Coleton Fishacre is an Arts and Crafts house and garden on the cliffs between Dartmouth and Brixham, built for the D'Oyly Carte family in the 1920s. Richard D'Oyly Carte was the theatrical impresario who commissioned Gilbert and Sullivan's operas and built the Savoy Theatre; his son Rupert built this house as a seaside retreat. The National Trust now manages it.
The garden is the main reason to visit. It descends through a series of terraces and wild planting down a steep combe towards the sea, crammed with tender plants that thrive in the mild coastal climate. The sound of the sea gets louder as you descend, and there are glimpses of the water through the planting before you reach the small cove at the bottom. The house itself is a good example of 1920s Arts and Crafts domesticity, with original furnishings and decoration.