Once a busy resort in Georgian and Victorian times, Dawlish now has a tranquil, relaxed feel. Some fine period architecture adds to the classic English seaside atmosphere and Dawlish has some very pretty ‘civic’ spaces – the Lawn is a public park that provides a beautifully green heart to the town through which a shallow river known as Dawlish Water runs, heading for the nearby sea in a series of small waterfalls; throughout the evening, coloured fairy lights along this waterway create a little magic for strollers.