Discover the countryside: Devon

PLACE TO EXPLORE: Escape to the Hartland peninsula

Penny Mills, Director of CPRE Devon, recommends the Hartland peninsula in the north-west of the county. Unspoilt and peaceful, its ancient lanes are framed by old Devon hedgerows, with views across the Atlantic towards Lundy Island. 

For somewhere particularly special, seek out Spekes Mill Mouth Waterfall near Hartland Quay. Reached from a quieter section of the South West Coast Path, the waterfall tumbles over the cliffs onto the rocky beach below. 

It’s the kind of place Penny describes simply as somewhere to “get away from it all”. 

LANDSCAPE STORY: Read Dartmoor’s history in its granite 

Granite is one of Dartmoor’s defining features – but it’s also a thread running through thousands of years of human history. 

Look closely and you’ll find it in Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments, stone circles, hut circles and burial chambers, as well as the remains of much later industrial quarrying. 

LOCAL TRADITION: Experience a Devon agricultural show 

August brings agricultural shows to communities across Devon. Alongside livestock and farming, these traditional events showcase local crafts, food, drink and producers – and offer a chance to experience the living, working countryside as well as its landscapes.