National Trust - Buckland Abbey Yelverton PL20 6EY

"This was my first visit to the Abbey and its one of those places that is on your doorstep that you take for granted and never go. Literally a 5 minute drive from home, it is easy to find and well sign posted. Upon arrival there is plenty of parking and ample disabled spaces closer to the entrance. A buggy is also on hand if you are unable to walk down the small hill. I paid my entrance fee as I'm not a member which included gift aid, at £14.30 it turned out to be money well spent. We decided to walk around the estate first and chose the blue 3 mile route, it wasn't arduous but they are shorter options via the red and yellow routes. When we returned we popped into the cafe for lunch. All the staff were friendly and attentive the food was very good especially after a walk. It is also dog friendly which personally I never agree with in places that serve food but those are the rules! We then wandered to the Abbey via the Great Barn. It was full of history and with so much of the original architecture/flooring etc it made it more interesting. Once back outside it was the obligatory visit to the shop. Well worth a visit"

"I was looking for a good coffee, walk in the countryside and a delicious lunch and found everything at Buckland! It was a much more extensive and varied place than I expected. I was pleased to find a good sized cafe in a building with character and started my visit with coffee. I went on to do the longer "blue" estate walk - it was only 3 miles on paths across fields and through woodland - but the quietness and solitude, the lush greenness, and sound of the river below, really gave me the sense that I'd found a piece of heaven. A delicious veggie chilli and cheese scone restored my energy levels, before a quick look around the house. I was surprised to discover that Sir Francis Drake had lived there and the house was more engaging than I'd expected. The gift shop was quite large and also sold plants. There was also a separate second hand bookshop and an art and craft workshop. I could easily have spent the whole day there, finding places to sit, relax and read. I'm already looking forward to my next visit!"

"Such a gorgeous place to visit. The gardens and plants were lovely. The displays and information in the house were very good. The cafe was clean and the food tasty. I'd recommend visiting on a sunny day if possible to get the best experience from the amazing gardens. Parking was free."

"Visited Buckland Abby on the way to North Devon. Made a lovely stop while on a mellow drive. OK let's start at the top, that's the car park. Loads of room to park before heading down into the Abby. Nice walk before the visitors entrance and into the gardens and Abby. The whole place is very well maintained, which you would expect fro the NT. The cafe, also a great stop with super friendly Robins. A well worth stop on the National Trust trail."

"A little gem, one of the most history rich venues from the national trust. A great venue for kids and adults alike, expect to be busy for a few hours in the main grounds. Plenty of walks lasting four miles or under. A four out of five star due to the cafe visit… no welcome and a sausage roll (labelled a small meal) is nearly £4, the same with a sandwich and £6.95 for a scone with jam, massive joke for anyone trying to visit for lunch."