Just east of Torquay in Devon is Ansteys Cove, a rather hidden place now. There's a free car park above and the path opposite leads down to the cove .(Go in summer and you'll be surrounded by butterflies as you walk down). The setting is spectacular with limestone cliffs all around and banks of cowslips above the sea wall. If you turn to the right at the bottom and look immediately on the cliff face there you'll see a largish patch of rather rare native maidehair fern growing happily where it's bathed in constant water dripping down. A scramble to the left takes you to another cove but better is to take the coast path from near the car park either west along wooded Victorian walkways to Torquay, or east, again through woods but also some downland (with plenty of limestone orchids in the summer) to Babbacombe. From the Ansteys Cove car park, it's a 5 minute walk across a playing field to a road. Look right and across the road are steps to Kent's Cavern; a tourist attraction with amazing limestone caves and early human habitation history.
