Peppercombe - a Devon beach you have to walk to

Here's a beach trip for a day when the walk is part of the fun...




This one won't offer you miles of sand, and there are no icecream stalls, but then there aren't many people either (and you can always get an icecream - or a pint- at the pub on the way back).








Start your walk at Horn's Cross, on the A39 between Bideford and Buck's Cross. You can get the 315 stagecoach bus from Winkleigh to Bideford, then the 319 service to Horn's Cross. Or you can drive. If driving, park considerately - this is a small hamlet. You can park at the pub if you're a customer.

You'll be heading off past the pub anyway, down to the beach through Peppercombe, owned by the National Trust. Where the track forks just past the pub, stay left (not through the 5 bar gate) and follow the path. In spring it's alive with wild garlic, wood anemones, primroses and celandines. Later in the year you'll find red campion and other woodland plants and butterflies.

The path takes you alongside a stream, past a couple of quaint little cottages, then across a field, down another wooded section and so to the beach. It's about half a mile, and well signed at every turn.

The island you see on the horizon is Lundy, also part of the North Devon Biosphere Reserve.

The beach itself is stony, except for patches of sand at low water, so this is a walk and picnic lunch rather than a bucket and spade excercise. When you've had enough of building encampments with the cobbles, you can wander north east along the beach until you find a bit were the cliffs dip down and a brick-built dam holds back a small pond. From here you can pick up the coast path back up the other side of the combe. You'll take a narrow, sometimes very muddy path along the top of the cliffs this time, coming out about half way up the combe. When you reach the main track turn left and head up hill.





If you don't want to retrace your steps, keep left where the track forks and you'll walk back to the start point along the other side of the combe.

Horn's Cross is about 25 miles from your self catering accommodation - but you can also get the bus direct from Winkleigh to Bideford, then get the 319 service to Horn's Cross. Get a day rider ticket for North Devon that lets you get on and off stagecoach buses all day.

Feeling more energetic? Peppercombe is also the start of a lovely 2-3 hour one-way walk along the south west coast path to Westward Ho!. Get the 319 bus from Bideford to Horn's Cross, then walk from Peppercombe to Westward Ho!, pick up the local (very frequent) First service bus back to Bideford. You can do the whole thing without your car from the bus stop at Winkleigh.

Belstone Cleave and the Tors Pub

Belstone Cleave in early autumn - beautiful even if it's raining. Here's what Muttley thought in October 2009...





"It was one of those days - the humans weren't all that keen, but I asked in a nice high-pitched dog voice and they agreed. Don't know why they were relunctant - it stopped raining as soon as the walk took us to a bridge and ford. It's the River Taw here, though it's only a stream. There were loads of autumn berries on the trees, lichen dripping off everything - damp climate up on Dartmoor - one of the wettest in Devon. I got to sniff around in the bracken and fetch sticks. They played pooh sticks on the bridge and splashed in puddles. We all walked down the valley, alongside the river. We could have made it all the way to Sticklepath, another Devon village with a dog-friendly pub. But some of the shorter legs didn't want to walk that far.



I didn't meet any other dogs today, except when we got back. There were a couple of dogs and walkers in the pub where we had lunch - The Tors. The humans at the bar perked up when they read a notice about 50 different kinds of whiskers - you'd have thought one would be enough for anyone - dog or human. And I tell you, it looked more like what I leave behind on lamposts...

Good walk though, and the sun came out in the afternoon. I sniffed the circular walls of the old pound in Belstone village, where stray dogs used to wait for their owners - but that must have been before they turned it into a garden. No scents now - just flowers. There was a tree in the middle. I tried to sign it but to be honest I'd exhausted supplies by then. The humans tried out the ancient stocks - talking about rotten eggs. I thought it was only dogs that liked those sorts of smells, but apparently not..."


Belstone is about 13 miles from the cottage and lodges. Park in the carpark at the edge of the village. This is an out and back Devon dog walk along the beginnings of the River Taw, but you don't have to retrace your steps exactly - you're in open access country on the edge of Dartmoor. OS Explorer map 113 or OL28. Watch out for livestock.

The Tors Hotel, Belstone, NR Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1QZ
01837 840689.


View Belstone Cleave to Sticklepath in a larger map

Castle Drogo

Castle Drogo was originally built for self-made retail millionaire Julius Drewe.
Designed between 1910 and 1913, it took 20 years to build. Sadly, Drewe died, aged 76, a year after it was completed. The family gifted the house and grounds to the National Trust in 1974. It was the first 20th Century property they took on.
Drogo was special because the Edwardian building was designed by Edwin Lutyens.



Lutyens was arguably Britain's greatest 20th century architect. It’s a thoroughly modern castle he designed here – no dungeons! Yet it’s an awe-inspiring piece of design, with touches like interior courtyards to give natural light and internal windows build to suggest an older rambling building that has been built onto. I think my favourite room was the switch room, with all the old fashioned wiring. The wooden fittings in the kitchen, in use up to the 1960s, reminded me of my grandmothers’ house, though hers was somewhat less grand...






The formal garden is one of the highest in England - Drogo is so high that although a fig tree cloaks one of the castle walls, its fruits don't ripen.





But there are plenty of flowers in the borders,and you can play croquet on the enormous circular croquet lawn (hire equipment from the visitor centre - June to September)



But if other people’s grand houses are not your thing, exploring the grounds may be. Drogo is perched high up on the northern fringe of Dartmoor, overlooking the Teign Valley. You can hike down to the river, maybe even walk to popular Fingle Bridge if you’re feeling energetic. The visitor centre sells leaflets with details of walks if you don't trust our own nose. You can't take your dog into the house or the formal gardens, but elsewhere dogs on leads are welcome.




The Trust, of course, has a cafe as well as a shop on site. There are often optional extras such as tours of the roof or boiler rooms (and an explanation of how Castle Drogo is hoping to go carbon neutral) or seasonal trails for children. The house sometimes has a cast of actors explaining what life was like in this Dartmoor mansion.


Winter opening: Castle Drogo grounds and tea room(but not the house) are open at weekends in January and February, and on extra days (sometimes including the house) around the Christmas break

Summer opening: from mid March to the beginning of November Castle Drogo is open most days - check the National Trust website (see below) for details.

Castle Drogo is about 17 miles from our Devon eco lodges and cottage. For more information about events there, see our diary pages.

Castle Drogo
Drewsteignton,
nr Exeter,
Devon EX6 6PB
Telephone: 01647 433306

Find out more, check opening times etc...

Walking near Meldon Reservoir, North Dartmoor

You can get a good taste of Dartmoor around Meldon Reservoir, yet choose how adventurous you want to be. Walk around the reservoir, head for the High Willhayes (the highest point in southern England), walk down to the viaduct or explore the geology of the valley.



The area around Meldon is a SSSI. There's a hazel wood with bluebells in spring (and a good population of dormice) just north of the Meldon Viaduct.

If you want to know more about the industrial archaeology of the area, see this site.

There's more about the ecology here.

And more about its geology here.

See the South West Lakes trust's page for meldon reservoir.


There are lots of pictures of the area at Tour by Tor's walk, Yes Tor & Meldon Reservoir.

Here's a link to a circular walk from Okehampton to Meldon and back.


Here's a great photo of the Meldon Viaduct, which now carries the Granite Way cyclepath (going from Okehampton to near Lydford).

Anglers can fish for brown trout during the season (15 Mar to 12 Oct in 2008). It's free, but you need an Environment Agency rod licence for anyone over 12.


Meldon Reservoir is about 17 miles from our Devon cottage and eco lodges. There's a car park, which has public loos.

Westward Ho! and Northam Burrows

The huge beach at Northam Burrows Country Park, near Westward Ho! is about 40 mins drive away. It can be almost empty outside peak season, and even in August there's plenty of room.





This picture was taken in October - you can see the miles of sand at low tide. Parking is easy - there's a car park (small charge in the sumer). At the far end of the car park there is a really worthwhile interpretation centre / shop as well as public loos.

Even in August there's plenty of room, though you'll have to share a bit...

Westward Ho! takes its name from the Charles Kingsley novel - ie the novel came first!

Northam Burrows is famous for it's pebble ridge made of rounded cobbles cast up by the sea. If you're there in May, you may catch the 'Pot Walloping Festival' where locals gather to throw the previous winter's dislodged cobbles back up onto the ridge. Traditionally, this protects their grazing rights.

Walking the South West Coast Path
The first mile or so of the South West Coast Path, from Westward Ho! to Cornborough Cliff, has been made an easy - access level path. Beyond that it's more challenging. If you are sure of foot there's a great walk from Horn's Cross (off the A39) back to Westward Ho! that you can do as a one way walk if you take the bus out. Rudyard Kipling spent several of his childhood years at Westward Ho!, and scenes from Stalky and Co. were written about this coastline, which he knew from attending the United Services College here.

Getting there
Northam Burrows and Westward Ho! are about 23 miles from our cottage and ecolodges. Take the A386 (or the bus) to Bideford...

Driving: - as you go through Bideford, look out for the signs to Appledore and Northam Burrows, rather than Westward Ho! There's a smallish turning on the right - it's signed. Follow signs for Northam Burrows Country Park.

Bus: Well,it's not seamless, but it's doable. Get the 315 service to Bideford and change on the Quay to The First 1 service for Northam and Appledore. There's a bus on the golf links road and you walk down through the Country Park from there. It adds a bit of exercise, so not necessarily a good option for young children or anyone carrying loads of beach gear.

There may be events or walks organised for the Country park. Check out our diary pages for details.

Beaches and a canal at Bude

Bude offers some of the closest beaches to us. You can enjoy the sand, go surfing or pick up the South West Coast path for a lovely walk. It's just over the border in Cornwall, but they won't ask for your passport...






If you drive to Bude you'll probably end up at Summerleaze Beach, the closest to the town. There's level access from Summerleaze car park. At low tide you can also get here from the Canal. There's lots of sand when the tide is out, but take care swimming near the sailing channels into the Canal. You might prefer the sea-washed swimming pool near the cliffs. Crooklets is the other town beach, also popular with surfers. (No dogs allowed on Crooklets beach between Easter and 1st October).




At Widemouth Bay, (turning off the A39 a mile or two south of Bude) there is a large beach with over 2 miles of sand at low tide. Good for families and surfers - plenty of room for all. Dogs are allowed on the southern part all year.

Bude Canal
A canal joins the sea at Bude. It was built to transport sea sand, rich in lime, to farms inland. The lock gates near the sea suffered storm damage in 1997 but have now been repaired (and if you wonder whether rebuilding the gates in such fabulous-looking hardwood was really sustainable, it's because the gates are 'listed', and English Heritage insisted they be replaced by green oak). You can walk or ride along the tow path to Helebridge, passing a nature reserve on the way. Just across the A39 at Helebridge you can see the old wharf area and restored barge workshop. There's also a picnic site here. There's more information about the canal here.

Cliff top walks
Alternatively, walk along the cliffs from Bude for spectacular views on the South West Coast Path. You're standing on 300 million years of geological history!

Bude is about 30 miles from our cottage and ecolodges.

If you want to see more, check out the Bude webcams.

Halsdon Nature Reserve

Halsdon Nature Reserve is one of the nearest of the Devon Wildlife Trust's reserves to Wheatland Farm. Otters are sometimes to be seen from the hide overlooking the River Torridge, and orchids and bluebells bejewel the woods in spring.




The 57 hectare reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with mixed deciduous river valley woodland, riverside meadows, marsh and including 2.4km of the River Torridge.

It's mostly oak woodland, but rarer trees, including the Devon whitebeam (sorbus devoniensis) and the wild service tree (an unusual-looking tree with greyish brown, flaky bark) are also here.

In 2009 the Trust started an ambitious programme to improve access an manage the woodland more actively.

You can do a circular walk from either of the two car parks - of if you're car free, take the 315 bus to Dolton and walk along part of the Tarka Trail to the bottom end of the reserve, up through the woodland, then back to Dolton on a footpath. There are a couple of pubs in Dolton if you need refreshments.

There are a few fields at the valley bottom that you're asked not to go through in the summer without a permit, but that's a relatively small part of the reserve. In the winter you don't need a permit - but please don't take your dogs into this area.

The paths a pretty variable - sometimes steep and muddy. But from the car park at the southern end of the reserve there's a fairly flat smooth section with a well-made surface for nearly a kilometre, as far as the riverside.

If you're taking kids, try some of the games on this webpage while you're there.

Halsdon is about 8 miles from our holiday lodges and cottage.

There are sometimes events and workparties at Halsdon - check out our diary pages for details..

Devon Wildlife Trust: Halsdon Nature Reserve

Puffing Billy to Yarde Cafe

The Tarka Trail between Puffing Billy pub and Yarde Cafe is a lovely woodland walk or cycle crossing the Torridge and passing several benches for the trail as part of Sustran's Art in the Travelling Landscape initiative.





While the surface isn't as good as other parts of the trail it's still fairly easy going. Bear in mind you're following the Torridge upstream now, so that means gently uphill almost all the way, but a much easier coast back once you've had a coffee and cake at the cafe!

Getting there:
Either drive or take the 315 bus from Winkleigh to the Puffing Billy stop just the far side of Great Torrington. Puffing Billy is the name of the pub here, once the station buildings. Cycling is a good option because there's no bus back from Yarde to Winkleigh. If you don't have your own bikes, you can hire some from Torrington Cycle Hire, just opposite the pub (01805 281461).


From here to Yarde Cafe is about 4 miles. Whether walking or cycling, set off leaving the pub behind you and passing under an archway. You'll soon come to a bridge over the Torridge. If you're there really early and it's quiet you may see an otter. In the evening, bats hunt for moths along the river banks here.



Along this stretch of the trail there is a series of 3 benches comissioned as part of Sustran's Art in the Travelling Landscape initiative. The 'courtship bench' will make you smile even if the 'bereavement bench' seems a bit morbid...








The cafe was shortlisted for the 2008 sustainable tourism category in the Devon Environmental Business Initiative's annual awards. It is normally open everyday 10.00am to 5.00pm during July and August, bank holiday weekends and during half term weeks. Outside the summer season, weather permitting, the cafe is open on Saturdays and Sundays - and sometimes other days if fine! Telephone 01805 624007 or 07972786306 to check.

Puffing Billy to Bideford on the Tarka Trail

This gently down-hill walk or ride crosses the Torridge at Beam Weir, made famous in Henry Williamson's book Tarka the Otter, before meandering along the valley, through a long tunnel, across another bridge and into the former station at Bideford, where there's a cafe in an old railway carriage. Cross Bideford's famous long Bridge and come back on the bus...

Getting there:
Either drive or take the 315 bus from Winkleigh to the Puffing Billy stop just the far side of Great Torrington. Puffing Billy is the name of the pub here, once the station buildings. If you walk you can get the bus back. If you want to cycle you'll have to go out and back again. If you don't have your own bikes, you can hire some from Torrington Cycle Hire, just opposite the pub (01805 281461).


From here to Bideford is about 5 miles. Whether walking or cycling, set off passing in front of the pub on the tarmac path that was once the railway track. You'll soon come to the bridge at Beam Weir. If you're there really early and it's quiet you may see an otter. In the evening, bats hunt for moths along the river bank.

A bit further and you'll come to a wooden bench, one of 30 pieces of art comissioned for the trail as part of Sustran's Art in the Travelling Landscape initiative.

Near hear you can detour into the woods on a permissive path that takes you to Weare Giffard, but apart from a bit of exploring I think I'd stick to the trail.

You'll go through a tunnel, then down to Landcross (had enough? you're close to the bus route again here - just come off the trail and cross over the Torridge on the road bridge. A few metres on the bus stop is on the corner)


You'll cross the Torridge again over a bridge where people often fish the tidal waters, than pass close to saltmarsh and a reedbed as you approach Bideford. The trail takes you right to the old station, where there's a cafe in an old carriage. If that's not open, the is a pub close by and plenty of other cafes etc over Bideford Long Bridge in the town itself.





If you walked, you can catch the 315 bus back from Bideford Quay - just cross the bridge, turn right and you'll find the bus stops.

Puffing Billy is about 17 miles from our lodges and cottage, but if you take the bus your day out starts a mile and a half away at the Winkleigh Bus stop. If you're car-less and have young children with you we can sometimes run you down there.

Instow to Fremington on the Tarka Trail

This is an easy going walk (or cycle) with options to explore part of the South West Coast Path and detour around a nature reserve. You'll end up at Fremington Quay cafe, which was voted 17th in the Independent Newspaper’s 50 Best Cafes in the UK 2006 - the only one in North Devon.


Getting there (for a walk):
Either take the 315 bus from Winkleigh, or drive to Instow and use the pay and display car park.

Getting there (cycle):
Take your own bikes or do the route in reverse, hiring bikes at Fremington Quay. You'll have to retrace your steps though, as no-one seems to do one-way cycle hire. And you'll need to stick to the Tarka Trail as bikes aren't allowed on the Coast Path.

I recommend getting there by bus. Tickets are really reasonable and you get a unique trip through the transition zone of North Devon's Biosphere reserve, with fabulous views of the countryside - the 315 is almost always a double decker, giving you unparalleled views over the hedges. And the view as you go over Bideford Bridge is spectacular.

Instow is the first village stop after you leave Bideford. Ask the driver to let you off at the east end of Marine Parade – easiest to be on the lower floor now and smile nicely as there isn’t a formal stop there (if s/he insists on going on to the formal stop you just walk back down the hill until you get back to here).

The walk proper...
You'll see the old railway line, now the Tarka Trail. You can start walking here. (If you take the straightforward route along the Tarka Trail and amble, you'll be at Fremington in under 2 hours.) Alternatively, walk along marine parade and the sea front, enjoying the clinking of stays on the moored boats and the view across the water to Appledore. Follow the coast until you get to the far side of Instow.



Here, you'll have another choice. If unencumbered by buggies etc, follow the South West Coast Path through dunes topped with marram grass and along the coastline. You can rejoin the Tarka Trail fairly shortly after the cricket ground, or say on the Coast Path until you loop back just before the RSPB's Isley Marsh Nature Reserve.

If you need smoother going, join up with the Tarka Trail now - turn left off the road where you see a beach cafe. Stay on the road side and shortly on your right you'll see a pedestrian gateway onto the Trail. If you miss that, carry on along the road (it may be a private road, but it's a public footpath as well)and join the trail where a road crosses it just before the cricket ground.

Once on the Tarka Trail the walk is pretty open and straight.
Watch out for wildflowers like tansy, willowherb, toadflax, wild carrot and many others in summer.

Assuming you're on the trail...

Just outside Instow you’ll come across Instow Pond - a picnic site with a shelter made of traditional cob, and a wetland area where swallows hunt insects during the summer. Follow this link to download an audio clip about the pond: part of the Tarka audio trail.

Before you get to Fremington, look out for a set of steel kissing gates and an information board on your left. This is the start of a permissive path around Home Farm Marsh, owned by the Gia Trust and managed primarily for wildlife. The walk takes you back to the coast, then along and finally back to the Tarka Trail again at another set of steel kissing gates ( and probably adds a kilometre to the overall walk).

From there, keep on the Tarka trail until you reach Fremington Quay, once the busiest port between Lands End and Bristol.


Now the buildings are a cafe with fascinating displays and photographs from times gone by, incluidng pennyfarthing and other early bicycles (suspended from the ceiling).
The cafe is open most days in the summer, most weekends in the winter, and closed most Mondays outside peak season. Ring them on 01271 378783 to be sure.

To get there, cross the bridge over Fremington Pill (the river here). Even if you don’t want a coffee, go in and look at the pictures of how things use to be. The cafe doesn’t like you using the loo or eating at the tables unless you’re a customer, but there’s a picnic site a few metres further on (on the left).

Getting home again:
If you’re catching the bus back from Fremington, go back over the Pill and take the footpath up the hill (not along the side of the Pill) on the left hand side. I've done this bit with a pushchair and it was fine. If you walk up the West side (the side the cafe is on) you end up with a longish walk through modern housing before you reach the bus stop. A brisk 10 minute walk should cover it, so if you set off with 30 before the bus leaves you’ll be able to amble and still have loads of time to hail the bus.

Follow the path through beech trees and past a few houses until it narrows and runs alongside an unmade up road. Go through the gap in the fence and walk on the road (much easier) over a small bridge up to the main road.
The bus-stop is called the New Inn on the timetable, and this pub is almost opposite where your road joins the main road. Actually the bus goes from outside the Fox and Hounds pub a bit further to the left and across the road.

How far is it?
If you take the bus, your day out starts just a mile and a half from us! If you've got young children with you do ask, and we'll see if we can run you to the bus stop...

By car, Fremington is about 22 miles from us, and counterintuitively Instow is about 23. The last bus back is usually about 16.20 from Fremington - but please check. There should be an up to date timetable in your accommodation.