Angels Tea Rooms, Babbacombe (Paignton Zoo and Broadsands) by Hannah

Heaven is a paradise many spend a life time searching for.  

However, strolling around the sheer cliffs and rugged coast line of the aptly named English Riviera in Devon on a sunny day and you may think you have found your heaven, right here on Earth. 

There were two things I insisted on during our trip to Devon: cream tea and the seaside so Elliott took us for a drive and we ended up at Babbacombe in Torquay.

We decided to have an adventure and took a ride on the Babbacombe Cliff Railway which takes you steeply down to the beach so you can explore the coast and gawk at the massive landslide which must have happened as a result of the winter storms.  

After a good hours stroll along the shore we were parched and headed back up to the promenade to find somewhere for a cream tea.  That is when we discovered that there are actually angels here in Devon too. 

Angels Tea Room to be precise! 

Sometimes the very best meals are eaten at places you only stumble upon by luck and this was certainly the case where Angels is concerned.  We hadn't made a reservation and the warm interior was fully booked but given the great weather, we were very happy to sit outside under reams of bunting and overlooking the bay. 

As I had been looking forward to it all day, we ordered a cream tea.
But not just any cream tea, oh no!  The special Angels cream tea for two is the mother of all cream teas. 

First, they brought us out fresh tea in a teapot served on quaint crockery, as is the law.  You know the experience will be good when it's the proper kind of loose leaf tea you have to strain in order to catch the tea leaves from falling in your brew! 

Then they bring out a three tiered cake stand full to the brim of goodies.

We started this epic cream tea journey at the bottom tier with a choice of two sandwiches.  We opted for traditional ham and mustard and a wonderfully fresh mozzarella, pesto and tomato. 

Above that were four slices of doorstop toast covered in cinnamon that Elliott soon polished off. 

Right at the top were two scones; one plain and one chocolate chip. both shaped in the form of a heart and accompanied by clotted cream, strawberry jam and a special bumbleberry jam (raspberry, strawberry and blueberries).  Truly the most scrumptious scones we have ever consumed.

Then back down at the bottom was a chocolate brownie the size of a house brick. 

To say that my cream tea desires were satisfied would be an understatement and both of us agreed that it would be hard to find a better version of this old English classic.

The area has loads of great family days out too, so after demolishing our incredible lunch, we met up with my family at nearby Paignton Zoo.  I was a bit skeptical about the place but it really took me by surprise and is certainly worth a trip.

To end our day I needed another dose of the seaside so we ended up on Broadsands Beach which is situated between Paignton and Brixham.  

It was gorgeous. Flat and sandy with brightly coloured beach huts lining the promenade. I couldn't resist having a cheeky paddle even if it was a bit nippy out.

There's nothing better than your traditional English day out at the seaside, it really does warm the cockles of one's heart. 

Pure heaven!