A week of heaven in Devon

With the aim of escaping the snow that had been falling on our part of Kent since December we packed the car with wellies and waterproofs and headed west at half term for a holiday in Devon. Fifteen years ago Graham and I stayed in Dartmouth with our baby daughter Georgia and I have always wanted to re-visit as our exploration of the town was limited then by a running battle between pushchair and steep cobbled streets.

Georgia is now 16 and she has a 14-year-old sister Beth and there are no longer any physical restrictions on our sightseeing. Now, the only contention is that my teenage daughters and I do not always agree on the best way to spend a day out, but with the help of a little pre-planning we managed to find something for everyone and all four of us had a great time.

Doing Dartmouth

In Dartmouth we spent a couple of hours solving a murder mystery with the help of a treasure trail pack from www.treasuretrails.co.uk. The pack cost just £5 and by following a series of clues we managed to eliminate various suspects and solve the crime. This is a fun and (don't tell the children) educational activity as the trail took us all round Dartmouth and we learnt a lot about its fascinating history along the way.

After grabbing a quick lunch from one of the many busy cafés we took the Lower Ferry across the River Dart to Kingswear. In operation since 1700, the present ferry consists of a platform for cars and foot passengers, pulled across the water by tugs (www.dartharbour.org). The crossing gives lovely views of the town, the naval college and castle. At Kingswear we followed a well-marked footpath that runs next to the Paignton to Kingswear steam railway (www.paignton-steamrailway.co.uk) and returned to Dartmouth on the Higher Ferry (www.dartmouthhigherferry.com).

Beautiful beaches

A short drive from Dartmouth, Blackpool Sands is set in a sheltered bay surrounded by evergreens and pines. This award-winning, privately managed beach has fantastically clear water and, to our delight, was completely deserted when we arrived on a cold but bright afternoon. There's a smart café, shop and, in the summer, lifeguard patrol and kayaks for hire. We took the opportunity to scamper about on the fine shingle beach and splash in and out of the breakers (www.blackpoolsands.co.uk).

Inspired by the beauty of Blackpool Sands, the following day we visited North Sands next to the quaint seaside town of Salcombe (www.salcombeinformation.co.uk). It was a bleak, blustery morning - the perfect backdrop to the crumbling ruins of Salcombe Castle, a fortress founded to protect the harbour by Henry VIII. Although set on an isolated rock it is possible to clamber out to the ruins at low tide, which we did, admiring the contents of numerous rock pools along the way.

Wet afternoons

Any holiday in the West Country is going to involve at least one wet afternoon. Leaving Graham to sample the fine local ale in Salcombe's cosy pubs, the girls and I shed our waterproofs and sped off for a pampering session at Haven Spa in Kingsbridge (www.havenspaandtherapy.co.uk). Located in the attractively refurbished former workhouse with plenty of parking outside, Haven Spa offers an array of treatments from mud envelopment to salt brushing as well as complementary therapies such as Indian head massage. I opted for a manicure and the girls each had mini facials. With an adjoining room Georgia and Beth enjoyed a joint session (this would work equally well for a mother/daughter session) while I put my feet up in the relaxation room and waited for the polish on my now perfect nails to dry.

An alternative rainy day outing is a visit to the Dartington Cider Press Centre, Totnes where we found a selection of shops including Dartington Glass where I picked up a couple of pretty stained glass hearts to hang in the windows back home (www.dartington.org/cider-press-centre).

Eating out

Our favourite pub was the Kingsbridge Inn, Totnes (www.thekingsbridgeinn.com) a gastro pub with open fires, stone floors and low beams. We also loved the Winking Prawn in Salcombe (www.winkingprawn.co.uk) a quirky beach café, which provides a box of dressing-up clothes for younger visitors and serves delicious popcorn shrimp.

However, the highlight of the week was lunch at Riverford Field Kitchen on Riverford Farm, Buckfastleigh (www.riverford.co.uk). Famous for its organic veg boxes, visitors can take a farm tour and then sit down to a communal meal in the bright modern dining room. The set menu is prepared by head chef Jane Baxter using the freshest seasonal produce from the fields, this includes five vegetable dishes and one meat dish (a vegetarian alternative is also available). We had slow roast belly pork and helped ourselves from bowls full of mouth-watering vegetables that included fennel and leek gratin and January King cabbage with caraway and sautéed potato. This was followed by a selection of puddings including ginger sponge with rhubarb and an incredible sticky toffee pudding. We shared our table with another family of four, all the adults enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, as did the children who ranged in age from 16 to eight.

Where we stayed

Jack's Cottage, available through Coast & Country Cottages (www.coastandcountry.co.uk), is a recently converted barn on a working farm in Harberton, not far from Totnes. When we arrived the log burner had been lit in the cosy living room (a supply of logs is provided) and there was a vase of flowers on the kitchen table. There was also milk in the fridge, fresh bread, tea, coffee and, to the girls' delight, a lemon cake, bags of Devon fudge and some home-made raspberry jam. The helpful Coast & Country information pack included suggestions for places to go as well as local maps.

The cottage was spotlessly clean and attractively decorated in off-white with oatmeal-coloured carpets in most rooms and a slate floor in the kitchen. There's a twin room downstairs with en-suite shower, large kitchen, double room upstairs with second bathroom. As Graham is 6'2" he was particularly pleased with the king-size bed and spacious walk-in shower.

Jack's has everything you could need for a family self-catering holiday including washing machine and tumble dryer, fridge and freezer, well equipped kitchen, DVD and flat screen TV in the living room as well as wall mounted TVs in both the bedrooms. There's also constant hot water and heated towel rails  - a must for winter breaks. Outside there's a gravelled area with table and chairs positioned to make the most of the uninterrupted view over the fields. Visitors are invited to explore the farm so make sure you pack your wellies.

Find out more

A week at Jack's Cottage costs from £445 in low season. For more information, or to book, visit www.coastandcountry.co.uk. Find out where to go and what's on at www.southdevonaonb.org.uk

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