If you are near Sidmouth make sure you go around the town and also visit Connaught Gardens which is lovely with lovely sea views. also the café in the middle of the gardens is worth a visit - 2 of you share one slice of cake - they are huge. Sidmouth is my favourite place - we will be there at the beginning of September and we often do day trips as well.
Thanks Cal, we're going that direction tomorrow so might fit it in We were thinking of Budleigh Salterton, which always makes me laugh because of a Monty Python sketch (bicycle tour of Devon and Cornwall I believe - 'fell off near Budleigh Salterton' ) but sounds very nice