STARTER FOR DEN A
LITTLE piece of south Devon is leading the fight back against the modern day scourge of computer games, phones and Netflix. Self-catering destination Beyond Escapes, located in the glorious south Devon hills at Berry Pomeroy, is harking back to a simpler time when the biggest thrill a child could have was building a den in the great outdoors.
Den-making kits, including ropes, groundsheet, camouflage cover, pegs, a hammer and guides on foraging for natural materials, can be borrowed free of charge.
It was certainly an activity that will live long in the memory of our family of four.
We were staying at Beyond Escapes during Halloween week, and on arrival at our two-bedroom lodge we found a couple of pumpkins and carving kits, plus details of a fancy dress competition.
To further enhance the site’s kid-friendly credentials, it had created a spooky trail in the grounds and the fantastic prize for completing a quiz was a bowl of ice cream topped with ‘dirt’ and ‘worms’. Much better, my kids agreed, than a sticker.
They tucked into their treats on the restaurant’s terrace, as their mum and I sipped coffees and admired the beautiful view across the valley to Torbay.
The on-site restaurant uses fresh and locally-sourced ingredients for its dishes, as well as offering tempting takeaways and hearty breakfasts.
Below it is the spa offering a range of treatments and there’s even a gym, boasting views that put a spring in your step on the treadmill.
Beyond Escapes, which sits just a few miles from both the historic town of Totnes and the popular seaside resort of Paignton, opened earlier this year.
The restored Mansion House was formerly owned by a co-founder of Paignton Zoo in 1923, and later by the disc jockey and Ready Steady Go! presenter Keith Fordyce, who turned it into the Torbay Aircraft Museum.
It has now been transformed into luxury one, two and threebedroom suites. Elsewhere there are apartments and two, three and four bedroom lodges.
Our lodge came with a large, private decking area with outdoor furniture and a hot tub that four people could stretch out in. Downstairs was an open plan lounge, kitchen and dining room, furnished to a high standard, while a central staircase led to a double bedroom and a twin bedroom, both with deep mattresses and free wifi, children’s games and three TVs with Sky helped keep us entertained.
But you’re never short of things to do in this part of the world. Just down the road is the romantic ruin Perry Pomeroy Castle, and a little further away is its English Heritage stablemate Totnes Castle, a classic Norman motte and bailey fortress.
Our kids loved exploring the prehistoric Kents Cavern in Torquay and playing pirates on the full-size replica of Francis Drake’s Golden Hind in Brixham Harbour.
Great free attractions include Cockington Country Park, the Geoplay playground in Paignton, and the Napoleonic-era fortresses at Berry Head, near Brixham, which is also home to a lighthouse that’s both the shortest and highest in Britain – the building is a modest 16ft tall, but sits upon a headland 190ft above sea level.
These are just a taste of all the family-friendly attractions in the area, and Beyond Escapes makes a perfect base for enjoying them.