20 Attractions to Explore Near Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park

Mount Edgcumbe House is the former home of the Earls of Mount Edgcumbe. Set in Grade I Cornish Gardens within 865 acres Country Park on the Rame Peninsula, South East Cornwall. It was the ancestral home of the Edgcumbes for over four hundred years and its collections encapsulate the story of this fascinating English aristocratic family. The early gardens, developed around the house, were in an early formal style popular at the time. These were later superseded by the classical style of layout po

The beach's of Whitsand Bay offer over three miles of stunning sand from Rame Head to Portwrinkle and are considered one of Cornwall’s hidden gems. Rock pools dotted along the beach reveal fascinating marine life, and out to sea the bay is a popular dive site, home to HMS Scylla, an ex-naval frigate sunk in 2004 to form an artificial reef.

Dartmoor Zoo is a beautiful 30-acre zoo just north of the village of Sparkwell. It was opened in 1968 by Ellis Daw who ran it until its licence was revoked and it was forced to close in 2006. It has over 70 different animal species, including some endangered and critically endangered species. The zoo has a breeding program with common marmosets, tapir, slender-tailed meerkats, Kafue lechwe, and wallaby.

Buckland Abbey was built in the thirteenth century as a Cistercian monastery. It retained its function until the mid-sixteenth century, when Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries. The last Drake descendant to live there was Captain Richard Owen-Tapps-Gervis-Meyrick (1892–1948) who sold the Abbey in 1948, after it had been gutted by fire in 1938.

The National Trust's Cotehele, Cornwall, is a Tudor house with superb collections, garden, quay and estate. The house was probably founded around 1300 and various alterations were made in the early fifteenth century. It includes a mill, 15 century chapel and Cotehele Quay. They receive around 100,000 visitors a year to its Barn Restaurant and Edgcumbe Arms Tearoom.

The Garden House is an exceptional garden on the fringes of Dartmoor in Devon. It's funded entirely by the work of a small charity; 'The Fortescue Garden Trust'. Packed with plants and colors for all seasons, it is well worth visiting most of the year. The tower in the walled garden offers magnificent views of the landscape. There is a new Arboretum which has great displays of colors in the Autumn.

A historic copper port has been restored as an outdoor museum of industrial heritage. See a miner's cottage, waterwheel, assay laboratory, smithy, cooperage, lime kilns and other buildings that create a fascinating experience of the history of the area. This small mine has many features characteristic of the other mines found throughout the Tamar Valley, but here you can actually journey underground and experience something of the working conditions of the miners during the 19th century.

Burrator Reservoir is situated within Dartmoor, and the tranquil water and surrounding mixed woodland contrast sharply with the open moor and the rugged Dartmoor tors. The reservoir is popular with walkers, cyclists, and horse riders due to its wealth of footpaths and bridleways. Many of the trails lead on to Dartmoor so it makes an ideal starting point for longer trips.

East Looe beach is a perfect location for swimming as the beach gently shelves providing easy access especially for the little ones. At low tide there is a large gently sloping sandy beach which is generally safe for swimming, although it is not recommended to swim by the river mouth beyond the pier. It offers good, safe swimming, the eastern end of the beach is rockier and hence less crowded than the western end, which starts at the Banjo Pier.

Burgh Island is an iconic South Devon landmark, located directly opposite Bigbury on Sea beach. The island is accessible at low tide by a strip of sand which at high tide is completely covered, leaving a ride on the unique sea tractor as the only means of access. It is mainly known for two remarkable features: the fantastic, if expensive Art Deco-style Burgh Island Hotel and the unusual means by which the hotel gets its visitors to the island when the tide is high.

A beautiful beach which is flourished with nice waves and beautiful white sands. This beach is part of the designated South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is great for families with young children who want to do a little swimming or paddling. Bantham also has a reputation as one of the best surfing beaches in South Devon.

Dartmoor Prison Museum reflects the heritage of HMP Dartmoor from Prisoner of War Depot to the present day. The museum attracts more than 35,000 visitors every year from all over the world. Some of the artifacts and documents on display will surprise you but will certainly enable you to form an opinion about prison life.

Wistman's Wood is an ancient forest that has largely been left to grow wild, free of destruction, or shaping by humans or large animals. This National Nature Reserve of 170ha mainly consists of a model example of the upland heathland and has a wealth of moorland birds. Wistman’s Wood is in the Dart river valley and has views of wild Devon that you won’t find anywhere else in the country.

Dartmoor National Park is a vast moorland in the county of Devon. Covering 368 sq miles, this vast national park feels like it’s tumbled straight out of a Tolkien tome, with its honey-colored heaths, moss-smothered boulders, tinkling streams, and eerie granite hills. One of the iconic attractions in this area and gives a new experience in the middle of nature.

The River Lyd rises at Lyd Head by Corn Ridge to the north of Woodcock Hill. It's a flat, boggy landmass that's relatively difficult to walk across. There are the remains of extensive peat works to the southeast of Lyd Head including the evocatively named Bleak House.

Pennywell Farm is packed full of animals, activities, shows and displays. It’s the biggest activity farm in the South West and there’s something new happening every hour. It is a centre for the breeding of miniature pigs, a variant of the New Zealand kune kune breed.

South Devon AONB is part of a family of protected landscapes across Britain, which also includes Dartmoor National Park. It covers 60 glorious miles of coastline, estuaries, and countryside between Plymouth and Torbay. take a short walk with the kids along the rugged and dramatic coastline or just savor the views of the Devonshire countryside as you amble through the lanes to one of the many quaint village pubs, this part of the region has plenty on offer for those of all ages to enjoy.

North Sands is a sandy beach located to the south of Salcombe and is an easy fifteen minute walk along Cliff Road from the town centre. Stunning views of the Salcombe Estuary, Sunny Cove on the East Portlemouth side and out to sea past Wolf Rock. Although North Sands is a fairly small Salcombe beach, it has the kind of golden sand that makes a holiday and it's served by several convenient facilities.

An Edwardian house with a wonderful sea view. The museum houses Overbeck's collections of stuffed animals, and exhibitions of model sailing ships and various nautical and shipbuilding tools. There is also a sub-tropical garden paradise that has unusual plants from all round the globe.

Buckfast butterfly farm with Dartmoor otter sanctuary is a wildlife centre in Buckfastleigh, Devon. It is an all-weather attraction run by a family who care for several types of otters. The butterfly farm is in a giant hot and humid greenhouse. There are usually a vast number of butterflies fluttering around. There are also several terrapins, Iguanas and Koi Karp. They also have an ant exhibit where you can see thousands of ants hard at work.