ok... Give me something new to do...

[mace242]

SWMBO and I are off to Devon next week. We've got a caravan down there and use it as a getaway from the pressures of looking after her elderly parents. We've been going down there for 5 or 6 years now.

So the task is to see if you can find something to do within an hours travelling of Exeter (not too far towards Somerset as we live there!) that we haven't already done. Has to be dog friendly.

If you come up with something that we've never done and we enjoy it then I'll bring you back a holiday treat.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Not a mind reader dude.............letting us know what you've done before might prevent us from suggesting the obvious.

The type of things you like to do would be a bonus too.

 

[SiWhite]

Got an iPhone or similar?

Try geocaching. When you read about it, the activity sounds utterly daft - you navigate to a location using the GPS on your phone (or GPS device if you have one) and search for a little box (or cache) which someone else has hidden. You then sign your name to say that you found it, and hide it again ready for the next person.

What it gives you is a reason for visiting new places and taking footpaths you wouldn't normally walk. I've lived in our current house for five years and there were footpaths within a mile of here that I've not walked before - using the excuse of finding a geocache, I've found some lovely spots that I would have overlooked.

Very dog friendly - some folk train their dogs to search for the cache using the scent of the container!

 

[Harvestman]

Not sure if it is within an hour of Exeter or not, but 2 suggestions

Yarg cheesemaking tour.
Morwellham Quay.

 

[mace242]

I'd left it open on purpose. If I say that we've walked a whole load of Dartmoor then somebody may not suggest a little gem of a place we've missed, etc. We walk - a lot - and like quieter places. Somebody suggested Morwellham and we really like it there so that's a good one but been there and you never know somebody else may not have and read this later. Generally I want out of the box ideas others like that we may never consider.

 

[mace242]

Not sure if it is within an hour of Exeter or not, but 2 suggestions

Yarg cheesemaking tour.
Morwellham Quay.

We really like Morwellham - last time we went there the people were filming Edwardian farm and we had a natter with them.
Yarg cheesemaking tour.... interest piqued. Been anywhere in particular - I'll google anyway.

 

[British Red]

Okay heres a few

Go to the races at Haldon racetrack
Visit Grimspound stone circle
Brilliand countryside at Woodbury common
Try Dart Farm farm shop
See glass blowing at Dartington Glass (the nicest craft glass in the world IMO)
Visit the underground passages in Exeter
Visit the Quay in Exeter (scenes from Onedin Line)
Visit the Double Locks hotel for a great lunch
Try the Bow Creek cider works mead

...more?

 

[mace242]

Okay heres a few

Go to the races at Haldon racetrack
Visit Grimspound stone circle
Brilliand countryside at Woodbury common
Try Dart Farm farm shop
See glass blowing at Dartington Glass (the nicest craft glass in the world IMO)
Visit the underground passages in Exeter
Visit the Quay in Exeter (scenes from Onedin Line)
Visit the Double Locks hotel for a great lunch
Try the Bow Creek cider works mead

...more?

A couple of good ones there. You've clearly spent time thereabouts. Double Locks is a frequent stop when canoeing on the canal. "Bow Creek cider works mead"... there is a thought too. Will supplement the sloe gin I've been saving for the holiday too - holidays are about the only time I drink. Thanks.

 

[British Red]

Spent many a year there

Totnes is a beautiful little town and well worth a visit (just round the coast)

 

[mace242]

Spent many a year there

Totnes is a beautiful little town and well worth a visit (just round the coast)

We love Totnes - though we call it Glastonbury-on-sea. If you've been to both and I'm sure you have then you'll get me.

 

[HillBill]

Walk home?

 

[VANDEEN]

+ 1 for geocaching, you don't even need a smart phone

If you have any sort of portable GPS, even something like a tom tom, you can usually get to a screen that shows satalite status & co ordinates, + you can have the "Mk 1" piece of paper with the locations of the caches that you've copied/printed from your home PC before leaving.

As the other person said, you can be amazed at what you can find on your doorstep, caching in Jersey by pedal bike for a week was one of my fav holl's & we learnt so much about the area, including lots of things that just wouldn't have been covered in guide books.

You could sign up to something like the "bushclass USA" & have a bit of a competition on completing the chalenges against each other.

 

[mace242]

Geocaching is something we've never really done. Daft really as we walk a lot and looking for some they are near to some of our favorite haunts.

 

[British Red]

Have you done Dartington Hall chap?

http://www.dartington.org/about

Very beautiful and lots to do in bad weather.

Don't forget the steam railway from Totnes too

 

[mace242]

Have you done Dartington Hall chap?

http://www.dartington.org/about

Very beautiful and lots to do in bad weather.

Don't forget the steam railway from Totnes too

Good ideas. We've not done the steam train but are regulars at Totnes Rare Breeds at the far end of the platform. A big group of red squirrels live there. When I visited last year I ended up rescuing a swan on the way in....

 

[mace242]

Walk home?

From Exeter to Yeovil? I'd be game. SWMBO? Not so much.

 

[EdS]

SUP lessons at Exmouth:

http://www.edgewatersports.com/paddleboarding/lessons.html

 

[Zingmo]

Are you in the NT? If so go for a bimble round Lydford Gorge and then maybe drop in to the Elephant's Nest for a a pint.
I am assuming you're going to Endicotts already.

Z

 

[skate]

If you like walking then the undercliff walk between Axmouth and Lyme Regis is amazing, like being in another country. I recently went Segwaying at Haldon Forest, much more fun than you would imagine. Escot house gardens are worth a visit, not far away towards Honiton and a little different (red squirrels there as well).

 

[adestu]

+1 for lydford gorge.get down to plymouth to the barbican and the aquarium.
dawlish is nice.the railwway along the coast i think is at starcross.
try salcombe as well