Babbacombe Cliff Railway

The cliff railway at Babbacombe is one of those proper Victorian contraptions that actually still works - a funicular that drops you 128 metres down the red sandstone cliffs to a small beach below. You board a carriage at the top, and it descends on rails using a counterweight system that's been doing the same job since 1926. Takes about two minutes, but those two minutes offer genuine views across Tor Bay.

It's worth doing if you're already in Torquay - and you'd be mad not to be if you're staying at Parkdean Resorts Torquay Holiday Park, which sits barely 1.7 miles away. Less than a tenner for a return ticket, and you get access to the small shingle beach at the bottom plus the clifftop gardens at the top. Older kids will find it novelty value rather than a full afternoon's entertainment. Families with younger children tend to spend a solid hour here - a bit of a ride, a paddle, an ice cream from the kiosk.

Go on a calm day. Windy weather makes the ride feel slightly bouncier than you'd prefer, and the beach itself becomes less appealing in rough conditions. Summer weekends get crowded, so early morning or late afternoon slots work better if you value peace.

Babbacombe Village itself is worth a wander - independent shops, a few decent tea rooms, nothing flashy. The railway works well as a half-day activity wedged between Torquay's seafront and the various larger holiday parks scattered around Devon Bay.