10 Things To Do This Summer
With the glorious heady days of summer fast approaching this is the ideal time to get out and explore the area. While the weather’s good and the holiday traffc not too bad, here are some exciting grown-up things to do around Dartmouth...
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Dartmouth Arms
Time and again our readers cite supping a beer at Bayards Cove, outside the Dartmouth Arms, as one of their favourite activities – and more than one has given it as a reason for moving to the town. Whilst watching the river go by is pure pleasure, there’s also lots of local history around the pub. Photographs on the wall show the filming of Kidnapped and The Onedin Line and outside is a plaque commemorating the sailing of the Pilgrim Fathers from Dartmouth. The pub is open from 11am to 11pm and serves a good strong collection of beers and ciders. It’s first and foremost a pub but also sells good food, including highly rated pizzas.
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Dartmouth Boat Hire Centre
Visit the hire centre at their North Embankment kiosk and enjoy the Dart from the river under your own steam. Boats are available to hire by the hour or day, for up to eight people. No licence is required, but the hirer does need to have appropriate experience. After a safety briefing and life jacket issue it’s ship ahoy!
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Discovery Surf
Learn to catch a wave at Bigbury-on-Sea and Challaborough Bay with Discovery Surf, who’ve been teaching in South Devon since 2002.These guys provide professional coaching for all ages and abilities and guarantee you’ll be up and riding in your first lesson!They also hire kayaks and stand up paddleboards.
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Cockington Court
Set in an award-winning country park and just one mile from the seafront, Torquay’s Cockington Court is an historic manor house with more than 20 craft studios, tea rooms, a walled art garden, a Tudor rose garden, contemporary art gallery and popular children’s play area. The gallery has a growing reputation in the arts world, having exhibited work by artists of international acclaim as well as emerging local talent. As well as contemporary art you can see glass blowers, blacksmiths and chocolatiers at work. Admission is free and the centre is open from 10am to 5pm, although studio opening times may vary.
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Experience the River Dart by Canoe
There’s nothing quite like exploring the River Dart by canoe. Forget tours and timetables, roads and traffic jams, take to the water and working with the tide, travel the river as people did before engines were invented. Canoe Adventures, set up in 1999, will guide you along the river in traditional long canoes.“It’s the ultimate multi-generational family adventure from toddler to grandparent,” says a happy customer. The canoes embark up to twelve people, plus their steersman-guide and full equipment, or you may book just one or two seats for a canoeshare excursion.
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National Aquarium, Plymouth
Plymouth’s aquarium is the biggest in the UK and well worth a visit or two. With displays across the world’s oceans from Plymouth’s shores to tropical coral reefs it’s an amazing journey into another world. And the interactive daily dive shows are hilarious in the huge Atlantic Ocean tank - the biggest tank in the UK, holding 2.5 million litres of water. Open daily from 10am to 5pm, the recommended viewing time is three hours at least, although a free return trip is included in the ticket price.
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Lukesland Gardens
For a day out and only about 45 mins by car from Dartmouth is this mature 24-acre family-run garden at Ivybridge. ‘What a glorious, tranquil place – divine plants’ ‘Enchanting garden and a lovely cup of tea!’ are just some of the comments from visitors.
The tumbling Addicombe brook is criss-crossed by many charming and unusual bridges and its ponds and pools are home to wild birds, frogs and toads. With home-made soup and cakes served up by a log fire in the Victorian Tea Room and a Children’s Trail to keep the younger generation amused, these gardens have something for everyone. Dogs are welcome on a lead. They are open from 11am – 5pm on Sundays, Wednesdays and all Bank Holidays
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