At 182 hectares, Cockington provides a welcome oasis of calm, green space, just a mile from Torquay's seafront bustle. Walking trails wind through fields, woods and parkland surrounding a 17th-century manor house, a walled garden and craft studios.
A heavily thatched village comes complete with forge, mill, gamekeeper's cottage, 14th-century church and an architectural rarity: a thatched pub designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the 1936 Drum Inn.
Check to see if there's a match taking place on Cockington's cricket pitch (summer weekends offer the best chance).