Post Weekend

Waves thunder in from the Atlantic and smash against the cliffs. The wind leaves you breathless and flecked with spray as the elements combine to remove the last traces of urban life from your memory. For this kind of north Devon spectacular you have to come out of season. And, in the depths of winter, a bracing breeze can soon become a howling gale. When the January rains sweep in off the ocean, only fools and sheep remain outside.

So it’s important to stay somewhere that is more than just “a place to sleep” – and Downe Cottages fit the bill. Perched on a hill on the Hartland Peninsula, with views north to craggy Lundy Island, the eight cottages are converted from Victorian stone barns. They are centrally heated and ours had a log burner. So the wind may continue to howl outside, long after hikers and other fresh air freaks have had enough, but inside it is warm and welcoming.

There is no such thing as a home away from home but the comfort of Downe Cottages gets pretty close. There is no shabby decoration and the attention to detail, from the luxury bathrooms to the books, from the comfortable bedding through to dishwashers and a vast range of kitchen utensils, makes for a snug hideaway. They are a haven in which to while away the dark evenings – or mornings, or afternoons, depending on when the foul weather rolls in.
Owners Jeremy and Lynda Roe, who sold up in Surrey and forsook commuter land for the peninsula about five years ago, even have a huge collection of videos to borrow.

Each cottage also contains a folder with pages and pages of things to do and the sort the best pub lunches from the micro waved ready meals and the best attractions from the tacky tourist traps.

A short walk across rolling farmland leads to the sea at Hartland Quay or the nearest beach, Berry Cove. The North Devon Coastal Path, a challenge for any walker, stretches both ways along the rugged shore. A two-hour circuit takes in the quay, the cove and, in the warmer months, the cream teas at Stoke Barton Farm.

The nearest civilisation is Hartland, about a mile away, said to have the character of a village 40 years ago, with a thriving life of its own and at least one decent pub, The Hart Inn, which is a lazy half-hour walk. Hartland also has a baker’s, a grocer’s, organic health food shop, antiques shop and two potteries. One is run by Clive Pearson, who also has a pottery at the preserved village of Clovelly. He also runs a small boat from Clovelly to Lundy Island eight miles offshore. The trip is not for the faint-hearted and waterproof clothing is advised.

Clovelly is a tourist magnet, so an off~ peak visit has advantages. Once home to Victorian author and social reformer Charles Kingsley, whose works include The Water Babies and Westward Ho! it has been kept largely unchanged for the past 100 years.

Cars are banned in the middle of the village, which tumbles down a steep slope to the harbour. The going can get slippery for walkers on the winding, cobbled high street and the sure-footed milkman – his bottles towed behind him on a wooden sled – is a wonder to behold as he strides downhill. In summer, Clovelly’s big disadvantage are the hordes of tourists drawn there. Its big advantage is a Land Rover service, carrying visitors back from the quay, via a road round the edge of the village, up to the visitor centre and car park. But the service stops at the end of October.

Another beautiful village is Buck’s Mill east along the coast, less quaint but not as touristy. Nearby towns include Bideford, Barnetaple and, across the border in Cornwall, Bude. If the rain sets in, Barnstaple has shopping malls, the Pannier Market, and its own factory outlet shops, Atlantic Village. Less inviting out of season are the seaside towns geared up for summer visitors – Ilfracombe and smaller Woolacombe – though the latter has a beach for a bracing walk.

There are plenty of eateries along the coast, including many fish restaurants of varying quality. But for real seafoodies, a homage to television chef Rick Stein’s place in Padstow is worth the drive along the A39 into Cornwall.

Sporting facilities available near Hartland include fishing, horse riding and tennis. There are several golf courses within easy reach, including the Royal North Devon in Westward Ho! (President Prince Andrew, green fee £30) Gardening enthusiasts may like to visit north Devon in the warmer months, when there are many horticultural gems open to visitors, including one at nearby Hartland Abbey The jewel in the local crown, the Royal Horticultural Society garden at Rosemoor, is open in winter – but is said to be spectacular in summer.

Out of season breaks in Britain are probably best attempted without children unless they are particularly hardy But if you get to north Devon before the end of October, there is always The Big Sheep to visit. It’s not the monstrous result of some genetic modification, rather a theme park entirely based on one of the area’s traditional money-spinners, the wool trade. Highlights include sheepdog trials involving flocks of ducks (honestly), sheep shearing and even sheep racing between competitors with names including Red Ram and Sheargar.

Or you could just hope it doesn’t rain enough for you to get this far down the list of attractions.