Northway Court, Devon, England

Watch the birdies!

About eight miles north, near the Royal North Devon Golf Club, the Northam Burrows Reserve is a vast wildlife-rich expanse of grassy plains, sand-dunes, snady shoreline and saltmarshes grazed by horses and sheep. Birdwatchers can see wheatear, linnet, pied wagtail, stonechat, curlew and little egret.

A must for naturalists

Take a trip to Lundy Island, a two-hour boat trip from Bideford: the UK’s first Marine Nature Reserve and home to the biggest seabird colony in the southwest; guillemot, kittiwake, razorbill, Manx shearwater and Atlantic puffins are amongst its inhabitants and regular visitors. In summer you might see basking sharks, grey seals, spiny lobsters and pink sea fans.

A price worth paying

A price worth paying

The pretty, historic village of Clovelly, six miles to the west, is privately owned – you have to pay to enter it. But it is absolutely worth the price of admission; not least because the cobbled streets are so steep that supplies are delivered by sledge. You can see big bread baskets on runners leaning outside homes. Water Babies author Charles Kingsley spent much of his early life here and you can visit his former home.

Gardens of delight

Run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the enchanting gardens at Rosemoor, 11 miles to the east, are a vivid, fragrant oasis of colour and a must-see source of green-fingered inspiration. The gardens’ wealth of styles range from arboreta and croquet lawns to shade, terrace and town gardens. Other highlights include the fruit and vegetable section, tree ferns, bananas and ginger lilies.

Art for art’s sake

Art for art’s sake

Hidden away in a wooded valley, Broomhill Sculpture Gardens, 18 miles north-east, boast hundreds of quirky sculptures – from slivers of burnished steel to painted columns and a series of mystical, mythical figures popping out from behind trees. It’s a magical, fairy-tale experience.