Things to do
Set out on the following page is information about the surrounding area that will help you to get the best out of the area during your stay.
Shops
Religious Services
Public Transport
Music in Hartland
Pubs
Restaurants
Things to Do
Fore Street is the main street through Hartland.
The photograph is reproduced by kind permission of the Hartland Times.
Hartland
Shops
We are one mile from Hartland.
Hartland is a real village with the sort of community and spirit long abandoned by most of England. From brass band to carnival, from skittle team to football team, from dart board to cribbage board, from Church bell to child’s yell, from Harvest Suppers in the village hall to Carol Services in the village Square, Hartland is what an English village was fifty years ago.
There is a lovely circular walk to Hartland from Downe that takes you to the village through the picturesque Vale and back up through a wooded hillside by Cheristow to Downe. The walk takes a lazy half- hour there and a lazy half-hour back. The footpath through the wooded Vale runs beside a small river before leading you into the centre of Hartland. The footpath back starts besides the local tennis courts in the village and brings you over a small river back up the side of the valley through lovely woodland to Cheristow and then back to Downe. Beware; the walk can be very muddy.
In April when the bluebells are in flower the walk through the Vale is a walk through a Monet painting. In autumn when the blackberries are ripe the walk is likely to stretch well past its allotted time.
In Hartland there is a small collection of village shops including a grocery shop along Fore Street (The Pop In). The Pop In also supplies dvds and alcohol and frozen meat from a nearby butchers. It also offers a useful cashback service, and Sunday newspapers can be bought there. The Pop In is open from 8.00 a.m. until 7.30 p.m. every day and from 8.30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays (closing between 1.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. on Sundays).
Hartland has a Post Office on the High Street (where you can buy newspapers and a limited selection of groceries and fresh bread) and a small hardware shop (The Handy Store) which sells fishing tackle and bait. The Handy Store has a wide and eclectic range of goods from socks to kitchen equipment. It is possible to order your newspaper at the Post Office if you are staying for a few days.
At the far end of the High Street is the Hartland Farm & Tea Shop. David and Diane Heard run the Shop which sells vegetables (many of which they grow themselves), fresh meat from their own sheep and rare breed pigs, home made preserves and fresh home made cakes. It’s well worth looking in. They also run a small cafe in the back which serves breakfasts, light lunches and afternoon teas. Diane is an excellent traditional pastry chef and her cakes really are just like my Mother used to make fifty years ago.
The Pop In and Post Office are open on Sunday.
If you want to order flowers for a special occasion whilst staying at Downe do ring 01237 441 291 and ask for Christine. Christine will deliver arrangements or bouquets to your cottage at Downe but she does need at least a day’s notice. She doesn’t take payment by credit card but a cheque can be left with Jeremy or Lynda who will make sure Christine receives it.
Hartland boasts a fine antique shop and a very special pottery.
The antique shop, called The Darville Gallery, is owned by George Morgan and can provide excellent value. It is on West Street just as you turn into the centre of the village. It’s a lovely shop and provides a very enjoyable browse even if you’re not interested in purchasing a new dining room table.
Springfield Pottery is run by Philip and Frannie Leach. Philip is a grandson of Bernard Leach, the doyen of Twentieth Century English potters. They make earthenware pottery hand-made from local clays. We think their pottery is exceptional and very collectable.
(The standard of the pottery in the immediate area is very high – see Local Potteries in the section entitled ‘Day Trips’.)
Clive Pearson runs a small boat (the Jessica Hettie) which you can take from Clovelly to visit Lundy Island. Phone Clive on 01237 431 405 or 07774 190 359 to make bookings. You can charter the boat or take one of his scheduled trips on a Wednesday and Thursday. Clive’s boat trip to Lundy is not for the faint hearted if it’s at all choppy (it’s a small boat travelling quite quickly in open water) and we do advise you to wear waterproofs as the trip can be a wet one. On a beautiful day with a calm sea it can be magical.
Milthorne Chairs is also located in Hartland (at 10 Fore Street) and supply handmade Windsor chairs in Beech, Ash and Elm. The chairs reflect traditional designs and (although very expensive since Dutch Elm disease) they still use elm with its beautiful grain and its resistance to splitting for the seats. Beech and Ash with their straight, close grains are used for the turned parts and also for the hoops.
Bob Seymour, the proprietor of Milthorne Chairs, is a very talented photographer. Some of his photographs of objects found on the beach are remarkable and take on the shape and mood of abstract paintings. In addition he has a number of breathtaking landscapes taken on the Hartland Peninsula. He is starting to exhibit the more abstract of his photographs in galleries and to gain a reputation well beyond the Hartland parish boundaries.
Merlyn Chesterman is a painter and woodblock printmaker who has a tiny studio at No.2, Harton Manor just off the Square in Hartland. Many of her woodcuts reflect the local landscape.She is a member of the Devon Guild of Craftsmen.
A delightful few hours can be occupied by strolling down to Hartland and visiting the pottery, the studios of Bob Seymour and Merlyn Loveridge and the Darville Gallery. Very simple but very relaxing and artistically quite varied.
Three times a year (Easter, Summer and Autumn) the Hartland Arts and Crafts Society holds a ‘Craft Fayre’ in The Parish Hall just off The Square in Hartland. Well worth a visit if it’s on while you are staying at Downe.
Just off the Square is Harton Manor Workshop. This is a teaching workshop run by David Charlesworth that has won national repute. David is an author and furniture maker who has specialised in teaching since 1977. He runs courses at Harton Manor teaching fine furniture making to exhibition standard to no more than four students at a time. A variety of courses are available and the standards are quite exceptional. If you are interested in furniture making do visit David’s website at www.davidcharlesworth.co.uk.
In The Square in the centre of Hartland is ‘The Glorious Wood Gallery’ which is a permanent gallery of fine furniture produced locally.
Just outside Hartland in Stoke you will find the best cream teas in the immediate area and the best we have eaten in Devon (other than those at the Health Spa!). These are served at Stoke Barton Farm (just opposite St Nectan’s Church in Stoke). The cream teas really are excellent with homemade scones and a very generous serving of lovely clotted cream and strawberry jam. Helen Davey insists on customers taking home any uneaten scones, jam or cream in a doggy bag. So don’t panic if you find you can’t manage it all in one sitting! The home made cakes are also delicious if you can’t manage a cream tea. (Try the Bakewell Tart or the Fruit Cake with a scoop of double cream – they really are something special.) The bad news is that Stoke Barton is only open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and Bank Holidays. Their website is www.westcountry-camping.co.uk if you want to confirm opening hours.
We often walk down to Berry Cove (our nearest beach), then along the Coastal Path to Hartland Quay and then back along the road to Stoke and then to Downe. It takes about two hours at a gentle pace and if we time it well we stop off for a cream tea at Stoke Barton. It makes for a very pleasant afternoon’s stroll.
Unfortunately it is closed from the end of October until the week before Easter.
Stoke Church is a landmark that gives a bearing to many a walker as they travel around Hartland Point. The church is framed by beautiful rolling countryside and rook filled woods. The tall tower is the reason why the church is known as ‘The Cathedral of North Devon’. The rood screen in the church is magnificent and provides a stunning backcloth to the small concerts and musical evenings that are regularly held in the church.
The graveyard is lovely and has the peace that only an old English churchyard can provide. On a summer’s day time seems to slow when you stroll amongst the gravestones and listen to the rooks in the high trees.
Just a few hundred yards from Downe there is the Lavender Farm which is run by Eric and Michelle Heard. Over the last few years they have created something very specail at Cheristow. At the Lavender Farm they sell a range of locally produced toiletries including hand and body lotions, moisturising creams and bathing toiletries. They also sell a range of homemade jams and preserves and have a lovely tea room which is open most days. Go to www.cheristow.co.uk for details and opening times.
One of Hartland’s most precious assest is The Hartland Times. A bi-monthly magazine full of local news and communty interest it has endured through the decades. It is a delight to read and gives an insight into a communtity where traditional patterns of life still hold suprising sway against the tidal surge of modern living. Do take a copy if you get the chance.
Religious Services
Church of England
St. Nectan’s in Stoke is the nearest church and holds services every Sunday at 11.00 a.m. There is also a St. Nectan’s in Welcome that holds services every Sunday at 9.00 am. Communion is also given at the Catholic Church in Hartland on Sunday at 8.00 a.m.
Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic mass is said every Friday evening at ‘Our Lady and St. Nectan’ in Hartland at 6.00 p.m. It is necessary to travel to the Stella Maris Church in Bideford for the nearest mass on a Sunday. Phone 01237 472519 for times.
Methodist
There is the Hartland Methodist Chapel at the top of Fore Street in Hartland that holds services every Sunday. Phone 01237 441271 for times.
Public Transport
Hartland has an infrequent bus service seven days a week that runs from Northgate Green in Hartland to Bude in one direction and to both Bideford and Barnstaple in the other. A timetable is available in each cottage. Although few of our guests use the bus service to journey into the towns many use it as a drop off or collection service for the longer walks along the coastal path (e.g. for the return journey after a walk to Clovelly). The service isn’t frequent so planning ahead is required if the service is to be useful.
It is possible to take a train from Barnstaple to Exeter although we do not find that service of much assistance. The nearest mainline station is Tiverton (which is an hours drive away) and it is possible to organize a taxi to collect guests from Tiverton.
Music in Hartland
Hartland is a delightful community that continues to surprise us. One of its continuing surprises is the strength of its musical life.
Hartland has two major musical groups: the Hartland Brass Band and the Hartland Chamber Orchestra. If your visit coincides with one of their concerts given by the Brass Band or the Chamber Orchestra we do recommend that you take the opportunity to attend even if the programme is slightly outside your normal tastes. The location often transforms highly professional performances into something quite memorable.
The Brass Band frequently performs on Hartland Quay on Sunday evenings during the summer. If the weather is kind these concerts can be magical. The backdrop of the cliffs and the Atlantic and the occasional pint from the Wreckers create something quite special. A lovely sunset makes them quite perfect evenings. Performances in the Square in Hartland after the Carnival or at Christmas can also be delightful.
The Chamber Orchestra is very professional and regularly gives concerts in Hartland and nearby villages.
The Chamber Orchestra’s concerts in Stoke church are often lovely evenings. You can experience the orchestral music of Haydn, Bach, Beethoven and Mozart in the way that most of the generations before radio and recording contracts experienced this music: arrangements dictated by the musicians available to the orchestra and played by highly accomplished neighbours and friends.
Each year Hartland hosts a music festival called ‘One Week in summer’. It takes place in mid to late July and is a celebration of music in Hartland.
The concerts generally take place in St Nectan’s Church in Stoke but occasionally take place in Hartland Abbey. The Jazz Concert is usually excellent.
Nearby Pubs & Restaurants
Pubs
We are delighted to say that The Hart in the Square in Hartland now provides excellent meals. The food is imaginative and well presented in a pretty little pub that occupies pole position at the top of the Square.
The Wreckers’ Retreat, which is a bar in The Hartland Quay Hotel, is stunningly located and a pint at the Wreckers is a must for those jaded souls who have journeyed to us from the Land of Starbuck in the East. It is about a mile and a half away on the other side of Stoke and the hotel nestles on the side of the cliffs. It is well worth a visit just for the view and on a stormy evening it is an exhilarating place for a drink. If there is a good sunset it can be memorable. You will pinch yourself and ask yourself if this is really England as the sun sinks gloriously to the horizon and the light burns great flames across the sea.
On some Sunday afternoons in the summer the Hartland Brass Band plays at the Quay. The location acts as alchemist and transmutes brass into gold.
Sitting outside the hotel on a warm evening with a pint of ‘Wreckers’ in your hand watching the sun slowly set is a very popular activity amongst men of a certain age and disposition. It is highly recommended as an antidote to the M25.
Children are very welcome and they can play around you as you sit drinking on the benches outside the bar.
Hartland Quay Hotel provides very basic pub food that doesn’t try to be of restaurant quality but the Wreckers Retreat has a lovely atmosphere and on a nice day is crowded with walkers and day-trippers down to see the Quay.
The Anchor Inn in Hartland provides simple pub food in the village – please ring 441 414 as booking is advisable.
A little further away is The Red Lion in Clovelly harbour. Another superb location and a lovely place to go for a drink on a summer’s evening. Regular informal folk music evenings are held here. If you are going to the Red Lion at night you can drive down to the hotel and park on the pebbles.
The Coach and Horses at Buckland Brewer (01237 451395) is one of the pubs in the area that we really enthuse over. It is a lovely pub and has good food, good beer, bags of atmosphere and in Oliver a very friendly landlord. We also think that their steaks are the best in the area whether you are in pub or restaurant. (On one occasion we asked for two filet steaks and the chef came out to apologize. They were out of fillet steak but they’d phoned the butcher. The apology was for the fifteen-minute delay while the butcher finished his tea!) It’s worth booking a table in the bar before travelling over. The only down side is that service can be very slow if the pub is crowded.
The Bush Inn at Morewenstowe is a lovely looking pub that serves good pub food. It also serves a very acceptable Sunday lunch using locally reared beef and pork.
The Bell at Parkham (01237 451201) serves good food and, because its larger, booking tends not to be necessary. (For Sunday lunch however booking is essential.) Michael and Rachel are the landlord and lady. Rachel is usually behind the bar and is very friendly and welcoming. Michael is the chef and the food is good. We particularly like the chicken breast cooked in garlic butter. Ideal if you are watching the calories.
The Beaver Inn on Irsha Street in Appledore (01237 474822) is very acceptable with an emphasis on fresh fish. Do try and get a window table looking out to the Estuary. On a Saturday you will often find a folk singer or band in the bar.
The location of The Beaver is excellent. It has lovely views over the estuary and Irsha Street is lovely to walk through on a nice evening, tremendous charm and character.
One pub that we should mention that is not ‘nearby’ and is not really a pub anymore! – but is a good stopping point for lunch or dinner on the way to or from Downe Cottages is The Mason’s Arms at Knowstone. Knowstone is a mile off the A361 and about twelve miles from Junction 27 of the M5. The Mason’s Arms is signposted and it’s well worth planning your journey so that you can stop here for lunch. More restaurant than pub in the kitchen, the pub is now the proud possessor of a Michelin Star. We call there for lunch or dinner if we’re travelling to and from the wide world beyond Bristol. (01398 341231)
If you do eat at one of the above pubs please mention to the proprietors that you are staying at Downe Cottages. If a proprietor knows that our guests regularly eat at his or her pub it can only encourage the right quality of service for individual guests.
Restaurants
Appropriately for such a coastal area the best news about the local restaurants is that there is a selection of good fish restaurants very near to us and one of the best fish restaurants in the country not so far away. In practice, you can eat beautifully cooked fish every night of the week at a different restaurant during your stay at Downe. The only caveat is that it is always sensible to book before you begin your journey because some of the restaurants are quite small.
We do suggest that you take advantage of the selection of restaurants that we identify in these pages and eat at a different one each evening. They really are quite lovely and offer very good value. Each restaurant also provides a very different experience and together they give a real variety to your evenings.
Going North from Hartland on the A39 takes you to Appledore on this side of Bideford. (Appledore is a lovely old fishing village and well worth a visit on a sunny afternoon.) The village hosts a restaurant called Benson’s at No 22 The Quay. The service is friendly. The food is good and the restaurant has real atmosphere. It’s necessary to book on most evenings during the season (01237 424 093) as it’s a very small restaurant.
Instow is on the other side of the Estuary to Appledore and has a number of places to eat along Marine Parade, the road running along the sea front.
The most imposing of these is The Commodore Hotel. The Commodore is beautifully located with lovely views across the estuary. The snacks in the bar are quite good and we particularly enjoy morning coffee or afternoon tea on the terrace looking across the bay to Appledore when the weather is fine. At the far end of Marine Parade is the Boat House which provides pleasant food in a boisterous, holiday atmosphere.
Phansit’s Kitchen just off the High Street in Bideford (9 Grenville Street ) provides very pleasant Thai and Fusion food. Do phone to book (01237 429 942). We particulary liked their starters, with a party of four of us all trying different starter each of us was delighted. Their website is www.phansitskitchen.com
The coffee shop attached to the Burton Art Gallery and Museum in Bideford is a good place for a coffee or a light lunch. The Gallery is located in Kingsley Road adjacent to Victoria Park that in turn is next to the large car park by the Quay. The opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm.
The fish and chip shop on the Quay in Bideford is very good for traditional fish and chips. On a nice evening when we are ‘fish and chipping’ we tend to buy our fish and chips and drive into Instow. We park on the front and enjoy a lovely view across the estuary while we ‘dine from the morning paper’. Chose a public bench and the beach wall provides an acceptable resting-place for feet, drink or whatever. Not very sophisticated maybe but it can be great fun on the right evening.
The best restaurant in Bideford is Lathwells. Located in Cooper Street just off Mill Street in the centre of Bideford it is an intimate little restaurant and provides a very pleasant restaurant experience. Do book – 01237 476 447.
A very nice place to have a coffee and a cake in the area is Tea on the Green on Golf Links Road in Westward Ho! Located on the front it is a beautifully decorated and maintained little tea room. To check opening hours do phone 01237 479 265.
Going in South on the A39 from Downe takes you into Bude.
The restaurant we enjoy most in Bude is ‘Life’s a Beach’ which is a beach bistro. Located on Summerleaze Beach in Bude it has a sensational location overlooking the sea. Getting there might discourage you (past the public loos, through two car parks) but don’t be discouraged – persevere! It’s casual, crowded and fun. The food is very good and we have recently had a truly excellent meal here. Again it augurs very well for the future. We think it offers the best fish in the area.
On a warm summers evening you will need to be reminded that you are still in England. The restaurant has ‘a new-world feel’ about it. Lovely views through open glass doors with the waves crashing below. (Do book if you can: 01288 355222)
Another interesting restaurant in Bude is the “El Barco” restaurant in The Bencoolen pub. Juan, the proprietor and chef, is Spanish and the food has a heavy Spanish influence. The fish is the best choice but do be careful of the quantities, there can be very substantial portions on the plate and it’s easy to over order.
El Barco’s particular contribution to our recommended fish evenings is the paella. It is genuine paella made freshly when ordered and therefore takes half an hour to arrive. It’s rustic and unsophisticated but it’s delicious. We suggest you consider ordering the paella when booking your table to avoid disappointment or an overlong wait. But do beware of quantities. The ‘Paella for Two’ is much more than the two of us can manage. We find the quantities so large that they can easily overwhelm the dinner and spoil the meal so we do emphasize caution. El Barco does however provide ‘doggy bags’ to take the remnants of the paella home for lunch the next day.
The restaurant has lots of atmosphere with tables close together and the service is friendly. (We recommend that you book: 01288 354 694).
Going a few miles past Bude on the coast road between Bude and Widemouth Bay is Elements a restaurant that has lovely views over the ocean. The food is modern and international with the chef and owner having trained at The Castle in Taunton. Elements is a lovely addition to the area’s restaurants. The phone number is 01288 352386 and booking is essential.
If you have deep pockets and are prepared to travel a good hour for your meal we do have the following recommendations:
The first recommendation is either of the two restaurants run by the television celebrity Rick Stein at Padstow: Rick Stein’s Fish Restaurant or Rick Stein’s Bistro (one number for both: 01841 532700). Don’t bother to try and get a meal at these unless you have booked a table. The queue for even the least prestigious of his eateries (Rick Stein’s Cafe) was out into the street when we were last there. (The existence of his restaurants, his cafe and his delicatessen has caused the locals to re-christen the village “Padstein”!) The food in his restaurants is excellent although we do prefer the Fish Restaurant to the Bistro. (We take an hour and a quarter to drive to Padstow from Downe and we know the road.)
The second recommendation is Northcote Manor at Burrington near Umberleigh. This has established itself as one of the places to eat in Devon over the last three years. Lovely food, lovely surroundings. Light lunches are also served. Do book before travelling over. (The phone number is 01769 560501.)
Northcote Manor is off the A377 from Barnstaple. The entrance is on the right hand side of the road four and a half miles past Umberleigh. The entrance is signposted just past the Portsmouth Arms Railway Station and opposite the Portsmouth Arms public house.
It’s worth noting that morning coffee and cream tea is available to non-residents. It can make a lovely stop in the middle of a busy day. Beautiful service in lovely surroundings. The Manor has the happy knack of letting it’s visitors take their time over their coffee or tea and we’ve spent a leisurely hour and more having tea in their lounge. (We take about forty-five minutes to drive to Northcote Manor but again we do know the road.)
Our third recommendation is Percy’s at Virginstow. Percy’s is a forty-five minute drive from Downe and is just off the A388 just south of Holsworthy. (Drive south to St Giles-on-the-Heath and just as you enter St Giles-on-the-Heath turn left. Percy’s is signposted from there.) Tina Bricknell-Webb, the chef-cum-proprietor, is an excellent chef. Her cooking is rated as a five in the latest Good Food Guide and is original and intelligent. Do book (01409 211 236). Children under 12 are however not permitted in the restaurant. (We take forty-five minutes to drive to Percy’s.)
The fourth recommendation is the furthest from us which is ‘Andrews on the Weir’ at Porlock Weir. (See our suggested Day Trip to Porlock Weir.)
Rick Stein’s, Northcote Manor, and Percy’s are lovely restaurants that provide lovely evenings. The drives there are through charming countryside and are usually quite easy drives. (Don’t try driving to Padstow on Friday evening in the summer though!) We often compare it to driving up to London for the theatre or an evening meal when we were living in Surrey – it takes about the same time although you are travelling greater distances in Devon.
We are often asked our favourite places to eat and we reply as follows:
Best pub meal and environment: The Coach and Horses at Buckland Brewer .
Best local restaurant: Decks at Instow going North and Life’s a Beach at Bude going South. Both are excellent restaurants that are clearly getting better.
Best restaurant within a comfortable drive: Rick Stein’s Restaurant in Padstow.
Our advice to every visitor to Downe is enjoy the cuisine close to Downe and we recommend that you seriously consider the following during your visit as your basic mealtime agenda:
1. For your first night at Downe order a meal from our menu of meals served in the cottages. This avoids any problems in the event of delay on your journey down. We suggest a two or three course Gourmet Dinner in your cottage on the first night. The standard of the meal is very high.
2. Eat at the Hart in Hartland on on night at least.
3. If time permits do eat at Decks in Instow and at Life’s a Beach in Bude.
4. Thereafter the choice is to run through our recommended list or to repeat a visit to one of the above.
If you do eat in any of the above restaurants or tearooms please mention to the proprietors that you are staying at Downe Cottages. If a proprietor knows that our guests regularly eat at his or her restaurant it can only encourage the right quality of service for individual guests. It can help if a reservation needs to be made at the last minute on a crowded evening or if there is a special occasion to be celebrated.
Things to Do
Brochures giving details of things to do in the area are available in the passageway by Reception. The following is a selection of those activities.
Horse Riding
If you want to go horse riding contact Debbie at Gooseham Barton Stables near Morwenstow (01288 331204). She’s set up stables with over forty horses from 11 to 16.2 hands. Mounts are allocated according to your size and experience. The countryside is perfect for hacking and they are a well-organized riding stables. Debbie provides American saddles as well as English for transatlantic visitors. Her prices are very reasonable (English saddles – £20 for one hour, £12 for half an hour). A two hour hack through the coastal scenery near Morwenstow is a fabulous morning or afternoon’s activity. (If you are a complete novice your first ride is limited to an hour.)
For the experienced rider who wishes to spend a good part of their holiday with horses contact Chantal Hackford at The Lutsford Riding School (01237 441629) in Hartland. Chantal provides individual lessons on an all weather sand school and has regular all day workshops.
Fishing
Stafford Moor Fishery at Dolton (which is near Winkleigh) is a good coarse fishery. The fishery comprises four lakes, which total some 25 acres, set in some 60 acres of moorland. It’s been very highly recommended by previous guests. The phone number is 01805 804 360.
(The Royal Oak at Dolton provides very good pub food, as does The King’s Arms in the old central square of Winkleigh.)
The beautiful Tamar Lakes, which are located towards Bude, provide excellent coarse fishing. The lakes have good numbers of carp to 28lb. They are stocked with carp, bream, tench, roach, rudd and eels. The lakes are open all year, 24 hours a day. (Phone 01288 321 262). There is also a Tea-shop on site open 1st April to 31st October from 11 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Melbury fishery, located near Bideford, was opened in 1990. Mirror and common carp were stocked. The best mirror caught to date is 27lb. Good mixed bags of roach, rudd, bream and pole are taken. It is open all year from 6.30am to 10.00pm. (Phone 01837 871 565)
Jennets is nother fishery near Bideford, Jennets has gained a national reputation for its carp fishing. It regularly produces 20lbs commons and mirrors. It also produces quality bags of smaller carp, roach and tench. It is open all year from 6.30am to 10.00pm. (Phone 01837 871 565)
Sea Fishing
One of the joys of the area is a fine day spent in a boat sea fishing.
You can get a boat to take you fishing from Clovelly or Appledore.
Clive Pearson, one of the potters in Hartland, runs a small boat at Clovelly (the Jessica Hettie) which you can charter for fishing trips. Phone Clive on 01237 431042 or on his mobile 07374 190359 to make bookings.
Stephen Perham runs boat trips from Clovelly Harbour on the ‘Neptune’. Phone 01237 431761 to book. He will also take you out fishing for the day.
Sea bass and mackerel fishing trips are available from The Sea Chest in Appledore. Phone 01237 476191 to make bookings. The cost is £10 per head for a two-hour trip including rod and tackle.
Boat Trips
Tarka Cruises are based at Appledore. They run a boat trip of about an hour’s duration from Appledore Quay towards the mouth of the Taw and Torridge Estuary, then back up to Bideford, back down to the West Bank of Torridge past Instow and back to Appledore Quay. The cost is £10 per adult and £8.50 for children under 12 and OAP’s. Phone 01237 477 505 or 01237 476 191 to book.
A trip to Lundy Island is an option for any holidaymaker spending a week in Hartland. If the weather is good the day will be a marvelous day out.
Lundy Island was the first designated Marine Nature Reserve in the UK. It is remote, wild, spectacular and unspoiled.
Clive Pearson, who runs the Hartland and Clovelly Pottery, also runs a small boat (the Jessica Hettie) which you can take from Clovelly to visit Lundy Island. It has a maximum capacity of ten people. Phone Clive on 01237 – 431 042 or on his mobile 0374 – 190 359 to make bookings. You can charter the boat to Lundy or take one of his scheduled trips on a Wednesday and Thursday. The boat is also available for charter for a day’s fishing.
Clive’s boat trip to Lundy is not for the faint hearted in choppy weather (it’s a small boat travelling quite quickly in open water) and we do advise you to wear waterproofs as the trip is a wet one. If you prefer to use a larger boat to visit Lundy then take the MS Oldenburg that sails from Bideford and Clovelly. This takes 267 passengers and has bar, buffet and shop on board. Phone 01237 – 470 422 for up to date sailing information and to book your tickets.
If you go to Lundy do pack a picnic, as the pub meals on Lundy are disappointing.
Tennis
Hartland has two tennis courts in the village, which are available for hire. Phone Bridget Stowell on 01237 – 441 492 if you want to arrange to hire a court.
Cycling
The whole of the immediate area around Downe is ideal for the fit cyclist. Most of the roads are single track framed by the lovely Devon hedgerows that give the countryside so much character. It’s possible to cycle for miles down the Coast towards Bude without touching an A road and crossing the A39 brings you into a veritable wonderland of little lanes that criss-cross the County.
For those of us who are less than fit (or just less ambitious) the Tarka Trail provides a leisurely series of rides over less demanding terrain. Cycles can be hired from ‘Gifford’s Cycle Hire’ in Kilkampton (01288 321 829, “Bideford Cycle Hire” (01237 424 123) or ‘Yelland Cycle Hire’ (01271 378 794) amongst others. For a small charge Gifford’s Cycle will deliver cycles to Downe and have very reasonable rates (£5 per day for an adult’s cycle, £3 for a child’s and £7 for an adult’s mountain bike).
Golf
Downe Cottages are ideal for golfing breaks, particularly out of season when long weekend or mid-week breaks are readily available. The two and three bedroom cottages are ideal for a golf party of two or three couples. “Tee Times” can be arranged when booking the cottages to ensure the smooth running of the golf break.
Royal North Devon is the closest senior golf course is the Royal North Devon in Westward Ho. This is the oldest seaside links in England. Its reputation is that it is a very friendly club with a demanding course. Handicap certificates are required. (01237 473817)
One of our golfing visitors described it as follows: “A genuine links course well worth the green fee. Several holes have intimidating sheer faced bunkers, some are almost twenty feet deep and shored up with railway sleepers. Long carries over beds of rushes, lots of water hazards, and most fairways have feature stones and rocks.”
Do book in advance because the Club has many events on their calendar and they’re on most golfing society routes.
Saunton Golf Club is just the other side of Barnstaple and is the most prestigious of the North Devon courses. It is playable in almost any weather. The Championship East course on 6708 yards par 73 sits alongside the newer West Course 6356 yards par 71. Handicap certificates are required. (01271 812 436).
One of our golfing visitors described it as follows: “Guaranteed to find every single weakness in your game….. and then some. The East course hosts several PGA Championships and that should give you a clue as to what you’ll be up against. Tucked away between the beach and Braunton Burrows (several square miles of rugged sand dunes) each course is some 7000 yards long and provides a serious challenge. It is also quite expensive. We played both courses in one day and were completely shattered afterwards. The golf game held together – just!”
Hartland Forest Golf and Leisure Club has the nearest 18-hole golf course. The golf course is very suitable for beginners or those with a high handicap and there are no handicap requirements. It’s ideal for the casual golfer who plays occasionally. (01237 431 442). Two of our visitors, who are members at Wentworth, describe a round of golf at Hartland as “highly entertaining”. They had never lost a golf ball on the fairway before and reached the 19th Hole in great spirits! A sense of adventure is a must for the serious golfer trying Hartland Forest.
Our literate golfer commented that “we simply turned up and walked straight onto an empty course. Looks and sounds like it will be easy – beware! It will challenge all but the very best golfers.”
Holsworthy Golf Club is a parkland course that is challenging for both beginners and low handicap players. It has no handicap requirements. (01409 253177).
Comments received include the following: “You can just turn up and play but I recommend booking by phone first. We walked straight on at mid-day on a Sunday and it was almost empty – unheard of where we’re from. Holsworthy is a challenging and quite long course, with some quirky tee positions. It’s also quite a hilly course with most of the middle twelve holes either up or down the side of the valley which runs through the course.”
Ilfracombe Golf Club has an interesting and testing course in excellent condition with lovely views over the sea and moors. A Handicap is preferred. (01271 862176)
Described as follows by our in-house golfing expert as “very friendly, turn up and play (but members only between 10.00 am and midday). It’s on the coast road about a mile east of the town towards Combe Martin. It is an extremely hilly and beautiful course with vistas across the sea from most holes. Don’t go if you want a gentle walk. There’s a 70-yard par three – sounds easy? Into the teeth of the wind that always seems to be blowing with a canyon between tee and pin you can be sure of a few surprises.”
Bude Golf Course is another super links course, it is located close to the centre of Bude. It has a natural all weather, quick draining surface which provides play off regular tees to regular greens 360 plus days a year. The demands made by the strength and direction of the wind ensure that the course is never easy and presents a new and different challenge every time you play. Handicap certificates are required. (01288 353 635).
Other Courses
In addition to the above there are numerous golf courses in North Devon and Cornwall which are accessible to the enthusiast whilst holidaying in Downe Cottages. (For example the St Mellion Golf Course with its international reputation and stunning golf courses is only an hour and a half’s drive away.) Information on all North Devon and Cornish Golf Clubs is available from Jeremy and Lynda.
Clay Pigeon Shooting
If you want a really great day out doing something very different try clay pigeon shooting at Lypscott Farm with Nigel Bond.
Nigel has created at wonderful group of stands amongst the woods at Lypscott Farm and the days shooting is tremendous fun. Take a picnic and enjoy lunch on the picnic tables that Nigel has dotted through the woods.
Nigel, a former England International shooter, provides shooting for everyone from 8 to 108 years of age and tuition for those with no experience whatsoever and for those who are already very skillful shooters but want to improve.
Phone Nigel on 01409 241 839 OR on 07778 526 096 to discuss the day.
A typical days shooting will cost £40 for 40 clays on eight different stands and with a group of from four to six you can expect to take about three hours.
One thing that’s marvelous about Clay Pigeon Shooting is that it’s almost weatherproof i.e. you can still have a great day even if it’s raining provided you go dressed for the weather.
Gardens to Visit
Brochures giving details of the gardens in the area are available at Downe. The following is a brief description of those gardens.
Hartland Gardens
Docton Mill is one of our favourite gardens in the immediate area is Docton Mill. This is a lovely eight-acre garden set around a former Mill that dates back to Saxon times. It’s an ideal way to spend a few hours. The walk to the coast from the Mill, it’s well worth the effort. The owners of Docton Mill are John and Lana. It’s open every day from March to the end of October. Light snacks are available all day as well as cream teas and cakes.
The gardens are closed from 1st November to 28th February but on most fine Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in November and February the Mill is open for light lunches and cream teas. (Just phone 01237 441 369 to check whether the Mill is open on a particular day in the closed season.)
If you follow the directions to come to Downe, Hartland Abbey is the last house you will have passed before Downe Cottages. The garden and the house are open to the public from May to September. The recently reclaimed Bog Garden (designed by Gertrude Jekyll) and the Victorian Fernery are unusual features of the garden. In spring a stroll through the Azaleas and Rhododendrons above Lady’s Walk to the walled garden is delightful. The walk from the house to the coast is also a delight.
Located a few hundred yards from Downe, Cheristow Lavender Farm is well worth a visit. Eric and Michelle Heard are creating something very special amongst the lavender plants that they have planted out in their thousands. A place of interest from the gardener’s standpoint, Eric and Michelle also make a range of products using the lavender plant as a source of oil and perfume. There is also a small restaurant in which you can get cream teas and light lunches.
The garden at Clovelly Court is a classic example of a Victorian kitchen garden and the greenhouses have been fully restored. The walls surrounding the garden are substantial and create a sheltered mini-climate for a wide variety of plants and fruits.
Other Local Gardens
The grounds of Arlington Court (seven miles North East of Barnstaple) include thirty acres of informal gardens. The house is owned by the National Trust and includes a carriage collection. The grounds offer delightful walks along the woodland paths particularly in autumn when the russets and browns of the season can look wonderful along the riverbanks.
Marwood Hill (four miles outside Barnstaple on the A361 to Braunton) is the result of one man’s passion for trees and shrubs. The three lakes provide a lovely setting for the various flowering trees and shrubs from May through to October. The camellias in the greenhouse in the walled garden are breath taking in March. It really is a stunning garden and provides an excellent morning or afternoon walk.
In Instow, just the other side of Bideford, is Tapeley Park. Recently renovated by Mary Keen and Carol Klein.
The pearl of the local gardens is unquestionably the RHS Garden at Rosemoor (one mile South of Torrington on the B3220). The most beautiful and most interesting of the gardens of North Devon it is a must for all enthusiastic gardeners and a lovely way to spend a day for anyone who appreciates natural beauty.
We were amazed by The Winter Garden in February and March. The colour that the gardeners have created within it is extraordinary. Within minutes of walking into The Winter Garden pride in our own horticultural efforts dissipated and was replaced by a feeling that others might unkindly, if accurately, characterise as envy.
In mid Summer The Formal Garden is positively humbling as each of the visitors realises that the garden at Number 43A Wilmslow Crescent will never, ever, ever look like this!
When we were teenagers we used to watch old black and white films on the TV. You know the sort of thing, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. Every so often a scene would take place in a florist’s shop a short step away from a grand hotel. The florist’s shop would be full of flowers, shelves crowded to bursting point with wonderful large bouquets of varieties of hydra headed flowers. Behind them would lurk a well-known and loveable character actor. We used to imagine the blaze of colour that lay behind the grainy black and white image. Although we didn’t know it then, what we imagined was first cousin to a border in The Formal Garden in early August.
We recommend that you take time to enjoy The Formal Garden in the summer. Savour something quite special. You will be delighted by the varieties of leaf and flower and bark and branch. You will be captivated by the beauty around you, from that of a single flower to that of the wonderfully crowded borders in their entirety.
Having been enthralled walk over to The Fruit and Vegetable Garden and weep. It has more colour and form than most suburban gardens manage on a good day. The fruit looks as though a Dutch master has just painted it in oil. The vegetables look as though they have been lifted off the long tables at the local gardening competition and laid out in a garden for show.
Then walk under the road through a winding rock gorge crowded with ferns and bamboo’s into Lady Anne’s Garden around Rosemoor House. Charming.
The lightness of mood created by the gardens is marvelous. If the sun is shining, and if you have any soul, you will leave Rosemoor in summer with your spirits soaring.
The Eden Project is much more that a garden and we do recommend a visit if possible.
The Eden Project is located just outside St Austell overlooking St Austell Bay and is signposted from the A390, the A30 and the A391. It is a comfortable ninety-minute drive from Downe Cottages and makes a marvelous day out. (Drive down the A39 to Camelford then take the B3266. Join the A389 and head towards Bodmin. Before Bodmin follow the A389 towards St Austell. You then cross the A30 and take the A391 to St Austell. At this stage the Project is well signposted.)
During British Summer Time it is open daily 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. In winter it is open daily 10.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. The phone number is 01726 811911 if you have any questions before leaving.
The Project is set inside a reclaimed quarry and is invisible from the surrounding area. Our first reaction as we walked past the ticketing area and into the gardens was one of wonder. The location of the biomes is magical.
The Project consists of a large outside garden area and the “Biomes”, the stars of the show.
The largest biome is the humid tropics biome. It is 200 metres long, 100 metres wide and 47 metres high. In here is the tropical rain forest and it is warm and moist. (It is in the low 80 degrees Fahrenheit so wear layers of light clothing which can be easily carried as you walk through the biome.) The smaller biome is the warm temperate biome that houses the plants fruits and flowers of the Mediterranean, South Africa and California. Both biomes are spectacular constructions but the humid tropics biome is already a spectacular display of trees and plants and by itself is well worth the journey.
There is also a third educational biome which is architecturally interesting although we felt that the contents reflected fashionable cultural preoccupations rather than being greatly of interest.
The restaurant areas and general facilities are located under grass between the two biomes and serve quite acceptable meals.
The outside garden is a series of interlocking crescent shaped terraces that are planted out with flora from around the world. They provide an imaginative setting for the biomes and a pleasant walk to them.
Overall the impression is that the Eden Project has been created by people with vision, taste and imagination. It is a superb venture and after visiting it we felt much as the first visitors to Kew Gardens must have felt in the nineteenth century: we were seeing something wonderful in terms of scale and architecture that creates an exciting setting for plants from all over the world.
We thought the setting was sensational with the quarry walls providing wonderful cliff faces that surrounded the biomes.
Two hours is about all it takes to visit the Eden Project (ignoring queuing for a ticket and any meals) and it is probably best to plan your visit for the afternoon when queues are at their shortest.
Places to Visit
Brochures giving details of places to visit in the area are available at Downe. Listed below are some of the places that we have found to be of particular interest and which we think will provide interesting days out:
Nearby Towns, Villages and Places
Clovelly is an extraordinary village that has remained unchanged for more than a hundred years. It is very beautiful and clings to the steep hillside as the cobbled street rushes to the harbor below. The old slate roofs with their blues and greys and the stone walled cottages are stunning as you walk down towards them from the top of the village or gaze up to them from the harbor wall. In summer the cobbled streets are brightly edged by the rich colours of the flowers that grow in every cottage garden.
It has one problem – us. Too many of us. We therefore strongly recommend that you visit Clovelly on a nice day early in the morning or late in the evening (when it is still light enough to see!). One of our fondest memories of the area is driving down to Clovelly early on a clear Spring morning. We were the only people about. The views across the sea were sensational as we drove down and from the harbour walls we looked back up to a Clovelly that was deserted. It was quite magical and quite inspiring. We really had stepped back in time.
Bucks Mills is a beautiful village set on the hillside as it meets the shore. It’s one car wide and the sort of place that makes men think of retirement away from the hustle and bustle of the Twentieth Century and women think of bottled fruits and home made jam. A lovely place to drive to before beginning an amble on the beach.
It’s less romantic than Clovelly but more believable. The Twentieth Century hasn’t been ignored in Buck’s Mills, it’s been invited in and taken its shoes off in front of the open fire.
Appledore is a lovely, old fishing village located just this side of Bideford. It’s lovely just to walk through the streets of the village and enjoy the atmosphere. It’s easy to imagine life in the village before the arrival of the motor car.
“Benson’s Restaurant” on the Quay is a small restaurant that is very pleasant. (Do book if you want to eat at Bensons in the evening. See the section entitled “Restaurants” above for details.) The George down Irsha Street is a lovely pub for a drink overlooking the estuary and The Beaver next to it is a nice pub to eat in.
The Gallerie Marin at 31 Market Street is excellent if you are interested in contemporary paintings, particularly marine paintings. Do phone for opening times (01237 473 679).
The old town of Bideford is located on the side of a hill rising from the west bank of the River Torridge. It sits three miles south of the confluence of the Rivers Taw and Torridge and the Bristol Channel.
Bideford has a very rich maritime history and in the 16th Century trade with the New World brought prosperity to Bideford. From the time a new quay was built in 1663 Bideford developed into a major port and flourished during the 17th and 18th Centuries as an important trade and ship building centre. The buildings and narrow streets of the old town reflect that history.
The town’s character is derived from its location on the river, which divides the main residential area and town centre from its smaller counterpart, East the Water. The Torridge is spanned by Bideford Long Bridge, a medieval structure 200 metres long with 24 arches of various sizes, which was built in 1535 and the modern high-flying Torridge road bridge a mile to the north of Bideford.
Fifty years ago Bideford was thriving and was the commercial and shopping centre of North Devon. Somehow it lost its way and is the process of recovery is only just starting. Many of the buildings along the High Street, Mill Street and the Quay are in a very poor state of repair which is a disgrace given the historic importance of the old town. When you look at them try and look past the neglect and see what the buildings are and what they will become again as the inevitable recovery gathers pace.
Start your visit to Bideford by parking the car on the Quay and walking along the Quay and over the Long Bridge away from Bideford. Halfway over the bridge stop and look up at the old town. That’s the Bideford Charles Kingsley knew and loved. Looking North you see the new road-bridge which has created a lovely frame for the estuary view.
On the other side of the Old Bridge away from the town is the Brunswick Wharf and here is the Kathleen and May. The Kathleen and May was the last merchant schooner registered at a home port in the UK to earn her living at sea carrying cargoes. She has been restored by a local businessman (Steve Clarke) who deserves great credit for his personal crusade to preserve some of Bideford’s maritime history. The Kathleen and May is open to the public at limited times.
The Kathleen May was built at Conah’s Quay on the estuary of the Dee in North Wales. She was launched as the Lizzie May and could carry up to 250 tons of cargo. She was employed in the general coasting trade carrying cargoes such as coal, china clay, cement, bricks, fertilizers and grain. In 1908 she was sold to an Irish shipper in Cork and her name was changed to the Kathleen and May. In 1931 she was sold to Captain Thomas Jewell in Appledore. She sailed in the Irish trade and carried coal from the Mersey to the south coast. She was in continuous employment until 1960 when Captain Jewell retired.
After you have visited the Kathleen and May walk back to the Quay and up the High Street. Turn left half way up the High Street into Grenville Street which leads you into Market Place in the middle of which is the Pannier Market. After the Pannier Market walk down Bridge Street towards the Long Bridge and then turn left into Allhalland Street and follow Mill Street back along to Bridgeland Street. That is probably the best introduction to Bideford and the walk takes you through the centre of the old town.
The Pannier Market (open on Tuesday and Saturdays) in Market Place is well worth visiting with a lot of local produce for sale.
Bideford still has a working quay (from which you can take the ferry to Lundy).
Bideford has a long tradition of great New Year’s Eve celebrations with every one dressing up in fancy dress. There were over 10,000 people in Bideford for last year’s New Year celebrations. Fancy dress can be hired from temporary stalls set up in the town in the week before New Year. There is a fireworks display and recent additions have been a radio event from the Quay with some bands. It is still a remarkably un-commercialised event and has very few of the problems normally associated with large gatherings in a major conurbation. It still feels very safe and on a human scale. The pubs are incredibly crowded and loud.
Just this side of Bideford is Atlantic Village, a Factory Outlet. The principal selling feature is price. Atlantic Village is an attractive modern shopping mall with a range of chain stores. It has an excellent play zone for young children and is a very convenient place to shop. It’s clean, bright and not too large.
The sea front at Instow is lovely with walks along the sandy beach being the key attraction. It has two good restaurants (see the section entitled “Restaurants” above) and we like to go for a walk and then have a meal or a cream tea at one of the restaurants in Instow.
The Waterside Gallery at No 2 Marine Terrace is a very pleasant little gallery with works by local artists available. It is open from 10.00am to 5.00pm Tuesday to Saturday with an hour’s break for lunch at 1.00pm.
Barnstaple is a town with a very pleasing town centre that offers comfortable and relaxed shopping. Ideal for a visit on a wet day if you need to get your weekly fix of M&S. The only problem is that the rest of the world will have the same idea and traffic will be a problem.
The Barnstaple Pannier Market on Butcher’s Row is well worth visiting. It is open from 9.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Saturday throughout the year and has different types of market on different days.
- It has a Collectors’ Market every Wednesday with antiquarian and second hand books, antiques, coins, stamps and collectables;
- On Tuesday, Friday and Saturday it has a traditional market; and
- On Monday and Thursday from late March to Christmas it has a Craft Market.
Barnstaple’s flowers are a feature of the town and it regularly wins prizes for the flower tubs and flowerbeds that make such a lovely contribution.
The best place for a relaxed coffee or tea is “The Royal Fortescue” on Boutport Street. Very relaxed with lots of comfortable sofas it is a very nice watering place during a morning’s shopping.
The best place for a pleasant lunch whilst shopping is The Glass House which is at 2 Cross Street in Barnstable. An attractive restaurant it’s rather like a conservatory on the top of a roof and serves very acceptable food. (Do book ahead 01271 323 311).
Lundy Island is a lovely day out for any visitor to Hartland if the weather is good. Rugged, beautiful, remote and fascinating. (See the section titled Boat Trips above which contains the travel details.)
Going South on the A39 from Downe takes you into Cornwall and everything that the North Cornish Coast has to offer. Bude is the nearest Cornish town to Downe (about 12 miles away) and its centre is a remarkably untouched Edwardian seaside resort. Two very nice beaches and a lovely “beach side bistro” (“Life’s a Beach” see the section on Restaurants.)
Located just off the A386 about six miles past Okehampton, Lydford Gorge is well worth the hour’s drive from Downe Cottages. It is a beautiful gorge cut through the rocks by the River Lyd that is fed by the waters that pour off Dartmoor. Stop at the Waterfall Entrance and walk down the steep steps to the White Lady Waterfall then walk the footpath cut into the rocks down to the Devil’s Cauldron.
The complete circuit is about 3 miles and takes an easy two hours for a wonderful walk. Don’t miss the Devil’s Cauldron or the walk beyond the Cauldron to Marker 30 that ends the walk. One of the National Trusts little known treasures it makes for a glorious morning or afternoon. Do wear good walking shoes, as some of the path that is cut into the rocks alongside the Lyd is steep and can be slippery.
Rick Stein has made Padstow one of the most popular of Cornish fishing villages to visit and he runs a restaurant, bistro and café in the town which draw food lovers from afar. It is a lovely village with an attractive harbour but for us there are too many tourists, which has resulted in too many Cornish pasty bars and sea front eating-places. In summer it’s packed with visitors wandering around watching other visitors wander around watching visitors wander around. It’s the sort of place teenagers like to visit and “hang out” in because it’s obviously an “in place”.
To enjoy Padstow at it’s best book an evening meal at Rick Stein’s Fish Restaurant or Rick Stein’s Bistro (one number for both: 01841 532 700) and then walk around Padstow after the meal when the crowds have gone. Don’t bother to try and get a meal at Rick Stein’s unless you have booked a table. The queue for the café when we were last there was out into the street. (See the section headed “Restaurants” above for more details.)
Craft Centres and Historic Buildings
In addition to the above towns and villages a number of craft centres and historic buildings are worth visiting. Many of the following are worth noting if the weather turns bad:
A surprisingly enjoyable morning or afternoon can be spent at The Dartington Crystal Factory. The visitor centre explains the story of glass making through the ages and you can see glass making in the factory on the factory tour. (Much more interesting than it sounds!). The factory shop can provide excellent value and there is also a giftware shop. The restaurant provides very good value casual lunches in the middle of a day spent visiting places.
Dartington will also take an impression of a young child’s foot and a few days later provide a glass moulding of the foot. It’s quite a nice memento of a baby for fond and doting parents to possess. (Fond and doting parents are the only parents we allow to stay at Downe!)
The Burton Gallery and Museum is a delightful little gallery with very accessible exhibitions regularly showing. Well worth a visit. In addition the Coffee Shop provides pleasant light lunches and snacks that are good value for money.
Seven miles North East of Barnstaple on the A39 Arlington Court is a Regency House on the edge of Exmoor. It is a lovely building with various collections including model ships, costumes, pewter and 19th Century furniture. Carriage rides are available and the carriage collection is quite well known. The gardens are open to the public.
The house is open from April to October inclusive, everyday except Saturday, from 11.00am to 17.30pm.
Two miles North of Tiverton, Knightshayes Court was built in the 1860′s on the back the Heathcoat-Amory’s fortune (from lace making) and is a classic Victorian country mansion. The gardens are delightful and richly reward a visit.
Located at Drewsteignton, two miles northeast of Chagford in the Dartmoor National Park and one mile off the A30, Castle Drogo is architecturally among the most remarkable buildings owned by the National Trust. It was built by Sir Edward Lutyens between 1911 and 1930 and is one of his finest achievements. The location of the property is stunning set as it is on a granite bluff that commands the deep defile of the river Teign immediately below. It is the product of the romanticism of client and architect.
Located on the west bank of the Tamar, eight miles southwest of Tavistock and fourteen miles from Plymouth, Cotehele is among the most authentic surviving examples of a knightly dwelling built in the late medieval tradition. It is sheltered by woods and lies above the steep banks of the Tamar it is built in the local grey granite stone.
Lanhydrock is two miles south of Bodmin. It was built in the Seventeenth Century and then rebuilt after a disastrous fire in 1881. The long gallery in the north wing is original (it is 116 feet long) and gives a good idea of how wonderful the original decorations must have been. The rebuilding was consistent with the original plan and has considerable period charm.
Pencarrow is a lovely Georgian house that is located four miles northwest of Bodmin off the A389. The house is open from April to October and the doors open at 11.00 a.m. A guided tour of the house takes just over the hour and is a very relaxed and informal way to learn about the house and the families that have lived there.
The Appledore Crafts Company is a gallery set up in 1991 by fourteen local craftsmen and shows a range of furniture, paintings, ceramics, glass, woodcarving, jewellery and textiles. It is located on Bude Street in Appledore that runs at right angles to the Quay.
The Hartland Quay Museum is a fascinating little museum located in the first floor of the former fisherman’s cottages beside the Hartland Quay Hotel. It really is worth a visit and we happily spent an hour and a half studying the exhibits on our first visit. The museum contains a lot of material about Hartland Quay and the last four hundred years of its existence. (The Hartland Quay Company at one time issued its own bank notes!) The history of the innumerable wrecks around the immediate coast is fascinating.
It’s open for Easter Week and then Whitsun to September 30th between 11.00 am and 5.00 p.m.
The North Devon Maritime Museum is located on Odun Road in Appledore. Appledore is a lovely village and the museum is very informative about the history of the fishing industry in this part of the world. Check on 01237 422 064 for opening times.
Days with Young Children
Beaches
The first point to bear in mind is that the beaches in North Devon are very different at high tide and at low tide, some are super when the tide’s out and very disappointing when the tide’s in. There is therefore a Tides Table in every cottage to help you plan your day on the beach. We strongly recommend that you do plan when you are going to be on the beach taking into account the tides. It can make a world of difference to your enjoyment of the beach.
The second point to bear in mind is that there are deserted beaches and coves all around. We’ve just highlighted those that are particularly convenient for children.
The closest beach is no more than a mile walk from Downe. To get there you turn right outside Downe and walk towards Berry Farm. Just before Berry Farm the road swings left and then runs through the farmyard. As the road starts to swing left before Berry there is a five-barred gate and stile. You walk through the gate, along the track (which is a public footpath) and through a second gate a hundred yards further along. You then follow the track down to the cliffs.
When standing on the cliffs looking out over the sea will notice a stile to your right. Climb over that and follow the path down to the sea. The path is steep and there are steps cut out of the cliff. It’s quite manageable for the able bodied but the elderly and the very young are better off taking a gentler route to the sea.
Berry Beach is rocky except at low tide when quite a lot of sand is exposed. It’s great for rock pools and exploring when the tides coming in or going out. It’s also very quiet, often you’ll be the only ones on the beach even in mid-August. The scenery at Berry is lovely but the beach is particularly attractive to us because it’s deserted most of the time and it’s so close to the cottages.
For those of you who prefer a more sedate route to the sea try driving to Hartland Quay where you can park your car right at the bottom of the cliffs and walk down the causeway to the sea. It’s a lovely first evening compromise when the children are very keen to see the sea and you would prefer a quiet drink to recover from the joys and calms of a long car journey with the children. They can have their first day encounter with the waves and you can have your quiet drink. The cost to you is a gentle stroll from bar to beach and back again for a re-fill. The gain to you is children who think you’re wonderful to take them onto the beach on their first night on holiday after a long drive.
We have received very good reports about Hartland Quay beach at low tide. One middle-aged visitor with young children stated that a day spent on the beach at Hartland Quay was one of the nicest days that he’d ever spent on a beach. Lovely sand with beautiful waves. On a lovely summer’s day the locals use Hartland Quay at high tide for swimming. The water is warmed by the pebbles and it makes a very calm pool.
There are a number of particularly lovely sandy beaches nearby. Sandy Mouth and Duckpool lie halfway between Bude and Hartland. Take the A39 towards Bude and Sandy Mouth and Duckpool are signposted just after Kilkhampton. Sandy Mouth is a super beach at low or mid tide. At high tide it’s more a case of Rocky Mouth. There are tide tables in your Cottage and these will help you to avoid visiting Sandy Mouth at high tide. Duckpool is a very pretty beach but smaller. Sandy Mouth is reasonably safe for young swimmers.
The sea front at Bude is a remarkably unspoiled Edwardian seaside resort. It has good beaches (with good surfing) but it can be crowded. At high tide head for the Bude beaches.
Beyond Bude there is a lovely long beach at Widemouth Bay. Often crowded with surfers and swimmers it really looks the part of an Atlantic beach in the summer.
A number of the parents of children visiting Downe have purchased wet suits for their children whilst here which enables the children to stay in the cold sea for much longer at a time. The suits cost about £20 for one for a ten year old. We do suggest you think about it if you have water-loving children.
If the children would like a boat trip and perhaps a little fishing Appledore or Clovelly quays are the place to go.
Rainy Day Activities
If the weather isn’t good (or if the children are fed up of long, lazy, sunny days on the beach!) each of the following provides excellent facilities for children up to the age of ten.
The Big Sheep is located on the A39 just before Bideford this has a series of events and activities based on sheep e.g. sheep racing, sheep shearing, sheep feeding etc. Very well received by the younger children with much of the activity being under cover.
This is an excellent facility, well maintained with friendly and helpful staff. We particularly liked the covered play area where parents could sit drinking coffee whilst the children played in a super complex of tunnels and slides, climbing netting and ropes. It is often voted the favourite “visitor attraction” by our young visitors who are enthralled by their close involvement with animals during their visit.
The Milky Way Adventure Park is located on the A39 towards Bideford this is Devon’s largest indoor adventure facility. It has adventure rides, slides, ball pools, multi level assault courses, puppet shows, sheepdog displays, animals to feed, ride on railway etc. It is very highly recommended by families with young children who live in the area and is the largest of the nearby visitor attractions.
Splash Leisure Pool is an indoor leisure pool with wave machines located in Bude. The wave machines are great fun and the pool is well worth thinking about on a wet day. The changing areas aren’t marvelous (cramped and uni-sex) but the children won’t mind that.
Day Trips
The purpose of this section is to suggest a combination of places to go and things to do which together make a pleasant day trip. We’ve prepared the list because we find that when we visit a new area for the first time we often miss the best of the area. Armed with a little local knowledge the best of the area is very easy to access and if found enhances the enjoyment of the day enormously.
The North Cornish Coast
A lovely day out is to drive down the coast beyond Bude taking the unmarked roads that hug the cliffs. Join the road at Lynstone, which is just the other side of Bude, and follow the road South. Widemouth Sand is a lovely sandy bay very popular with surfers all through the year and lovely for young children in the summer. Drive past Widemouth Sand, past Foxhole Point to Dizzard Point and beyond. It’s a lovely road with super sea views and super walks at any number of stopping places. Stop at Crackington Haven and walk onto the beach. It’s very beautiful and dramatic.
At Crackington Haven there is the Combe Barton Inn which provides a pleasant stop for a meal. The Inn is not particularly inviting on the outside and modern in terms of decor but the food is very reasonable.
Drive on to Newton Farm and then join the B3263 for the run into Boscastle. Boscastle is beautifully located although we are not too enthusiastic about the tourist trappings around the car park. The walk from the car park out to the sea is lovely. We don’t suggest you stop at Tintagel (which despite its Castle is little more that a series of car parks and unattractive little shops) but carry on down to Port Issac on the B3314 and B3267. Stop in Port Issac (at low tide the beach is used as a car park) and walk around the village. There is a modern car park outside the village and a lovely short walk along the coastal path to the village centre.
Port Issac really is a delight. In the centre of the village, at No 12 Fore Street, is very pleasant coffee shop with lovely pastries. On the way down to the centre from the car park you pass The Old School House Hotel which looks down over the bay. On a nice day it’s a great place to have a cream tea sitting on the benches outside. The Old School House also has a nice restaurant that serves a simple lunch at midday and a more formal dinner menu. (01208 880 721). There you can get a bowl of mussels and a slice of fresh bread and butter for lunch that is as welcome as it is simple.
After Port Issac drive along the unmarked roads into Rock. Rock is a little bit of suburbia that somehow has got lost on the North Cornish Coast. It is a pleasant little village that has become very “in” and up market. Then drive into Padstow (or take the ferry across if it’s running – people only of course). If you’re going to eat in Padstow it ought to be at one of Rick Stein’s two restaurants. Do book to avoid disappointment. Padstow is a lovely fishing village that is well and truly on the tourist map. It’s at its best when there are fewer of us about.
The Eden Project
The Eden Project is described in some detail in the section entitled “Gardens to Visit”. A trip to the Eden Project preceded by a stop at Pencarrow or by a visit to Fowey does make a lovely day out. We suggest you “do the Eden” in the morning or afternoon with the visit to Pencarrow or Fowey occupying the other part of the day. You can then take lunch as you travel between the two.
Nearby places to eat are the Crown at Lanlivery and the Royal Oak at Lostwithiel. The Crown is signposted off the A390 between Lostwithiel and St Austral and is one of Cornwall’s oldest pubs. It has a lovely sheltered garden. The Royal Oak is on Duke Street in the centre of Lostwithiel and is visible from the A390 in the town centre. Both provide good pub food.
Lydford Gorge
Located just off the A386 about six miles past Okehampton, Lydford Gorge is well worth the hour’s drive from Downe Cottages. It is a beautiful gorge cut through the rocks by the River Lyd that is fed by the waters that pour off Dartmoor. Stop at the Waterfall Entrance and walk down the steep steps to the White Lady Waterfall then walk the footpath cut into the rocks down to the Devil’s Cauldron.
The complete circuit is about 3 miles and takes an easy two hours for a wonderful walk. Don’t miss the Devil’s Cauldron or the walk beyond the Cauldron to Marker 30 that ends the walk. One of the National Trusts little known treasures it makes for a glorious morning or afternoon. Do wear good walking shoes, as some of the path that is cut into the rocks alongside the Lyd is steep and can be slippery.
A visit to the Gorge will occupy a lazy half a day and we suggest you combine it with a visit to Castle Drogo (which is described in the section entitled “Craft Centres and Buildings”) to make a delightful day.
The Dartmoor Inn is on A386 just outside Lydford and is a pleasant place to stop for lunch. It is rated a “3” in the Good Food Guide which we think is generous, however it’s a very pleasant stop. The Inn is not particularly attractive from the road (the Americans would say that it lacks “curb appeal”) but it has a very pleasant interior. One of the rooms is however the result of a recent expansion and is a bit disappointing. Ask to be near an open fire if you book and you’ll be in one of the attractive rooms in the pub.
Another nice stop for lunch is the Northmore Arms at Wonson. The Northmore Arms is located off the A382 half a mile from the A30 at Whiddon Down. You turn right down a lane signposted Throwleigh and Gidleigh. Continue down the lane and over the humpbacked bridge. Turn left to Wonson and the pub is off this road. It’s very rustic and unspoiled, a charming little pub with good simple pub food.
An alternative stop is the Drewe Arms which is in The Square at Drewsteignton a village no more than two miles from Castle Drogo. The Drewe Arms is a very picturesque Devon pub that just happened to arrive in a village house a couple of hundred years ago somewhere between lunch and supper and no one has stopped to think it odd in the intervening years. There is genuine character in every room in the pub. The bar is a hole in the wall in one room and the absence of a wall from another room. There is a charming little restaurant in the back where a couple of rooms have been knocked into one. The real ale is excellent and the food is good. (01647 281 224).
Lynmouth and the Valley of the Rocks
A very pleasant day can be spent visiting Lynmouth and the Valley of the Rocks in North Devon proper.
Lynmouth is close to Lynton and is a beautiful coastal village with very pleasant beaches and a small shopping area. It’s very easy to spend an hour here just mooching about and having a coffee.
The Rising Sun in Lynmouth is a good place for lunch. Excellent sandwiches and coffee and good service. (The lounge is lovely but the loos could do with some investment.)
After lunch the Valley of the Rocks is well worth a visit. Drive back out of Lynmouth and turn right following the signs to the Valley of the Rocks. Drive through the built up area and out to the Valley where there is car parking. It’s a very good place to get out of the car and walk through the Valley. The Valley has a large number of quite unusual rock formations.
After you’ve walked around and through the Valley continue on in the car in the same direction. The road (part of which is a toll road) takes you past Lee Abbey, Lee Bay and on to Woody Bay. It is a delightful little track that follows the coast to Martinhoe. You continue onwards and eventually rejoin the A39 heading towards Barnstaple.
On you way back to Barnstaple you can either visit Arlington Court (which is just off the A39) or you can turn right off the A39 towards Guineaford and then on to Marwood Hill Gardens, which are well worth a visit in their own right (see the section on Gardens).
Local Potteries
A great day can be spent visiting local potteries. It’s the best way to appreciate the richness and quality of the work produced by the local potters.
The standard of pottery is exceptionally high in the immediate area and there is wide variety in the potters‘ work. This is the product of history (Large numbers of potters were employed at Brannam’s in Barnstaple at the beginning of the Twentieth Century and many left to start up small workshops as the workforce contracted. This established the industry in the area), the ready availability of local clays and the appeal of the North Devon lifestyle to those of an artistic nature.
Clovelly Pottery is a small pottery set up in 1981 by Clive Pearson. Stoneware is the principal product with a wide range of household pots being produced, many are “oven to table” ware. The most popular of the glazes used is the Chun glaze, a beautiful deep blue glaze originally from the Sung Dynsasty. The pottery is open most of the year but during the summer months will be open from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
Springfield Pottery in Hartland is run by Philip and Frannie Leach, potters who belong to the great West Country dynasty of Leaches. Philip is grandson of the legendary Bernard Leach, and son of the late Michael Leach, in whose pottery Frannie was trained. Frannie also studied in New York, and Philip spent six years in Iran, where he was involved in setting up student workshops. Married in 1977, they opened their Springfield Pottery two years later.
They produce a wide range of work: oven-to-tableware, tiles and individual pieces. They produce decorative earthenware. Most of the glazed ware is made using a red marl from Stoke-on-Trent combined with a local earthenware boulder clay and a whitish Devon ball clay. The glazed ware has all been fired twice and the second ‘glaze’ firing goes to a temperature of 1080°C. This temperature is within the higher end of earthenware and gives a limited scope in available glazes.
They mix the glazes to our own recipes. These are basically lead bisillicate, borax and alkaline glazes.
They use many methods of decoration; slip combing, slip trailing, brushwork, imprinting and some spongework. These methods, combined with an extensive palette of pigments give a wide variety in the work
Phillip and Frannie are gifted and imaginative potters and their products are clearly “collectable”.
Some Advice on Weather Management
The single biggest difficulty with holidays in the UK is the weather. Although the weather is generally very good on the Hartland Peninsula (and stands comparison with anywhere in the South West) you can still have days where the rain falls steadily and it can spoil the day. Our advice in this case is as follows:
1. Plan your day to get the best of the weather. We don’t have too many days when it rains all day. We are much more likely to have a day with a wet morning or a wet afternoon or intermittent rain. If that’s the pattern plan your day to optimize the day. It it’s a wet morning lie abed for the morning and enjoy the comfort of the cottage or book at therapy in the Spa and enjoy your morning being pampered. If it’s going to be a wet afternoon get up with the sun and enjoy the morning.
2. Be very aware that the weather is incredibly local along the coast and on a Peninsula in particular. If it’s raining in Hartland it may well not be raining five miles north or south along the coast. If it’s raining all along the coast it may well not be raining inland. Note the weather forecast and go to where the better weather is predicted. We often have lovely days where a few miles down the coast the weather is poor.
3. Do use the fact that Downe has the Health Spa to manage the weather. If the weather’s poor, see if we have any availability for a therapy or two. That can really help the day.
4. If the weather is going to be bad all day, plan to go out on one of our day trips and combine the trip with a long lunch at one of the restaurants we recommend. A two or three hour lunch can have a massively beneficial impact upon a bad weather day. We have thoroughly enjoyed some of our days when the weather has made us slow down and take a French man’s approach to lunch.
5. Finally, don’t forget that you can really enjoy a walk along the cliff tops in bad weather. Provided you are dressed properly in your wet weather gear, go out and walk the cliffs and feel the wind and the rain on your face. After your walk come back in time for a good soak in the spa bath and a sauna or a session in the steam room. You will feel wonderful after you have lazed in the Spa following a healthy walk in the wild elements.
