Devon self catering holiday cottages

Appledore is full of history, with watch towers, look-outs, a smugglers tunnel, fishermen’s cottages, captains’ houses and a quay overlooking the meeting point of the rivers Torridge and Taw before they flow through the "pool" and over the "bar" into Bideford Bay.

Away from the quay the narrow streets, hidden lanes and cobbled courtyards preserve the intriguing history and transport the imagination back through the centuries.

Mostly a conservation area, Appledore is close to the South West Coast Path and beautiful safe beaches for surfing, swimming and sandcastles. Also, nearby is the Northam Burrows Country Park, home to the oldest 18 hole links golf course in England!
                       

Winner of World In Bloom Award 2000!

Barnstaple has received many other prestigious awards for its floral displays, in fact more than any other town in the UK, including 'Entente Florale' , 'Nations' and 'World in Bloom' competitions.

Barnstaple is the commercial centre of the region, combining sophisticated shopping with the bustling atmosphere of markets and specialty shops. The modern Green Lanes Shopping Centre compliments the traditional Pannier and Craft Markets held since 1855 in the Pannier Market Hall. Around every corner there are pretty little alleys and courtyards, as well as the unusual Butchers Row, a line of open fronted shops selling specialty foods from meat and fish to laver and traditional clotted cream.

The town centre is wheelchair friendly with the main street pedestrianised during shopping hours and with drop down kerbs enabling easy access. Many shops have level access with wide entrances and the main car parks have designated disabled driver parking spaces. There is also a shop mobility centre located near the Bus Station which provides the loan of manual and powered wheelchairs and has a volunteer escort service.  

The North Devon Leisure Centre offers a swimming pool, sports hall, squash courts, fully equipped gym and much more. Nearby the North Devon Karting Centre has 2 circuits of 200m and 400m and welcomes beginners and experts. The Portmore Golf Park just outside Barnstaple has two 9 hole courses and an undercover driving range. For those who enjoy ten pin bowling, the Lets Go Superbowl can provide great family fun. Rock Park by the River Taw has tennis courts, bowling greens, play area, football and cricket pitches. Finally, the Queens Theatre provides year round entertainment including concerts, shows and plays.  

Bideford  

The Victorian novelist Charles Kingsley described Bideford as "The Little White Town which slopes upward from its broad river tide " . Indeed, little has changed from when Kingsley lived in the area nearly 150 years ago much of its architecture and historic associations are still with us. Kingsley's statue, located adjacent to the Tourist Information Centre, serves as a permanent reminder of this famous resident and the time he spent here writing part of his well-known novel Westward Ho!

Today, Bideford is both a thriving market town and working port with much to offer visitors to the region. Amongst the many buildings and places of interest you will find the historic covered Pannier Market, dating from 1883, which holds a market every Tuesday and Saturday.  Alongside the history you will find modern shopping amenities, a wide choice of bars and restaurants, entertainment and a tremendous range of visitor attractions for the young and not so young! 

Bude is located in northern Cornwall.  It has beautiful beaches, many of which are ideal for those who enjoy surfing or body boarding.

Widemouth Bay is well worth a visit.  It has a sandy beach and the sea is ideal for surfing and body boarding.  During the summer months there is a lifeguard service available between 10.00 am and 6.00 pm.

Clovelly, a former fishing village clings to a steep hillside on the North Devon coast. Its colourful, flower bedecked cottages line the main stepped, cobbled street on such a steep incline that you can almost see down the chimney of the cottage below!  Visitors to Clovelly manage the steep cobbled streets to the ancient harbour on foot as traffic is banned from the village.  The only other form of transport are sledges, which are used to deliver weekly supplies to the community.

There are a wide range of facilities in the village that will enhance the enjoyment of your visit. There is the award winning Clovelly Centre which includes a gift shop, picnic area and self service restaurant. In the village you will find the New Inn and the Fisherman’s Museum and Charles Kingsley Exhibition. In addition, the Clovelly Pottery and the Silk Shop are open seasonally.

The famous Red Lion Hotel is dramatically located over the 14th century harbour.  Just to the east of Clovelly can be found the delightful seaside hamlet of Bucks Mills. 

There is a small entrance charge to the village covering parking which contributes to the upkeep of Clovelly.  

Croyde

Croyde Village dates back to pre Saxon times and is one of the prettiest villages in Devon with many thatched cottages. Croyde is named after the Norse Raider Crydda who landed in Croyde Bay, and each year the village celebrates its Viking origins with a Viking Festival held in June.

The village is well known for its ice cream and clotted cream shops, and there are many cafes and pubs serving traditional fayre.  Croyde is also home to the Rock and Gem Museum which contains a unique collection of rocks, gems and shells from all over the world.  Croyde is very popular with surfers, who visit from near and far to experience the world renowned breakers to be found in the bay.  

On the extreme West of North Devon is the large unspoilt parish of Hartland with contrasting moors and delightful wooded valleys; tall cliffs rise above the rugged coastline hiding secluded bays. The sizeable village has developed around the square where St John’s Chapel, with its ancient town clock was built on the site of the old market and town hall. St John’s is now home for the town band and the male voice choir. There are various craft workshops in the village with occasional art and craft fayres in the Parish Hall. Across a sheltered valley is the 12th Century Abbey, with gardens which lead down to the rocky cove. At the west end of Hartland, Springfield leads into The Vale, where a pleasant walk takes you to Stoke, where you will find the parish church of St. Nectan with its commanding 128ft tower, described as "the Cathedral" of North Devon. 

Ilfracombe

Nestling snugly amongst the rugged cliffs of the majestic Atlantic coast sits Ilfracombe - Gateway to the Heritage Coast - an historic and charming natural harbour surrounded by beautiful and breathtaking scenery.

The resort has been popular since the 1830’s when the Victorians started to visit the area and much of the architecture today is a reminder of the Victorian era. Many of the large, elegant buildings, have since been converted into quality hotels.

The town has grown up around an ancient harbour where today fishing vessels share anchorage with pleasure craft, and from where the M.S. Oldenburg regularly sails to Lundy Island, twelve miles off the coastline. With its array of shops, cafes and bars, Ilfracombe has an almost continental atmosphere.

Ilfracombe is the base for many varied festivals. The town has a growing reputation for its floral displays and has been the proud winner of many coveted awards in the ‘Britain in Bloom’ Competition. Each year the streets are awash with colour from June to October with baskets, tubs and planters everywhere.

Ilfracombe is also the start of the Coast to Coast cycle route 31 which runs all the way to Plymouth on the south coast and connects to the Sustrans National Cycle Network at Barnstaple. 

This pretty estuary village lies on the banks of the River Torridge. Its wonderful scenic views make it a favourite haunt for artists whilst fishermen enjoy catching bass! It is also a place for water sports and sailing enthusiasts.

Instow commands some of the most spectacular sunsets ever to be witnessed in North Devon as it disappears behind the horizon of Bideford Bay.

Home of the North Devon Yacht Club, Instow has a small 17th century quay from which a summer ferry plies to Appledore, and a long promenade forms the backing for the sandy beach.

At the North end the sand dunes are a popular venue for family outings; beyond which lies the cricket pitch with its picturesque thatched clubhouse, and a second beach, traditionally famous for its shell fish catch.

The riverside Tarka Trail passes through Instow, with access beside the restored signal box near the Quay. The parish church and school overlook the estuary from the hillside behind the village.

The small settlement of Mortehoe is a pretty stone built village mentioned in the Doomsday Book. The village features several  tea rooms and pubs, a thirteenth century church and Mortehoe Heritage Centre which recounts the area’s rich maritime history. Mortehoe is also the starting point for many scenic walks along this dramatic stretch of coastline. Just north of the village and reached only on foot, is Rockham Beach lying at the base of the 100 ft cliff, an ideal location for a peaceful day on the beach.  

Putsborough

Of all the "golden coast" beaches, Putsborough is supreme for bathers of all ages and there are several small, rocky pools for toddlers to splash about in.

This golden sand and sea can be a challenge for the most expert surfer or a mecca for sailing dinghies and windsurfing enthusiasts.

Should you wish to explore further afield it would be hard to find more interesting countryside. Georgeham and Croyde Churches are but a mile away and these two villages have a liberal collection of welcoming country pubs. There is a championship golf course at nearby Saunton as well as tennis and riding.  

The Eden Project, St Austell, Cornwall

On 15 May, 2001 the Prince of Wales officially opened the Eden Project, a vast horticultural park built on the site of a former clay pit in St Austell, Cornwall. Consisting of three huge futuristic greenhouses, or “biomes”, each with its own carefully controlled climate, the project houses 80,000 plants from all around the world along with birds, insects, and reptiles to help control pests. Since it first opened to the public, the Eden Project has attracted thousands of visitors and earned widespread acclaim from architects and horticulturalists alike. 

The largest of the three biomes, called Humid Tropics, recreates the tropical climates of four regions: Malaysia, West Africa, Amazonian, and the Pacific Islands. Temperatures up to 90 °F (32 °C) and a steady humidity of 65% allow a huge variety of tropical plants to flourish, including coconut palms, rubber trees, and mangroves. Over a period of many years, the rainforest trees here will develop thick buttress roots and grow almost as high as the biome itself, weaving together to form a dense canopy of greenery overhead.    

Breathtaking Saunton Sands stretches as far as the eye can see. Renowned for its sheer beauty, the beach also plays host to many activities such as sand yachting, surfing and kite flying, and has been used as a location for many film, video and television productions. Nearby is the famous Saunton Golf Club with its magnificent 18 hole championship standard links courses. Golf has been played at Saunton for more than 100 years and the East course, redesigned in 1919 by the famous W. Herbert Fowler, has remained essentially unchanged since that date. The newer West course was originally built in the mid-thirties but was lost as a battle training ground during the Second World War.

Tintagel is well known for its links with the legendary King Arthur.  Whether King Arthur existed is questionable, but a fortress was owned by a great warrior where Tintagel Castle exists today.  The original fortress, built in about the fifth century is no longer, and the new castle was built between 1230 and 1236.  It is now owned by the Duke of Cornwall.
                         

Westward Ho!

  On a narrow strip of land beneath the wooded hillside and golden sands of Bideford Bay, lies this wonderful little seaside resort that has been a popular family holiday destination since Victorian times.  It has a beautiful beach and is approximately 20 minutes from Little Silver.

The village is fronted by over two miles of golden sand and is protected by the famous pebble ridge and long promenade. Behind the pebble ridge lies the Northam Burrows Country Park, with nearly 1000 acres of common ground to explore. To the west of the village you will find wonderful scenic walks too. All the traditional seaside attractions you would expect are situated on the promenade and within the village, which provides a vibrant atmosphere and happy bustling shopping centre. Westward Ho! has a large choice of varied holiday accommodation and is ideally situated close to the many wonderful attractions that North Devon has to offer. 
                       

Woolacombe

Between Braunton and Ilfracombe lie some of Europe’s finest and cleanest beaches, ideal for both families with children and water sports enthusiasts. The village of Woolacombe can be found along this spectacular golden coastline of soft sandy beaches, flanked by the dramatic headlands of Baggy Point and Morte Point.

Woolacombe’s popularity has never been greater and was voted ‘Family Holiday of the Year 1999’ by the English Tourism Council, the nomination having been suggested by a regular holiday maker. As the resort has also achieved both the Blue Flag and Premier Beach Seaside Award for its attractive sandy beach, Woolacombe is truly a resort of excellence and an ideal base for a family holiday.

Almost three miles of golden sands stretch from Putsborough in the south to Woolacombe village itself offering plenty of space for everybody. Bathing is particularly safe in the shallow waters which are patrolled by lifeguards during the main summer season.