BBC COUNTRYFILE 19

Devon may be famous for its tourist honey-pots, but if you know where to go, it’s easy to lose the crowds and relax in peace in gorgeous surroundings. Rockham beach, for

example, is seldom busy but just half a mile from a car park

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devonbeyond the brochurePlan a peaceful trip to a land of golden coves, charming villages and hidden delights

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Above With spectacular seaside walks, a long shingle beach, three small National Trust properties and the 16th-century Masons Arms pub, Branscombe makes a great base for a few days right In nearby Sidmouth, Jacob’s Ladder winds down to the beach from the old fashioned Clockhouse Tea rooms below Sleepy Lee Bay is the perfect place for a picnic – on a beach covered in skimming stones left Explore miles of empty coast path – like this dramatic stretch at Watermouth, near Ilfracombe

The idyllic fishing village of Clovelly can get crowded, so visit early in the day for a stress-free wander

O ne sunny summer’s day I fell asleep on a sandy patch of Budleigh Salterton beach. Nothing remarkable about

that… except that I was the only person on the whole seafront.

Another time I took my two children to a remote Devon ‘pub’ run by an elderly lady in her farmhouse. We were the only customers, which was just as well: we took up all the seats.

And once, my wife and I stayed at a Dartmoor holiday cottage that was so isolated, we were given its map reference in case we had to call emergency services. We went walking every day, saw wild ponies galore, but never another human.

So when people say Devon is overcrowded, I know they haven’t strayed far from the tourist trail. Yes, Devon is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular holiday regions. Thankfully, however, it has more than enough seaside and countryside to accommodate us all.

It’s England’s third largest county, and the only one with two separate coastlines. These span more than 200 miles of coves, inlets and beaches. And there are two National Parks, two World Heritage sites, and thousands of villages and beaches to explore.

Local knowledgeThe secret, of course, is to avoid tourist honey-pots and ask locals for the best places. As someone who was bought up in Devon and has written about it for 20 years, I hope I qualify, too. But I’ll start by contradicting myself. Some of the big tourist sights like, say, Clovelly, Exeter Cathedral Close and Plymouth Waterfront, are unmissable. Okay, they can be busy – but not as busy as the main seaside resorts on a sunny day in August. All you have to do is time visits carefully to miss the crowds.

As for the seaside, yes, it’s the main attraction for most visitors. But you don’t have to queue for expensive car parks at overcrowded beaches. It is easy to escape throngs and thongs. Some of Devon’s best beaches are almost empty… if you know where they are. In the north, try Lee Bay

(near Ilfracombe, pictured opposite, bottom right), Woody Bay (near Lynmouth), Watermouth Bay (near Combe Martin), Putsborough (near Woolacombe) and Peppercombe (near Clovelly). On the south coast, find crowd-free spots at Branscombe (near Sidmouth), Ness Beach (near Teignmouth), Maidencombe (near Torquay) and Soar Mill Cove (near Salcombe). My favourite is Rockham, which is hidden round a headland from

Woolacombe (and pictured on pages 18-19). It’s a perfect golden beach framed by rock pools and surrounded by National Trust land, so there are no buildings. There’s not even a road… just a path from the

hamlet of Mortehoe half a mile away. And don’t neglect the less-well-known

Devon stretch of Britain’s Jurassic Coast. This south-eastern corner of Devon is a big chunk of unspoiltness. It includes the classic up-and-down pastures of the Blackdown Hills; and market towns such as Ottery St Mary and Honiton with family-owned shops selling antiques, prime Devon beef and wellington boots in equal quantities.

At one end is the Exe Estuary. As a migratory stop-over, it’s a birdwatchers’

When people say Devon is overcrowded

I know they haven’t strayed far from the

tourist trail

tapeley Park Near Instow, North Devon, EX39 4NT01271 860897, www.tapeleygardens.comWander the lakeside walks and Italian gardens of this 300-year-old family home and you may meet aristocrat-turned-eccentric-eco-campaigner Hector Christie, who likes to explain his sustainability projects to visitors.

hartland Abbey Near Hartland, North Devon EX39 6DT01237 441234 www.hartlandabbey.co.ukA remote 12th-century monastery converted into a Victorian mansion with quirky discoveries round every corner, including the drawing room modeled on the House of Lords and a vast, peacock-filled parkland.

Cadhay house Ottery St Mary, East Devon EX11 1QT 01404 813511, www.cadhay.org.ukLawyer John Haydon made a fortune helping Henry VIII dissolve the monasteries. Cadhay is how he spent the money. This little-known Tudor ‘millionaire’s’ mansion opens regularly to the public, and parts are available as holiday lets.

Devon houses to visitThree fascinating properties that are off the National Trust trail

Tapeley Park

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oPPoSite From rugged rolling hill tops scented with heather and gorse to deep green river valleys where dippers fly, Exmoor is outstanding walking country. left Hartland village has become home to a small community of artists, and there are several galleries to browse in. Above The isolated Warren House Inn offers a warm welcome thanks to a log fire said to have been burning continuously since 1845. right Take on the unspoilt Isle of Lundy, and spot grey seals basking on its shores

beaches; such as those at Orcombe (near Exmouth), Jacob’s Ladder (descend Sidmouth’s red sandstone cliffs by an old white wooden staircase) and Branscombe, which has a cracking beach café and mountainous coast paths.

Up in the Blackdown Hills you may find locals such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

dream, and often looks as tranquil as a water-colour painting. From Exmouth’s two-mile sandy beach, the ancient Jurassic rocks lead all the way to Seaton, where a quirky little electric tram trundles down the riverbank to the sea. This south-east Devon coast is a rollercoaster of swooping cliffs, genteel resorts and little-used

harvesting his cabbages and Kirstie Allsopp scouring craft shops… or stumble upon the Luppitt Inn. It’s a pub that epitomizes Devonshire charm. Don’t expect music or a gourmet menu. The ‘pub’ is just 92-year-old Mary Wright’s tiny sitting room. The venerable landlady is renowned for handing out puzzles and pens to test new customers. Beer pours from a barrel supplied by Otter Brewery, just up the muddy lane.

Quirky country pubsNot all Devon pubs are like this, of course, but The Bridge (www.cheffers.co.uk/bridge.html) at Topsham with its seating area behind the bar, the simple flag-stoned room at the Drewe Arms (www.thedrewearmsinn.co.uk) at Drewsteignton, and the Cider Bar (http://tinyurl.com/ciderbar) in Newton Abbott that only serves cider, come close.

From Appledore to Zeal, Devon really seems to have more quirkily interesting pubs than elsewhere and they often provide the best-value food and accommodation. Indeed, the highlight of your holiday might be watching wildlife from the window while enjoying the

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Former Devonshire cider-maker Simon Heptinstall has worked for Top Gear, the Times and the Travel Channel. He wrote the guidebook Devon (Crimson Publishing, 2008) and is now writing a new book called 1001 Restaurants.Ph

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signature pork roulade at the Michelin-starred Mason’s Arms (www.masonsarmsdevon.co.uk) in the tiny thatched hamlet of Knowstone north of Tiverton or the crab dishes at the creekside Millbrook Inn (www.millbrookinn southpool.co.uk) at Southpool near Kingsbridge. The local organic pork chops at the Culm Valley Inn (www.culmvalleyinn.co.uk) near Culmstock are renowned, too. And you may even see pop singer and local girl Joss Stone popping in for a drink here.

Tranquil coastlineDevon’s other great unspoilt corner is the north west. Most visitors race past on the A39 heading for Cornwall’s much-hyped coast. They by-pass the Hartland Peninsula’s rocky shores and bleak farmland. This creates the perfect place for quietly browsing galleries of the artist

community drawn to Hartland village’s white-washed cottages (pictured above left). Lanes to the west stop dead at Hartland Quay, where the grey Atlantic batters against jaws of black rock. Cliffs march to the horizon either side. The quay was demolished by monstrous waves 100 years

ago. There’s a wide beach but I’ve never seen anyone dare swim. Walk north to a lighthouse or south to see cliff waterfalls. Perched on the rocks, the Hartland Quay Hotel (www.hartlandquayhotel.com) has an atmospheric bar

and shipwreck museum. Best of all, it sells local ale, hot pasties and ice cream from a nearby farm.

Empty hills, sleepy valleys There’s even more empty countryside among the bleak rock-topped hills of Dartmoor. Try walks from the moorland village of Belstone (pictured opposite, bottom For fresh air and lovely views head up to the atmospheric Belstone Common, on the edge of Dartmoor

left), where sheep and ponies wander the streets, or warm yourself at an open fire that has been burning for more than 150 years at the isolated Warren House Inn (pictured top right; www.warrenhouseinn.co.uk).

Climb hills on Dartmoor’s softer, smaller neighbour Exmoor (opposite, top) for panoramas across the Bristol Channel to Wales, or hunt down the idyllic Culbone Valley, romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s fabled ‘Xanadu’.

For even more remoteness, sail from Ilfracombe or Bideford to Lundy Island (above), which is like a slice of moorland adrift in the Channel carrying a cargo of noisy seabirds. There are cottages to rent, and castles and lighthouses to explore. And of course, even out here – this being part of Devon, you see – there’s an eccentric pub. The granite-walled Marisco Tavern serves roast Lundy lamb, a huge selection of rums and home-brewed beer. CF

Try walks from the moorland village

of Belstone, where sheep and ponies

wander the streets

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Local specialityGetting there SCONES AND CREAM

J georgian tea roomHigh Street, Topsham, South Devon EX3 0ED

01392 873465 http://broadwayhouse.com

Heather Knee’s humble tearoom offers what’s considered the best cream tea by locals. She’s won Devon Life magazine’s ‘Best Tearoom’ title for seven years. She learned to make clotted cream from her mother on their farmhouse Aga, and now makes her own jams and bakes fresh scones each morning. IMPORTANT LOCAL ETIQUETTE: In Cornwall, less lush pasture means runnier cream, which must be added after jam. In Devon, it’s a matter of local pride that its stickier, richer cream goes on before the jam.

devonEssential info

Perfect places to sleep, eat and drink for travellers who like to keep off the beaten track

An unmissable placeB Clovelly This genuinely unspoilt fishing village tumbling down to its tiny

harbour is a tourist honeypot. But it’s the best way to see what Devon used to be like. So avoid prime times and skip hefty entry fees for all cars with an easy bus ride from Bideford, by staying at The New Inn or Red Lion (you get free parking), or walking via the fabulous coast path from Bucks Mills.

Sailing boats shelter in Watermouth Cove

The M5 brings most visitors to Devon. From junction 27 the A361 leads via Tiverton to Exmoor and the North Devon coast at Barnstaple. Or stay on the M5 until Exeter for South Devon, via the A38, and for central Devon, via the A30.

The main railway line southwest passes through Exeter, Newton Abbott and Plymouth, with branch lines off to Barnstaple on the north coast, and to Paignton and Exmouth in the south.

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K royal Albert Memorial Museum Exeter EX4 3RX

01392 265 858 www.rammuseum.org.uk

This grand old museum is a largely undiscovered marvel that can captivate anyone for many rainy hours. Recently renovated, the new RAMM includes more than a million objects and specimens. Best of all, it’s free.

On a rainy day...Sleep...C the Nobody inn

Doddiscombleigh EX6 7PS 01647 252 394 www.nobodyinn.co.uk

Atmospheric ancient inn lost in a maze of unsigned, high-hedged lanes. Renowned for hearty food and real ale. Five cosy bedrooms are complete with lush fabrics, chalky paintwork and free sherry. Double room B&B: £45pppn.

D lydgate house hotelPostbridge, Dartmoor PL20 6TJ

01822 880209 www.lydgatehouse.co.uk

A small Victorian country house down a private lane, and set in 36 acres of prime Dartmoor land. Enjoy fine homely food by the woodburning stove, or take bracing walks right from the door. Double B&B from £40 pppn.

Must see...I The best view in Devon could

be the panorama from Plymouth waterfront, taking in the Sound, the islands, the Tamar, the docks and the Barbican. This famous ‘Hoe’ where Drake played bowls as the Armada approached is an essential part of English history.

A turf hotelExminster, EX6 8EE

01392 833128 www.turfpub.net

This pub may be near Exeter, but you can’t drive there; you’ll have to walk, cycle or sail, because it stands on a narrow spit where the canal joins the Exe Estuary. It’s a simple, rustic place with home-cooked dishes from £4 to £12.

RESTAURANTE Mason’s Arms

Knowstone, mid-Devon, EX36 4RY 01398 341231 www.masonsarmsdevon.co.uk

Mark Dodson, former head chef at Michel Roux’s Waterside Inn, moved his family down to this old thatched pub in a tiny hamlet in an isolated spot. Among the beamed ceilings, sloping floors, open fires, low doorways and inspiring views across the hills to Exmoor, he now serves Michelin-starred food at pub-grub prices: £25 for three-course lunch.

CAFEF otterton Mill

The Green, Otterton EX9 7HG 01395 567041 www.ottertonmill.com

A rambling old stone mill on the River Otter that is now an arts, crafts and foodie centre. Its waterwheel grinds flour for the on-site bakery, so expect superb homemade bread and cakes in the cafe. Cream tea £6.95.

BEACH CAFEG Sands on the beach

Saunton Sands, North Devon EX33 1LQ

01271 891288 www.sauntonsands.co.uk/

eating/sands-on-the-beach.htmlThe north coast’s coolest eaterie is this glass, steel and wood pavilion on an immense surfing beach. Perfect for watching the sunset from the balcony with a plate of fresh mussels and a cold beer.

Eat...Drink...

Stretch your legs...H On Devon’s north-eastern

Exmoor coast, start at Lynmouth harbour. Climb the zig-zig path or ride the Victorian cliff railway. The views are almost Alpine. Take the coast path west (left) to the outcrops known as the Valley of the Rocks. Continue past Lee Abbey to the secluded sandy cove of Lee Bay. Follow the path into the woods behind and loop over the hill back to the Valley of the Rocks. Follow the road back through the Victorian town of Lynton to the top of the zig-zag.

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