An Aladdin's cave of curios, Edwardian country house Overbeck’s crowns the cliffs at Salcombe's estuary mouth. It's set in 3 hectares of lush, subtropical gardens, with exotic plants framing wide views. It's named after former owner Otto Overbeck, an inventor who pioneered a machine called the Rejuvenator, which claimed to cure disease using electric currents – one of these devices is on display.
Rooms are packed with Otto's quirky collections of stuffed animals, snuffboxes, and nautical bits and pieces. Look out for displays about the Herzogin Cecilie, a beautiful four-masted barque that sank in 1936 at Starehole Bay, just a mile to the south; a dramatic coast path leads to the spot.
You can drive to Overbeck's or walk the steep 2¼ miles from Salcombe; keep heading south on Cliff Rd until you see the sign.
