Our Week In Devon!
Written by: Martin, Helen, Susanna, Alex and Edward
Kayaking - Combe Martin
Arriving at Heatherdown Lodge in glorious early evening sunshine, we enjoyed a few sundown drinks/dinner overlooking the severn estuary. Some read books, whilst others did a short walk down ladys mile and up south dean lane to join the coast path - a lovely circular route from the lodge (~6km).
After a much needed lie-in we woke to another glorious day, the girls did outdoor yoga whilst the boys cooked brunch. We did a short walk along the coast called the holystone hill tour before lunch ( ~1 hour) and then headed down to Combe Martin (10 min drive) for some kayaking, which we had been recommended.
We used Surf Side kayaks, on the right hand side on the way down to the beach (£27 for 2 hours for a double kayak), they were super helpful and friendly. Despite the boys hoping for a week of surf, this was a fantastic alternative for calmer days as we kayaked round to a secluded beach and could climb and jump off the rocks. There’s a great ice cream shop opposite the entrance to the beach too!
A rainy day meant reading, dobble, bananagrams and watching films- the TV was great. The next couple of days were spent beaching/surfing. We did both Croyde and Putsborough; Croyde seems to generally have the better surf (on Magic Seaweed) but we found Putsborough had nicer sand and more space for touch rugby, beach cricket etc. We brought our own boards, but our friends rented one at Putsborough for £8 all day.
Taking a break on the Coastal Path
A group also walked up to baggy point on the headland, where you get views down the beach to Woolacombe. On the way home we dropped by the Combe Martin fish & chip shop, just a couple of shops up the road from Surf Side - it was delicious!
The next day we drove to Josie’s lane and left the car by the quarry, and walked down to Heddons Mouth, looping round along the coast path. It certainly got the lungs going on the steep ascent out of the valley but the views were great.
On our final day we drove the car down towards The Hunters Inn and then walked to Woodys bay. This was the best walk of the trip, the path is stunning as it meanders along the coast past waterfalls, forests and old roman fortlets (or the remains of!).
Woodys bay itself is lovely and we spent a couple of hours having a picnic, swimming in an old Victorian pool and jumping off the rocks. Some of the rocks are even smooth enough for good makeshift sun loungers. By pure luck we arrived with the tide fairly low, but at the high tide there isn’t much beach left so make sure you check the tides (Admiral Tide website) before you go.
On the way back we went to the ice cream shop just up from the The Hunters Inn, again delicious!
The stunning sunsets over the sea were the perfect backdrop for dinners- a highlight for everyone.
All in all we had a top week!