South Devon
High on Devon’s must-see list, the captivating summer home of crime writer Agatha Christie sits beside the placid River Dart. Part-guided tours allow you…
Must-see attractions in South Devon
South Devon
Sitting on one of England's most exposed peninsulas, the 815,000 candela beam of this bright-white lighthouse can be seen for 25 nautical miles. Tours (on…
Torquay
This innovative, 32-hectare zoo is by far and away Paignton's top draw. Spacious enclosures recreate habitats from savannah and wetland to tropical forest…
South Devon
For an evocative glimpse of jazz-age glamour, drop by the former home of the D'Oyly Carte family of theatre impresarios. Built in the 1920s, its faultless…
South Devon
An Aladdin's cave of curios, Edwardian country house Overbeck’s crowns the cliffs at Salcombe's estuary mouth. It's set in 3 hectares of lush, subtropical…
Torquay
Expect stalactites to drip water on your head and temperatures to dip to 14°C in these atmospheric caves. Hour-long guided tours lead through a maze of…
Torquay
There are 413 tiny buildings, inhabited by 13,160 even tinier people, on display at this Lilliputian attraction, the epitome of English eccentricity…
South Devon
Although it gets busy in the summer holidays, South Sands has immense charm. It's something to do with the broad beach (at low tide), the mini watersports…
South Devon
Here be treasure: the highlight of the hauls from local shipwrecks are the 500 glittering Moroccan gold dinars from the Salcombe Cannon wreck site, dating…
South Devon
Salcombe's best high-tide beach, sand-filled Mill Bay sits across the water on the east side of the estuary. It's reached by either walking the lane south…
South Devon
Two miles east of Totnes, this ruined castle was originally built by the feudal Pomeroys in the 15th century. Within the walls is a second stronghold, a…
South Devon
Bantham is, arguably, South Devon's finest low-tide beach. Set at the mouth of the River Avon, this dune-backed sweep of sand offers a cool cafe, surf…
South Devon
Henry VIII gave this pastoral 324-hectare estate to two of his wives (Catherines Howard and Parr). For many years it was home to the town's art college;…
South Devon
A slanting 10-hectare chunk of grass-topped rock, tidal Burgh Island is connected to Bigbury-on-Sea by a stretch of sand at low tide. At high water the…
South Devon
Discover maze-like passages, atmospheric guardrooms and great views from the battlements of this picturesque castle. The best way to arrive is via the…
South Devon
Slapton Ley's broad sweep of water is ringed by a nature reserve and fringed by reed beds and woods. A 1.75-mile trail skirts the ley, crossing the reed…
South Devon
Wave-dashed as they are today, Slapton Sands have an even more dramatic past. During WWII, thousands of American servicemen trained here for D-Day using…
Torquay
At 182 hectares, Cockington provides a welcome oasis of calm, green space, just a mile from Torquay's seafront bustle. Walking trails wind through fields,…
South Devon
Clinging to the coast at the mouth of the River Exe, a curling sand spit reaches far out into the water, offering exhilarating views up the river and out…
South Devon
The shells of a handful of houses clinging to the cliff at South Hallsands are the remains of a thriving fishing village. In 1917 a severe storm literally…
South Devon
The imposing building crowning the hills above Dartmouth was built in 1905 and is where the Royal Navy still trains all its officers. Guides lead you…
South Devon
Devon-born explorer Sir Francis Drake carried out a treasure-seeking circumnavigation of the globe aboard the Golden Hind in the late 1500s. This full…
South Devon
The name is misleading: Slapton Sands is actually a spectacular pebble ridge that's 3 miles long. You can find solitude here on even the busiest days. It…
Torquay
The collection at Torquay's town museum is eclectic, taking in everything from samurai suits of armour to Egyptian mummies and taxidermied butterflies…
South Devon
It's as far from a fusty old museum as you can get, with engaging exhibits filling a stylish new building. Step into a Victorian bathing machine, heft a…
South Devon
An eclectic collection of costumes, swords, ships in bottles and vintage toys, plus evocative WWII exhibits explaining how the area was a mustering point…
South Devon
High on a hilltop above town, Totnes' castle is among the best-preserved examples of a Norman 'motte and bailey' castle (a round keep sitting on a raised…
South Devon
Dartmouth's Butterwalk is a row of ancient timber-framed buildings that lean at an improbable angle. Despite looking as though they could collapse at any…
Cookworthy Museum of Rural Life
South Devon
An engaging collection of school desks, cooking ranges, wagons and ploughs, plus a particularly fine photographic archive.
Torquay
Built in 1196, this impressive abbey is a setting for arts and cultural events, but it's the wonderful gardens that are of most interest – particularly to…
South Devon
Signs in this tiny walled garden cast light on 16th-century medical thinking, outlining which herbs were used to cure which ailment: soapwort for syphilis…
South Devon
An eclectic collection of exhibits explores the town's salty history, majoring in sailboats, smuggling, shipbuilding and sea rescues. There are…
South Devon
It's worth tracking down Dartmouth's quaintly cobbled Bayard's Cove, the quay from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail to America, having put into…
South Devon
Parts of this atmospheric structure were once the kitchens of the town's Norman priory; look out for cells, ceremonial robes and an elaborate council…
Torquay
One of a string of sand-and-shingle beaches, Oddicombe sits at the foot of the Babbacombe Cliff Railway.
Torquay
A pocket-sized beach that's popular with swimmers, thanks to a picturesque rock ridge and pinnacle, and a cheerful beach cafe.
Totnes Fashion & Textiles Museum
South Devon
Beautifully displayed 18th- to 20th-century garments, set in one of Totnes' finest Tudor merchant's houses.
Torquay
To indulge in pure holiday nostalgia, head to this grand old Victorian pier where you can parade along the long wooden deck, jump in a dodgem, bounce…
South Devon
Compact North Sands lies a short walk or drive (1.5 miles) south along Cliff Rd from the centre of Salcombe (on the same side of the estuary as the town)…
