North Devon and Exmoor are home to some of the West Country’s best kept secrets. Along the coast are Britain’s highest sea cliffs and the longest village as well as lighthouses, lime kilns, smugglers coves and shipwrecks. North Devon also boasts the UK’s only World Biosphere Reserve, a water-operated cliff railway and an Atlantic island twelve miles offshore. Exmoor’s magnificent unspoilt coastline embraces steep, rugged ‘hogs-back’ cliffs including the highest in England, Great Hangman, which rises to around 800ft. Combe Martin, reputedly the longest village in England with a two mile high street, is also home to the Pack O’ Cards pub built in the 17th century from the winnings of a card game to represent a pack of cards with features denoting the four suites and royal picture cards.
The Victorians called the picturesque area round Lynton and Lynmouth ‘Little Switzerland’ with its steep pathways and strangely weathered rock formations in the nearby Valley of Rocks. Set on a 500ft cliff one above the other, the two towns are connected by an ingenious water powered railway designed by the Victorians and still in daily use today. Once home to notorious pirates including Captain Kidd, Lundy Island is now a haven for wildlife and a Marine Nature Reserve – visitors can take day trips on the handsome MS Oldenburg; its also possible to stay a few days in self-catering accommodation or on the island’s camp site. Most of these landmarks and many more can be seen from the challenging but beautiful Devon and Exmoor section of the South West Coast Path; at 630 miles this is the UK’s longest national trail.
Unspoilt Location
Biosphere Reserve North Devon is one of the finest unspoilt locations in Britain. This was formally acknowledged recently by UNESCO which granted a World Biosphere Reserve status to over 3,000 hectares of the North Devon landscape, including Braunton Burrows. The area is of international importance because of its diversity and abundance of rare plants and continuous human use from ancient times. Although there are 400 other Biosphere Reserves worldwide, it is the first and only designated site in Britain. With the Burrows at its core, the reserve stretches out to include Braunton Marshes and Great Field, Northam Burrows, Croyde Dunes, Kipling Tors and the Taw and Torridge Estuary. One of the best views of the estuary is from Fremington Quay where a new visitor and interpretation centre, built on the site of the old railway station, explains the location’s importance for the worldwide import and export of china clay, coal and other minerals over the past 150 years.
North Devon Spring Festivals
North Devon and Exmoor are perhaps at their very best during spring and early summer. The countryside is refreshed and vibrant with new life, days are long and bright and village and townsfolk appear inspired as they go about their daily lives. These exciting months are also when major spring festivals will be held throughout the region. Visitors at this special time of the year will be able to watch and take part in a host of events and activities covering the performing and visual arts, extreme beach and water sports, family entertainment, hands-on workshops and much more. Details of the North Devon and Exmoor Spring Festivals can be found on www.ndfest.co.uk or telephone 01271 336216. Now in its seventh year, the North Devon Festival continues to expand with over 150 main events taking place throughout June in more than 50 towns and villages. Firmly established as one of the leading festivals in the UK, it encompasses several strands, which include live entertainment, visual arts, literature and sport. Many events are also linked with the people, local produce, wildlife and natural beauty of the region. Call 01271 324242 for details or visit www.northdevonfestival.org
Sun, Sea, Surf and Adventure
North Devon’s stunning coastline provides the perfect backdrop for a day’s fun in the sun. The Atlantic rollers at Woolacombe, Croyde, Putsborough, Westward Ho! and Saunton have gained them a growing reputation with top surfers as well as novices - tuition and equipment hire are generally available for the less experienced. Visitors can also try a range of adventure sports such as kite-surfing, surf-skiing, sea-kayaking, sand yachting and kite buggying as well as more traditional fishing, rock climbing and diving. The miles of soft golden sands and sparking blue seas attract visitors of all ages – its possible to try a different beach every day of the week and still not see them all. Described as one of the top ten beaches in the world, Woolacombe Bay has been a consistent winner of the European Blue Flag since 1991 placing it among the best in the country for safety and cleanliness.
Other beaches such as Putsborough, Hele Bay and Combe Martin also hold Tidy Britain Seaside Awards for their superb facilities. The varied landscape both on the coast and inland also has much to offer the walker, cyclist and horse rider and there are also numerous golf courses. The 180-mile long distance Tarka Trail is best explored by bike or on foot as it follows the route of an old railway track through valleys and beside sparkling streams. It links into the West Country Way (National Cycle Network, route three) which passes through Devon and Exmoor on its way from Padstow to Bristol. In addition there’s the 102-mile ‘Coast to Coast’ cycle route from Ilfracombe to Plymouth and a new series of circular walking trails, which are now waymarked within Ruby Country.
For a free copy of the North Devon and Exmoor Holiday and Accommodation Guide call 01271 336070 or write to the North Devon Marketing Bureau at PO Box 41, Department 70, Barnstaple, North Devon EX32 8LP. Further details on www.northdevon.com
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