Getting to mid-Devon from London without a car

Paddington to Tiverton Parkway is on the main line to Penzance and takes a shade under two hours on a fast service. Book ahead and it is often cheaper than the fuel for the same trip.

The station is called Parkway for a reason: it sits by the motorway rather than in Tiverton, so do not plan to walk anywhere from it.

From Tiverton Parkway you need a taxi or a lift for the final stretch. Book the taxi in advance — rural taxi availability is not a thing you want to discover at nine on a Friday evening. If your group is arriving in a cluster, share.

The M5 runs past Cullompton and Tiverton, so the drive is straightforward until the last few miles, which are lanes. In winter, in the dark, allow more time than the app says and do not follow a satnav down anything that looks like a footpath.

Exeter Airport handles a few routes. For international guests, Bristol is usually the better bet, at about ninety minutes by road.