2 min summary Best time to visit Rural farm holidays

Devon travel guide

Holidays in Devon should be imbedded in memory banks as early as possible, which is why our Devon travel guide tempts you back to the fold as eagerly as swallows and swifts returning for the summer. Discover how to make the most of your time with our interactive map and highlights section that will take you from the tors of Dartmoor to the footpaths and cycle lanes of the Tarka Trail, with a heck of lot of hillsides, beaches and welcoming country pubs in between.

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DEVON TRAVEL GUIDE

There’s something about the combination of hillside, hedgerow and sea air that invites a more laid back, Devonshire, pace of life. Days on Dartmoor, without another soul in sight, meld with the clatter of cutlery on china as you debate the very real issue of jam on cream or vice versa. Self catering cottages deep in the countryside or organic farm B&Bs let you melt into the ambience of rural southwest England with practical tips and info on where to go, even when it’s raining, always much more reliable when extolled from a lifelong local.

Two coasts, two moors and, perhaps, one too many tea shops make Devon an English county to inspire the artist, the poet and the child in all of us.

No matter which time of year, Devon always has a cheery outlook, especially for foodies, with village stores and warming pubs providing home cooked regional fare whilst, closer to the coast, freshly caught shellfish steal the show after windswept mornings strolling over beach and headlands. Sea, stiles and scones – what’s not to like?

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Things to do in Devon...

Variety sums up why Devon is one of England’s finest counties for walking, with the Tarka Trail, Granite Way and South West Coast Path delivering Devonshire’s range of landscapes at their very best. From accessible pushchair and wheelchair routes along abandoned railway lines, to dense woodland and river valleys like Watersmeet and Lydford Gorge, where waterfalls and wildlife flourish, there’s so much scope for walking in Devon. Just make sure you pack for all seasons. Cycling in Devon is almost as natural as scones and tea which is why there are numerous cycle hire companies set up at the start of trails to tempt even the most reticent of pedal pushers into the saddle. Coast to coast from Ilfracombe to Plymouth; the challenging Dartmoor Way; the flat 8km nature reserve trail along the River Exe; a 12km countryside from Bampton to Tiverton; whatever your preferred pace, cycling in Devon shouldn’t be serious, unless you want it to be, of course. You’ll never forget the first time you saw the Milky Way in the sky rather than a confectionary aisle and as Devon boasts Britain’s darkest skies, free from light pollution, evenings outdoors are about as good as it gets for amateur astronomers. Exmoor National Park, especially, really captures the constellations although, on a clear autumnal night, you’ll be hard pushed not to find yourself watching the skies, if not for the stars, then for the bats and barn owls.

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Things not to do in Devon…

Devon’s cities, Exeter, Torquay and Plymouth, all feature their fair share of attractions too but book a city hotel and you’ll kind of be missing the point when it comes to the real essence of visiting Devon. Do yourself a favour and stay in a small, independently-owned B&B in Dartmoor, or sustainable self catering eco lodges where silence prevails apart from distant muffled laughter from the local village pub and the occasional screech of foxes. A trip to the supermarket for a ‘big shop’ can really help out when self catering with the kids; however, don’t miss out on the local butcher, baker and pasty maker. Farm shops and local wine merchants are widely available and there’s no better way to discover local life than by hanging out in the village store where all manner of tasty tidbits can be bought, and heard, if the wind’s in the right direction. Children love Devon just as much as adults like watching them be kids again as from woodland walks and pond dipping to rock pooling and paddling in the sea, there’s nothing like Devon to help them forget the iPad. However, don’t think Devon is just for families; if you’re visiting free from the shackles of offspring then you might well find yourself regressing all the same with days exploring by bike or jumping in muddy puddles, great fun no matter what age you are.

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Written by Chris Owen

Devon travel guide