The county is the south-west of England is full of delights. We pick some of the best ways to spend a day there.
Greenway, near Brixham
Agatha Christie fans will delight in the lovely Greenway House, now run by the National Trust, which she called ‘the loveliest place in the world’ and treasured as a holiday home. The house is just as she and her family left it. In the library you can hear an audio clip of Agatha’s grandson Mathew reminiscing about his childhood holidays at Greenway. In most rooms in the house there are scrapbooks filled with stories and photographs relating to those rooms – don’t miss them as you wander round, they contain fascinating snippets of information.
Lynmouth
Lynmouth offers a unique experience, situated on the North Coast of Devon noted for its high sea cliffs and within the Exmoor National Park which is noted for its breathtaking natural beauty and unspoilt landscape. Lynmouth is truly lovely place to spend time exploring. Known as the honeymoon spot of 19th-century poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley, he later wrote of approaching the place that he and his new wife “saw before and beneath them a fairy scene – Little Lynmouth, then some thirty cottages, rose-clad and myrtle-clad, nestling at the foot of the hills. It was enough.”
Dartmoor
With 368 square miles of unspoilt beauty, Dartmoor is the place to experience freedom a day of freedom. From its striking granite tors to steep wooded river valleys and from swathes of heather covered moorland to tucked away villages and hamlets, it is a land of contrasts. Some people come to experience the tranquillity by getting away from it all, while others come to get active – whichever your choose it’s sure to be an unforgettable day out.
Tiverton Canal
The canal and its magnificent heavy horses have been part of the Tiverton’s landscape for generations, its traditionally painted horse-drawn barge evocative of a more picturesque age. There’s nothing to rival a trip along the Grand Western Canal through Devon’s glorious countryside at Taffy-pace, no sound but the clip-clop of hooves on the tow path, the swish of water and myriad of birdsong. It’s a ‘step out of time’ of which one could never tire, making it a delightful day out.
For details on the barge trips and the Grand Western Canal, visit www.tivertoncanal.co.uk
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral is one of the great cathedrals of England, and one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture anywhere having dominated the skyline of the Devon’s county town for more than 900 years. The cathedral is the only example in Europe of a building which is almost Gothic in its entirety, apart from the two northern towers, and boasts the longest, unbroken stretch of Gothic stone vaulting in the world. And there are plenty more treasures to explore during a visit including the Bishop’s Throne, one of the finest examples of woodwork from the 14th century, an antique clock made in 1376, and the East Window featuring original glass.
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