Ugborough and the South Hams has so much to offer that any list is sure to miss some pearls.
In Ugborough there are two good pubs - The Ship and The Anchor. The Ship serves good, straighforward food in a traditional setting. The menu is varied and the prices reasonable.
The Anchor is more of a "locals" pub but serves wonderful, takeaway "fish and chips" on a Friday night.
Nearby there are a number of good gastro restaurants nearby including the Turtley Cornmill in South Brent (0871 5287742) and the Ship Inn at Noss Mayo (01752 872387).
The Ship Inn, in particular is great for a relaxed Sunday lunch. Favoured restaurants include the Oyster Shack (Bigbury 01548 810876), where the seafood is stunning and the setting relaxed, The Elephant in Torquay (01803 200044) which is Michelin starred as is the fantastic Gidleigh Park (01647 432367).
For a wonderful walk on Dartmoor The Holne Chase Hotel is an ideal spot to start from (01364 631471) and if you fancy surfing and lunching Fifteen at Watergate Bay is worth the trip for the views alone!
There are some great towns near Swallow Brook Barn including Totnes, Ashburton, Dartmouth and Salcombe. Totnes is an increasingly bohemian town with a variety of interesting shops and places to visit.
If you are interested in "New Age" activities you will LOVE Totnes. It also has a fun pottery for children called China Blue where they can create their own designs. Ashburton is a market town with an interesting mix of antique shops including the renowned Ashburton Marbles, and some good restaurants including Agaric (01364 654478)
Both Dartmouth and Salcombe are very pretty estuary towns. Dartmouth has some fantastic views, particularly from the castle and Agatha Chrisie's summer house at Greenway is worth a visit. Salcombe is great fun both during the day and at night. The combination of interesting shops, good restaurants and the sailing vibe make for a popular destination.
Parking is difficult, so try and go early, but it is easy to watch the world go by over lunch, with the Ferry Inn being the ideal spot. Also worthy of note is Modbury which is 5 miles away and has a fantastic butchers on the High Street and a pharmacy for emergencies,and Plymouth's marina area now has some very good fish restaurants.
If you like walking there are a variety of options. For coastal walks you can try the South West Coastal Park (not recommended for children), Mothercombe Beach and Netton to Newton Ferrers. Great walks on Dartmoor include those from Holne Chase (details above), Harford and Erme River (both near Ivybridge) and the Avon Dam reservoir which is suitable for pushchairs. In the centre of Dartmoor, Widecombe in the Moor is a good central point for walking and has a good pub in the famous Old Inn.
The South Ham is spoilt for beaches. Near to Swallow Brook Barn are Mothercombe Beach and Bigbury on Sea. Both of these are great but Bigbury on Sea is a particular favourite where you can surf and enjoy lunch at the Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel (01548 810514). Blackpool Sands near Dartmouth is in a beautiful setting, although they charge for entry, and at Salcome the beach at East Prawle, whilst small is great for a day playing buckets and spades.
If you are feeling active you can enjoy surfing at Bigbury and in Cornwall we would recommend the O'Neill Surf Academy at Watergate Bay. They provide courses for all levels and the atmosphere is fun (01637 876083). If you enjoy riding Dartmoor is a fantastic place to horse ride with stables at Foxworthy and Babeny providing horses for all levels of experience.
On the practical side there is a large Tesco at Ivybridge, a Sainsburys at Plymouth and a Morrisions at Totnes but we would recommend using some of the great local shops in Totnes and Modbury.
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