Steam trains, shipwrecks and Tarka the otter: a car-free break around Exeter, Devon

River cruises, rural buses and scenic rail routes come into their own when exploring the bracing shores, gorges and wildlife of this stunning area

The moon makes a silver path over Tor Bay. It’s framed by clouds of steam, glowing lilac in the train’s floodlights. This is the view from my toasty carriage on the Dartmouth Steam Railway’s Train of Lights. It’s one of many things I would have missed if I’d come in summer.

In winter, Devon’s trains, hotels and beaches are generally emptier. There are thousands of wading birds, crisp coastal walks to pubs, bracing moorland and Christmas lights, all easy to reach by rail if you avoid the strikes.