The Dartmoor Way is a wonderful, 90-mile cycle route around the national park's hilly perimeter. It has everything from lanes and gorges to freely roaming sheep and rushing waterfalls.

Trail running brings me into the present moment in a way running on tarmac never did. Many of the trails I've been running on here are veritable obstacle courses. Tree roots weave across the earthen paths, raised perfectly to capture an unsuspecting foot. Mud stretches across the trails like a cat taking a sun bath. Beech trees reach their downy leaves to head height, silent sideline supporters going for the high five.

Shaptor Woods in East Dartmoor is a phenomenal woodland packed with bluebells, birds and magnificent views. This 10k hike starts in Bovey Tracey, takes you through the glorious woods and back along part of the Wray Valley Trail.

Dartmoor is a place of striking granite tors, pockets of temperate rainforest, wide open moorland and secluded river valleys. There are endless cycle routes to explore thanks to the lanes, byways, bridle paths and open moor that you can explore with reckless abandon. This is a fantastic 30km ride in the east of the national park.

Okehampton train station is re-opening for daily trains in late 2021 and that means the numerous trails passing through the town are even easier to access! Hiking and cycling trails that use the town include seven named ways, many of which are multi-day.Not bad for a fairly isolated moor town!

Stretching from Bovey Tracey right on the south eastern edge of the Dartmoor, to around 7 miles up to Moretonhampstead, the Wray Valley Trail mostly uses a disused railway line.Not content with that, I decided we'd carry on to the Teign river and get some mud on the tires and sweat on the brow. This is a beautiful 22-mile route with plenty of views!

The East Devon Way is the secret half-sibling of the South West Coast Path. This 38-mile path starts in Exmouth and winds its way though the East Devon countryside, over hills, across fields and through the quaintest of villages to finish in Lyme Regis on the Jurassic Coast.

I don't find it too difficult to plan a bike ride, but I do find it difficult to have faith in my planning skills. I'm terrible for underestimating the steepness and length of hills - last Sunday I spent 20 minutes of a 3 hour ride going up one, incredibly long, steep hill - and I'm equally awful at remembering to let my stomach have a say in the preparation.Every time I go out for a jaunt and forget something, I think, 'the moment I get home I will write a damn checklist!'

This is a trail likely familiar to most two-wheeling residents. It actually stretches from Exmouth on the east coast of the estuary, all the way to Dawlish on the west coast. Exeter lies in the middle of the trail, upriver, allowing you to chose either direction and reach the sea with relative ease.

High Willhays is predominantly notable for its height and little else. To look at, it's not much. It's upstaged by its sister, Yes Tor, a stone's throw north and just 2 metres lower. But its surroundings contain myriad intrigue, and hiking here is well worth the effort.

As Devon bike rides go, cycling the Grand Western Canal from Tiverton is an exceptionally beautiful one. 22 miles and flat, it's a slice of paradise that I'd never known existed.

I became aware of the beaver thanks to the shutter sounds of far fancier cameras than mine. My eyes searched the water and there it was, a brown head, calm eyes and an elevated nose, working its way across the river.

I’ve decided to get to know my arboreal neighbours. The ones that will offer shelter in a rain shower even if you turn up uninvited.

Suddenly we could look up and down the canal as well as the river. The morning sunshine spun gold through the reeds and herons hung out on the banks, statuesque with a single, raised eyebrow.