Stowford Farm Meadows

The highlights of north Devon are a pebble throw away, with Combe Martin on the doorstep, the famous harbour and seafront of Ilfracombe a few miles away, and Woolacombe and Croyde Bay within a short drive (if you forget your wetsuit, the clever sorts at Stowford sell them in the on-site shop).

Take little monsters to the animatronic dinosaurs, train ride and 250 species of wildlife at Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park where they can help feed the lions or have an experience with a bird of prey; they should also have a hoot at the Exmoor Owl and Hawk Centre in nearby Exmoor National Park or getting up and personal with the inhabitants at Barnstaple’s Exmoor Zoo.

Not thrilling enough? Let them see stars at the Milky Way Adventure Park with the tallest rollercoaster in Devon, or whirl about the theme park and descend to the dungeon at Watermouth Castle.

There are plenty of relaxing options for calming frazzled nerves after a day on the rollercoasters: walking across the moors or having a Devon cream tea in one of the villages of Exmoor National Park, sea and lake fishing, golfing, or taking a boat trip to beautiful and peaceful Lundy Island, 12 miles off the coast in the Bristol Channel.

Nocturnally inclined? Bring binoculars or hire a telescope at the National Park centres for a spot of stargazing: Exmoor National Park was the first designated Dark Sky Reserve in Europe.

The cobbled streets of Clovelly are a popular Devon tourist spot, although not for the faint-hearted or unfit: the streets here are so steep that goods are delivered on sledges. The village has over 70 listed buildings and links to the South West Coast Path at its top.

For other day trips, North Devon’s shopping capital Barnstaple has shops to suit all tastes for wallet-emptying; pick up some tasty local produce at the historic Pannier Market.

Or indulge your sweet tooth at South Molton’s Quince Honey Farm, go south to see Devon’s most popular beauty spot Becky Falls or browse around the historical houses of Devon such as the National Trust’s Arlington Court.