Thick, ancient wooded valleys, deep rivers with dense mosses in luminous greens and yellows are scattered throughout the wild moorlands of Dartmoor National Park. The largest open moor in southern England protects Dartmoor’s ‘little five’: blue ground beetle, marsh fritillary butterfly, cuckoo and ash black slug.

There are two reasons I’d merrily return to dramatic Devon.

First, horse riding through the moorland. We chose Babeny Farm Stables’ pub ride that gave us three hours in the saddle. A pity the weather limited our cantering through the boggy open moors. At least it limited the amount of people out and about too and provided a rather imtimate experience

Second, Bovey Castle surrounded by 275 acres of Dartmoor National Park with deer and ponies amidst the rolling hills.