Overbeck's Museum and Gardens

Otto Overbeck's eccentric collection fills this clifftop villa near Kingsbridge like a cabinet of wonders from someone who couldn't resist buying anything unusual. There's a player piano, vintage medical contraptions, taxidermy, ship models, and shelves of curious objects gathered over a lifetime of travels - the sort of place where you'll spend twice as long as you thought wandering from room to room, reading the labels and wondering why on earth someone owned half these things.

The gardens are what pull most people in though. Perched high above the coast with views down to Start Bay, they're crammed with tender plants that shouldn't survive this far north - tree ferns, palms, exotic shrubs thriving in the sheltered microclimate. Spring and early summer are particularly good, when the place erupts with colour.

It's National Trust, so expect a modest admission fee and decent facilities. Allow a solid two hours minimum - one for the house, one for a proper wander through the gardens. History enthusiasts and curious types will get more from the interior, while families with older kids will appreciate the oddness of the collection. Younger children might find the house a bit of a maze.

If you're camping nearby at Karrageen or Wilton Farm, it makes an excellent half-day outing that breaks up the caravan routine. The coastal walks around here are stellar too, so you could easily combine it with a clifftop ramble. Worth checking the National Trust website for current opening times before you head over.