NOW GO THERE
How to travel, where to stay and what to do in Devon,
GETTING THERE
BY RAIL For a route map of the Devon Rail Network, visit traveldevon.info/train/
devon-rail-network. The county also has a number of specialist heritage rail lines, including the South Devon Railway between Buckfastleigh and Totnes (southdevonrailway.co.uk), the Dartmouth Steam Railway between Paignton and Kingswear (dartmouthrailriver.co.uk) and the ongoing project that is the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway (lynton-rail.co.uk).
BY BUS For bus maps and times, visit traveldevon.info/bus.
CYCLE HIRE For North Devon’s Tarka Trail, the reliable Tarka Trail Cycle Hire in Barnstaple has a large fleet of rental bikes, including tandems and e-bikes; tarkabikes.co.uk. For the Exe Estuary Trail in the south, Exe Trail Cycle Hire is based in Dawlish Warren and has a similarly broad range of models; exetrailcyclehire.co.uk.
PLACES TO STAY
1 Bulworthy Project, nr Tiverton The woodland-based Bulworthy Project has a solar-powered eco-cabin for two – and a tree is planted for every night booked. From £200 for two nights; bulworthy.uk.
2 Royal Oak Farm, nr Honiton Stay in self-contained Acorn Cottage or in the two-bed mobile home on this six-hectare farm. New this year are stargazing cabins. From £260 for a week; royaloakfarm.co.uk
TOURS AND ACTIVITIES
3 Devon Sea Safari runs regular boat trips along the coast from Teignmouth, in South Devon. On board you might spot dolphins, porpoises or seals. devonseasafari.com
4 Ilfracombe Sea Safari in the north offers a range of wildlife-centred boat trips, including a four-hour safari around the island of Lundy. ilfracombeseasafari.co.uk
5 Seaton Wetlands in East Devon is one of the county’s 50-plus nature reserves and has five bird hides. It’s open year-round. eastdevon.gov.uk/countryside/ our-reserves/seaton-wetlands
6 Exmoor National Park, which has some glorious stargazing sites away from the glow of towns and cities, is holding a Dark Skies Festival on 16–31 October. exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk
7 Dartmoor Nature Tours offers wildlife walks and tours with professional local guides throughout the year. dartmoornaturetours.co.uk