Attraction in Devon and Torbay

Burgh Island is a small tidal island just off the south Devon coast near Bigbury-on-Sea, accessible on foot across the sand at low tide and by a unique sea tractor at high water, whose combination of dramatic coastal setting, art deco hotel and strong associations with Agatha Christie make it one of the most distinctive and atmospheric destinations on the southwest coast. The island rises from the sand to a modest summit crowned by the remains of a medieval huer's hut, from which the tuna and pilchard shoals were once spotted and the fishermen summoned, and the old Pilchard Inn dating from the fourteenth century provides refreshments with considerable historic atmosphere. The Burgh Island Hotel, built in the art deco style in 1929, is the island's most significant building and one of the finest surviving examples of art deco hotel architecture in Britain. The hotel was developed by Archibald Nettlefold as a venue for the glamorous society set of the 1920s and 1930s, and the original guest list included Noël Coward, the Duke of Windsor and Agatha Christie, whose visits to the island inspired two of her Hercule Poirot novels. Evil Under the Sun and And Then There Were None were both written drawing on the island's distinctive character, and the hotel has capitalised on this association by maintaining an interior that recreates the art deco ambiance of the original building with considerable authenticity. The sea tractor that ferries hotel guests and visitors between the mainland beach and the island at high tide is a unique vehicle, a raised platform on stilts driven by a tractor mechanism that allows it to cross the submerged causeway when the sand is covered. The visual spectacle of the sea tractor making its crossing, the hotel visible on the island behind, provides one of the more surreal images available on the Devon coast. The views from the island summit across Bigbury Bay toward Plymouth Sound and the Bolt Tail headland are excellent, and the combination of the hotel's character, the island setting and the Agatha Christie associations makes Burgh Island an entirely memorable destination.

Bicton Park Gardens in East Devon near the village of East Budleigh is one of the finest and most varied historic gardens in the southwest of England, a large garden estate of approximately 63 acres that combines formal gardens of the eighteenth century with Victorian additions, a significant collection of tender and unusual plants and a variety of visitor attractions that make it one of the most comprehensive garden destinations in Devon. The garden was originally laid out in the early eighteenth century in the French formal tradition and subsequently modified, extended and enriched by each successive generation of the Rolle and Clinton families who owned the estate. The Italian Garden, the formal section nearest the house, represents the best-preserved element of the eighteenth-century layout, with its geometric pattern of beds, clipped hedges, fountains and ornamental statuary creating a French-influenced composition of considerable formality and elegance. The American Garden, created in the Victorian period to house the then-fashionable collection of North American ornamental trees and shrubs introduced to British gardens during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, contains mature specimens of exceptional size including one of the oldest surviving monkey puzzle trees in England. The Palm House at Bicton, a curved Regency glasshouse of great elegance, is one of the earliest surviving examples of the curved palm house design that preceded the great Victorian iron and glass conservatories and was the direct inspiration for Decimus Burton's Palm House at Kew Gardens. Its survival in original form at Bicton makes it one of the most historically significant garden buildings in Britain. The extensive woodland garden and pinetum contain a remarkable collection of conifer species, some of them of considerable rarity, and the overall diversity of the garden's plant collection reflects two centuries of enthusiastic and well-resourced plant collecting. A miniature railway, children's play areas and a garden centre add to the family visitor offer.

RHS Rosemoor Garden near Great Torrington in north Devon is one of the four regional gardens maintained by the Royal Horticultural Society, a 65-acre garden in the Torridge Valley that has developed from a personal garden donated to the RHS in 1988 by Lady Anne Berry into a comprehensive display garden of considerable quality and variety. The combination of the original intimate garden created by Lady Berry with the larger formal gardens, arboretum and naturalistic plantings added since the RHS took over management creates a garden that rewards exploration and provides interest in every season. The original Lady Anne's Garden, which surrounded the cottage that Lady Berry occupied on the estate, retains the personal character of a private garden created with taste and knowledge over many years. The collection of old roses, shrubs and woodland plants established by Lady Berry provides the core of a planting character that the RHS has respected and maintained while expanding the garden around it. The formal garden area added by the RHS provides a sequence of themed gardens in a more architectural setting, including the Rose Garden with its large collection of modern and heritage roses, the Fruit and Vegetable Garden demonstrating productive gardening techniques and the Cottage Garden planted with traditional perennials and biennials. The Stream Garden, developed in the more naturalistic character appropriate to the valley bottom, provides a contrasting approach to planting that follows the natural contours and hydrology of the landscape. The north Devon countryside surrounding Rosemoor, including the Torridge Valley and the coast at Westward Ho and Clovelly a short drive to the northwest, provides excellent complementary natural and heritage interest for a garden visit.

Lynmouth sits at the dramatic confluence of the East and West Lyn Rivers where they meet the sea, creating one of Devon's most picturesque villages. The area is defined by water - rushing rivers, cascading waterfalls, and the Bristol Channel. While no single Lynmouth Waterfall landmark exists, the village and environs are celebrated for numerous spectacular waterfalls along the Lyn rivers, most famously at Watersmeet and Glen Lyn Gorge tumbling through the village itself. The tragic flood of August 1952 remains central to Lynmouth's history, when catastrophic rainfall sent walls of water through the narrow valley. Thirty-four people lost their lives as boulders, trees, and debris-laden torrents destroyed buildings. The disaster fundamentally reshaped the village. Glen Lyn Gorge showcases the Lyn river's most dramatic descent. The path winds alongside rushing water, with viewing platforms providing spectacular perspectives of cascades and rapids. Ancient oak woodland, spray-soaked ferns, and tumbling water create an immersive natural experience. Accessible via A39 coastal road, though descent involves steep, narrow lanes. Parking limited. The cliff railway from Lynton provides an atmospheric alternative arrival. Watersmeet (one mile inland) offers perhaps the finest waterfall scenery via National Trust path.

The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway is one of Britain's most remarkable and best-loved funicular railways, connecting the twin villages of Lynton, perched high on the clifftop, and Lynmouth, nestled at sea level beside the harbour and the confluence of the East and West Lyn rivers. Entirely water-powered and requiring no external electricity or fuel to operate, it represents a triumph of Victorian engineering ingenuity and remains a working piece of industrial heritage that continues to serve both locals and visitors over 125 years after it first opened. The railway is widely considered the steepest and longest water-powered cliff railway in the world, and that distinction alone makes it an object of fascination for engineers, historians and curious travellers alike. The gradient it traverses is dramatic — a near-vertical rise of around 500 feet across a distance of roughly 900 feet of track — and the views it commands over the Bristol Channel and the wooded Lyn Valley are nothing short of breathtaking. The railway was conceived in the late nineteenth century to solve a very practical problem. The two settlements of Lynton and Lynmouth had always been separated by that formidable cliff face, and the steep road connecting them was exhausting for horses and people alike. A local publisher and philanthropist by the name of Sir George Newnes, who had made his considerable fortune from popular magazines including Tit-Bits and The Strand, took it upon himself to fund the construction of the cliff railway as a gift to the community. Newnes commissioned engineer Bob Jones to design the system, and it opened to the public on Easter Monday, 16 April 1890. The cost of construction was borne almost entirely by Newnes himself, who also funded the Pavilion in Lynton and contributed significantly to other local infrastructure. His generosity is commemorated to this day, and the railway remains a monument to Victorian civic patronage at its most practical and enduring. The operating mechanism of the railway is its most extraordinary feature and the detail that most surprises and delights first-time visitors. There are two cars, each running on the same pair of rails on separate tracks, counterbalanced against each other. At the top station, water from a moorland stream is pumped into tanks fitted beneath each car, and when the upper car is heavier than the lower one, gravity does all the work — the descending car pulls the ascending car upward via a steel cable and pulley arrangement. The water is released at the bottom, and the process is reversed. The system has no engine, no motor, and produces no emissions. The operator at the top controls the rate of descent using a hydraulic brake, and the whole operation proceeds in near silence save for the gentle clunk and creak of the carriages and the sound of water. To ride it is to understand how elegantly Victorian engineers could solve a problem when they set their minds to it. In person, the experience of riding the cliff railway is one of genuine sensory impact. The wooden carriages are open on their uphill sides, offering unobstructed views as the ground drops away beneath you with startling speed. Standing in the car as it moves, visitors typically find themselves gripping the rails instinctively, not from any real danger but simply because the tilting angle of the cabin — designed to remain level despite the steep incline — seems at odds with the angle of the hillside rushing past. The smell of the surrounding woodland mingles with the faint scent of the damp stonework and the water tanks. From the upper station at Lynton, you look out across a vast panorama of the Bristol Channel and, on clear days, across to the distant coastline of Wales. At the lower station in Lynmouth, you are immediately in the thick of the village, steps from the harbour and the rushing waters of the Lyn. The landscape surrounding the railway is part of the Exmoor National Park, and the scenery is among the finest on the entire Southwest coast. The Lyn Valley is often described as one of England's most romantic landscapes — its wooded gorge is dense with oak, ash and rowan, and the rivers tumble over boulders in a constant energetic rush. The area around Lynmouth became famous in the Romantic era; Shelley and his first wife Harriet spent time here, and Coleridge and Wordsworth both knew this coastline. The surrounding coast forms part of the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the coastal path offers clifftop walks of spectacular drama in both directions. The Valley of Rocks, a short walk west along the coast from Lynton, is a strange and magnificent landscape of jagged rock formations inhabited by feral goats, and is well worth visiting as part of a day in the area. Lynmouth itself carries a shadow of more recent history. In August 1952, a catastrophic flash flood devastated the village when an extraordinary volume of rainwater came off the saturated Exmoor moor in a single night, sending walls of water and debris down the narrow Lyn Valley. Thirty-four people were killed and over ninety buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. The cliff railway itself survived the disaster largely intact, though the village around it was transformed. The flood remains one of Britain's worst peacetime disasters of the twentieth century, and there is a small flood memorial in the village that marks the event with quiet solemnity. The rebuilt village has a slightly different character from what it might have been, but it has grown back with charm and resilience. Visiting the railway is straightforward and enormously rewarding. The lower station is located on the seafront at Lynmouth, while the upper station sits on the edge of Lynton town centre. The railway operates from early spring through to late autumn, with the season typically running from around February or March to November, though visitors should check in advance as hours vary seasonally. The return fare is modest, and single tickets are also available for those who wish to walk one way and ride the other — the walk between the villages via the road is steep but manageable, and gives a sense of exactly how much effort the railway saves. Dogs are welcome on board, which is a pleasant detail for visitors exploring the wider Exmoor countryside with their pets. The nearest substantial towns are Barnstaple, around 20 miles to the south, and Minehead, roughly 20 miles to the east along the coast. Getting to Lynton and Lynmouth by public transport requires some planning, as the area is rural and the road connections are winding. There is no nearby railway station; the closest mainline stop is Taunton or Exeter, from which bus services or taxis provide onward connection, though the journey is not always simple. Most visitors arrive by car, and there are car parks in both villages, though they can fill quickly during summer weekends and school holidays. The roads into the villages are famously narrow and steep — the descent into Lynmouth in particular is dramatic enough to unsettle drivers unfamiliar with it. The best times to visit are late spring and early autumn, when the crowds of high summer have thinned, the weather remains reasonable, and the woodland is either fresh green or turning to gold. Visiting on a weekday outside school holidays makes for a much more contemplative and unhurried experience of this genuinely exceptional piece of living Victorian heritage.

The Babbacombe Cliff Railway is a funicular railway located on the eastern edge of Torquay, Devon, connecting the clifftop neighbourhood of Babbacombe with the secluded beach and promenade of Oddicombe Beach far below. It is one of the oldest and most charming cliff railways in the United Kingdom, and represents a quintessentially Victorian approach to solving the practical challenge of a dramatic coastal escarpment. The railway carries passengers down a steep wooded cliff face to a beach that would otherwise be accessible only via a long and strenuous walk, making it both a beloved local amenity and a genuine tourist attraction in its own right. For many visitors, a ride on the funicular is not merely a means of transport but an experience to be savoured — a slow, gentle descent through dense vegetation offering gradually expanding views across Lyme Bay and the red sandstone cliffs of the Torbay coast. The railway was opened in 1926, constructed to serve both the growing residential community at Babbacombe and the increasing number of seaside visitors drawn to the relatively sheltered and picturesque cove at Oddicombe. Like many cliff railways of its era, it operates on a water-balance or counterbalance system, in which the weight of the descending car assists the ascent of the other, making the mechanism elegantly simple and economical in its use of energy. The infrastructure has been maintained and periodically upgraded over the decades while retaining much of its original charm. The railway was for many years operated by Torbay Council before being transferred to a trust or independent operator, reflecting the broader challenge of sustaining heritage transport infrastructure in the modern era. In physical terms, the railway consists of two parallel tracks cut into the steep cliff, each carrying a single open-sided car that can accommodate a handful of passengers at a time. The cars are modest, painted and maintained in traditional style, and the ride lasts only a couple of minutes each way, but those minutes are genuinely memorable. As the car descends, it passes through an almost tunnel-like canopy of trees and shrubs that cling to the cliff face, with dappled light filtering through the leaves in summer. The sound is one of gentle mechanical motion — a quiet whirring and the soft clunk of the mechanism — overlaid with birdsong when the season is right, and the increasingly audible rhythm of the sea as the beach approaches. The landscape surrounding the railway is remarkable. The cliff itself is composed of the distinctive deep red Devonian sandstone and limestone that characterises so much of the Torbay and South Devon coastline, and the colours at sunset or in warm afternoon light are genuinely striking. At the top, Babbacombe is a neat, well-kept clifftop suburb with gardens, cafés, and the famous Babbacombe Model Village nearby, as well as sweeping views across the bay. At the bottom, Oddicombe Beach is a relatively quiet shingle and sand beach sheltered by the surrounding cliffs, with a café and beach facilities during the summer season. The South West Coast Path passes through the area, and walkers frequently use the railway as a convenient link on longer coastal routes heading north toward Teignmouth or south toward Torquay town centre. For visitors planning a trip, the railway typically operates from spring through to autumn, with opening hours varying by season, and it is advisable to check current operating status before visiting as it has occasionally been subject to closures for maintenance or refurbishment. The top station is easily reached on foot from central Babbacombe, which itself is served by local buses from Torquay. Parking is available nearby, though the streets around Babbacombe can become congested in peak summer months. The railway is accessible to most visitors including those with pushchairs, though those with significant mobility limitations should check in advance regarding step access. The fare is modest, and most visitors consider it excellent value given the experience and the convenience of avoiding the long cliff path. One of the more unusual aspects of the Babbacombe area's history is its association with the case of John Lee, infamously known as "the man they couldn't hang," who worked as a footman in Babbacombe in the 1880s. Though not directly connected to the railway itself, the local area carries this dark and fascinating historical footnote. The cliff railway, for its part, belongs to a wider tradition of Victorian and Edwardian coastal engineering that sought to open up Britain's dramatic shoreline to an increasingly mobile and leisure-oriented public, and it stands today as one of the more authentic and unassuming survivors of that tradition. Unlike some heritage attractions that feel overly commercialised or artificially preserved, the Babbacombe Cliff Railway retains a genuinely functional, workaday quality — it is still simply doing what it was built to do, connecting people with the sea.

Marwood Hill Garden near Barnstaple in north Devon is one of the finest privately owned gardens in southwest England, a garden of approximately 20 acres created in a valley from the 1950s onward in a programme of continuous planting that has produced a garden of exceptional botanical richness. The garden is particularly celebrated for its national collections of astilbe, iris and tulbaghia and for the outstanding waterside planting of the valley floor. The three lakes in the valley floor provide the waterside conditions supporting extensive plantings of iris, primula, gunnera and the astilbe collection that represents one of the finest in Britain. The reflections of the surrounding trees and plantings in the still water of the lakes provide the most visually satisfying garden moments, particularly in the golden evening light falling into this west-facing valley. The garden's remoteness from the main tourist routes of north Devon has preserved it from overcrowding, and the combination of the botanical quality, the landscape setting and the personal character of a garden still maintained with its creator's standards creates a visit of considerable distinction for those interested in serious horticulture.

Arlington Court near Barnstaple in north Devon is one of the most unusual and most rewarding National Trust properties in the southwest, a Regency house of modest exterior containing an extraordinary collection of objects assembled by Miss Rosalie Chichester across six decades of collecting until her death in 1949 and bequeathing the entire estate to the National Trust. The combination of the eclectic and personal character of the collection, which encompasses model ships, shells, pewter, costumes and an enormous array of objects with no common theme beyond Miss Chichester's enthusiastic acquisition, and the Victorian stables housing the national carriage collection creates a destination of remarkable individuality. The house reflects Miss Chichester's complete control of her environment across her long life, every room arranged according to her own taste and sense of order in a way that has been preserved by the National Trust as she left it. The experience of moving through rooms saturated with the accumulated objects of a single passionate collector is quite different from the polished presentation of great houses assembled for their architectural quality or art historical importance, and the personal character of Arlington Court is its greatest appeal. The Victorian stables of Arlington Court house the National Trust's carriage collection, over fifty vehicles from horse-drawn carriages and coaches to fire engines and estate vehicles, providing one of the most comprehensive collections of historic carriages on public display in Britain. The park and woodland walks provide excellent walking in the typical north Devon countryside.

Trago Mills near Newton Abbot represents a uniquely British retail phenomenon - part discount department store, part family attraction, part local institution. Since founding in 1937, it has grown from a single shop to a sprawling complex combining cut-price shopping with fairground rides, mini golf, and entertainment. The Newton Abbot branch is one of four Trago Mills locations across the Southwest. The shopping experience is unlike conventional retail parks - vast buildings house a bewildering variety of goods across multiple departments, all at discount prices. The somewhat chaotic layout and eclectic stock selection is part of the appeal. Outside the main buildings, extensive leisure facilities transform shopping into a full day out. Fairground rides, mini golf courses, soft play areas, and a small zoo create a family entertainment complex. The site includes cafés and picnic areas. The location on Newton Abbot's outskirts, surrounded by Devon countryside, gives a distinctly different atmosphere. Spacious grounds with ample free parking make it particularly appealing. Clearly signposted from A38 and A380, open seven days with extended hours. Weekends and school holidays are busiest.

Cotehele in the Tamar Valley near Saltash is one of the most important and most atmospherically preserved medieval manor houses in England, a house built primarily in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries that has survived largely without major alteration since the seventeenth century in a state of completeness unique among English medieval domestic buildings. The National Trust manages Cotehele, whose combination of the medieval great hall, the original furniture and textiles and the extraordinary series of tapestries that furnish the rooms creates one of the most genuine encounters with medieval domestic life available at any English country house. The house was built by Sir Richard Edgcumbe following his support for Henry Tudor's cause at Bosworth, and the subsequent prosperity of the family allowed substantial building and furnishing activity in the decades that followed. The crucial factor in Cotehele's survival is that the Edgcumbe family moved their principal residence to Mount Edgcumbe near Plymouth in the seventeenth century, leaving Cotehele as an occasional retreat that was never subjected to the modernisation that would have removed its medieval character. The tapestries and original furniture that furnish the rooms have never been moved. The Cotehele Quay on the Tamar below the house was once a busy commercial port and still houses a National Maritime Museum outstation with the restored Tamar barge Shamrock. The Tamar Valley gardens, the medieval dovecote and the mill complete an estate of exceptional variety and historical depth.

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park represents one of Britain's largest and most progressive zoological collections, housing over 2,000 animals across 80 acres of botanical gardens on southwestern edge of Paignton. Founded in 1923 by Herbert Whitley as private collection, the zoo has evolved into major conservation charity operating under Wild Planet Trust. The zoo's transformation from Victorian menagerie to modern conservation center exemplifies changing attitudes toward animal welfare. The zoo's layout mirrors conservation philosophy - animals in large, naturalistic enclosures recreating native habitats. Crocodile Swamp houses numerous crocodilian species, while Forest habitat recreates African and Asian jungle with gorillas, orangutans, primates. Conservation work extends far beyond boundaries through Wild Planet Trust's field programs in Madagascar, Vietnam, Brazil. Breeding programs have contributed significantly to species survival. The botanical aspect deserves recognition - grounds contain thousands of plant species, many rare or endangered. The combination creates rich sensory environment. Located on Totnes Road (A385), well signposted from Paignton and Torquay. Ample parking. Operates year-round. Allow full day to see all exhibits thoroughly.

Westward Ho! holds the unique distinction of being the only place in Britain named after a novel - Charles Kingsley's 1855 adventure tale - and retains its exclamation mark as official punctuation. This Victorian resort was deliberately created in the 1860s by developers hoping to capitalize on the novel's popularity. While it never achieved grand resort status, it has evolved into a much-loved traditional seaside town. The defining feature is its spectacular two-mile sweep of sandy beach and the unique pebble ridge backing it. This Pebble Ridge is a geological rarity, formed over thousands of years by longshore drift, protecting Northam Burrows behind it. The seafront retains a refreshingly unpretentious atmosphere with traditional beach huts, cafes serving cream teas and fish and chips. The town's association with Rudyard Kipling, who attended school here, adds literary connection. The beach offers consistently good surfing conditions, popular with the surfing community. The exposed west-facing aspect means Atlantic swells arrive with regularity. Easily accessible from Bideford (two miles south) with regular buses, or signed from the A39. Dogs are permitted year-round.

Dawlish is a charming coastal town on the south Devon coast, renowned for its distinctive red sandstone cliffs and the famous railway line that runs directly along the seafront. The town gained particular fame in 2014 when storms dramatically destroyed sections of the sea wall, capturing national attention. The settlement traces its roots back to Saxon times, though it developed significantly during the Victorian era when it became a fashionable seaside resort. The town's most celebrated residents are the black swans that glide gracefully along The Brook, a stream flowing through the town centre to the sea. These elegant birds were introduced in the 1900s and have become an iconic symbol. The distinctive red cliffs provide a dramatic backdrop, their warm ochre tones creating spectacular photography opportunities. The beach itself is a mix of sand and shingle, sheltered by cliffs and popular with families. The South West Coast Path passes through Dawlish, offering spectacular clifftop walks. The town is easily accessible by rail on the Exeter to Plymouth line.