I visited this lovely house and gardens this weekend as part of the National Trust's open weekend, so free for all the family!

Coleton Fishacre is set on the gorgeous South Devon coastline, nestled in a hidden valley near Dartmouth. You can't see the property or the gardens from the road, or even the car park, so it is a real treat to wander down the approach path, and see the gardens and house open out in front of you.

The house was owned by the D'Oyly Carte family, who were made famous by their involvement with staging Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Apparantly the D'Oyly Carte's spotted the land for this property whilst sailing by and bought it and had the house built for their weekends and summers (nice for some!).

The house is built in the Arts and Crafts style and has a fab twenties feel about it - just need a few cocktails on the lawn to really get into the swing of it. What I liked about the house is that unlike much older period properties, I could actually imagine people living there.

My favourite room was the study - really snug and cosy with a fab wind dial where the owner would check the weather for sailing without having to leave his room! All the main rooms are south facing and have panoramic views to the sea.

As with many National Trust properties, the 30 acres of gardens are amazing. The garden is full of hidden path ways, streams and bridges which make you feel you are exploring a secret valley, even when there are lots of other people there.

To view the house and gardens costs £7.40 for adults, but you could easily lose yourself quite happily for a whole afternoon there. As ever, the food in the cafe is fab (especially the cream tea!) so make sure you leave time to indulge before you leave.