a microlight flying lesson or a skydive, or book yourself in for a 20-minute glider flight on selected days of the week at Devon and Somerset Gliding Club (20 minutes). Fear not though if you prefer your feet firmly on the ground, as the many views, walks, beaches and fossil-studded cliffs of the famed and UNESCO-protected Jurassic Coast are around 45 minutes' drive from the site. Make for elegant Lyme Regis to see the prehistoric treasures of the Dinosaurland Fossil Museum, then head round the coast to Charmouth beach and try hunting some fossils of your own. You could also hike the mighty South West Coast Path (all 630 miles of it, if you fancy) or head to West Bay for sandcastles and a high-speed boat ride out to sea.