Now the kids are back to school, you may be searching for somewhere to take them for a day trip at the weekend, or a short getaway – Dartmouth could be the place for you! You’ll fall in love with our beautiful streets, coastal views as well as finding plenty of great things to do in the area to keep the whole family entertained.
The Flavel Arts Centre, Dartmouth
To keep your little ones entertained during the weekend you could take them for a trip to the cinema. Each Saturday The Flavel hosts their Kids Club, showcasing a fantastic selection of films they’ll absolutely love. Treat them and yourselves to a spot of lunch or a light snack and a hot drink afterwards at The Flavel Café who offer a whole range of tasty and freshly made delights.
Babbacombe Model Village, Babbacombe
Babbacombe Model Village is certainly not just an attraction your little ones will love, parents and grandparents also experience an exciting day out too. This infamous attraction located in Torquay, just a short car drive away from Dartmouth, contains thousands of miniature buildings, people and scenes such as Stonehenge and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre with touches of English humour that capture the country’s past and present. The beautiful gardens here are something to be admired and you can even play a round of crazy golf, included in your entry ticket.
Dartmouth Castle, Dartmouth
Dartmouth Castle has been guarding our town for over 600 years and is an iconic landmark in Dartmouth. The castle offers unbeatable views of the estuary and out to see and is a great family day out regardless of the weather. After you’ve visited the castle, pop into the Dartmouth Castle Tea Rooms for a light lunch or a piece of cake and if you’re looking to make your trip here into a full day out, you could even take the Dartmouth Castle Ferry from the town centre.
HQ Escape Room, Dartmouth
Immerse the family in a themed escape room this half term. Suitable for everyone aged 9+, you’ll have to work together to solve puzzles as you race against the clock to escape! HQ Escape Room are also dog friendly, so the whole family can enjoy some time together – you’ll be sure to create some long-lasting memories together.
Pennywell Farm, Buckfastleigh
Located just a short drive away near Buckfastleigh, Pennywell Farm is a fab family-friendly attraction jam packed with lovable farm animals. As well as this there’s plenty of hands-on activities, tractor rides, and exciting displays! With a different activity occurring every 30-minutes, your little ones will never get bored here – from pig racing to piggy cuddles and goat walking to pony pampering, you can get up close and personal a wide variety of cute farmyard animals.
Enjoy some time in the fresh air!
There’s plenty of great walks in and around Dartmouth to tire your little tykes out! As Dartmouth sits on the South West Coast Path, there’s plenty of short and long walks you can take. Take a stroll to Sugary Cove, a beautiful, secluded beach or further to Little Dartmouth. If you’ve got the car or fancy venturing even further afield, you could take a walk around Torcross and perhaps stop and treat everyone to an ice cream or a tasty portion of fish and chips. A trip over the River Dart via the ferry will land you in Kingswear where you could visit National Trust owned Coleton Fishacre, a beautiful Art Deco house or head up the river to Greenway House, which was owned by iconic crime writer Agatha Christie. Both have stunning gardens and plenty of great walks around the area. Discover more walks here.
Spend some time in the town centre
Dartmouth town centre is jam packed with independent retail gems and incredible places to grab a bite to eat. There’s an eclectic mix of high street names and specialist shops such as locally owned boutiques and eco-friendly homeware stores. Foss Street is a great place to start, it’s the oldest street in Dartmouth so you can browse the shops whilst admiring the stunning architecture. Or pay a visit to the Old Market Square where a fabulous artisan market is helped every fourth Saturday of the month. You can check out just some of Dartmouth’s great shops here.
We love hearing about your visits to Dartmouth so feel free to tag us in any photos you share on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and we may even feature it on our feed! You can also sign up to our newsletter for the latest blog posts, events and more!
