9:10am Monday 7th January 2008
By Peter Woodman
DEVON is a delight - moors and coasts mix with clotted cream to make an enticing, relaxing cocktail.
Given the almost endless sunshine we enjoyed on our trip, it's also a destination to rival anything the continent has to offer.
Our first port of call was Bovey Castle on the edge of Dartmoor. This is a smart country house hotel in some of the most imposing grounds I have seen.
Built in 1907 by the second Viscount Hambleden, Bovey is on the east side of Dartmoor, which is by far the best part of the moor to be.
Hambleden was heir to the WH Smith empire and he certainly chose a great spot for his home. From our room we looked out on green, rolling hill and beneath us, guests were playing croquet on the lawn or watching a falconry display.
Despite its grandeur, Bovey caters for children, with plenty of activities for youngsters.
Gateway to Bovey is Moretonhampstead, which happens to have the longest town name in the UK, as well as being a rather lovely little place.
Just down the road is another splendidly named and attractive location, Bovey Tracey, which features plenty of those old-style shops selling confectionery in big jars and other delights.
From there we drove on to Dartmoor proper. No pretty villages here, but a bleak, bracing aspect of rock and uplands. We tried some of the climbs which turned out to be hard work. You half expected to hear a howl from Sherlock Holmes's Hound of the Baskervilles, as this is the setting for Conan Doyle's famous tale.
Exhilarated by the fresh air, we then motored south to the heart of the English Riviera - Torquay.
Some are cynical about this area giving itself the Riviera name. But it was so sparklingly sunny when we arrived and Torbay looked so regal in the late-summer heat, that you could easily mistake the views for those seen in Cannes, Nice or Monte Carlo.
Things got even better when we got to our room in Torquay's Paramount Imperial Hotel. From our balcony we could see across the bay towards Paignton and then south as far as Brixham.
Walking around the resort, it's clear Torquay's first lady is still Agatha Christie, even though the legendary writer died in 1976.
We learned more about the Queen of Crime when we were taken around Torquay Museum by Christie expert Joan Nott, who leads themed walks around the town to key locations.
Born in Torquay in 1890, Christie enjoyed a long association with the resort, setting some of her stories here, spending her honeymoon here and nursing in the town during the First World War.
She even managed a mystery of her own. She famously went missing for 10 days in 1926, before returning to Devon to continue creating stories for her fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
She remains in Torquay in the form of a memorial bust unveiled as part of the celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of her birth.
Close to the Imperial Hotel is a new attraction, Living Coasts. This is an aquatic centre focusing on the conservation of coastal and marine life around the world.
Various birds swoop and soar within the netted confines of the attraction - which some of the residents find a bit of an eyesore, but we enjoyed thoroughly.
There were beautiful penguins and very noisy seals and sea lions. We were taken around by Phil Knowling, the media chief of Living Coasts and also nearby Paignton Zoo, which he guided us around the following day.
Along with everyone else at the zoo, Phil was thrilled with the attraction's latest arrival - a baby black rhino whose birth was filmed by the BBC and shown around the world on the internet.
When we got to the zoo, he took us straight to the rhino enclosure where the delightful baby, named Zuri, was careering, still a little shakily, around the compound with her mother.
Phil believes the birth has been a major factor in boosting zoo visitor numbers. As all zoos do now, Paignton stresses its conservation credentials and there's no doubt it is one of the top zoos in the country, preserving some very rare species.
Later in the day we took a trip around Occombe Farm, a short distance from the zoo. Occombe is a demonstration organic livestock farm, with nature trails and farmyard animals for the children to stroke.
A general feel-good factor pervades its pretty location and staff were keen to share their passion for buying good produce (available in the farm shop) and getting back in touch with where our food comes from.
Our final outing was to Kents Cavern in Torquay. These caves were homes during the Stone Age but were only discovered in the 19th century.
A prolonged excavation followed, with scientists thrilled to find evidence of life more than 450,000 years ago. The caves are now the country's oldest protected ancient monument.
There were some terrific stalagmites and stalactites and we came to appreciate the slow drip, drip of water and the centuries it takes to develop these great shapes.
It was a calm, mesmerising end to a wonderful break.
Peter stayed at Bovey Castle at North Bovey, Devon, which offers Classic double rooms from £225 per night, including breakfast and VAT.
For more information, call 01647 445016 or visit www.boveycastle.com.
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