Where to stay

Coast and Country Cottages (coastandcountry.co.uk) has a host of wellappointed riverside cottages and apartments, allowing you the convenience and camaraderie of self-catering without the worry of finding a hotel with adjoining rooms or extra beds.

Travel Information

Where to eat

Café Alf Resco’s (cafealfresco.co.uk) is the place to go for the breakfast of champions. Locally sourced bacon, eggs and bread, served in gargantuan portions (the egg man delivers over 1,000 a week) fully justifies the long line of eager punters looking for a table (no bookings, so allow for a 15-20 minute wait – it’s worth it).

Rockfish (rockfishdevon.co.uk) is more than just a fish and chip shop, though it does offer a takeaway option (the batter on the supremely fresh fish boasts that satisfying light crunch normally reserved for tempura). The award-winning seafood restaurant is nationally recognised, and the kids will love the fun, educational kids’ packs. Run by Mitch Tonks and Matt Prowse, whose Seahorse restaurant, also in Dartmouth, provides more formal fare.

Riverford Farm (riverford.co.uk) offers a walk around the fields to see what’s being harvested for its vegetable and fruit boxes before settling down at shared tables, refectory style, for a set lunch or dinner. Expect seasonal fare based around an abundance of vegetables to accompany locally bred meats. The puddings (sticky toffee with cream and custard) are worth the trip alone.

Food Glossary

Food and Travel Review

Your first thought might be Naval College. Your next: perhaps I can offload the little blighters for the next ten years and have them return with a smart uniform and a healthy respect for authority. March swiftly on past the esteemed academy, though, and you’ll find that the small maritime town of Dartmouth and its surrounding area packs a lot of punch.

Dartmouth loves visitors. Ever since the crusaders arrived to set sail for the Holy Lands in the 12th century, the higgle piggle of historic streets lining a lush South Devon valley has welcomed a number of significant guests, from Geoffrey Chaucer to Agatha Christie. In between it has provided a haven for captured Portuguese treasure ships, the Pilgrim Fathers’ Mayflower, and US troops preparing for the D-Day landings.

Such tales make for a wonderfully interesting family break. But it has a lot more to it besides history, including attractions that are more likely to have instant appeal for the little ones. The estuary is perfect for crabbing, and you can set yourself up for a couple of hours on the harbour front with a minimum of fuss. The town hosts a lively annual food festival in October, when producers from across the southwest come to offer tastings of their specialities. Dartmouth has retained much of its character and charm, despite having quite a large second-home population. And with boutique shops, art galleries and delicatessens alongside the acclaimed food of the harbour front, parents aren’t left out of the equation either.

Dartmouth deals its finest hand to anyone with children. As it guards the narrow entrance to the gloriously photogenic Dart Estuary, the castle is a good place to start. It has been keeping the town safe, with varying degrees of success, since 1388. Your family can still climb to the top of the gun tower, added a century later, which has the claim to fame of being Britain’s first fortress purpose-built to hold a ship-sinking big canon. (That’s the kind of details boys just love.)

They will also appreciate the epic views and tales of how a heavy chain was slung across the estuary to block attacking ships. For more vivid history, enter the Victorian battery with its remounted heavy guns, guardrooms and maze of passages, where dramatic film footage recreates the sound of 19th-century guns in action.

Of course, children will have as much, if not more fun on the water. And if it comes with amazing history, it’s a bonus. The Kingswear Castle is one of the UK’s last surviving coal-fired paddle steamers. Built in Dartmouth in 1924, with an engine that predates the Titanic by eight years, she churned and tooted her way between the port and Totnes until 1965. After being restored to her former glory in Kent, the Kingswear Castle finally came home last year. She now offers a terrific variety of trips – all reeking of soot and atmosphere. Take a cruise down the Dart River past handsome villages and such sites as Sir Walter Raleigh’s Boathouse and Agatha Christie’s estate. For a full-on blast of clanking Victoriana, package it with a ride on the steam railway.

You can design your own itinerary on The Picnic Boat, whose food and voyage are designed around your needs. Whatever you choose, you’ll be served local produce, be it homemade muesli and organic yoghurt for breakfast, a Devon cream tea or a freshly caught seafood platter. A circle around the estuary entrance gives you a different perspective of the town, before heading upstream where the Duchy of Cornwall’s oyster beds line the banks. Look out, too, for seals popping up from the dark waters.

For those seeking a less sedentary form of exploring, walk down the coast, passing Blackpool Sands (a Blue Flag beach) where a narrow cleft in the cliffs and pines opens out to a perfect semi-circle of shingle. Continue on towards Torcross, following the South West Coastal path, passing along an open beach backed by Slapton Ley, home to many wading and migratory birds. Just over the headland is Beesands and a winding road that takes you down to a pebble beach. There you’ll find The Cricket Inn, serving fresh daily shellfish straight from the bay, all matched to local ales and a decent wine list. What more could you want?

DON’T MISS

Dartmouth Food Festival (dartmouthfood festival.com) is a vibrant event boasting a host of producers from across Devon and Cornwall, plus renowned chefs and food and wine experts from further afield.This year’s festival runs from 25-27 October, with a children’s day on the 24th.

The Picnic Boat (thepicnicboat.co.uk) offers tailor-made tours of the estuary and beyond, with an insightful commentary from skipper Kevin Ward. It also serves excellent locally sourced food according to the requirements of up to 12 cosily accommodated passengers.

Darmouth Rail River (dartmouthrailriver.co.uk) runs round trips from Kingswear to Paignton – boat one direction and steam train the other (sit at the back of the train for the best view).