The RSPB shop at Darts Farm

The RSPB shop at Darts Farm sits within a proper working farm just outside Exeter, and it's far more than a gift shop tacked onto a visitor attraction. You're looking at a genuine working space where the charity stocks everything from binoculars and field guides to bird feeders and wildlife books - the sort of place where staff actually know what they're talking about rather than just pointing you toward the till.

It works particularly well if you're staying at one of the holiday parks nearby - Cofton Holidays, Dawlish Sands, or Haven Devon Cliffs are all within a few miles - and you want to kit yourself out before heading into the Devon countryside proper. Families with kids interested in wildlife will find it worthwhile; there's enough to browse without feeling pressured, and the staff are patient about questions. If you're serious about birdwatching or nature photography, you'll spend a good forty minutes here picking up essentials you've forgotten.

The real appeal is the farm setting itself. You get a genuine sense of how the RSPB works on the ground - conservation isn't just a high street charity concept here, it's embedded in the actual landscape. Allow an hour if you're combining it with a farm visit; half that if it's just the shop.

Bit of a trek from central Exeter to get there, mind, so factor that into your itinerary. Worth the detour if you're already exploring the area, but don't make it your sole reason for leaving the coast.