It's as far from a fusty old museum as you can get, with engaging exhibits filling a stylish new building. Step into a Victorian bathing machine, heft a cannonball and try your hand at Punch 'n' Judy. Look out for cannons from a 16th-century Venetian shipwreck, and displays on Admiral Pellew, the inspiration for author CS Forester’s Hornblower series of novels.
Teignmouth & Shaldon Museum
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
12.22 MILES
Magnificent in warm, honey-coloured stone, Exeter's cathedral is one of Devon’s most impressive ecclesiastical sights. Dating largely from the 12th and…
12.15 MILES
High on Devon’s must-see list, the captivating summer home of crime writer Agatha Christie sits beside the placid River Dart. Part-guided tours allow you…
12.4 MILES
A fixture on the city's cultural scene since Victorian times, this hulking red-brick museum recently received a £24 million revamp. It's a treasure trove…
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19.7 MILES
Beer's creamy chalk cliffs hint at the presence of a seam of high-quality masonry material called Beer stone. It's been used in countless famous buildings…
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27.9 MILES
The enchanting blend of landscapes here make this garden one of the best in Devon. Its 3 hectares encompass wildflower meadows and South African planting,…
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23.39 MILES
Sitting on one of England's most exposed peninsulas, the 815,000 candela beam of this bright-white lighthouse can be seen for 25 nautical miles. Tours (on…
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9.16 MILES
This innovative, 32-hectare zoo is by far and away Paignton's top draw. Spacious enclosures recreate habitats from savannah and wetland to tropical forest…
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13.96 MILES
For an evocative glimpse of jazz-age glamour, drop by the former home of the D'Oyly Carte family of theatre impresarios. Built in the 1920s, its faultless…
Nearby attractions
4.19 MILES
Clinging to the coast at the mouth of the River Exe, a curling sand spit reaches far out into the water, offering exhilarating views up the river and out…
4.59 MILES
There are 413 tiny buildings, inhabited by 13,160 even tinier people, on display at this Lilliputian attraction, the epitome of English eccentricity…
4.63 MILES
One of a string of sand-and-shingle beaches, Oddicombe sits at the foot of the Babbacombe Cliff Railway.
5.23 MILES
A pocket-sized beach that's popular with swimmers, thanks to a picturesque rock ridge and pinnacle, and a cheerful beach cafe.
5.5 MILES
Expect stalactites to drip water on your head and temperatures to dip to 14°C in these atmospheric caves. Hour-long guided tours lead through a maze of…
5.95 MILES
The collection at Torquay's town museum is eclectic, taking in everything from samurai suits of armour to Egyptian mummies and taxidermied butterflies…
6.31 MILES
Built in 1196, this impressive abbey is a setting for arts and cultural events, but it's the wonderful gardens that are of most interest – particularly to…