Reading Evening Post

Travelling abroad is great but not without its hassles. Many are finding that destinations closer to home are a rewarding alternative. In Devon, MATT BLACKMAN.

Just a short stroll from my cosy cottage and I was standing in a deserted cove watching the Atlantic rollers crash in, listening to the seagulls as they wheeled easily overhead. To the right were towering cliffs, golden in the wintery morning sun, and to my left, a steep hill with the trails of the South-West Coast path discernable as it zigzagged up towards the remains of an old ruined tower. Straight ahead was America. I hadn’t seen a single person all morning and it felt remote and undiscovered. It was at that moment I decided Devon was fantastic.

I was staying in Downe Cottages on Hartland Point, an old farm whose buildings – all stone walls and rough hewn beams – have been lovingly converted into eight superb cottages by owners Jeremy and Linda Roe. Driving from Reading took three-and-a-half hours on the Friday night and arriving close to midnight, I found a bottle of wine and box of chocs on the kitchen table – a lovely greeting.

It was beautifully warm and neatly equipped with modern kitchen and modem furniture; the big attic bedroom with skylights and beams was inviting, attractive and restful. Jeremy and Linda usually greet guests and give them a feel for the geography, local pubs, restaurants and landmarks and the like, but I had missed them both in the evening. The cottage contained their handy and comprehensive guide to the surrounding area, including notes on quality restaurants, pubs, walks and sights on both the Devon and North Cornwall coasts, but in my haste to savour the coastline, I rushed out with just an Ordnance Survey map for company.

As a result I was unaware of the nearby Hartland Quay Inn, an atmospheric watering hole at the bottom of the highest cliff in England, when it came to looking for a place for a late breakfast.

In fact, I missed a lot of the notable landmarks including St Catherine’s Tor a great pyramid of rock oath coastline – but the walking and scenery were so good that it really didn’t matter.

Finally, I headed for the huge tower of the 14th Century Norman-built St Nectan’s church in the nearby village of Stoke, which proved to be devoid of even a shop, let alone a cafe or pub.

Carrying on a further couple of miles, and with increasing hunger pangs, I reached Hartland and the Hart Inn, which served up a gratifyingly enormous mixed grill and a much-needed pint.

I could have carried on the South­ West Coast path for the rest of the day, and for several weeks after that, since it is the longest NationaI Trail in Britain at 630 miles.

But just visiting for the weekend it was easier to curl up in the cottage for a cosy night and take the car out the next day to follow the sea down into Cornwall.

The coastal road is a rollercoaster of a drive, with combinations of hairpin turns and steep hills that’ll have you down in first gear, and offers a succession of exhilarating views.

It also leads you naturally to some great places, such as the historic castle of Tintagel and the picturesque fishing village of Port Isaac. Tintagel castle is legendary as the birth place of King Arthur and is split dramatically between the mainland and a headland island joined by a narrow wooden bridge. There’s not so much left of the castle buildings now, although those walls and buildings which remain are beautiful and the setting dramatic, with wares battering the cliffs hundreds of feet below, but exploring across the headlands and clambering down to the caves by the sea is fun.

Unfortunately, the village of Tintagel is a shrine to tacky commercialism. Every other shop is named after Merlin, Camelot or some knight or other and, as such, is well worth walking through as quickly as possible.

Far better to carry on down the coast to the beautiful little village of Port Isaac, a tiny fishing community based around a steep sided bay. One restaurant here, The Old & School House had been recommended by Jeremy and both the menu and setting looked great, but it was mid-afternoon when I arrived and the place was shut. However, Padstow wasn’t far and the cottage guide said Rick Stein’s restaurant was there.

The famous chef’s main harbour-side restaurant at Padstow is nearly always fully-booked and reservations need to be made well in advance, but in the back streets there is Rick Stein’s cafe which you can walk into and still eat great food.

There was a wonderful spicy tomato, pepper and pesto soup, and lovely seared squid in chilli with a salad of rocket and beansprouts and great, crunchy deep-fried plaice.

lt was finished off with a rich chocolate pud with clotted cream and washed down with a quality bottle of white, which still tasted fine even when the bill came.