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EDEN PROJECT, CORNWALL
At England’s western extremity, the counties of Devon and Cornwall encompass everything from genteel, cosy villages to vast Atlantic-facing strands of golden sand and wild expanses of granite moorland. The winning combination of rural peace and first-class beaches lends the peninsula a particular appeal to outdoors enthusiasts, and the local galleries, museums and restaurants provide plenty of rainy-day diversions. Together, these attractions have made the region perennially popular, so much so that tourism has replaced the traditional occupations of fishing and farming as the main source of employment and income. The authentic character of Devon and Cornwall may be obscured during the summer season, but avoid the peak periods and you can’t fail to be seduced by their considerable charms.
If it’s wilderness you’re after, nothing can beat the remoter tracts of Dartmoor, the greatest of the West Country’s granite massifs, much of which retains its solitude despite its proximity to the region’s two major cities. Of these, Exeter is by far the more interesting, dominated by the twin towers of its medieval cathedral and offering a rich selection of restaurants and nightlife. As for Plymouth, much of this great naval port was destroyed by bombing during World War II, though some of the city’s Elizabethan core has survived.
The coastline on either side of Exeter and Plymouth enjoys more hours of sunshine than anywhere else on the British mainland, and there is some justification in South Devon’s principal resort, Torquay, styling itself the capital of the “English Riviera”. St Tropez it ain’t, but there’s no denying a certain glamour, alloyed with an old-fashioned charm that the seaside towns of East Devon and the cliff-backed resorts of North Devon share.
Cornwall too has its pockets of concentrated tourist development – chiefly at Falmouth, the main resort in Southeast Cornwall, and Newquay, a major draw for surfers on Cornwall’s Atlantic coast due to its fine west-facing beaches. St Ives is another crowd-puller, though the town has a separate identity as an arts centre. Further up Cornwall’s long north coast, Tintagel’s ruined castle and the rock-walled harbour of Boscastle have an almost embattled character in the face of the turbulent sea. However, the full elemental power of the ocean can best be appreciated on the western headlands of Lizard Point and Land’s End – on the Lizard and Penwith peninsulas, respectively – where the cliffs resound to the thunder of the waves, or offshore on Lundy Island and the distant Isles of Scilly.
Inland, the mild climate has enabled a slew of gardens to flourish, none quirkier than the Eden Project, with its science-fiction-style “biomes”. You’ll find nature in a rawer guise on Bodmin Moor, a great opportunity to escape the crowds.
GETTING AROUND Devon and cornwall
Getting around the West Country by public transport can be a convoluted and lengthy process, especially in remoter areas.
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HAYTOR, DARTMOOR
Hiking on Dartmoor Experience this bleakly beautiful landscape along a good network of paths.
Surfing in North Devon The endless ranks of rollers pounding Devon’s west-facing northern coast – above all at Woolacombe, Croyde and Saunton – draw surfers of every ability.
The Eden Project Embark on a voyage of discovery around the planet’s ecosystems at this disused clay pit, now home to a fantastic array of exotic plants and crops.
St Ives Fine-sand beaches, a brace of renowned galleries and a maze of tiny lanes give this bustling harbour town a feel-good vibe.
Cornish beaches Cornwall has some of the country’s best beaches, mostly in fabulous settings. Beauties include Newquay, plus Whitesand Bay, the Isles of Scilly, Bude and, overlooked by dramatic black crags, Porthcurno.
Seafood in Padstow The local catch goes straight into the excellent restaurants of the southwestern peninsula. Padstow, where celebrity chef Rick Stein owns a number of places, is a great culinary hotspot.
HIGHLIGHTS ARE MARKED ON THE MAP
By train You can reach Exeter, Plymouth, Bodmin, Truro and Penzance by train on the main rail lines from London and the Midlands, with branch lines linking Falmouth (from Truro), Newquay (from Par) and St Ives (from St Erth). The frequent London Waterloo–Exeter service makes several useful stops in Devon, at Axminster, Feniton, Honiton and Pinhoe.
By bus Buses from the chief towns fan out along the coasts and into the interior, though the service can be rudimentary (or completely nonexistent) for the smaller villages.
South West Coast Path The best way of exploring the coast of Devon and Cornwall is on foot along the South West Coast Path (
southwestcoastpath.org.uk;), England’s longest waymarked trail (at least until the England Coast Path is completed).
EXETER has more historical sights than any other town in Devon or Cornwall, legacies of an eventful existence dating from its Celtic foundation and the establishment here of the most westerly Roman outpost. After the Roman withdrawal, Exeter was refounded by Alfred the Great and by the time of the Norman Conquest had become one of the largest towns in England, profiting from its position on the banks of the River Exe. The expansion of the wool trade in the Tudor period sustained the city until the eighteenth century. Since then, Exeter has maintained its status as Devon’s commercial and cultural hub, despite having much of its ancient centre gutted by World War II bombing.
Cathedral Close, EX1 1HS • Mon–Sat 9am–5.30pm, Sun 11.30am–5.30pm • £7.50 • North Tower tours Usually May–Sept twice weekly, check in advance; 30min • £3.50 • Roof tours Usually July–Sept Tues & Sat, check in advance; 1hr 30min–2hr • £5 • 
01392 255573, exeter-cathedral.org.uk
The most distinctive feature of the city’s skyline, Exeter Cathedral is a stately monument with two great Norman towers flanking the nave. Close up, it’s the facade’s ornate Gothic screen that commands attention: its three tiers of sculpted (and very weathered) figures – including Alfred, Athelstan, Cnut, William the Conqueror and Richard II – were begun around 1360, part of a rebuilding programme which left only the towers from the original twelfth-century construction.
Entering the cathedral, you’re confronted by the longest unbroken Gothic ceiling in the world, its bosses vividly painted – one, towards the west front, shows the murder of Thomas Becket. The Lady Chapel and Chapter House – at the far end of the building and off the right transept respectively – are thirteenth-century, but the main part of the nave, including the lavish rib vaulting, dates from a century later. There are many fine examples of sculpture from this period, including, in the minstrels’ gallery high up on the left side, angels playing musical instruments, and, below them, figures of Edward III and Queen Philippa. In the Choir don’t miss the 60ft bishop’s throne or the misericords – decorated with mythological figures and dating from around 1260, they are thought to be the oldest in the country. Outside, a graceful statue of the theologian Richard Hooker surveys Cathedral Close, a motley mixture of architectural styles from Tudor to Regency, though most display Exeter’s trademark red brickwork. For a glimpse of the cathedral’s clock mechanism and spectacular views across the city, consider joining one of the guided tours of the roof.
High St, EX4 3LN • Generally Mon–Fri 10.30am–1pm & 2–4pm, Sat 10.30am–1pm, but subject to change at short notice; call ahead • Free • 01392 665500
Some older structures still stand amid the banal concrete of the modern town centre, including, on the pedestrianized High Street, Exeter’s finest civic building, the fourteenth-century Guildhall, which is claimed to be England’s oldest municipal building still in regular use. It’s fronted by an elegant Renaissance portico and merits a glance inside for its main chamber, whose arched roof timbers rest on carved bears holding staves, symbols of the Yorkist cause during the fifteenth-century Wars of the Roses.
Queen St, EX4 3RX • Tues–Sun 10am–5pm • Free • 01392 265858, rammuseum.org.uk
RAMM is the closest thing in Devon to a county museum. Exuding the Victorian spirit of wide-ranging curiosity, it includes everything from a menagerie of stuffed animals to mock-ups of the various building styles used at different periods in the city. The collections of silverware, watches and clocks contrast nicely with the colourful ethnography section, and the picture gallery has some good specimens of West Country art.
Paris St, EX1 1GA • June–Sept & school hols Mon–Sat 9.30am–5.30pm, Sun 10.30am–4pm; Oct–May Tues–Fri 10.30am–4.30pm, Sat 9.30am–5.30pm, Sun 11.30am–4pm; last tour 1hr before closing • £6 • 01392 665887, exeter.gov.uk/passages
Off the top end of the High Street, the Princesshay shopping precinct holds the entrance to a network of underground passages. First excavated in the fourteenth century to bring water to the cathedral precincts, they’re now visitable on a guided tour – not recommended for claustrophobes.
The River Exe marks the old city’s southwestern boundary; today, the Quayside is mostly devoted to leisure activities. Pubs, shops and cafés share space with handsomely restored nineteenth-century warehouses and the smart Custom House, built in 1681, its opulence reflecting the former importance of the cloth trade. The area comes into its own at night, but is worth a wander at any time; you can rent bikes and canoes here, too (see below).
Arrival and departure Exeter
By plane Exeter’s airport is 6 miles east of the centre, just off the A30. Stagecoach buses #56A and #56B connect the airport with the bus station on Paris Street (roughly hourly; 20min).
Destinations London City (1–3 daily; 1hr 5min); Manchester (1–3 daily; 1hr 5min); St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly (mid-March to early Nov Mon–Sat 1–4 daily; 1hr).
By train Exeter has two main stations, Exeter Central and St David’s, the latter a 15min uphill walk or 10min bus ride from the city centre. South West trains from Salisbury stop at both, as do trains on the branch lines to Barnstaple and Exmouth, but most long-distance trains stop at St David’s only.
Destinations Barnstaple (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 7 daily; 1hr 15min); Bodmin (every 30min–1hr 30min; 1hr 30min–2hr); Liskeard (every 30min–1hr 30min; 1hr 25min–1hr 50min); London (every 30min–1hr; 2hr 10min–3hr 30min); Par (every 30min–1hr 30min; 2hr); Penzance (every 30min–1hr 30min; 3hr–3hr 10min); Plymouth (every 30min–1hr 30min; 1hr); Torquay (1–3 hourly; 40min–1hr); Totnes (1–3 hourly; 35min); Truro (every 30min–1hr 30min; 2hr 30min).
By bus The bus station is on Paris St, one block north of the tourist office.
Destinations Penzance (1 daily; 4hr 50min); Plymouth (every 1–2hr; 1hr 15min–1hr 50min); Sidmouth (1–2 hourly; 55min); Torquay (roughly hourly; 1hr–1hr 15min); Truro (2 daily; 3hr 15min).
Tourist office Dix’s Field, off Princesshay (Mon–Sat: April–Sept 9am–5pm, Oct–March 9.30am–4.30pm; 01392 665700, visitexeter.com).
Saddles & Paddles On the quayside (01392 424241, sadpad.com). You can rent bikes here (£16/day), as well as kayaks (£10 for the first hour and £5/hr thereafter) to explore the Exeter Canal, which runs 5 miles to Topsham and beyond.
Globe Backpackers 71 Holloway St, EX2 4JD 01392 215521, exeterbackpackers.co.uk; map. Clean and central (though a bit of a hike from the stations), this hostel has a kitchen with free tea and coffee. Dorms have six to ten beds and there are a few private rooms too. No check-in 1–3.30pm. Dorms £17.50, doubles £45
Hotel du VinMagdalen St, EX2 4HY 01392 790120, hotelduvin.com/locations/exeter; map. A red-brick former eye hospital has been jazzed up to create a contemporary hotel with quirky details. Rooms are full of funky charm – those higher up are bigger and better (and rooms at the back are quieter). There’s a French-inspired bistro, a spa and a great indoor/outdoor pool. £125
Raffles 11 Blackall Rd, EX4 4HD 01392 270200, www.raffles-exeter.co.uk; map. The rooms in this elegant Victorian B&B are furnished with Pre-Raphaelite etchings and other items from the owner’s antiques business. Breakfasts make use of the B&B’s organic home-grown produce. £85
Southernhay House36 Southernhay East, EX1 1NX 01392 435324, southernhayhouse.com; map. Attractive, individually themed rooms in a renovated nineteenth-century townhouse, with plush carpets and – in the best rooms – freestanding bathtubs. Breakfast is included as standard, but cheaper room-only rates are available. £125
Townhouse54 St David’s Hill, EX4 4DT 01392 494994, townhouseexeter.co.uk; map. This Edwardian guesthouse midway between the train stations backs onto a churchyard and has a garden and generous breakfasts. Rooms are modern but some bathrooms are small. £77
The Conservatory18 North St, EX4 3QS 01392 273858, theconservatoryrestaurant.co.uk; map. Centrally located, semiformal restaurant popular for its fresh fish dishes (including grilled sole from Cornwall) and Devon wine. The £10 two-course lunch is great value.Tues–Sat noon–2pm & 5.30–9pm.
Cosy Club1 Southernhay Gardens, EX1 1SG 01392 848744, cosyclub.co.uk; map. The institutional setting of this place in a former hospital wing is offset by the zany decor – a retro confection of flouncy lampshades, mismatched furniture, anatomical prints and animal skulls. It’s a great spot for brunches, coffees, tapas (£12 for 3) and burgers (£9–14). Daily 9am–11pm; food until 10pm.
Devon Coffee88 Queen St, EX4 3RP 07796 678559, facebook.com/devoncoffeeshop; map. Relaxed, independent coffee shop, all stressed wood and chalkboards. The brownies here (£2.80) are very good, as is the coffee. A second branch at 19 Heavitree Rd serves pizzas Fri & Sat eves. Mon–Sat 8am–6pm, Sun 10am–4pm.
The Exploding Bakery 1b Central Crescent, Queen St, EX4 3SB, next to Exeter Central station 01392 427900, explodingbakery.com/cafe; map. Slurp top-quality coffee (just £3 a cup) as you watch sweet-smelling cakes being pulled out of the ovens at this busy little wholesale bakery, which has plenty of art on the walls. Mon–Fri 8am–4pm, Sat 9am–4pm.
Harry’s 86 Longbrook St, EX4 6AP 01392 202234, harrysrestaurants.co.uk; map. In a converted Victorian stonemason’s workshop, this place attracts a cheery crowd with its good-value Mexican and Italian staples (mains £10–15). Daily 9am–2.30pm & 6–11pm.
Herbie’s15 North St, EX4 3QS 01392 258473, facebook.com/HerbiesVegetarian; map. Friendly, dimly lit place serving up great vegan, vegetarian and wholefood dishes (most mains around £11) plus organic beers and wines and local ice cream. Mon 11am–2.30pm, Tues–Fri 11am–2.30pm & 6–9.30pm, Sat 11am–3.30pm & 6–9.30pm.
The Beer Cellar2 South St, EX1 1DZ 01392 757570, facebook.com/thebeercellarexeter; map. This friendly corner bar near the cathedral does great local beer on tap and bottled from around the world. Look out for ales from Devon’s Branscombe Vale Brewery. Daily 11am–11pm.
Prospect Inn The Quay, EX2 4AN 01392 273152, heavitreebrewery.co.uk; map. You can eat and drink outside at this seventeenth-century riverside pub, which was the setting for TV drama The Onedin Line.Mon–Thurs & Sun 10am–11pm, Fri & Sat 10am–midnight.
The Cavern83–84 Queen St, EX4 3RP 01392 495370, exetercavern.com; map. A long-established hub of Exeter’s music scene, this subterranean haunt is best known for its live bands (think indie, punk and metal) but it also has more diverse club nights and is open for daytime snacks. Daily 11am–5pm & 8pm–late.
Exeter PhoenixBradlynch Place, Gandy St, EX4 3LS 01392 667080, exeterphoenix.org.uk; map. Live music and comedy are among the cultural offerings at this arts centre, which also hosts films, exhibitions and readings and has a relaxed café-bar. Mon–Sat 10am–11pm, sometimes Sun for events.
Quiet, coastal East Devon is best known for its elegant nineteenth-century resorts, prime among them Sidmouth. But there are plenty of other spots worth visiting along the fossil-rich Jurassic Coast (jurassiccoast.org), which stretches from the white sands of Exmouth via the smugglers’ village of Beer, all the way to the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset.
EXMOUTH, ten miles south of Exeter, started as a Roman port and went on to become the first of the county’s resorts to be popularized by holiday-makers in the late eighteenth century. Overlooking lawns, rock pools and a respectable two miles of sandy beach, Exmouth’s Georgian terraced houses once accommodated the wives of Nelson and Byron, installed at nos. 6 and 19 The Beacon respectively (on a rise overlooking the seafront, above the public gardens). Today it’s a relaxed spot that attracts a steady stream of visitors – both from Exeter and, in the summer, from other beach resorts along the south coast.
Off the A376, EX8 5BD, 2 miles north of Exmouth • Mid-Feb to Oct daily 11am–5pm • £8.90; NT • 01395 265514, nationaltrust.org.uk/a-la-ronde • Take bus #57 from Exmouth or Exeter and get off at the Courtlands Cross stop
The Gothic folly of A La Ronde was the creation of two spinster cousins, Jane and Mary Parminter, who in the 1790s were inspired by their European Grand Tour to build a sixteen-sided house, possibly based on the Byzantine basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. The end product is filled with mementos of the Parminters’ travels as well as a number of their more offbeat creations, such as a frieze made of feathers culled from game birds and chickens. In the upper rooms are a gallery and staircase completely covered in shells, too fragile to be visited, though part can be glimpsed from the octagonal room on the first floor. Superb views over the Exe estuary extend from the second-floor dormer windows.
Arrival and departure Exmouth and around
By train Regular Exeter trains arrive at and leave from the station on Marine Way, a short walk north of the centre.
By bus Buses pull in by the train station; #57 links the town frequently with Exeter.
Destinations Budleigh Salterton (Mon–Sat 2 hourly, Sun hourly; 15–20min); Exeter (Mon–Sat every 15min, Sun every 30min; 40min); Sidmouth (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 4 daily; 50min–1hr).
Set amid a shelf of crumbling red sandstone, SIDMOUTH is the stately queen of East Devon’s resorts. The cream-and-white town boasts nearly five hundred buildings listed as having special historic or architectural interest, among them the grand Georgian homes of York Terrace behind the Esplanade. Both the mile-long, pebbly main town beach and Jacob’s Ladder, a cliff-backed shingle and sand strip to the west of town, are easily accessible and well tended. To the east, the coast path climbs steep Salcombe Hill to follow cliffs that give sanctuary to a range of birdlife. Further on, the path descends to meet one of the most isolated and attractive beaches in the area, Weston Mouth.
Sidmouth hosts what many consider to be the country’s best folk festival over eight days in early August. It’s an upbeat affair: folk and roots artists from around the country perform in marquees, pubs and hotels around town, and there are numerous ceilidhs and pavement buskers. For detailed information, see sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk.
Arrival and information sidmouth
By bus Most services depart from Sidmouth Triangle on Station Rd. From Exeter, take bus #9 or #9A (1–2 hourly; 50min).
Tourist office Ham Lane, off the eastern end of the Esplanade (May–Sept Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; Oct–April Mon–Sat 10am–1.30pm; 01395 516441, visitsidmouth.co.uk). Head here for information on bay cruises and free guided walks around the area.
Cheriton Guest House9 Vicarage Rd, EX10 8UQ 01395 513810, cheriton-guesthouse.co.uk. This B&B has spotless, mostly spacious rooms (one with a balcony), those at the back overlooking a leafy garden leading down to the River Sid. There’s a lounge and car park, and the seafront is less than a 10min walk away. £80
OakdownGatedown Lane, Weston, EX10 0PT 01297 680387, oakdown.co.uk. Spacious, well-maintained campsite some three miles east of Sidmouth off the A3052 (there’s some road noise). Camping pods (£50 for 2; max 4 people for £57) and “Shepherd Huts” (£90; max 2 people) are also available for two nights or more, and pubs are nearby. There’s a three-night minimum stay on bank hols, or seven nights in Folk Week. Closed early Nov to mid-March. £21
The Dairy Shop5 Church St, EX10 8LY 01395 513018. Stacked wall to wall with chutneys, gooseberry wine, biscuits and the like, this shop and café is a good spot for soups (£5), savoury crêpes (£6–7) or an ice cream – try the knickerbocker glory. Mon–Sat: April–Sept 9am–5pm; Oct–March 10am–4pm.
Swan Inn 37 York St, EX10 8BY 01395 512849, rampubcompany.co.uk. Close to the tourist office, this convivial but slightly run-down pub with a garden serves real ales, baguettes, plus meat and fish dishes (sirloin steak £14.95). Mon–Sat 11am–11pm, Sun noon–11pm; kitchen Mon–Sat noon–2pm & 6–9pm, Sun noon–2pm & 7–9pm.
Eight miles east of Sidmouth, the largely unspoilt fishing village of BEER lies huddled within a small sheltered cove between gleaming white headlands. A stream rushes along a deep channel dug into Beer’s main street, and if you can ignore the crowds in high summer much of the village looks unchanged since the time when it was a smugglers’ haven. While away a sunny afternoon here fishing for mackerel in the bay, for example on the Lillie May (£8/person; 01297 23455 or 07779 040491), or pull up a deckchair and tuck into a couple of fresh crab sandwiches on the beach.
The area around Beer is known for its quarries, which were worked from Roman times until the nineteenth century: Beer stone was used in many of Devon’s churches and houses, and as far afield as London. You can visit Beer Quarry Caves (tours daily April–Sept 10am–4.30pm, Oct 10am–3.30pm, school hols closes 1hr later; £8; 01297 680282, beerquarrycaves.co.uk), which includes an exhibit on pieces carved by medieval masons.
Arrival and departure beer and around
By bus Beer is connected to Sidmouth by bus #899 (Mon–Sat 3–4 daily; 35min).
Bay ViewFore St, EX12 3EE 01297 20489, bayviewguesthousebeer.com. Close to the beach and harbour, most of the rooms in this bright B&B overlook the sea. Abundant breakfasts in the attached café, which does crab sandwiches to take away (£7), include smoked haddock and waffles with maple syrup. Closed Nov–Easter. £80
Steamers New Cut, EX12 3DU 01297 22922, steamersrestaurant.co.uk. Family-run restaurant on a quiet alley just up from the harbour. The fresh fish dishes are the main reason to come here, with locally caught monkfish, plaice and brill (£16–18) featuring on the menu. Tues–Sat 10am–1.45pm & 6.45–9pm, Sun call ahead.
Southwest of Exeter, the wedge of land that comprises South Devon is a mix of traditional seaside resorts, striking coastline and rich agricultural hinterland. With its marina and fairy lights, Torquay comes closest to living up to the self-styled “English Riviera” sobriquet of this stretch of coast, while Brixham, further south, is still essentially a fishing port, despite the tourist deluge every summer. Inland, things get quieter around Totnes, a historic river-port that makes an agreeable base for exploring the region. Eight miles downstream, the estuary town of Dartmouth retains its strong medieval flavour, while the sailing resort of Salcombe is a good starting point for exploring the dramatic coast to either side.
Sporting a mini-corniche and promenades landscaped with palm trees and ornate flowerbeds, TORQUAY appealingly blends a quasi-continental flavour with its air of a classic English resort. The town’s transformation from a fishing village began with its establishment as a fashionable haven for invalids, among them the consumptive Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who spent three years here. The resort centres on the small harbour and marina, separated by limestone cliffs from Abbey Sands, its main beach.
The King’s Drive, TQ2 5JE • Tues–Sun 10am–5pm • £8 • 01803 293593, torre-abbey.org.uk
The Norman abbey that once stood here was razed by Henry VIII, though a gatehouse, tithe barn, chapter house and tower escaped demolition. Torre Abbey now contains a good museum, set in pretty ornamental gardens, with collections of silver and glass, window designs by Edward Burne-Jones, illustrations by William Blake, and nineteenth-century and contemporary works of art.
Beacon Quay, TQ1 2BG • Daily: Easter to early July & early Sept to Oct 10am–5pm, last entry 4pm; early July to early Sept 10am–6pm, last entry 4.30pm; Nov–Easter 10am–4pm, last entry 3pm • £11.80 • 01803 202470, livingcoasts.org.uk
At the northern end of Torquay harbour, Living Coasts is home to a variety of fauna and flora found on British shores, including puffins, penguins and seals. There are reconstructed beaches, cliff faces and an estuary, as well as underwater viewing areas and a huge meshed aviary. The rooftop café and restaurant have splendid panoramic views.
East of Torquay’s harbour, you can follow the shore round to some good sand beaches. Meadfoot Beach, one of the busiest, is reached by crossing Daddyhole Plain, named after a large chasm in the adjacent cliff caused by a landslide, but locally attributed to the devil (“Daddy”). North of the Hope’s Nose promontory, the coast path leads to a string of less crowded beaches, including Babbacombe Beach, Watcombe and Maidencombe.
Arrival and information torquay and around
By train Torquay’s main station is off Rathmore Rd, southwest of Torre Abbey Gardens. There are regular trains to/from Exeter (1–3 hourly; 40min–1hr).
By bus Most buses stop on Lymington Rd (a short walk north of the centre), or on The Strand, close to the marina.
Destinations Exeter (12–15 daily; 45min–1hr 10min); Totnes (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 45min).
Tourist office Vaughan Parade, by the harbour (June–Sept & school hols Mon–Sat 10am–1pm & 1.30–5pm, Sun 10am–1pm & 1.30–3pm; Oct–May Mon–Wed, Fri & Sat 10am–1pm & 1.30–5pm, Sun 10am–1pm & 1.30–3pm; 0844 474 2233, englishriviera.co.uk).
Exton House 12 Bridge Rd, TQ2 5BA 01803 293561, extonhotel.co.uk. Small, clean and quiet B&B a 10min walk from the train station (free pick-up is usually offered), and just 15min from the centre. The guests’ lounge has a balcony, and there’s a licensed bar. Book direct for the best rates. £60
Torquay Backpackers 119 Abbey Rd, TQ2 5NP 01803 299924, torquaybackpackers.co.uk. Friendly hostel a 15min walk northeast of the station, with free tea and coffee and convivial common areas (including space outside for barbecues). Dorms have 4–6 beds. Dorms £17, doubles £38
The 25 Boutique B&B25 Avenue Rd, TQ2 5LB 01803 297517, the25.uk. Rooms in this B&B, a 10min walk from the seafront, feature zebra-striped or purple-hued walls, mood lighting, iPads, smarts TVs, rain showers and posh toiletries. The superb breakfasts include home-made yoghurt and smoothies. Book ahead. No under-18s. £115
Hole in the WallPark Lane, TQ1 2AU 01803 200755. This pub is supposed to be one of Torquay’s oldest, and was Irish playwright Sean O’Casey’s boozer when he lived here. There’s a good range of beers, a separate restaurant (mains around £10) and live music on Tues, Thurs and Sun. Daily 11.30am–midnight; kitchen Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm, Sun 12.30–2.30pm & 6–9pm.
Number 7 Fish Bistro Beacon Terrace, TQ1 2BH 01803 295055, no7-fish.com. Just above the harbour, this place is a must for seafood fans, covering everything from fresh whole crab to grilled turbot – or whatever else the boats have brought in. Mains around £18. Mon, Tues & Sun 6.30–9.45pm, Wed–Sat 12.45–1.45pm & 6.30–9.45pm (closed Mon & Sun eves Nov–May, Sun eve June–Oct).
BRIXHAM is a major fishing port and the prettiest of the Torbay towns. Among the trawlers on the quayside is moored a full-size reconstruction of the Golden Hind (Feb–Oct daily 10.30am–4pm; £7; 01803 856223, goldenhind.co.uk), the surprisingly small vessel in which Francis Drake circumnavigated the world. The harbour is overlooked by an unflattering statue of William III, who landed in Brixham to claim the crown of England in 1688. From the harbour, climb King Street and follow Berry Head Road to reach the promontory at the southern limit of Torbay, Berry Head, now a conservation area attracting colonies of nesting seabirds. There are fabulous views, and you can see the remains of fortifications built during the Napoleonic Wars.
Outside Galmpton, TQ5 0ES, 4 miles west of Brixham • Mid-Feb to Oct daily 10.30am–5pm; Nov & Dec Sat & Sun 11am–4pm • £11; NT • 01803 842382, nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway • Greenway Ferry (01803 882811, greenwayferry.co.uk) offers services from Dartmouth (6–8/day; £8.50 return); Dartmouth Steam Railway (dartmouthrailriver.co.uk) runs trains from Paignton to Greenway Halt (up to 9 daily; 20min; £8.50 return), from where it’s a 30min walk through woodland; car parking is free but must be booked a day in advance
The birthplace of Walter Raleigh’s three seafaring half-brothers, the Gilberts, and later rebuilt for Agatha Christie, Greenway stands high above the Dart amid steep wooded grounds (the ascent from the river landing is challenging). As well as arriving by ferry or steam train, you can reach the house on foot on the waymarked “Greenway walk” from Brixham (around 1hr 30min) or via the Dart Valley Trail from Dartmouth or Kingswear (both around 1hr 20min) – Dartmouth’s tourist office can supply route maps. Once here, you’ll find a low-key collection of memorabilia belonging to the Christie family, including archeological scraps, silverware, ceramics and books, while the grounds afford lovely views over the river.
Arrival and information brixham and around
By bus Most buses arrive at and depart from Town Square and Bank Lane, in the upper town.
Destinations Exeter (2 daily; 1hr 40min); Torquay (every 10–15min; 45min).
Tourist office Hobb Nobs Gift Shop, 19 The Quay (daily 10am–5pm; 01803 211211, englishriviera.co.uk).
Quayside Hotel King St, TQ5 9TJ 01803 855751, quaysidehotel.co.uk. Handsome 29-room hotel with superb harbour views, two bars and a good restaurant where meat and seafood dishes are £15–20. It’s worth paying extra for a harbour-facing room. £100
Sampford House57–59 King St, TQ5 9TH 01803 857761, sampfordhouse.com. Wake up to stunning views from the front-facing rooms at this B&B, which are smallish but tastefully decorated. Breakfasts include home-made yoghurt and jams. Self-catering is also available. £80
Blue Anchor 83 Fore St, TQ5 8AH 01803 859373. A great spot for a relaxed pint of local ale, with open fires and low beams. They also offer (rather mediocre) bar food plus live music at weekends. Mon–Sat 11am–midnight, Sun 11am–11.30pm; kitchen daily noon–2.30pm & 6–9.30pm.
Rockfish Fish Market, TQ5 8AJ 01803 850872, therockfish.co.uk. Set in an airy modern building at one end of the harbour, with lofty views from its curving deck, this place specializes in the freshest seafood, served with unlimited chips. Apart from the usual cod, haddock and scampi (£12–15), you can order devilled sprats (£7), calamari (£8.50) and roast scallops (£10). There’s a takeaway at street level. Daily noon–9.30pm.
On the west bank of the River Dart, TOTNES has an ancient pedigree, its period of greatest prosperity occurring in the sixteenth century when this inland port exported cloth to France and brought back wine. Some handsome buildings survive from that era, and there is still a working port down on the river, but these days Totnes has mellowed into a residential market town, popular with the alternative and New Age crowd.
The town centres on the long main street, which changes its name from Fore Street to High Street at the East Gate, a much-retouched medieval arch. On Fore Street, the town museum, occupying a four-storey Elizabethan house, illustrates how wealthy clothiers lived at the peak of Totnes’s fortunes (April–Sept Tues–Fri 10am–4pm, also Sat 10am–4pm during summer school hols; free; 01803 863821, totnesmuseum.org). From the East Gate, Ramparts Walk trails off along the old city walls, curving round the fifteenth-century church of St Mary, a red sandstone building containing an exquisite rood screen. Looming over the High Street is Totnes Castle, a classic Norman motte-and-bailey structure (April–Sept daily 10am–6pm; Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov–March Sat & Sun 10am–4pm; £4.30, EH; 01803 864406, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/totnes-castle).
Arrival and information totnes
By train Totnes train station lies just off Station Rd, a 10min walk north of the centre; it’s served by trains to/from Exeter and Plymouth (both 1–3 hourly; 30min).
By bus Most buses stop on or around two central streets: The Plains and Coronation Rd.
Destinations Exeter (Mon–Sat 12 daily, Sun 5 daily; 1hr 10min–1hr 45min); Plymouth (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 1hr); Torquay (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 40min).
Website visittotnes.co.uk.
Great Grubb Fallowfields, Plymouth Rd, TQ9 5LX 01803 849071, thegreatgrubb.co.uk. Leather sofas, restful colours, healthy breakfasts and a patio are the main appeal of this friendly B&B a 10min walk from the centre. Work by local artists is displayed in the rooms. £85
Royal Seven Stars Hotel The Plains, TQ9 5DD 01803 862125, royalsevenstars.co.uk. This seventeenth-century coaching inn has had a modern makeover, giving it contemporary bedrooms and a stylish bar alongside the traditional Saloon Bar and more formal brasserie. The Sunday-night deal, including a carvery meal and breakfast for two, is great value at £100. £110
Pie Street26 High St, TQ9 5RY 01803 868674, piestreet.co.uk. A purveyor of “British soul food”, this place specializes in pies (around £10) made on the premises, to eat in or take away. Choices include curry; chicken, ham and leek; and mushroom au poivre – all accompanied by mashed potatoes, chips or salad. Apart from pies, you’ll find soup, pork baps and a selection of cheeses on the menu, Timothy Taylor’s ale on tap, and a lounge upstairs with board games. Mon–Sat 11.30am–late, Sun noon–6pm; last food orders Mon 6pm, Tues–Thurs 8pm, Fri & Sat 9pm, Sun 3pm.
Totnes Brewing Company59 High St, TQ9 5PB 01803 849290. This pub and microbrewery serves a range of craft ales and ciders from around the world, in addition to its own. It has an authentic, spit-and-sawdust feel, and the small garden occupies the former moat of Totnes Castle. Upstairs, an old ballroom with chandeliers and cinema seats is a venue for live music nights on Fri & Sat (barrelhousetotnes.co.uk). Mon–Thurs 5pm–midnight, Fri & Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–11.30pm.
Willow 87 High St, TQ9 5PB 01803 862605. Inexpensive vegetarian snacks, evening meals and organic drinks are served at this mellow café/restaurant. Main dishes are £10–11. There’s a courtyard, and live acoustic music on Fri. No credit cards. Mon, Tues & Thurs 10am–5pm, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am–5pm & 6.30–9pm.
South of Torbay, and eight miles downstream from Totnes, DARTMOUTH has thrived since the Normans recognized the trading potential of this deep-water port. Today its activities embrace fishing, freight and a booming leisure industry, as well as the education of the Senior Service’s officer class at the Royal Naval College, on a hill overlooking the port. Regular ferries shuttle across the River Dart between Dartmouth and Kingswear, terminus of the Dartmouth Steam Railway. Boat cruises from Dartmouth are the best way to view the deep creeks and grand houses overlooking the river, among them Greenway.
Duke St, TQ6 9PZ • Dartmouth Museum April–Oct Mon & Sun 1–4pm, Tues–Sat 10am–4pm; Nov–March daily 1–3pm • £2 • 01803 832923, dartmouthmuseum.org
Behind the enclosed boat basin at the heart of town, the four-storey Butterwalk was built in the seventeenth century for a local merchant. The timber-framed construction, richly decorated with woodcarvings, was restored after bombing in World War II – though it still looks precarious, overhanging the street on eleven granite columns. This arcade now holds shops and the small Dartmouth Museum, mainly devoted to maritime curios, including old maps, prints and models of ships.
Castle Rd, TQ6 0JN • April–Sept daily 10am–6pm; Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov–March Sat & Sun 10am–4pm • £6.60; EH • 01803 833588, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dartmouth-castle • By boat: Dartmouth Castle Ferry between Dartmouth Quay and castle, Easter–Oct continuous service 10am–4/5pm; £2.50; dartmouthcastleferry.co.uk
A twenty-minute riverside walk southeast from Bayard’s Cove – a short cobbled quay lined with eighteenth-century houses, where the Pilgrim Fathers stopped en route to the New World – brings you to Dartmouth Castle, one of two fortifications on opposite sides of the estuary dating from the fifteenth century. The castle was the first in England to be constructed specifically to withstand artillery, though was never tested in action, and consequently is excellently preserved.
Two and a half miles southwest of Dartmouth, the coastal path brings you through the pretty hilltop village of Stoke Fleming to Blackpool Sands, the best beach in the area. The unspoilt cove, flanked by steep, wooded cliffs, was the site of a battle in 1404 in which Devon archers repulsed a Breton invasion force sent to punish the privateers of Dartmouth for their cross-Channel raiding.
Arrival and Information dartmouth and around
By ferry Coming from Torbay, visitors to Dartmouth can save time and a long detour through Totnes by using the frequent Higher Ferry (dartmouthhigherferry.com) or Lower Ferry (southhams.gov.uk) across the Dart from Kingswear (60p–£1.50 foot passengers; £5–5.60 for cars); the last ones are at around 10.45pm.
Tourist office Mayor’s Ave (Easter–Sept Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sat 10am–4pm, Wed 10am–2.30pm; Oct–Easter Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sat 10am–2.30pm; 01803 834224, discoverdartmouth.com).
Browns 27–29 Victoria Rd, TQ6 9RT 01803 832572, brownshoteldartmouth.co.uk. Boutique-style hotel, with small, stylish rooms decorated with contemporary paintings. Good Mediterranean dishes are served in the bar and restaurant for £10 or less. Mon 10am–6pm, Tues–Sat 10am–11pm (last orders 9pm). £120
Café Alf Resco Lower St, TQ6 9AN 01803 835880, cafealfresco.co.uk. Funky snack bar that’s good for all-day breakfasts, crab sandwiches, steaming coffees and live music at weekends. There’s decent accommodation available above the café. Daily 7am–2pm.£95
The Captain’s House18 Clarence St, TQ6 9NW 01803 832133, captainshouse.co.uk. If you don’t mind the lack of both panoramic views and breakfast, this place offers excellent value for money. Bedrooms are simply decorated in white and pale grey, and you’ll find plenty of breakfast venues within an easy walk. Parking available. £72
The Seahorse 5 South Embankment, TQ6 9BH 01803 835147, seahorserestaurant.co.uk. Seafood restaurant facing the river, offering such Italian-inspired dishes as octopus salad and grilled John Dory. It’s pricey, with mains costing £20 and up, but the two-course lunch and early-evening menu is more reasonable (£20). The same team also runs Rockfish, a couple of doors down (daily noon–9.30pm), which serves first-class fish and chips. Tues–Sat noon–2.30pm & 6–9.30pm.
The area between the Dart and Plym estuaries, the South Hams, holds some of Devon’s comeliest villages and most striking coastline. The “capital” of the region, Kingsbridge, is a useful transport hub but lacks the appeal of SALCOMBE, linked to Kingsbridge by a seasonal ferry (late July to Sept most days 2–4 daily; 35min; £7.50 one-way, £12 return; kingsbridgesalcombeferry.co.uk). Once a fishing village, Devon’s southernmost resort is now a sailing and holiday centre, its calm waters strewn with small pleasure craft.
You can swot up on boating and local history at Salcombe Maritime Museum on Market Street (April–Oct daily 10.30am–12.30pm & 2.30–4.30pm; £2; 01548 843080, salcombemuseum.org.uk) or take a ferry down to South Sands (April–Oct 2 hourly; £3.70 one-way; 01548 561035, southsandsferry.co.uk) and climb up to the intriguing Overbeck’s at Sharpitor (mid-Feb to Oct daily 11am–5pm; £8.80, NT; 01548 842893, nationaltrust.org.uk/overbecks), a house and museum that focuses on nineteenth-century curiosities and the area’s natural history.
arrival and Information salcombe and around
By bus Salcombe is served by regular buses from Kingsbridge (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 2 daily; 20min), where you’ll have to change if you’re coming from Dartmouth and further afield.
Tourist office Market Street (Easter–Oct Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; Nov–Easter Mon–Sat 10am–3pm; 01548 843927, salcombeinformation.co.uk).
Higher Rew Caravan and Camping Park2 miles west of town, TQ7 3BW 01548 842681, higherrew.co.uk. Large, grassy campsite on a slope surrounded by attractive farmland. The on-site facilities are good, and there are plenty of places for kids to play. No credit cards. Closed Nov–March. £22
WaverleyDevon Rd, TQ8 8HL 01548 842633, waverleybandb.co.uk. With rooms in the main house or in a nautically themed annexe, this B&B offers excellent breakfasts (at a communal table), with lots of choice, and a lounge. It’s less than a 10min steep walk from the centre. Self-catering also available. No credit cards. Closed Dec–Feb. £85
Winking Prawn North Sands, TQ8 8LD 01548 842326, winkingprawn.co.uk. Right on the beach, this is an alluring stop for a cappuccino, baguette or ice cream by day, or a chargrilled steak or Cajun chicken salad in the evening, from around 6pm, when booking is advised (mains £17–25). You don’t need to book for the summer barbecues (May–Sept 4–8.30pm; £19). Mon–Thurs 9.30am–8.30pm, Fri & Sat 8.45am–8.30pm.
Occupying the main part of the county between Exeter and Plymouth, DARTMOOR is southern England’s greatest expanse of wilderness, some 368 square miles of raw granite, barren bogland, sparse grass and heather-grown moor. It was not always so desolate, as testified by the remnants of scattered Stone Age settlements and the ruined relics of the area’s nineteenth-century tin-mining industry. Today desultory flocks of sheep and groups of ponies are virtually the only living creatures to be seen wandering over the central fastnesses of the National Park, with solitary birds – buzzards, kestrels, pipits, stonechats and wagtails – wheeling and hovering high above.
The core of Dartmoor, characterized by tumbling streams and high tors chiselled by the elements, has belonged to the Duchy of Cornwall since 1307, though there is almost unlimited public access today. However, camping should be out of sight of houses and roads, fires are strictly forbidden, no vehicles are permitted beyond fifteen yards from the road and overnight parking is only allowed in authorized places.
You can see one of Dartmoor’s famed clapper bridges midway between Two Bridges and the village of POSTBRIDGE, while the largest and best preserved of these simple structures is in Postbridge itself, just over five miles northeast of Princetown on the B3212. Used by tin miners and farmers since medieval times, clapper bridges are little more than huge slabs of granite supported by piers of the same material. From Postbridge, head south through Bellever Forest to the open moor, where Bellever Tor (1453ft) affords outstanding views.
3 miles northeast of Postbridge, PL20 6TB • Daily 24hr • Free
The Bronze Age village of Grimspound lies below Hameldown Tor (1735ft), about a mile off the road. Inhabited some three thousand years ago, this is the most complete example of Dartmoor’s prehistoric settlements, consisting of 24 circular huts scattered within a four-acre enclosure. The site is thought to have been the model for the Stone Age settlement where Sherlock Holmes camped in Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, while Hound Tor, an outcrop three miles to the southeast, provided inspiration for the tale itself. According to local legend, phantom hounds were sighted racing across the moor to hurl themselves on the tomb of a hated squire following his death in 1677.
WALKING ON DARTMOOR
Walking is the best way to experience the moor, and a limited network of signposts and painted stones exists to guide hikers. Considerable experience is essential for longer distances, however, and map-reading abilities are a prerequisite for any but the shortest strolls (the 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey Explorer map OL28 should suffice). Waterproof clothing is also essential.
Broadly speaking, the gentler contours of the southern moor provide less strenuous rambles, while the harsher northern tracts require more skill and stamina. Several walking routes link up with some of Devon’s long-distance trails, such as the Dartmoor Way, Tarka Trail, Templer Way and Two Moors Way. Information and downloads for these and a range of shorter hikes can be found at dartmoor.gov.uk and exploredevon.info, while more detailed itineraries are available from local bookshops, National Park visitor centres and tourist offices in Dartmoor’s major towns and villages. An extensive programme of guided walks (2–6hr; £5–10) is also listed at moorlandguides.co.uk.
Beware of firing schedules in the northwest quadrant of the moor.
INFORMATION Postbridge and around
Postbridge National Park Visitor Centre Car park off the B3212 (April–Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov–March Thurs–Sun 10am–3pm, or daily 10am–3pm during school hols; 01822 880272, dartmoor.gov.uk).
Warren House Inn 2 miles northeast of Postbridge, PL20 6TA 01822 880208, warrenhouseinn.co.uk. Set in a bleak tract of moorland, this solitary pub offers fire-lit comfort and very basic meals, such as steak and ale pie with chips and veg (£13.50). Easter–Oct daily 11am–10pm, Nov–Easter Mon & Tues 11am–3pm, Wed–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun noon–10pm; kitchen Easter–Oct Mon–Sat noon–9pm, Sun noon–8.30pm, Nov–Easter Mon & Tues noon–2.30pm, Wed–Sat noon–9pm, Sun noon–8.30pm.
YHA DartmoorBellever, PL20 6TU 0345 371 9622, yha.org.uk/hostel/dartmoor. One of Dartmoor’s two YHA hostels lies a mile or so south of Postbridge on the edge of the forest and on the banks of the East Dart River. Take bus #98 from Tavistock or Princetown (Mon–Sat 1 daily) to Postbridge; it’s a mile’s walk from the bus stop. Dorms £19
Four miles east of the crossroads at Two Bridges, crowds home in on the beauty spot of Dartmeet, where the valley is memorably lush and you don’t need to walk far to leave the car park and ice-cream vans behind. From here the Dart pursues a leisurely course, joined by the River Webburn near the pretty village of BUCKLAND-IN-THE-MOOR, one of a cluster of moorstone-and-thatch hamlets on this side of the moor. South of Buckland, the village of HOLNE is another rustic idyll, surrounded on three sides by wooded valleys. Two and a half miles north of Buckland, WIDECOMBE-IN-THE-MOOR is set in a hollow amid high granite-strewn ridges. Its church of St Pancras provides a famous local landmark, its pinnacled tower dwarfing the fourteenth-century main building, whose interior includes a beautiful painted rood screen.
ACCOMMODATION THE SOUTHEASTERN MOOR
Great Hound Tor Camping Barn Near Manaton, TQ13 9UW 01647 221202, 
greathoundtor@gmail.com. This farmhouse on the eastern edge of Dartmoor offers a cooking area, a woodburner and hot water for showers, but no bedding is provided – you’ll basically need all your camping gear except the tent. Per person £7
Higher Venton FarmHalf a mile south of Widecombe-in-the-Moor, TQ13 7TF 01364 621235, ventonfarm.com. A peaceful sixteenth-century thatched longhouse that was once home to the Dartmoor writer Beatrice Chase. The bedrooms are fine (the cheapest double shares a bathroom), and it’s close to a couple of good pubs. No wi-fi. £70
On Dartmoor’s northeastern edge, the market town of MORETONHAMPSTEAD makes an attractive entry point from Exeter. Moretonhampstead has a historic rivalry with neighbouring CHAGFORD, a Stannary town (a chartered centre of the tin trade) that also flourished from the local wool industry. On a hillside overlooking the River Teign, Chagford has a fine fifteenth-century church and some good accommodation and eating options. Numerous walks can be made along the Teign and elsewhere in the vicinity.
2.5 miles northeast of Chagford, EX6 6PB • House Early March to Oct daily 11am–5pm; Nov to mid-Dec Sat & Sun noon–4pm • Garden Daily: early March to Oct 10am–5.30pm; Nov to early March 11am–4pm • House & garden £11; NT • Grounds Daily dawn–dusk • Free, but parking £2/2hr or £4/day; NT • 01647 433306, nationaltrust.org.uk/castle-drogo • Bus #173 from Exeter stops at end of castle drive
The twentieth-century extravaganza of Castle Drogo is stupendously sited above the Teign gorge. Having retired at the age of 33, grocery magnate Julius Drewe unearthed a link that suggested his descent from a Norman baron, and set about creating a castle befitting his pedigree. Begun in 1910, to a design by Edwin Lutyens, it was not completed until 1930, but the result was an unsurpassed synthesis of medieval and modern elements. Paths lead from Drogo east to Fingle Bridge, a lovely spot where shaded green pools shelter trout and the occasional salmon. The castle is undergoing extensive renovation work until around 2019 but remains open to the public, giving visitors a rare chance to see rooms that had long been hidden from view.
arrival and information THE Northeastern moor
By bus There are frequent services into Devon.
Destinations from Chagford Exeter (Mon–Sat 5 daily; 1hr); Moretonhampstead (Mon–Sat 3 daily; 15min); Okehampton (Mon–Sat 1 daily; 55min).
Destinations from Moretonhampstead Chagford (Mon–Sat 3 daily; 12min); Exeter (7 daily; 50min–1hr 20min); Okehampton (Mon–Sat 1 daily; 1hr 10min).
Tourist office New St, Moretonhampstead (April–Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; Nov–March Thurs–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 11am–3pm; 01647 440043, visitmoretonhampstead.co.uk).
Chagford Inn 7 Mill St, Chagford, TQ13 8AW 01647 433109, thechagfordinn.com. Chic gastropub with slate floors and local art on the walls. Come by at lunchtime for roast-beef baguette (£8.50) or mushroom risotto (£13.50), or in the evening to sample local meat and seafood dishes (£13–17). There’s even a separate beef menu, which offers different cuts of a locally reared steer. Three rooms available, too. Kitchen daily noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm.£80
Cyprian’s Cot 47 New St, Chagford, TQ13 8BB 01647 432256, cyprianscot.co.uk. Comfy, sixteenth-century cottage where you can warm your bones by an inglenook fireplace and, in fine weather, breakfast and take tea in the garden. No debit/credit cards. £75
Kestor Inn Manaton, TQ13 9UF 01647 221626, www.kestorinn.com. A popular pub with walkers, serving hot food as well as local ales and ciders, and selling maps, provisions and walking guides. There are en-suite rooms available here too, some with good views. Daily 11am–11pm; kitchen Mon–Sat noon–2pm & 6.30–9pm, Sun noon–4pm & 6.30–9pm.£95
Sparrowhawk Backpackers 45 Ford St, Moretonhampstead 01647 440318, sparrowhawkbackpackers.co.uk. Excellent, eco-minded hostel with fourteen beds in a light and spacious bunk room, plus a private room sleeping up to four. Good kitchen for self-catering. Dorm £19, double £40
The main centre on the northern moor, OKEHAMPTON grew prosperous as a market town for the medieval wool trade, and some fine old buildings survive between the two branches of the River Okement that meet here, among them the prominent fifteenth-century tower of the Chapel of St James. Across the road from the seventeenth-century town hall, a granite archway leads into the Museum of Dartmoor Life (April to early Dec Mon–Fri 10am–4.15pm, Sat 10am–1pm; £4; 01837 52295, museumofdartmoorlife.org.uk), which offers an excellent overview of habitation on the moor since earliest times.
1 mile southwest of Okehampton, EX20 1JA • Daily: April–June, Sept & Oct 10am–5pm; July & Aug 10am–6pm • £4.80; EH • 01837 52844, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/okehampton-castle
Perched above the West Okement, Okehampton Castle is the shattered hulk of a stronghold laid waste by Henry VIII. The tottering ruins include a gatehouse, Norman keep, and the remains of the Great Hall, buttery and kitchens. Woodland walks and riverside picnic tables invite a gentle exploration of what was once the deer park of the earls of Devon.
FIRING RANGES ON DARTMOOR
A significant portion of northern Dartmoor, containing the moor’s highest tors and some of its most famous beauty spots, is run by the Ministry of Defence, whose firing ranges are marked by red-and-white posts; when firing is in progress, red flags or red lights signify that entry is prohibited. Generally, if no warning flags are flying by 9am between April and September, or by 10am from October to March, there will be no firing on that day; alternatively, check at 0800 458 4868 or mod.uk/access.
arrival and DEPARTURE Okehampton
By train Okehampton has a useful – if infrequent – link with Exeter (late May to mid-Sept Sun 4 daily; 45min). The station is a 15min walk south alongStation Rd from Fore St.
By bus There are regular buses to Chagford (Mon–Sat 1 daily; 50min), Exeter (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 6 daily; 1hr) and Tavistock (Mon–Sat every 1–2hr; 50min).
Meadowlea65 Station Rd, EX20 1EA 01837 53200, meadowleaguesthouse.co.uk. A short walk south of the centre, below the train station and within 550yd of the Granite Way cycling route, this bike-friendly B&B has seven rooms (four en suite) and cycle storage. £66
YHA OkehamptonKlondyke Rd, EX20 1EW 01837 53916, yha.org.uk/hostel/okehampton. Housed in a converted goods shed at the station, this well-run hostel offers a range of outdoor activities, plus camping and bike rental. Camping/person £10, dorms £27, doubles £67
Southwest from Princetown, walkers can trace the grassy path of the defunct rail line to Burrator Reservoir, four miles away; flooded in the 1890s to provide water for Plymouth, this is the biggest stretch of water on Dartmoor. The wooded lakeside teems with wildlife, and is overlooked by craggy Sharpitor (1210ft) and Sheep’s Tor (1150ft). For the best walk from here, strike northwest to meet the valley of the River Walkham, which rises in a peat bog at Walkham Head (5 miles north of Princetown), then scurries through moorland and woods to join the River Tavy at Double Waters (2 miles south of Tavistock).
The River Tavy crosses the B3357 four miles west of Princetown at MERRIVALE, a tiny settlement amounting to little more than a pub. It’s another good starting point for walks, only half a mile west of one of Dartmoor’s most important prehistoric sites, the Merrivale Rows. These upright stones form a stately procession for 850ft across the moor. Dating from between 2500 BC and 750 BC, they are probably connected with burial rites.
Five miles southwest of Okehampton, the village of LYDFORD preserves the sturdy but small-scale Lydford Castle (daylight hours; free), a Saxon outpost, then a Norman keep and later used as a prison. The chief attraction here, though, is the one-and-a-half-mile Lydford Gorge (daily: March–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–Feb restricted access 11am–3.30pm; £8.90, NT; 01822 820320, nationaltrust.org.uk/lydford-gorge), overgrown with thick woods and alive with butterflies, spotted woodpeckers, dippers and herons.
ACCOMMODATION and eating The western moor
Castle Inn Next to Lydford Castle, EX20 4BH 01822 820241, castleinnlydford.com. Sixteenth-century inn with en-suite rooms, one with a roof terrace looking onto the castle. The oak-beamed, fire-lit bar provides local ales, and there’s a beer garden and a restaurant (mains £10–20). Daily noon–11pm; kitchen daily noon–3pm & 6–9pm.£70
Dartmoor Inn A386, opposite Lydford turning, EX20 4AY 01822 820221, www.dartmoorinn.com. Three spacious guest rooms furnished with antiques are available above this popular gastropub. The restaurant features tasty options like mushroom risotto and slow-roasted confit of duck leg (£12–19), and there’s a set-price Sun lunch (two courses £22). Booking advised. Daily 11am–3pm & 6–11pm; kitchen daily noon–2.30pm & 6–9.15pm.£115
The main town of the western moor, TAVISTOCK owes its distinctive Victorian appearance to the building boom that followed the discovery of copper deposits here in 1844. Originally, however, this market and Stannary town on the River Tavy grew around what was once the West Country’s most important Benedictine abbey, established in the eleventh century. Some scant remnants survive in the churchyard of St Eustachius (tavistockparishchurch.org.uk), a mainly fifteenth-century building with stained glass from William Morris’s studio in the south aisle.
North of Tavistock, a four-mile lane wanders up to Brent Tor (1130ft), which dominates Dartmoor’s western fringes. Access is easiest along the path gently ascending through gorse on its southwestern side, leading to the small church of St Michael at the top.
arrival and DEPARTURE Tavistock and around
By bus Tavistock has good connections with both Okehampton (Mon–Sat every 1–2hr; 50min) and Princetown (Mon–Sat 3 daily; 30min).
Mount Tavy Cottage Half a mile east of Tavistock on the B3357, PL19 9JL 01822 614253, mounttavy.co.uk. Set on a beautiful plot with its own lake, this B&B in a former gardener’s cottage has comfortable rooms, organic breakfasts, evening meals by prior arrangement (£20 for two courses) and self-catering options. £85
PLYMOUTH’s predominantly bland and modern face belies its great historic role as a naval base and, in the sixteenth century, the stamping ground of such towering figures as John Hawkins and Francis Drake. It was from here that Drake sailed to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588, and 32 years later the port was the last embarkation point for the Pilgrim Fathers, whose New Plymouth colony became the nucleus for the English settlement of North America. The importance of the city’s Devonport dockyards made the city a target in World War II, when the Luftwaffe reduced most of the old centre to rubble. Subsequent reconstruction has done little to improve the place, though it would be difficult to spoil the glorious vista over Plymouth Sound, the basin of calm water at the mouth of the combined Plym, Tavy and Tamar estuaries, largely unchanged since Drake played his famous game of bowls on the Hoe before joining battle with the Armada.
One of the best local excursions from Plymouth is to Mount Edgcumbe, where woods and meadows provide a welcome antidote to the urban bustle. East of Plymouth, the aristocratic opulence of Saltram House includes fine art and furniture, while to the north you can visit Francis Drake’s old home at Buckland Abbey.
A good place to start a tour of the city is Plymouth Hoe, an immense esplanade with glorious views over the water. Here, alongside various war memorials, stands a rather portly statue of Sir Francis Drake gazing grandly out to the sea. Appropriately, there’s a bowling green back from the brow.
Plymouth Hoe, PL1 2NZ • Daily 10am–5pm; check winter times • £4 • 01752 304774, plymhearts.org/smeatons-tower
One of the city’s best-known landmarks, the red-and-white-striped Smeaton’s Tower was erected in 1759 by John Smeaton on the treacherous Eddystone Rocks, fourteen miles out to sea. When replaced by a larger lighthouse in 1882, it was reassembled here, where it gives lofty views across Plymouth Sound.
At the old town’s quay at Sutton Harbour, the Mayflower Steps commemorate the sailing of the Pilgrim Fathers, with a plaque listing the names and professions of the 102 Puritans on board. Edging the harbour, the Barbican district is the heart of old Plymouth; most of the buildings are now shops and restaurants.
Rope Walk, PL4 0LF • Daily 10am–5pm; last entry 4pm • £15.95, or £14.35 online • 0844 893 7938, national-aquarium.co.uk
Across the footbridge from Sutton Harbour, the National Marine Aquarium has re-created a range of marine environments, from moorland stream to coral reef and deep-sea ocean. The most popular exhibits are the seahorses, the colourful reefs and the sharks, though some of the smaller tanks hold equally compelling exhibits – the anemones, for example.
2 miles southwest of the city, PL10 1HZ • House & Earl’s Garden April–Sept Mon–Thurs & Sun 11am–4.30pm • £7.20 • Lower gardens and country park Daily 8am–8pm (winter 8am–6pm) • Free • 01752 822236, mountedgcumbe.gov.uk • Plymouth Boat Trips runs ferries from Mayflower Steps to Mt Edgcumbe (April–Sept Sat & Sun, daily in school hols: 6–7 daily; plymouthboattrips.co.uk). Bus #34 runs from Royal Parade to Admiral’s Hard, Stonehouse, from where Plymouth Boat Trips operates a ferry to Cremyll (every 30min), just outside the park
Lying on the Cornish side of Plymouth Sound and visible from the Hoe is Mount Edgcumbe house, a reconstruction of the bomb-damaged Tudor original; inside, the predominant note is eighteenth-century, the rooms elegantly restored with authentic Regency furniture. Far more enticing are the impeccable gardens divided into the formal Earl’s Garden, next to the house, and the lower gardens, including French, Italian and English sections – the first two a blaze of flowerbeds adorned with classical statuary, the last an acre of sweeping lawn shaded by exotic trees. The park gives access to the coastal path and the huge Whitsand Bay, the best bathing beach for miles around, though subject to dangerous shifting sands and fierce currents.
Near Plympton, 2 miles east of Plymouth, PL7 1UH • House Daily: March–Oct 11am–4.30pm; Nov–Feb 11am–3.30pm • Garden Daily: March–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–Feb 10am–4pm • House & garden March–Oct £11, Nov–Feb £8; NT • Park Daily dawn–dusk • Free, but parking £3; NT • 01752 333500, nationaltrust.org.uk/saltram • Buses #19, #21, #51 or #200 from Royal Parade to Marsh Mills roundabout, from where it’s a walk of a mile (signposted)
The remodelled Tudor Saltram House is Devon’s largest country house, featuring work by architect Robert Adam and fourteen portraits by Joshua Reynolds, who was born in nearby Plympton. The showpiece is the Saloon, a fussy but exquisitely furnished room dripping with gilt and plaster, set off by a huge Axminster carpet especially woven for it in 1770. The landscaped garden and park provide a breather from this riot of interior design.
Arrival and information plymouth and around
By train Plymouth’s train station is a mile north of the Hoe off Saltash Rd. Frequent buses run between the station and the city centre.
Destinations Bodmin (every 1–2hr; 40min); Exeter (1–2 hourly; 1hr); Liskeard (1–2 hourly; 25min); Par (1–2 hourly; 50min); Penzance (1–2 hourly; 2hr); Truro (1–2 hourly; 1hr 15min).
By bus Buses pull in at the bus station off Mayflower St, a short walk from Royal Parade.
Destinations Bodmin (4 daily; 1hr 15min); Exeter (10 daily; 1hr 10min); Falmouth (3 daily; 2hr 30min); Newquay (5 daily; 2hr); Penzance (4–5 daily; 3–4hr); St Austell (4 daily; 1hr 15min); St Ives (3 daily; 2hr 50min–3hr 30min); Torquay (2 daily; 55min–2hr 15min); Truro (5 daily; 1hr 40min–2hr 10min).
Tourist office The tourist office is off Sutton Harbour at 3–5 The Barbican (April–Oct Mon–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; Nov–March Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 10am–4pm; 01752 306330, visitplymouth.co.uk).
Cotehele Villas217 Stuart Rd, PL1 5LQ 07877 474643, cotehelevillas.com; map. This smart, stylish place 10min from the train station is slightly out of the way – a 25min walk to the Barbican – but is worth seeking out for its fresh, uncluttered feel. It has three bright, en-suite rooms with wood floors, period features and modern bathrooms; a light breakfast is served in your room. Two-night minimum. £75
Number One 1 Windsor Villas, Lockyer St, PL1 2QD 01752 212981, numberoneplymouth.co.uk; map. Light, airy and spacious en-suite rooms are offered in this refurbished Regency-style villa on a quiet street close to the Hoe and Barbican, with parking available. £74
Riverside Caravan Park Leigham Manor Drive, Marsh Mills, PL6 8LL 01752 344122, riversidecaravanpark.com; map. The nearest campsite to the centre, three miles northeast of the Barbican and close to the Drake’s Trail cycle and walking route. There are riverside walks, and an outdoor pool open in summer. £16
Barbican Kitchen 60 Southside St, PL1 2LQ 01752 604448, barbicankitchen.com; map. Modern decor, tasty food and a casual ambience draw the crowds at this bistro, housed in the ancient Black Friars Distillery. The varied menu runs from wild garlic risotto to slow-cooked lamb (£11–18). Decent set menus, too. Mon–Thurs noon–2.30pm & 6–9.30pm, Fri & Sat noon–2.30pm & 5–10pm.
Quay 33 33 Southside St, PL1 2LE 01752 229345, quay33.co.uk; map. This elegant but informal harbourside spot is ideal at lunch for a plate of pasta or a doorstop sandwich (£10–11). The evening menu usually includes Exmouth mussels (£8), pork belly (£15) and fish stew (£17). Sit upstairs for the view. Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm & 5pm–late, Sun noon–3pm & 6–8.30pm.
West Hoe Fryers 7 Radford Rd, PL1 3BY 01752 221409; map. It doesn’t get much simpler than this: an old-style fish shop with a queue for takeaway orders on one side and tables on the other. The fish and chips (from £5.80 to take away) might come with extras like pickled eggs and cockles. Mon–Sat noon–2pm & 5–9pm.
The Dolphin14 The Barbican, PL1 2LS 01752 660876; map. A local institution, this harbourside pub has an authentic atmosphere, and West Country ales straight from the barrel. Look out for the pictures by Beryl Cook, who used to drink here. Mon–Sat 10am–midnight, Sun 11am–midnight.
9 miles north of Plymouth, PL20 6EY • Jan to mid-Feb Sat & Sun 10am–4pm; mid-Feb to Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov & Dec daily 10am–4pm • £11; NT • 01822 853607, nationaltrust.org.uk/buckland-abbey • From Plymouth, #1 or #X1 to Yelverton (4 hourly), then #55 (Mon–Sat 5 daily)
Close to the River Tavy and on the edge of Dartmoor, Buckland Abbey was once the most westerly of England’s Cistercian abbeys. After its dissolution, Buckland was converted to a family home by privateer Richard Grenville (cousin of Walter Raleigh), from whom Francis Drake acquired the estate in 1582, after becaming mayor of Plymouth. It remained Drake’s home until his death, though the house reveals few traces of his residence. There are, however, numerous maps, portraits and mementos of his buccaneering exploits on show, most famous of which is Drake’s Drum, which was said to beat a supernatural warning of impending danger to the country. More eye-catching are the oak-panelled Great Hall, previously the nave of the abbey, a newly identified Rembrandt self-portrait, and, in the majestic grounds, a fine fourteenth-century monastic barn.
Apart from a few pockets of more intense activity, North Devon is a tranquil, unhurried region, encompassing picture-postcard villages, wind-lashed cliffs and some of the county’s finest beaches. The chief town, Barnstaple, is a good place to get started, close to some of Devon’s best surf breaks at Woolacombe and nearby Croyde and Saunton Sands. Ilfracombe, on the other hand, is a traditional resort with a modern edge, while, on the coast west of the historic river-port of Bideford, the tourist honeypot of Clovelly clings to the steep slopes amid thick woods. You can escape the crowds by following the bay round to stormy Hartland Point at Devon’s northwestern corner, though for remoteness you can’t beat Lundy Island, a tract of wilderness in the middle of the Bristol Channel.
BARNSTAPLE, at the head of the Taw estuary, makes an excellent North Devon base, well connected to the resorts of Bideford Bay, Ilfracombe and Woolacombe, as well as to the western fringes of Exmoor. The town’s centuries-old role as a marketplace is perpetuated in the daily bustle around the huge timber-framed Pannier Market off the High Street, alongside which runs Butchers Row, its 33 archways now converted to a variety of uses. At the end of Boutport Street is the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon (Mon–Sat: April–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–March 10am–4pm; free; 01271 346747), which holds a lively miscellany that includes a collection of the eighteenth-century pottery for which the region was famous. The museum lies alongside the Taw, where footpaths make for a pleasant riverside stroll, with the colonnaded eighteenth-century Queen Anne’s Walk – built as a merchants’ exchange – providing some architectural interest.
SIR FRANCIS DRAKE
Born around 1540 near Tavistock, Francis Drake worked in the domestic coastal trade from the age of 13, but was soon taking part in the first English slaving expeditions between Africa and the West Indies, led by his Plymouth kinsman John Hawkins. Later, Drake was active in the secret war against Spain, raiding merchant ships in actions unofficially sanctioned by Elizabeth I. In 1572 he became the first Englishman to sight the Pacific, and soon after, on the Golden Hinde, became the first to circumnavigate the world, for which he received a knighthood on his return in 1580. The following year Drake was made mayor of Plymouth, settling in Buckland Abbey, but he was back in action before long – in 1587 he “singed the king of Spain’s beard” by entering Cadiz harbour and destroying 33 vessels that were to have formed part of Philip II’s Armada. When the replacement invasion fleet appeared in the English Channel in 1588, Drake – along with Raleigh, Hawkins and Frobisher – played a leading role in wrecking it. The following year he set off on an unsuccessful expedition to help the Portuguese against Spain, but otherwise most of the next decade was spent in relative inactivity in Plymouth, Exeter and London. Finally, in 1596 Drake left with Hawkins for a raid on Panama, a venture that cost the lives of both captains.
ARRIVAL AND information barnstaple
By train Barnstaple’s train station is on the south side of the Taw, a 5min walk from the centre. There are good connections with Exeter on the Tarka Line (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 7 daily; 1hr 10min).
By bus The bus station is centrally located between Silver St and Belle Meadow Rd.
Destinations Bideford (every 10–20min; 30min); Croyde (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5 daily; 35min); Ilfracombe (every 30min; 40min).
Tourist office The local tourist office is inside the Museum of North Devon on The Square (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; 01271 346747, staynorthdevon.co.uk).
Broomhill Art Hotel Muddiford, EX31 4EX, 2 miles north of Barnstaple 01271 850262, broomhillart.co.uk. Striking combination of gallery, restaurant and hotel where the rooms look onto a sculpture garden. The Terra Madre restaurant alone is worth a visit (see below). £75
The Old VicarageBarbican Terrace, EX32 9HQ 01271 328504, oldvicaragebarnstaple.co.uk. This well-kept Victorian house has modern double and twin rooms, some with freestanding bathtubs and all with good-sized beds. Handily, there’s on-site parking too. £90
Yeo Dale HotelPilton Bridge, EX31 1PG 01271 342954, yeodalehotel.co.uk. Clean B&B rooms in a converted Georgian merchant’s house, just a short walk from the centre. The best ones (£120) are on the first floor, and there are cheaper doubles higher up – though these have steeply sloping ceilings. Room-only rates also available. £85
Monty’s Caribbean Kitchen 19 Tuly St, EX31 1DH 01271 372985, montyscaribbeankitchen.co.uk. Patties, jerk chicken, and ackee and saltfish feature on the menu of this modern Jamaican restaurant with small wooden tables, off Boutport St. Most dishes are £10–15.Tues & Wed 11.30am–3pm, Thurs–Sat 11.30am–3pm & 6–11pm.
Old School Coffee House6 Church Lane, EX31 1BH 01271 372793. This well-preserved building from 1659 now houses a no-frills café/restaurant – nothing fancy, but brimming with atmosphere. The meals are a bit hit and miss but the coffee and cakes are good value (try a slice of the chocolate and raisin cake for 95p). Mon–Sat 9.15am–3pm.
Terra Madre Muddiford, EX31 4EX, 2 miles north of Barnstaple 01271 850262, broomhillart.co.uk. Part of the Broomhill Art Hotel (see above), this relaxed place specializes in Mediterranean-style cuisine in the form of lunchtime tapas or set-price three-course lunches (Wed–Sun; £17) and evening meals (Wed–Sat; £25). Mon, Tues & Sun 12.30–2.30pm, Wed–Sat noon–2.30pm & 7–8.30pm.
The most popular resort on Devon’s northern coast, ILFRACOMBE is essentially little changed since its evolution into a Victorian and Edwardian tourist centre. The town has started to assume a hipper image in recent years, however, symbolized by the dramatic Damien Hirst sculpture Verity, installed at the end of the compact harbour, depicting a giant, half-flayed, pregnant woman, trampling on law tomes and with a sword upthrust – said to be an allegory of truth and justice.
In summer, if the crowds become oppressive, you can escape on a coastal tour, a fishing trip or the fifteen-mile cruise to Lundy Island, all available at the small harbour. On foot, you can explore the attractive stretch of coast running east out of Ilfracombe and beyond the grassy cliffs of Hillsborough, where a succession of undeveloped coves and inlets is backed by jagged slanting rocks and heather-covered hills. There are sandy beaches here, though many prefer those beyond Morte Point, five miles west of Ilfracombe, from where the view takes in Lundy. Below the promontory, the pocket-sized Barricane Beach, famous for the tropical shells washed up by Atlantic currents from the Caribbean, is a popular swimming spot.
Arrival and information ILFRACOMBE and around
By bus Stagecoach bus #21 runs every 30min from/to Braunton (30min), Barnstaple (45min) and Bideford (1hr 30min), stopping at St James’s Place Gardens in Ilfracombe, a short walk west of The Quay.
Tourist office At the Landmark Theatre, on the seafront (Easter–Oct Mon–Fri 9.30am–4.30pm, Sat & Sun 10.30am–4.30pm; Oct–Easter Mon–Fri 9.30am–4.30pm, Sat 10am–4pm; 01271 863001, visitilfracombe.co.uk).
The Collingdale Larkstone Terrace, EX34 9NU 01271 863770, collingdalehotel.co.uk. Attractive Victorian house with friendly owners, where six of the nine rooms look out over the harbour. There’s also a small bar and a lounge to relax in. £80
Ocean Backpackers 29 St James Place, EX34 9BJ 01271 867835, oceanbackpackers.co.uk. Excellent, central hostel that’s popular with surfers. Dorms are mostly five- or six-bed, and there are doubles available and a well-equipped kitchen. Dorms £18, doubles £48
Blacksands Bistro 3 St James Place, EX34 9BH 01271 523296. Cosy and welcoming restaurant with a small selection of thoughtfully prepared items. Try the baked blue cheesecake made with Stilton and leeks, or the rainbow trout, both around £14. There’s a warm atmosphere and some tables outside on the heated terrace. June–Sept Tues–Sat 5–11pm, Sun noon–4pm; reduced hours in winter.
The Quay11 The Quay, EX34 9EQ 01271 868090, 11thequay.co.uk. By the harbour and with great sea views, this restaurant (co-owned by artist Damien Hirst, whose works are displayed) offers European-inspired dishes using local ingredients – seared scallops, for example, or Exmoor beef. Most mains are £15–20, and drinks and snacks are available in the relaxed ground-floor bar. Daily 10.30am–late, kitchen noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm; closed Sun eve, Mon & Tues in winter.
Woolacombe Sands is a broad, west-facing beach much favoured by surfers and families alike. At the more crowded northern end of the beach, a cluster of hotels, villas and retirement homes makes up the summer resort of WOOLACOMBE. At the quieter southern end lies the choice swimming and surfing spot of Putsborough Sands and the promontory of Baggy Point, where gannets, shags, cormorants and shearwaters gather in September and November.
South of here is Croyde Bay, another surfers’ delight, more compact than Woolacombe, with stalls on the sand renting surfboards and wetsuits. South again around the headland is Saunton Sands, a magnificent long stretch of wind-blown coast pummelled by seemingly endless ranks of classic breakers.
THE TARKA LINE AND THE TARKA TRAIL
North Devon is closely associated with Henry Williamson’s Tarka the Otter (1927), which relates the travels and travails of a young otter, and is one of the finest pieces of nature writing in the English language. With parts of the book set in the Taw valley, it was perhaps inevitable that the Exeter to Barnstaple rail route – which follows the Taw for half of its length – should be dubbed the Tarka Line. Barnstaple itself forms the centre of the figure-of-eight traced by the Tarka Trail, which tracks the otter’s wanderings for a distance of more than 180 miles. To the north, the trail penetrates Exmoor then follows the coast back, passing through Williamson’s home village of Georgeham on its return to Barnstaple. South, the path takes in Bideford (see below), and continues as far as Okehampton.
For 23 miles the trail follows a former rail line that’s ideally suited to bicycles, and there are bike rental shops in Barnstaple and Bideford. You can pick up a Tarka Trail booklet and free leaflets on individual sections of the trail from tourist offices.
arrival and Information woolacombe and around
By bus Service #303 links Barnstaple and Woolacombe (Mon–Sat 4–6 daily; 45min), while bus #31 runs between Woolacombe and Ilfracombe (Mon–Sat roughly hourly; 30min).
Tourist office The Esplanade (Easter–Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov–Easter Mon, Tues, Fri & Sat 10am–1pm, sometimes also Wed & Thurs; 01271 870553, woolacombetourism.co.uk).
North Morte Farm Mortehoe, 1 mile north of Woolacombe, EX34 7EG 01271 870381, northmortefarm.co.uk. More peaceful than many of the campsites around here, with panoramic sea views and access to Rockham Beach, though not much shelter. Mortehoe’s pubs are a short walk away. Closed Nov–Easter. Per person £10
Rocks HotelBeach Rd, EX34 7BT 01271 870361, therockshotel.co.uk. This surfer-friendly place close to the beach has smallish but smart, high-spec bedrooms and bathrooms, and a breakfast room styled like a 1950s American diner. Sea-view rooms cost an extra £10. £79
Woolacombe Bay HotelSouth St, EX34 7BN 01271 870388, woolacombe-bay-hotel.co.uk. This grand building just up from the beach once housed American troops training for the Normandy landings, and is now a tidy hotel with comfortable rooms, good leisure facilities (including indoor and outdoor pools and a spa) and a restaurant overlooking the water. £184
Bar ElectricBeach Rd, EX34 7BP 01271 870429, barelectric.co.uk. Friendly hangout that stays buzzing until late, with themed food nights and a long list of drinks and meals, including pizzas and pastas (all £10–12).Easter–Dec Mon–Thurs 11am–10pm, Fri 11am–midnight, Sat & Sun 10am–midnight; kitchen Easter–Dec Mon–Fri 12.30–3pm & 5–9pm, Sat & Sun (or daily in summer) 10am–3pm & 5–9pm.
Blue GrooveHobbs Hill, Croyde, EX33 1LZ 01271 890111, blue-groove.co.uk. As well as burgers, steaks and seafood, this modern restaurant/bar offers a good range of international food, from enchiladas to prawn dhansak (most mains £13–15). Easter–Oct daily 9am–late; Nov & Dec Mon & Sun 10am–4pm, Fri & Sat 10am–late.
The ThatchHobbs Hill, Croyde, EX33 1LZ 01271 890349, thethatchcroyde.com. Perennially popular pub in the centre of Croyde, worth visiting for its ice-cold local cider and enormous stacks of nachos (£7–12). There’s often live music on Fri nights, when the pub and its two beer gardens get especially busy. Mon–Thurs & Sun 8am–11pm, Fri & Sat 8am–midnight; kitchen daily 8am–10pm.
Like Barnstaple, nine miles to the east, the handsome estuary town of BIDEFORD formed an important link in north Devon’s trade network in the Middle Ages, mainly due to its bridge, which still straddles the River Torridge. Just northwest is the seafront village of Westward Ho!, which faces a broad, sandy beach blessed with fairly consistent swell. A couple of miles downstream from Bideford, the old shipbuilding port of APPLEDORE, lined with pastel-coloured Georgian houses, is worth visiting for a wander and a drink in one of its cosy pubs.
Arrival and information bideford and around
By bus Route #21 (every 30min) handily links Bideford with Barnstaple (40min) and Westward Ho! (20min). Services #15A, #15C (Mon–Sat every 30min) and #21A (Sun hourly) connect Bideford with Appledore (15min).
Tourist office In the Burton Art Gallery and Museum, Kingsley Road (Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 11am–4pm; 01237 477676, burtonartgallery.co.uk).
Beaver InnIrsha St, Appledore, EX39 1RY 01237 474822, beaverinn.co.uk. At Appledore’s northern tip, this traditional pub has wonderful views from its outdoor tables, regular live music and a friendly mix of visitors and locals. Snacks under £10, seafood mains round £15. Daily 11am–11pm; kitchen daily noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm.
The MountNorthdown Rd, Bideford, EX39 3LP 01237 473748, www.themountbideford.co.uk. Handsome Georgian guesthouse set in its own walled gardens, with elegantly furnished rooms and a separate guests’ lounge. It’s in a quiet area a few minutes outside the centre, linked by a footpath. £90
West along Bideford Bay, picturesque CLOVELLY was put on the map in the second half of the nineteenth century by two books: Charles Dickens’ A Message From the Sea and Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley, whose father was rector here for six years. The picture-postcard tone of the village has been preserved by strict regulations, but its excessive quaintness and the streams of visitors on summer days can make it hard to see beyond the artifice.
Beyond the visitor centre, where an entrance fee to the village is charged (£7.25), the cobbled, traffic-free main street plunges down past neat, flower-smothered cottages. The tethered sledges here are used for transporting goods, the only way to carry supplies up and down the hill since they stopped using donkeys. At the bottom, Clovelly’s stony beach and tiny harbour snuggle under a cleft in the cliff wall.
ARRIVAL AND information clovelly
By bus Bus #319 from Bideford Quay (Mon–Sat 4 daily; 45min) stops by the visitor centre, then continues to Hartland (15min).
Tourist office The visitor centre is at the top of the village (daily: Easter–June, Sept & Oct 10am–5pm; July & Aug 9am–6pm; Nov–Easter 10am–4pm; 01237 431781, clovelly.co.uk).
Land Rover service If you can’t face the return climb to the top of the village, make use of the rLand Rover service that leaves from behind the Red Lion on the quayside (Easter–Oct 11am–5pm, roughly every 15min; £2.50).
SURFING IN NORTH DEVON
Devon’s premier surfing sites are on the west-facing coast between Morte Point and the Taw estuary. While Woolacombe Sands and Saunton Sands can (and often do) comfortably accommodate armies of surfers, smaller Croyde Bay does get congested in summer. Equipment is available to rent from numerous places in the villages of Woolacombe and Croyde or from stalls on the beach (around £8–12 for 4hr or £10–15/day for a board, £8 for 4hr or £10/day for a wetsuit). You can see local surf reports and live webcams at magicseaweed.com. If you find yourself without any waves, you can while away half an hour at the tiny Museum of British Surfing in Braunton, four miles east of Croyde (April–Sept Mon–Sat 11am–3pm; £2; 01271 815155, museumofbritishsurfing.org.uk), which uses interactive exhibits and old boards to tell the story of British board riding – from the early “surf bathers” of the 1920s to today’s fearless big-wave surfers.
East Dyke Farmhouse Higher Clovelly, EX39 5RU 01237 431216, bedbreakfastclovelly.co.uk. Away from the old village, this 200-year-old building with a beamed and flagstoned dining room has guest rooms with fridges and private bathrooms. No credit cards. £65
Red Lion The Quay, EX39 5TF 01237 431237, stayatclovelly.co.uk. Of the village’s two luxurious and pricey hotels, this one enjoys the best position, right on the harbourside. It’s got a congenial bar and the formal Harbour Restaurant, specializing in super-fresh seafood (£28 for two courses).Daily noon–3pm & 6.30–8.30pm. £160
Three miles west of Clovelly, the inland village of HARTLAND holds little appeal, but the surrounding coastline is spectacular. You could arrive at Hartland Point along minor roads, but the best approach is on foot along the coast path. The jagged black rocks of the dramatic headland are battered by the sea and overlooked by a solitary lighthouse 350ft up. South of Hartland Point, the saw-toothed rocks and near-vertical escarpments defiantly confront the waves, with spectacular waterfalls tumbling over the cliffs.
1.5 miles west of Hartland, EX39 6DT • House Easter to early Oct Mon–Thurs & Sun 2–5pm • £12 (includes grounds) • Grounds Easter to early Oct Mon–Thurs & Sun 11am–5pm • £8.50 • 01237 441496, hartlandabbey.com
Surrounded by gardens and lush woodland, Hartland Abbey is an eighteenth-century mansion incorporating the ruins of an abbey dissolved in 1539. The Regency library has portraits by Gainsborough and Reynolds, George Gilbert Scott designed the vaulted Alhambra Corridor and outer hall, and fine furniture, old photographs and frescoes are everywhere. A path leads a mile from the house to cliffs and a small, sandy bay.
LUNDY ISLAND
There are fewer than thirty full-time residents on Lundy, a tiny windswept island twelve miles north of Hartland Point. Now a refuge for thousands of marine birds, Lundy has no cars, just one pub and one shop – indeed, little has changed since the Marisco family established itself here in the twelfth century, making use of the shingle beaches and coves to terrorize shipping along the Bristol Channel. The family’s fortunes only fell in 1242 when one of their number, William de Marisco, was found to be plotting against the king, whereupon he was hung, drawn and quartered at Tower Hill in London. The castle erected by Henry III on Lundy’s southern end dates from this time.
Today the island is managed by the Landmark Trust. Unless you’re on a specially arranged diving or climbing expedition, walking along the interweaving tracks and footpaths is really the only thing to do here. The shores – mainly cliffy on the west side of the island, softer and undulating on the east – shelter a rich variety of birdlife, including kittiwakes, fulmars, shags and Manx shearwaters, which often nest in rabbit burrows. The most famous birds, though, are the puffins after which Lundy is named – from the Norse Lunde (puffin) and ey (island). They can only be sighted in April and May, when they come ashore to mate. Offshore, grey seals can be seen all year round.
By boat Between April and Oct, the MS Oldenburg sails to Lundy up to four times a week from Ilfracombe, less frequently from Bideford (around 2hr from both places; day returns £37, child £19, open returns £65). To reserve a place, call the shore office on 01271 863636 or visit landmarktrust.org.uk/lundyisland/ms-oldenburg (day returns can also be booked from local tourist offices).
Self-catering A number of idiosyncratic Landmark Trust properties are available for self-catering for a minimum of two nights (at around £170). These range from eighteenth-century hideaways for two in a castle keep to weathered fishermen’s cottages. They’re hugely popular, so book well in advance (01628 825925, landmarktrust.org.uk/Search-and-Book/landmark-groups/lundy).
B&B The shore office (01271 863636) can occasionally arrange accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, with meals at the island’s pub. £75
Camping Lundy has a small campsite, also run by the Landmark Trust (closed late Oct to late March; book two weeks ahead). Per person £6
ARRIVAL and departure HARTLAND and around
By bus The #319 (Mon–Sat 4–5 daily) links Hartland with Clovelly (15min), Bideford (1hr) and Barnstaple (1hr 30min).
2 Harton Manor The Square, off Fore St, EX39 6BL 01237 441670, twohartonmanor.co.uk. Small, friendly B&B offering three rooms above an artist’s studio – one en suite with a four-poster. Organic, locally sourced and Aga-cooked breakfasts are served in the flagstoned kitchen. No credit cards. £100
Stoke Barton FarmStoke, EX39 6DU, half a mile west of Hartland Abbey 01237 441238, westcountry-camping.co.uk. Right by the fourteenth-century church of St Nectan’s, this working farm offers camping, plus basic “Pixie huts” (£45) and a B&B room in the farmhouse (£60). Closed Nov–Easter. Per person £7.50
The numerous estuaries strung along the seaboard of Southeast Cornwall shelter a succession of quaint old fishing ports, among them Looe, Polperro, Fowey and Mevagissey. The area is also noted for its china clay industry, and the conical spoil heaps left by the mines are a feature of the landscape around St Austell Bay; a short distance inland, a former clay pit is home to the Eden Project, a visionary celebration of environmental diversity and one of the region’s biggest draws. West of here, bustling Falmouth and the pretty village of St Mawes on either side of the Carrick Roads estuary are both worth a wander, as is the laidback county capital, Truro.
In the southeast corner of Cornwall, LOOE was drawing crowds as early as 1800, when the first “bathing-machines” were wheeled out; it was the arrival of the railway in 1879, though, that really packed the beaches of this river-divided resort. The handiest stretch of sand lies in front of East Looe, but you’ll find cleaner water and less congestion away from the river mouth, a mile eastwards at Millendreath.
ARRIVAL AND information looe
By train The station is on the river’s east bank, on Station Rd. There’s an hourly Liskeard train (not Sun in winter; 30min).
By bus Most buses to and from Looe stop on the eastern side of the bridge joining East Looe with West Looe.
Destinations Liskeard (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun every 2hr; 25min); Plymouth (Mon–Sat every 2hr; 1hr 10min); Polperro (Mon–Sat 2–3 hourly, Sun hourly; 10–20min).
Tourist office The Guildhall, Fore St (Easter to mid-Sept Mon–Sat 10am–3pm; mid-Sept to Easter Mon–Fri 10am–1pm; 01503 262072, www.looeguide.co.uk).
Meneglaze House Shutta, East Looe, PL13 1LU 01503 269227, looebedandbreakfast.com. Guests at this B&B near the station are greeted with fresh flowers and home-made biscuits. Rooms have fridges and Egyptian cotton bedding, and breakfasts include hog’s pudding. No children. £84
Old Sail Loft The Quay, East Looe, PL13 1AP 01503 262131, oldsailloftlooe.co. This oak-beamed warehouse offers the freshest seafood – seafood tagliatelle (£15), lemon sole (£24) – plus meat dishes like lamb shank (£18). Mon–Thurs 5.30–9pm, Fri & Sat 11.45am–2pm & 5.30–9pm.
Schooner Point 1 Trelawney Terrace, Polperro Rd, West Looe, PL13 2AG 01503 262670, schoonerpoint.co.uk. Just 100yd from Looe Bridge, this family-run guesthouse has great river views from most of its good-value rooms, which include a single (£50) with a private shower. £90
Linked to Looe by frequent buses, POLPERRO is smaller and quainter than its neighbour, but has a similar feel. From the bus stop and car park at the top of the village, it’s a five- or ten-minute walk alongside the River Pol to the pretty harbour. The surrounding cliffs and the tightly packed houses rising on each side of the stream have an undeniable charm, and the tangle of lanes is little changed since the village’s heyday of pilchard fishing and smuggling. However, the influx of tourists has inevitably taken its toll, and the straggling main street – the Coombes – is now an unbroken row of tacky shops and food outlets.
arrival and departure polperro
By bus Polperro is served by frequent buses from Looe (Mon–Sat 2–3 hourly, Sun hourly; 15–30min) and Plymouth (Mon–Sat every 2hr; 1hr 40min).
Blue Peter The Quay, PL13 2QZ 01503 272743, thebluepeterinn.yolasite.com. Welcoming harbourside pub serving real ales and local scrumpy. The bar food is good (£11 for fish and chips) and there’s live music at weekends. Mon–Sat 11am–11pm, Sun noon–10.30pm; kitchen daily noon–2.30pm & 6–8.30pm, school hols daily noon–8.30pm.
The House on the Props Talland St, PL13 2RE 01503 272310, houseontheprops.co.uk. Staying at this quirky B&B right on the harbour is a bit like being on a boat, with snug rooms, wonky floors and awesome views; there’s also a tearoom and restaurant on board. Closed mid-Nov to Easter. Mon & Tues 9am–4pm, Thurs–Sat 9am–8.30pm. £85
Penryn HouseThe Coombes, PL13 2RQ 01503 272157, penrynhouse.co.uk. Relaxed and friendly B&B with a country-house feel. The immaculately clean rooms are small but cosy – those at the back are quietest, but have no view. Parking available. £75
The ten miles west from Polperro to Polruan are among south Cornwall’s finest stretches of the coastal path, giving access to some beautiful, secluded sand beaches. There are frequent ferries across the River Fowey from Polruan, affording a fine prospect of FOWEY (pronounced “Foy”), a cascade of neat, pale terraces at the mouth of one of the peninsula’s greatest rivers. The major port on the county’s south coast in the fourteenth century, Fowey finally became so ambitious that it provoked Edward IV to strip the town of its military capability, though it continued to thrive commercially, becoming the leading port for china clay shipments in the nineteenth century.
Fowey’s steep layout centres on the distinctive fifteenth-century church of St Fimbarrus (foweyparishchurch.org). Below the church, the Ship Inn, which sports some fine Elizabethan panelling, held the local Roundhead HQ during the Civil War. From here, Fore Street, Lostwithiel Street and the Esplanade fan out, the last of which leads to a footpath that gives access to some splendid coastal walks. One of these passes Menabilly House, where Daphne Du Maurier lived for 24 years – it was the model for Manderley in her novel Rebecca. The house is not open to the public, but the path takes you down to the twin coves of Polridmouth, where Rebecca met her watery end. The tourist office can provide information on the eight-day Fowey Festival (01726 879500, foweyfestival.com) which takes place each May, with talks, walks, workshops and concerts.
Arrival and information fowey
By bus Buses #24 and #25 run from Par (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun every 1hr 30min; 15min) and St Austell (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun every 1hr 30min; 45min).
By ferry Fowey can be reached by ferry every 10–15min daily from Bodinnick (foot passengers and vehicles) and Polruan (foot passengers only); tickets cost around £2 for a foot passenger, £5 for a car and passengers (01726 870232, ctomsandson.co.uk).
Tourist office 5 South St (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 11am–4pm; 0905 151 0262, fowey.co.uk).
Coombe Farm Lankelly Lane, PL23 1HW, 1 mile southwest of Fowey 01726 833123, coombefarmbb.co.uk. A 20min walk from town, this B&B provides perfect rural isolation – and there’s a bathing area just 300yd away. £75
Old Quay House 28 Fore St, PL23 1AQ 01726 833302, theoldquayhouse.com. Pricey harbourside hotel with eleven compact yet fresh-feeling rooms, some of which have balconies. The restaurant, Q, serves plenty of fresh seafood on set-price menus (£29 at lunch, £40 in the evening for three courses). Mon & Tues 6.30–9pm, Wed–Sun 12.30–3pm & 6.30–9pm; reduced hours in winter. £190
Sam’s20 Fore St, PL23 1AQ 01726 832273, samscornwall.co.uk. With a menu ranging from burgers (£10–16) to seafood (£7–16.50), this place has 1960s rock’n’roll decor and friendly service. It doesn’t take bookings, so arrive early or be prepared to wait. There’s a late-closing lounge/bar upstairs. Daily noon–9pm (last orders).
It was the discovery of china clay, or kaolin, in the downs north of St Austell Bay that spurred the area’s growth in the eighteenth century. An essential ingredient in porcelain, kaolin had until then only been produced in northern China. Still vital to Cornwall’s economy, the clay is now mostly exported for use in the manufacture of paper, paint and medicines, the green and white spoil heaps making an eerie sight in the local landscape.
The town of ST AUSTELL itself is fairly unexciting, but makes a useful stop for trips in the surrounding area. Its nearest link to the sea is at CHARLESTOWN, an easy downhill walk from the centre of town. This unspoilt port is still used for china clay shipments, and is a frequent filming location (including for Poldark). Behind the harbour, the Shipwreck & Heritage Centre (March–Oct daily 10am–5pm; £5.95; 01726 69897, shipwreckcharlestown.com) is entered through tunnels once used to convey clay to the docks, and shows a good collection of photos and relics as well as tableaux of historical scenes. On either side of the dock, the coarse sand and stone beaches have small rock pools, above which cliff walks lead around the bay.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE St austell BAY
By train The station, off High Cross St, is one of the main rstops in southeast Cornwall, with regular Bodmin (every 30min–1hr; 20min) and Truro (every 30min–1hr; 20min) services, plus trains for Plymouth, Bristol and London.
By bus Buses pull in next to St Austell’s train station, off High Cross St.
Destinations Bodmin (Mon–Sat hourly; 1hr); Charlestown (Mon–Sat every 10–20min, Sun 7 daily; 10–15min); Falmouth (2 daily; 1hr); Newquay (Mon–Sat 1–2 hourly, Sun every 1–2hr; 1hr–1hr 20min); Plymouth (3 daily; 1hr 20min); Truro (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 4 daily; 30–40min).
Rashleigh ArmsCharlestown Rd, PL25 3NJ 01726 73635, rashleigharms.co.uk. Friendly inn with St Austell and guest ales, reasonably priced food (mains £10–16) including sandwiches and a Sunday carvery, and outdoor seating. Rooms are available upstairs or in a Georgian annexe. Daily 11am–11pm; kitchen daily noon–9pm.£125
4 miles northeast of St Austell, PL24 2SG • Jan to mid-Feb & early to late Nov Mon–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat & Sun 9.30am–6pm; mid-Feb to March daily 10am–4pm; April–July, Sept & Oct daily 9.30am–6pm; Aug Mon–Thurs 9.30am–8pm, Fri–Sun 9.30am–6pm; late Nov to mid-Dec Mon–Thurs 10am–4pm, Fri–Sun 9.30am–8pm; mid- to late Dec daily 9.30am–8pm; last entry 1hr 30min before closing • £27.50, or £25 in advance (under-17s £14/£12.60); £23.50 (£10) if arriving by bus, by bike or on foot; £38 (£18.45) combined ticket with Lost Gardens of Heligan • 01726 811911, edenproject.com • Bus #101 from St Austell station (roughly hourly; 20min)
Occupying a 160ft-deep crater whose awesome scale only reveals itself once you have passed the entrance at its lip, the Eden Project showcases the diversity of the planet’s plant life in an imaginative way. Centre-stage are the geodesic “biomes” – vast conservatories made up of eco-friendly Teflon-coated, hexagonal panels. One holds groves of olive and citrus trees, cacti and other plants usually found in the warm, temperate zones of the Mediterranean, southern Africa and southwestern USA, while the larger one contains plants from the tropics, including teak and mahogany trees, with a waterfall and river gushing through. Equally impressive are the grounds, where plantations of bamboo, tea, hops, hemp and tobacco are interspersed with brilliant displays of flowers. In summer, the grassy arena sees performances of a range of music – from Van Morrison to Foals (edensessions.com) – and in winter they set up a skating rink.
MEVAGISSEY was once known for the construction of fast vessels, used for carrying pilchards (officially) and contraband (less officially). Today the tiny port might display a few stacks of lobster pots, but the real business is tourism, and in summer the maze of backstreets is saturated with day-trippers, converging on the inner harbour and overflowing onto the large sand beach at Pentewan a mile to the north.
Four miles south of Mevagissey juts the striking headland of Dodman Point, cause of many a wreck and topped by a stark granite cross built by a local parson as a seamark in 1896. The promontory holds the remains of an Iron Age fort, with an earthwork bulwark cutting right across the point. Curving away to the west, elegant Veryan Bay holds a string of exquisite coves, such as Hemmick Beach, a fine place for a dip with rocky outcrops affording a measure of privacy, and Porthluney Cove, a crescent of sand whose centrepiece is the battlemented Caerhays Castle (house tours mid-March to mid-June Mon–Fri 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm; 45min; gardens mid-Feb to mid-June daily 10am–5pm; house tours £8.50, gardens £8.50, combined ticket £13.50; 01872 501310, www.caerhays.co.uk), built in 1808 by John Nash and surrounded by beautiful gardens. A little further on is the minuscule whitewashed village of Portloe, fronted by jagged black rocks that throw up fountains of seaspray, giving it a poignant, end-of-the-road feel.
Near Pentewan, PL26 6EN • Daily: April–Sept 10am–6pm; Oct–March 10am–5pm; last entry 1hr 30min before closing • £14.50, £38 combined ticket with Eden Project • 01726 845100, heligan.com • Bus #471 (Mon–Sat 4–8 daily) from Mevagissey (10min) and St Austell (30–40min)
A couple of miles north of Mevagissey lie the Lost Gardens of Heligan; these fascinating Victorian gardens had fallen into neglect and were resurrected by Tim Smit, the visionary instigator of the Eden Project, in the 1990s. A boardwalk takes you through a jungle and under a canopy of bamboo and ferns down to the Lost Valley, where there are lakes, woods and wildflower meadows.
Arrival and departure mevagissey and around
By bus From St Austell’s station, the #24 and #471 services leave for Mevagissey (Mon–Sat 1–2 hourly, Sun 7 daily; 20min); #471 continues to the Lost Gardens of Heligan (10min).
Alvorada5 East Quay, PL26 6QQ 01726 842055. The chances are that if you choose a fish dish at this small, family-run Portuguese restaurant, it’ll have been caught by the chef. Dishes include sardines, mussels with chorizo and caldeirada (fish casserole), with most mains around £17.50. Noon–2pm & 6.30pm–late; call for winter opening.
Wild Air Polkirt Hill, PL26 6UX 01726 843302, wildair.co.uk. Away from the harbour crowds, this B&B has three tasteful rooms, all with en-suite or private bathrooms, and all enjoying lofty views over the harbour and coast. There’s also a panoramic patio, and parking. £85
YHA BoswingerBoswinger, PL26 6LL, half a mile from Hemmick Beach and 3.5 miles southwest of Mevagissey 01726 844527, yha.org.uk/hostel/boswinger. Set in a former farmhouse, this is a remote spot a mile from the bus stop at Gorran Churchtown (Mon–Sat #471 or #G1 from St Austell and Mevagissey). Kitchen and meals available. Only groups can book Nov–Feb. Dorms £19, doubles £59
Cornwall’s capital, TRURO, presents a mixture of different styles, from the graceful Georgian architecture that came with the tin-mining boom of the 1800s to its neo-Gothic cathedral and modern shopping centre (Lemon Quay). It’s an attractive place, not overwhelmed by tourism and with a range of good-value facilities.
St Mary’s St, TR1 2AF • Mon–Sat 7.30am–6pm, Sun 9am–7pm; tours April–Oct Mon–Thurs 11am, 1hr • Free (£5 suggested donation) • 01872 276782, trurocathedral.org.uk
Truro’s dominant feature is its faux-medieval cathedral, completed in 1910 and incorporating part of the fabric of the old parish church that previously occupied the site. In the airy interior, the neo-Gothic baptistry commands attention, complete with its emphatically pointed arches and elaborate roof vaulting.
River St, TR1 2SJ • Mon–Sat 10am–4.45pm, Sun 10am–4pm • £4.50 • 01872 272205, royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk
Truro’s Royal Cornwall Museum offers a rich, wide-ranging hoard that takes in everything from the region’s natural history to Celtic inscriptions. If time is tight you could confine yourself to the renowned collection of minerals on the ground floor and the upstairs galleries holding works by Cornish artists including members of the Newlyn School.
Arrival and information truro
By train The train station is just off Richmond Hill, a 10min walk west of the centre.
Destinations Bodmin (hourly; 35min); Exeter (every 1–2hr; 2hr 20min); Falmouth (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 25min); Liskeard (hourly; 50min); Penzance (hourly; 45min); Plymouth (hourly; 1hr 15min).
By bus Buses stop centrally at Lemon Quay, or near the train station.
Destinations Falmouth (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 45min); Newquay (Mon–Sat 3 hourly, Sun 1–2 hourly; 55min–1hr 30min); Penzance (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 1hr 40min); Plymouth (5 daily; 1hr 40min–2hr 20min); St Austell (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3 daily; 30–40min); St Ives (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 1hr 35min); St Mawes (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 4 daily; 1hr 5min).
Tourist office Municipal Buildings, Boscawen St (Mon–Sat 9.30am–5pm 01872 274555, visittruro.org.uk).
Bay Tree 28 Ferris Town, TR1 3JH 01872 240274, baytree-guesthouse.co.uk. Homely, restored Georgian house between the station and town centre, with a friendly owner and shared bathrooms. Singles available. Rough Guide readers receive a discount if prebooked. No cards. £65
Truro Lodge 10 The Parade, TR1 1QE 07813 755210, trurolodge.co.uk. Relaxed B&B in a large, Georgian terraced house near the centre. Buffet breakfasts are available in the kitchen, which is accessible all day for guests’ use, and there’s a lounge and veranda. £45
Charlotte’s Teahouse 1 Boscawen St, TR1 2QU 01872 263706. Upstairs in the old Coinage Hall, this is a gloriously old-fashioned spot for sandwiches (£6.50–8.50), muffins and cream teas. The setting is Victorian, with staff in period dress. Mon–Sat 10am–5pm.
Hooked!Tabernacle St, TR1 2EJ 01872 274700, hookedrestaurantandbar.co.uk. This relaxed restaurant sports banquettes, bare brick walls and a vaulted ceiling, and has a menu that’s strong on seafood, including tapas (£3) and more substantial dishes like paella and seafood curry (both £15). Mon–Sat noon–2pm & 5.30–9pm (last orders).
Wig & Pen1 Frances St, TR1 3DP 01872 273028, staustellbrewery.co.uk. The pick of Truro’s pubs serves St Austell ales and bar food, as well as brunches and cream teas, with some tables outside. Simple bar meals such as pastas and burgers cost £7.50–10. Mon–Thurs 11am–11pm, Fri & Sat 11am–midnight, Sun 11am–6pm; kitchen Mon–Sat noon–3pm & 6–9pm, Sun noon–3pm.
Amid the lush tranquillity of the Carrick Roads estuary basin, the major resort of FALMOUTH is the site of one of Cornwall’s mightiest castles, Pendennis Castle, and of one of the country’s foremost collections of boats in the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. The town sits at the mouth of the Fal estuary, at the end of a rail branch line from Truro and connected by ferry to Truro and St Mawes. Round Pendennis Point, south of the centre, a long sandy bay holds a succession of sheltered beaches: from the popular Gyllyngvase Beach, you can reach the more attractive Swanpool Beach by cliff path, or walk a couple of miles further on to Maenporth, from where there are some fine clifftop walks.
Discovery Quay, TR11 3QY • Daily 10am–5pm • £12.95 • 01326 313388, nmmc.co.uk
Vessels from all around the world are exhibited in Falmouth’s National Maritime Museum Cornwall. Of every size and shape, the craft are arranged on three levels, many of them suspended in mid-air in the cavernous Flotilla Gallery. Smaller galleries examine specific aspects of boat-building, seafaring history and Falmouth’s packet ships, and a lighthouse-like lookout tower offers excellent views over the harbour and estuary, with a lift descending to an underwater viewing room.
Pendennis Head, TR11 4LP • Mid-Feb to late Feb daily 10am–4pm; late Feb to March Wed–Sun 10am–4pm; April–Sept daily 10am–6pm; Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov to mid-Feb Sat & Sun 10am–4pm • £8.40; EH • 01326 316594, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/pendennis-castle • Bus #367 from town centre
Under a mile southeast of Falmouth’s harbour, Pendennis Castle stands sentinel at the tip of the promontory that separates the Carrick Roads estuary from Falmouth Bay. The extensive fortification shows little evidence of its five-month siege by the Parliamentarians during the Civil War, which ended only when half its defenders had died and the rest had been starved into submission. Though this is a less-refined contemporary of the castle at St Mawes, its site wins hands down, the stout ramparts offering the best all-round views of Carrick Roads and Falmouth Bay.
ARRIVAL AND information falmouth
By train The branch rail line from Truro (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 30min) stops at Falmouth Town, best for the centre, and Falmouth Docks, 2min away, near Pendennis Castle.
By bus Most buses stop on The Moor, close to the Prince of Wales Pier and just east of the High St.
Destinations Helston (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 2 daily; 25–50min); Penzance (Mon–Sat 6 daily, Sun 1 daily; 55min–1hr 40min); St Austell (2 daily; 1hr); Truro (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 45min).
Tourist office Prince of Wales Pier (April–Oct Mon–Sat 9.45am–3.15pm, Sun 9.45am–1pm; Nov–March Mon–Thurs & Sat 10am–3pm; 01326 741194, falmouth.co.uk).
Falmouth Lodge9 Gyllyngvase Terrace, TR11 4DL 01326 319996, falmouthbackpackers.co.uk. Clean and friendly backpackers’ hostel located a couple of minutes’ walk from the beach, with a sociable lounge and kitchen. Dorms £19, doubles £52
Falmouth Townhouse 3 Grove Place, TR11 4AL 01326 312009, falmouthtownhouse.co.uk. Chic boutique hotel in a Georgian building just across from the Maritime Museum. It’s all highly designed, with spacious guestrooms, quirky bathrooms and a buzzing bar, though some front-facing rooms suffer from street noise at night. £75
St Michael’s Hotel and Spa Gyllyngvase Beach, TR11 4NB 01326 312707, stmichaelshotel.co.uk. Sleekly luxurious seaside hotel, very close to the beach and with a range of spa facilities, including an indoor pool. Rooms are bright and contemporary, the cheapest being compact “cabin rooms” (£176). The Flying Fish bistro provides quality modern cuisine with sea views. £200
Beerwolf Books Bells Court, off Market St, TR11 3AZ 01326 618474, beerwolfbooks.com. Here’s a novel concept – a free house and bookshop combined. Set in a beautifully restored old building, with tables in a secluded courtyard, it makes a relaxing spot for a drink, with a great selection of local beers. Mon–Sat 10am–midnight, Sun noon–11pm.
Fuel35–37 Arwenack St, TR11 3JG 01326 314499, fuelfalmouth.co.uk. This buzzy, colourful spot near the Maritime Museum on the main drag provides all-day breakfasts, coffees, cream teas, snack lunches and full meals, with friendly service and an upbeat atmosphere. Main courses such as moussaka, fishcakes and beef burgers cost around £10. Daily 8am–10pm.
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SEAFOOD IN PADSTOW
Gylly Beach CaféGyllyngvase Beach, TR11 4PA 01326 312884, gyllybeach.com. Cool beachside hangout serving everything from baguettes to monkfish curry. Breakfast is served until 11.30am, lunch dishes are £8–12, and evening mains start at £14. There are outdoor barbecues in summer from 4pm and live music on Sun eves. Daily 9am–late.
Situated on the east side of the Carrick Roads estuary, the two-pronged Roseland Peninsula is a luxuriant backwater of woods and sheltered creeks. The main settlement is ST MAWES, a tranquil old fishing port easily reached on ferries from Falmouth. Moving east from St Mawes, you could spend a pleasant afternoon poking around the southern arm of the peninsula, which holds the twelfth- to thirteenth-century church of ST ANTHONY-IN-ROSELAND and the lighthouse on St Anthony’s Head, marking the entry into Carrick Roads. Two and a half miles north of St Mawes is the scattered hamlet of ST JUST-IN-ROSELAND, home to the strikingly picturesque Church of St Just (stjustandstmawes.org.uk/st-just-in-roseland), which is right next to the creek and surrounded by palms and subtropical shrubbery, its gravestones tumbling down to the water’s edge.
Half a mile west of the quay, TR2 5DE • Mid-Feb to late Feb daily 10am–4pm; late Feb to March Wed–Sun 10am–4pm; April–Sept daily 10am–6pm; Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov to mid-Feb Sat & Sun 10am–4pm • £5.40; EH • 01326 270526, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/st-mawes-castle
At the end of the walled seafront of St Mawes stands the sister fort of Pendennis Castle, the small and pristine St Mawes Castle, built during the reign of Henry VIII to a clover-leaf design. The castle owes its excellent condition to its early surrender to Parliamentary forces during the Civil War in 1646. The various rooms and gun decks contain artillery exhibits and historical background, and you can climb to the top of the tower and explore the grounds.
Feock, TR3 6QL, 6 miles north of St Mawes • House Mid-Feb to Oct daily 11am–5pm; Dec Fri–Sun 11am–7pm • Garden Daily: mid-Feb to Oct daily 10.30am–5.30pm; Nov to mid-Feb 10.30am–4.30pm; closes at dusk if earlier • £10.90; NT • 01872 862090, nationaltrust.org.uk/trelissick • The King Harry Ferry stops near here, as do ferries from Falmouth, St Mawes and Truro, and the #493 bus from Truro (Mon–Sat)
On a spectacular site that was first settled in the Iron Age, eighteenth-century Trelissick House displays Spode china, family portraits, and exhibitions relating to the place and the family, but the real attraction is Trelissick Garden, celebrated for its hydrangeas and other Mediterranean species. There are impressive vistas over the River Fal, and splendid woodland walks.
arrival and getting around st mawes and around
By bus There are regular buses (#50 & #551) between Truro and St Mawes (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 4 daily; 1hr), stopping off at St Just-in-Roseland (7min from St Mawes) en route.
By ferry St Mawes can be reached on frequent ferries from Falmouth’s Prince of Wales Pier and Custom House Quay (£10 return). Passenger ferries from St Mawes also cross to Place on the southern arm of the peninsula (daily every 30min: April, May & Oct 9am–4.30pm; June–Sept 9.30am–5.30pm; £7 return).
By car The fastest road route from Truro, Falmouth and west Cornwall involves crossing the River Fal on the chain-driven King Harry Ferry (every 20min: April–Sept Mon–Sat 7.20am–9.20pm, Sun 9am–9.20pm; Oct–March Mon–Sat 7.20am–7.20pm, Sun 9am–7.20pm; cars £6 & bicycles £1 one-way, foot passengers free in exchange for a charity donation; 01872 862312, falriver.co.uk).
Little Newton Newton Rd, TR2 5BS 01326 270664, little-newton.co.uk. Two small but smart and modern en-suite rooms are available at this B&B just off Castle Rd, a steep 10min walk up from the seafront. No debit/credit cards. Closed Nov–Feb. £65
St Mawes HotelHarbourside, TR2 5DW 01326 270170, stmaweshotel.com. Superbly sited overlooking the harbour, this place offers sober but stylish, airy rooms, a quirkily decorated restaurant offering delicious, modern European dishes (mains around £16), and a cosy street-level bar serving snacks and local beers. Daily noon–3pm & 6–9pm.£195
Tresanton Hotel27 Lower Castle Rd, TR2 5DR 01326 270055, tresanton.com. Cornwall doesn’t get much ritzier than this, a slice of Mediterranean-style luxury with bright, sunny colours and a yacht and speedboat available to guests in summer. There’s a fabulous Italian-inspired restaurant, too; you can have lunch (£25 for two courses) or an evening meal (mains around £20). Daily noon–3pm & 6.30–10pm.£280
The Lizard Peninsula – from the Celtic lys ardh, or “high point” – is mercifully undeveloped. If this flat and treeless expanse can be said to have a centre, it’s Helston, a junction for buses running from Falmouth and Truro, and to the spartan villages of the peninsula’s interior and coast. Other than that it’s all deserted beaches and windswept downland – plus Lizard Point, the farthest south you can go on the British mainland.
The otherwise quiet and workaday inland town of HELSTON is best known for its Furry Dance (or Flora Dance), dating from the seventeenth century. Held on May 8 (unless this falls on Sun or Mon, when the procession takes place on the preceding Sat), it’s a stately procession of top-hatted men and summer-frocked women performing a solemn dance through the town’s streets and gardens. You can learn something about it and absorb plenty of other local history in the eclectic Helston Folk Museum (Mon–Sat 10am–4pm; free; 01326 564027, helstonmuseum.co.uk), housed in former market buildings behind the Guildhall on Church Street.
Two and a half miles southwest of Helston, tin ore from inland mines was once shipped from PORTHLEVEN. Good beaches lie to either side: the best for swimming are around Rinsey Head, three miles north along the coast, including the sheltered Praa Sands. One and a quarter miles south of Porthleven, strong currents make it unsafe to swim at Loe Bar, a strip of shingle which separates the freshwater Loe Pool from the sea. The elongated Pool is one of two sites which claim to be the place where the sword Excalibur was restored to its watery source (the other is on Bodmin Moor). The path running along its western edge makes a fine walking route between here and Helston.
The inland village of MULLION, five miles south of Porthleven, has a fifteenth- to sixteenth-century church dedicated to the Breton St Mellanus (or Malo), complete with a dog-door for canine churchgoers. A lane leads a mile and a quarter west to Mullion Cove, where a tiny beach is sheltered behind harbour walls and rock stacks, though the neighbouring sands at Polurrian and Poldhu, to the north, are better and attract surfers.
Five miles south of Mullion, Lizard Point is the southern tip of the promontory and mainland Britain’s southernmost point, marked by a plain lighthouse above a tiny cove and a restless, churning sea. If you’re not following the coast path, you can reach the point via the road and footpath leading a mile south from the nondescript village called simply THE LIZARD, where you’ll find several places to stay and eat. A little more than a mile northwest, the peninsula’s best-known beach, Kynance Cove, has sheer 100ft cliffs, stacks and arches of serpentine rock and offshore outcrops. The water quality here is excellent – but take care not to be stranded by the tide.
In the north of the peninsula, the snug hamlets dotted around the River Helford are a complete contrast to the rugged character of most of the Lizard. On the river’s south side, Frenchman’s Creek, one of a splay of serene inlets, was the inspiration for Daphne Du Maurier’s novel of the same name. From Helford Passage you can take a ferry (Easter–Oct 9.30am–5pm; £6 return; 01326 250770, helford-river-boats.co.uk) to reach HELFORD, an agreeable old smugglers’ haunt on the south bank.
South of here, on the B3293, the broad, windswept plateau of Goonhilly Downs is interrupted by the futuristic saucers of Goonhilly Satellite Station and the nearby ranks of wind turbines. As you head east, the road splits: left to ST KEVERNE, an inland village whose tidy square is flanked by two inns and a church; right to COVERACK, a fishing port in a sheltered bay. Following the coast path or negotiating minor roads south will bring you to the safe and clean swimming spot of Kennack Sands.
getting around the lizard peninsula
By bus From Helston, bus #2 goes to Porthleven (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun every 2hr; 10min), #36 (Mon–Sat 5–6 daily) goes to Coverack (30–40min) and St Keverne (30–50min), and #37 (Mon–Sat 8–11 daily, Sun 3–5 daily) goes to Mullion (35min) and The Lizard (45–55min).
Blue Anchor50 Coinagehall St, Helston, TR13 8EL 01326 562821, spingoales.com. Deeply traditional West Country pub, once a fifteenth-century monastery rest house, now brewing its own Spingo beer on the premises. Four B&B rooms are available in an adjacent building. Mon–Thurs & Sun 10am–midnight, Fri & Sat 10am–1am.£75
Mounts Bay Inn On the B3296, Mullion, TR12 7HN 01326 240221, mountsbaymullion.co.uk. Mullion’s best place for Cornish ales, snacks and meals (£6–8) with a beer garden and views over Mounts Bay. Live bands every fortnight and Cornish songs on the last Sun of the month. B&B also available. Mon–Thurs 11am–11pm, Fri & Sat 11am–midnight, Sun noon–11pm; kitchen Mon–Sat noon–2pm & 6–9pm, Sun noon–2.30pm & 6–8.30pm.£80
Poldhu Beach Café Poldhu Cove, near Mullion, TR12 7JB 01326 240530, poldhu.com. The perfect beach café, with energizing breakfasts, burgers (from £4), good coffee and hot chocolate, and locally produced ice cream. Stays open late on Fri in summer for pizza nights. Daily 9.30am–4.30/5.30pm.
YHA LizardLizard Point, TR12 7NT 0345 371 9550, yha.org.uk/hostel/lizard. This hostel occupies a former Victorian hotel right on the coast, with majestic views. Camping is also possible, either in your own tent or the hostel’s bell tent (July–Sept only; £59) that sleeps up to five, and there’s a kitchen for self-catering. Only groups can book Dec–Feb. Camping/person £13, dorms £19, doubles £39
Though more densely populated than the Lizard, the Penwith Peninsula is a more rugged landscape, with a raw appeal that is still encapsulated by Land’s End, despite the commercialization of that headland. It also boasts some excellent beaches, chief among them Porthcurno, as well as the quaint-but-crowded fishing village of Mousehole and the fascinating St Michael’s Mount, rising out of the sea near Penzance. The seascapes, the quality of the light and the slow tempo of the local fishing communities made this area a hotbed of artistic activity from the late nineteenth century onwards, when Newlyn became associated with a distinctive school of painting, quickly followed by St Ives, while Zennor is associated with one-time resident D.H. Lawrence.
Occupying a sheltered position at the northwest corner of Mount’s Bay, PENZANCE has always been a major port, but most traces of the medieval town were obliterated at the end of the sixteenth century by a Spanish raiding party. From the top of Market Jew Street (from Marghas Jew, meaning “Thursday Market”), which climbs from the harbour and the train and bus stations, turn left into Chapel Street to see some of the town’s finest buildings, including the flamboyant Egyptian House, built in 1835 to contain a geological museum but subsequently abandoned until its restoration by the Landmark Trust (landmarktrust.org.uk) in 1973; you can now stay there. Across the street, the seventeenth-century Union Hotel originally held the town’s assembly rooms, where news of Admiral Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar and the death of Nelson himself was first announced in 1805.
Morrab Rd, TR18 4HE • Mon–Sat: April–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–March 10.30am–4.30pm; last entry 30min before closing • £5 • 01736 363625, penleehouse.org.uk
Long a centre of the local art movements, Penlee House Gallery and Museum holds the country’s largest collection of Newlyn School artworks – impressionistic harbour scenes, frequently sentimentalized but often bathed in an evocatively luminous light. There are also displays on local archeology and history, and frequent exhibitions.
Off Marazion, TR17 0HS, 5 miles east of Penzance • House Mon–Fri & Sun: mid-March to June, Sept & Oct 10.30am–5pm; July & Aug 10.30am–5.30pm; last entry 45min before closing • £9.50, £14 with garden; NT • Garden Mid-April to June Mon–Fri 10.30am–5pm; July & Aug Thurs & Fri 10.30am–5.30pm; Sept Thurs & Fri 10.30am–5pm • £7, £14 with house; NT • 01736 710265, stmichaelsmount.co.uk • At low tide you can approach on foot via a cobbled causeway (daily tide times on the website); at high tide there are boats from Marazion (£2–3)
Frequent buses from Penzance leave for MARAZION, the access point to St Michael’s Mount, some four hundred yards offshore. A vision of the archangel Michael led to the building of a church on this granite pile around the fifth century, and within three centuries a Celtic monastery had been founded here. The present building derives from a chapel raised in the eleventh century by Edward the Confessor, who handed it over to the Benedictine monks of Brittany’s Mont St Michel, whose island abbey was the model for this one. Following the Civil War, it became the residence of the St Aubyn family, who still inhabit the castle. Some of the buildings date from the twelfth century, but the later additions are more interesting, such as the battlemented chapel and the seventeenth-century decorations of the Chevy Chase Room, the former refectory. The lush gardens are also well worth exploring.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE penzance and around
By train The station is on the seafront, on Station Rd.
Destinations Bodmin (roughly hourly; 1hr 15min); Exeter (roughly hourly; 3hr 15min); Plymouth (roughly hourly; 2hr); St Ives (most with a change at St Erth; hourly; 30min–1hr 20min); Truro (roughly hourly; 40min).
By bus The bus station is next to the train station, on the seafront.
Destinations Falmouth (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 1 daily; 55min–1hr 50min); Helston (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 7 daily; 50min); Plymouth (4 daily; 2hr 50min–4hr); St Austell (2 daily; 1hr 35min–2hr); St Ives (Mon–Sat every 10–30min, Sun 2 hourly; 30min); Truro (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 1hr 40min).
By boat From Easter to early Nov boats depart from Penzance Quay for the Isles of Scilly (Mon–Sat 4–6 weekly; 2hr 45min; 01736 334220, islesofscilly-travel.co.uk).
Artist Residence 20 Chapel St, TR18 4AW 01736 365664, artistresidencecornwall.co.uk. Artistic licence has been given free rein at this central hotel, where each room is designed by a different artist (some rooms are quite cramped). The staff are friendly and helpful, the breakfasts are superb and there’s a popular bar and restaurant. £130
Penzance Backpackers Alexandra Rd, TR18 4LZ 01736 363836, pzbackpack.com. In a quiet neighbourhood 15min from the centre, this is a tidy, good-value hostel, with en-suite dorms, a well-equipped kitchen and a large lounge. Dorms £17, doubles £38
Warwick House17 Regent Terrace, TA18 4DW 01736 363881, warwickhousepenzance.co.uk. Located near the town centre and the harbour, this B&B has elegant rooms decorated in blue and white – the best ones have views of the water. Two- or three-night minimum stay in summer. £95
Admiral Benbow46 Chapel St, TA18 4AF 01736 363448. Characterful pub crammed with gaudy ships’ figureheads and other nautical items. The bar meals are pretty standard, but this is really a drinking pub, and the atmosphere more than compensates. Mon–Sat 11am–11pm, Sun noon–11pm; kitchen daily noon–2.30pm & 6–9.30pm.
Archie BrownsBread St, TR18 2EQ 01736 362828, archiebrowns.co.uk. Vegans, veggies and wholefoodies will be happy in this café above a health shop, with its relaxed, friendly vibe and local art on the walls. Dishes include quiches, curries, stews and homity pie (£6–9). Mon–Sat 9am–5pm.
Old Lifeboat House Wharf Rd, TR18 4AA 01736 369409, oldlifeboathouse.co.uk. On the seafront, this café-bistro delivers seafood dishes at reasonable prices (around £15 on the evening menu). Apart from the daily specials, you’ll find bouillabaisse and fish pie, as well as a couple of meat and vegetarian options. You can also drop by for breakfast, a well-filled sandwich or coffee and cake. Tues–Sat 9.30am–9pm, Sun 9.30am–4pm.
The Shore 13–14 Alverton St, TR18 2QP 01736 362444, theshorerestaurant.uk. Simple seafood dishes are expertly prepared at this friendly, semiformal restaurant, where starters might include red mullet with chana dal, and mains like hake and steamed sole cost around £19. The desserts are memorably good too. Tues–Thurs 6.30–9pm, Fri & Sat 12.30–1.30pm & 6.30–9pm.
Accounts vary as to the derivation of the name of MOUSEHOLE (pronounced “Mowzle”), though it may be from a smugglers’ cave just to the south. In any case, the name evokes perfectly this minuscule fishing port cradled in the arms of a granite breakwater, three miles south of Penzance. The village attracts more visitors than it can handle, so hang around until the crowds have departed before exploring its tight tangle of lanes, where you’ll come across Mousehole’s oldest house, the fourteenth-century Keigwin House, a survivor of the sacking of the village by Spaniards in 1595.
Arrival and Departure mousehole
By bus The #M6 bus (every 20–30min) connects Mousehole’s harbour with Newlyn (10min) and Penzance (15min).
Ship Inn Harbourside, TR19 6QX 01736 731234, shipinnmousehole.co.uk. Overlooking the boats, this is a perfect spot for a pint, or a crab sandwich (£12) or grilled mackerel (£13). Accommodation is available in surprisingly modern en-suite rooms, some in an annexe (those with a view cost extra). Daily 11am–11pm; kitchen daily noon–2.30pm & 6–8.30pm.£115
Eight miles west of Mousehole, one of Penwith’s best beaches lies at PORTHCURNO, sandwiched between cliffs. On the shore to the east, a white pyramid marks the spot where the first transatlantic cables were laid in 1880. On the headland beyond lies an Iron Age fort, Treryn Dinas, close to the famous rocking stone called Logan Rock, a seventy-ton monster that was knocked off its perch in 1824 by a gang of sailors, among them a nephew of writer and poet Oliver Goldsmith. Somehow they replaced the stone, but it never rocked again.
South end of village, TR19 6JU • Exhibition Centre daily: March–Oct generally 9.30am–5.30pm, but may close at 12.30pm on Tues & Thurs when performances take place; Nov–Feb 10am–4pm • £5; performances cost £10–14 • 01736 810181, www.minack.com
Steep steps lead up from the beach of tiny white shells to the Minack Theatre, hewn out of the cliff in the 1930s and since enlarged to hold 750 seats, though retaining the basic Greek-inspired design. The spectacular backdrop of Porthcurno Bay makes this one of the country’s most inspiring theatres (providing the weather holds), where a range of plays, operas and musicals are presented from April to September – bring a cushion and a blanket. The attached Exhibition Centre gives access to the theatre during the day and explains the story of its creation.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE Porthcurno
By bus Only one bus service – #A1 – runs to and from Porthcurno, making hourly trips to Land’s End (15min), Newlyn (30min) and Penzance (40min).
The extreme western tip of England, Land’s End, lies four miles west of Porthcurno. Best approached on foot along the coastal path, the 60ft turf-covered cliffs provide a platform to view the Irish Lady, the Armed Knight, Dr Syntax Head and the rest of the Land’s End outcrops. Beyond, look out for the Longships lighthouse, a mile and a half out to sea; you can sometimes spot the Wolf Rock lighthouse, nine miles southwest, or even the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles away.
To the north of Land’s End the rounded granite cliffs fall away at Whitesand Bay to reveal a glistening mile-long shelf of beach that offers the best swimming on the Penwith peninsula. The rollers make for good surfing and boards can be rented at Sennen Cove, the more popular southern end of the beach.
Three miles north of Sennen Cove, the highly scenic headland of Cape Cornwall is dominated by the chimney of the Cape Cornwall Mine, which closed in 1870. Half a mile inland is the grimly grey village of ST JUST-IN-PENWITH, formerly a centre of the tin and copper industry, with rows of cottages radiating out from Bank Square. The tone is somewhat lightened by Plen-an-Gwary, a grassy open-air theatre where miracle plays were once staged; it was later used by Methodist preachers and Cornish wrestlers.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE LAND’S END and around
By bus The hourly #A1 and #A3 run to and from Land’s End, providing easy connections to Penzance (55min) and St Ives (1hr 20min) respectively. Bus #A3 also runs between Sennen Cove and Land’s End (10min), while bus #A17 runs to St Just from Penzance (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun every 2hr; 20–30min).
By plane Land’s End Airport, around 1.5 miles south of St Just, handles flights to and from St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly (Mon–Sat: April–Oct 9–17 daily; Nov–March around 10 daily; 20min). For schedules call 01736 334220 or see islesofscilly-travel.co.uk.
Kelynack Caravan and Camping ParkKelynack, TR19 7RE 01736 787633, kelynackholidays.co.uk. Secluded campsite, one of the few sheltered ones on Penwith, about a mile south of St Just. There are also caravans (from £330/week) and self-catering rooms. Camping/person £8, doubles £70
Trevedra Farm1 mile north of Sennen, TR19 7BE 01736 871818, trevedrafarm.co.uk. Popular but spacious campsite above Gwynver Beach (at the northern end of Sennen Cove), with level pitches and sea views. There’s a modern block providing good facilities, a shop, and a restaurant serving breakfast and dinner. Closed Nov–Easter. Per person £8
YHA Land’s EndTR19 7NT 0345 371 9643, yha.org.uk/hostel/lands-end. Less than a mile south of St Just and a half-mile from the coast path, this hostel offers a kitchen, meals and camping facilities with a bell tent to rent (June to mid-Sept; £59). Take the left fork past the post office in St Just to find it. Only groups can book late Oct to Easter. Camping/person £13, dorms £16, doubles £39
Kegen Teg 12 Market Square, St Just, TR19 7HD 01736 788562. Locally sourced ingredients go into the tasty breakfasts, home-made cakes and ice cream served here. You’ll also find fresh juices, organic coffee and a range of snacks – try the falafel or Welsh rarebit (around £8). Mon–Sat 10am–5pm.
Old Success InnSennen Cove, TR19 7DG 01736 871232, oldsuccess.co.uk. Excellent seaside pub offering craft ales, baguettes (£6–7) and bar meals such as Korean spiced chicken (£13) and local mussels (£16). Rooms with sea views are also available (£110). Daily 11am–11pm; kitchen daily noon–9pm.
Eight miles northeast of St Just, set in a landscape of rolling granite moorland, ZENNOR is where D.H. Lawrence came to live with his wife Frieda in 1916. “It is a most beautiful place,” he wrote, “lovelier even than the Mediterranean”. The Lawrences stayed a year and a half in the village – long enough for him to write Women in Love – before being given notice to quit by the local constabulary, who suspected them of unpatriotic sympathies (their Cornish experiences were later described in Kangaroo). At the top of the lane, the church of St Sennen displays a sixteenth-century bench carving of a mermaid who, according to local legend, was so entranced by the singing of a chorister that she lured him down to the sea, from where he never returned – though his song can still occasionally be heard.
2 miles inland from Zennor, TR20 8XA • Daily: April–June & Sept 10am–5pm; July & Aug 10am–6pm; Oct 10am–4pm • £4.60; EH • 07831 757934, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/chysauster-ancient-village
On a windy hillside a couple of miles inland from Zennor, the Iron Age village of Chysauster is the best-preserved ancient settlement in the southwest. Dating from about the first century BC, it contains two rows of four buildings, each consisting of a courtyard with small chambers leading off it, and a garden that was presumably used for growing vegetables.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE ZennoR and around
By bus The #A3 service from St Ives (hourly; 20min) and #16A from Penzance (Mon–Sat 4 daily; 20–40min) stop near the turn-off for Zennor. From here it’s a short stroll into the village.
Gurnard’s Head Treen, TR26 3DE, a mile west of Zennor 01736 796928, gurnardshead.co.uk. This relaxed gastropub serves delicious meals (set-price menus, otherwise mains around £17 at lunchtime, £20 eves; booking advised) and a good selection of wines and beers. Smallish B&B rooms are also available. Daily 8am–11pm; kitchen daily noon–2.30pm & 6–9/9.30pm. £120
Zennor Chapel TR26 3DA 01736 798307, zennorchapelguesthouse.com. This guesthouse in a former Wesleyan chapel has five en-suite rooms, each with space for two to four people. The café downstairs turns out breakfasts 8–9.30am (£5, not included in rate), and sells snacks (£6.50–8), coffees and cakes throughout the day. £80
East of Zennor, the road runs four hilly miles on to the steeply built town of ST IVES. By the time the pilchard reserves dried up around the early 1900s, the town was beginning to attract a vibrant artists’ colony, precursors of the wave later headed by Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Naum Gabo and the potter Bernard Leach, who in the 1960s were followed by a third wave including Peter Lanyon and Patrick Heron.
Porthmeor Beach, TR26 1TG • March–Oct daily 10am–5.20pm; Nov–Feb Tues–Sun 10am–4.20pm; closes for one week three times a year • £9.50, £13 with Hepworth Museum • 01736 796226, tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives
The place to view the best work created in St Ives is the Tate St Ives, overlooking Porthmeor Beach on the north side of town. Most of the paintings, sculptures and ceramics displayed within the airy, gleaming-white building date from 1925 to 1975, with specially commissioned contemporary works also on view as well as exhibitions. The gallery’s rooftop café is a splendid spot for a coffee.
Barnoon Hill, TR26 1AD • March–Oct daily 10am–5.20pm; Nov–Feb Tues–Sun 10am–4.20pm; closes for one week three times a year • £7.50, £13 with Tate • 01924 247360, tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives
Not far from the Tate, the Barbara Hepworth Museum provides further insight into the local arts scene. One of the foremost nonfigurative sculptors of her time, Hepworth lived in the building from 1949 until her death in a studio fire in 1975. Apart from the sculptures, which are arranged in positions chosen by Hepworth in the house and garden, the museum has background on her art, from photos and letters to catalogues and reviews.
Porthmeor Beach dominates the northern side of St Ives, its excellent water quality and surfer-friendly rollers drawing a regular crowd, while the broader Porthminster Beach, south of the station, is usually less busy. A third town beach, the small and sheltered Porthgwidden, lies in the lee of the prong of land separating Porthmeor and Porthminster, while east of town a string of magnificent golden beaches lines St Ives Bay on either side of the Hayle estuary.
Arrival and information st ives
By train Trains from Penzance (most with a change at St Erth; roughly hourly; 30min–1hr) arrive at the train station on Trelyon Ave, off Porthminster Beach.
By bus The bus station is on Station Hill, just off The Terrace.
Destinations Penzance (Mon–Sat 3 hourly, Sun 2 hourly; 35–55min); Plymouth (3 daily; 3hr–3hr 30min); Truro (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 1hr 35min).
Tourist office In St Ives library, Gabriel St (May & June daily 10am–4pm; July–Sept Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; Oct–April Mon–Sat 10am–3pm; 01736 796297, stives-cornwall.co.uk).
Cohort Hostel The Stennack, TR26 1FF 01736 791664, stayatcohort.co.uk. Centrally located in a restored Wesleyan chapel school from 1845, this hostel has a clean, modern feel, with mixed or single-sex dorms, double and twin rooms, a bar and a kitchen. Only groups can book Nov–Feb. Dorms £24, doubles £50
Cornerways 1 Bethesda Place, TR26 1PA 01736 796706, cornerwaysstives.com. Daphne du Maurier once stayed here; it’s now a modern cottage conversion with friendly owners and small, bright rooms. Ask about complimentary tickets for the Tate and Hepworth galleries. No credit cards. £100
Little Leaf 16 Park Ave, TR26 2DN 01736 795427, littleleafguesthouse.co.uk. With friendly young hosts and local art on the walls, this guesthouse has six en-suite rooms, two with fantastic views. Breakfasts are fresh and use locally sourced ingredients. Two- to three-night minimum stay March–Oct. £85
Primrose Valley Porthminster Beach, TR26 2ED 01736 794939, primroseonline.co.uk. Relaxed boutique hotel, a level walk from the centre and close to the train station and Porthminster Beach (from which it’s separated by the railway). The chic, contemporary rooms, some with balconies, are fresh and light, though some are small and viewless. Closed mid-Dec to mid-Feb. £175
AlbaWharf Rd, TR26 1LF 01736 797222, alba-stives.co.uk. Sleekly modern harbourfront restaurant with top-class seafood, including a superb fish soup (£8). Set-price menus (£24 & £28) are available 6–7.30pm, otherwise mains are around £18. Daily 11am–2pm & 6–10pm.
Blas Burgerworks The Warren, TR26 2EA 01736 797272, blasburgerworks.co.uk. This diminutive spot doles out extremely good burgers (£11–13), using local ingredients. There’s just one small room with communal tables made from found or reclaimed wood. No reservations. Mid-Feb to Nov daily 5–9.30pm.
The Cornish Deli 3 Chapel St, TR26 2LR 01736 795100 cornishdeli.com. The tables fill up quickly at this cosy café and deli, which sells excellent sandwiches (using meat from the local butcher’s shop), as well as wine, Cornish chocolate, West Country cheeses and the like. In summer, bistro-style meals are served in the evenings, including tapas (£6–7) and chorizo and squid (£13). No credit cards.Mon–Sat 9.30am–4/5pm, school hols daily 9.30am–9.30pm.
Porthminster Café Porthminster Beach, TR26 2EB 01736 795352, porthminstercafe.co.uk. With its sun deck and beach location, this is an appealing venue for coffees, snack lunches and sophisticated seafood dinners (mains around £22; book ahead). Late Feb to Dec daily 9am–9.30pm; reduced hours in winter.
The ISLES OF SCILLY are a compact archipelago of about a hundred islands, 28 miles southwest of Land’s End. None is bigger than three miles across, and only five of them are inhabited – St Mary’s, Tresco, Bryher, St Martin’s and St Agnes. In the annals of folklore, the Scillies are the peaks of the submerged land of Lyonnesse, a fertile plain that extended west from Penwith before the ocean broke in, drowning the land and leaving only one survivor to tell the tale. In fact they form part of the same granite mass as Land’s End, Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor, and despite rarely rising above 100ft, they possess a remarkable variety of landscape. Points of interest include irresistible beaches, such as Par Beach on St Martin’s; the southwest’s greatest concentration of prehistoric remains; some fabulous rock formations; and the impressive Tresco Abbey Gardens.
Along with tourism, the main source of income is flower-growing, for which the equable climate and long hours of sunshine – their name means “Sun Isles” – make the islands ideal. The profusion of wildflowers is even more noticeable than the fields of narcissi and daffodils, and the heaths and pathways are often dense with marigolds, gorse, sea thrift, trefoil and poppies, not to mention a host of more exotic varieties introduced by visiting foreign vessels. The waters hereabouts are held to be among the country’s best for diving, while between May and September, on a Wednesday or Friday evening, islanders gather for gig races, performed by six-oared vessels – some of them more than a hundred years old and 30ft long.
Free of traffic, theme parks and amusement arcades, the islands are a welcome respite from the tourist trail, the main drawbacks being the high cost of reaching them and the shortage of accommodation, most of which is on the main isle of St Mary’s.
The majority of the resident population of just over two thousand is concentrated on the biggest island, ST MARY’S, which has the lion’s share of facilities in its capital, Hugh Town, and the richest trove of prehistoric sites. The cove-fringed island is also home to Star Castle, a huge eight-pointed fortress that was originally built to deter Spanish invasions, and is now a four-star hotel.
The second-largest island, TRESCO, presents an appealing contrast between the orderly landscape around the remains of its ancient abbey and the bleak, untended northern half. The exuberant Abbey Garden (daily 10am–4pm; £15; 01720 424108, tresco.co.uk) hosts an impressive collection of subtropical plants.
West of Tresco, BRYHER has the smallest population, the slow routines of island life quickening only in the tourist season. The bracing, back-to-nature feel here is nowhere more evident than on the exposed western shore, where Hell Bay sees some formidable Atlantic storms.
East of Tresco, ST MARTIN’S has some of the archipelago’s most majestic white-sand beaches – Par Beach deserves a special mention. There are stunning views from its cliffy northeastern end, and the surrounding waters are much favoured by scuba enthusiasts.
On the southwest rim of the main island group, the tidy lanes and picturesque cottages of ST AGNES are nicely complemented by the weathered boulders and craggy headlands of its indented shoreline. Many of the islanders still make their living by farming flowers, and you’ll find plenty of tranquil spots even in summer.
A visit to the Scillies would be incomplete without a sortie to the uninhabited isles, sanctuaries for seals, puffins and other marine birdlife. On the largest, SAMSON, you can poke around prehistoric and more recent remains that testify to former settlement. Some of the smaller islets are worth visiting for their delightfully deserted beaches, though the majority amount to no more than bare rocks. This chaotic profusion of rocks of all shapes and sizes, each bearing a name, is densest at the archipelago’s extremities – the Western Rocks, lashed by ferocious seas and home to Bishop’s Rock Lighthouse (Britain’s tallest and most westerly lighthouse), and the milder Eastern Isles.
Arrival and departure The Isles of Scilly
Transport to the Isles of Scilly – by plane, boat and helicopter – is currently operated solely by Isles of Scilly Travel (01736 334220, islesofscilly-travel.co.uk).
By plane Flights depart from Land’s End Airport (near St Just; Mon–Sat 9–17 daily; 20min), Newquay (Mon–Sat 3–6 daily; 30min) and Exeter (Mon–Sat 3–5 daily; 1hr); in winter (usually Nov–Feb) there are departures only from Land’s End and Newquay. A one-way flight from Land’s End starts at £70.
By boat Boats to St Mary’s depart from Penzance’s South Pier between Easter and early Nov (2hr 45min). A one-way fare from Penzance costs from £45.
By helicopter Added to the roster in May 2018, the year-round helicopter service runs from Land’s End Airport to St Mary’s, with up to 8 flights per day Mon–Sat (fewer in winter). Flights take just 15min, but with fares starting at £215 return, it’s an expensive option. An alternative route was also under consideration at the time of writing; check penzanceheliport.co.uk for updates.
By boat Boats link each of the inhabited islands, though services are sporadic in winter. The St Mary’s Boatmen’s Association (01720 423999, scillyboating.co.uk) publishes up-to-date timetables and fares online. Ask the Association about trips to the uninhabited isles, or look out for boards advertising excursions.
By bike Cycling is the ideal way to get around (bikes can be taken on ferries from the mainland for £13 each way). Alternatively, you can rent bikes from St Mary’s Bike Hire in Porthmellon Business Park, off Telegraph Rd just outside Hugh Town (£12.50/day; 07552 994709, stmarysbikehire.co.uk).
Tourist office Schiller Shelter, Porthcressa beachfront, St Mary’s (March–Oct Mon–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 9am–2pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Fri 10am–2pm; 01720 424031, visitislesofscilly.com).
St Mary’s has the great majority of the accommodation on the islands; the smaller isles (excepting Tresco) each have two or three B&Bs only, and these are booked up early. Tresco and St Martin’s have luxury hotels, and all the islands except Tresco have campsites, which usually close in winter. See visitislesofscilly.com for complete accommodation lists.
Fuchsia Cottage Middle Town, St Martin’s, TR25 0QN 01720 422023, scillyman.co.uk. This simple, whitewashed cottage has two rooms with en-suite or shared facilities, and home-made bread for breakfast. No debit/credit cards. Closed Nov–Feb. £70
Mincarlo Carn Thomas, Hugh Town, St Mary’s, TR21 0PT 01720 422513, mincarloscilly.com. With modern decor in a traditional building, this B&B has fantastic views. Most rooms have big windows, though the cheapest (on the ground floor) don’t overlook the sea. The terrace is a great suntrap, and top-quality meals are available some evenings. £92
Old Chapel Old Town Lane, Old Town, St Mary’s, TR21 0NN 01720 422100, theoldchapelislesofscilly.co.uk. A 15min walk east of Hugh Town, this former Wesleyan meeting hall has two spacious rooms, one with a separate sun lounge. You can sit outside in the lush garden or in the conservatory. Minimum two-night stay. No debit/credit cards. £100
Polreath Higher Town, St Martin’s, TR25 0QL 01720 422046, polreath.com. Three smartly furnished rooms with sea views are available at this B&B, with a conservatory and garden. Daytime meals are served in the popular tearoom, as well as evening meals three times a week. The minimum stay is five days in April, one week (from Fri) at other times. No credit cards. Closed Oct–March. £120
St Mary’s has most of the restaurants and pubs. Each of the other inhabited islands has a pub serving food and one or two cafés, while all hotels and some B&Bs also provide meals.
Juliet’s Garden Restaurant Porthloo, St Mary’s, TR21 0NF 01720 422228, julietsgardenrestaurant.co.uk. With garden terraces and panoramic sea views, this restaurant just outside Hugh Town serves snacks, cakes and teas by day, and in the evenings (for which booking is essential) dishes might include braised organic beef and pan-roasted bream fillets (mostly £13–19). Easter–Oct daily 10am–5pm, plus most eves until 9.30pm.
Seven Stones InnLower Town, St Martin’s, TR25 0QW 01720 423777. This place boasts the best views of any Scillies pub, and offers a good selection of ales and meals – soups, salads, ciabattas, burgers (£11) and dishes like couscous with halloumi (£9.50). There’s occasional live music and film screenings. April–Oct Mon–Sat 11am–11pm, Sun noon–10.30pm; Nov–March Wed & (sometimes) Fri 6–11pm, Sun noon–6pm.
Turk’s HeadPorth Conger, St Agnes, TR22 0PL 01720 422434. Sited just above the jetty, with plenty of outdoor seating, this pub serves superb St Agnes pasties (£4.75) as well as a range of meat, seafood and veggie dishes (around £11) to accompany local beers.Easter–Oct Mon–Sat 10.30am–11.30pm, Sun 10.30am–10.30pm; kitchen Easter–Oct daily noon–2/2.30pm & 6–8/9pm.
Vine Café Below Watch Hill, Bryher, TR23 0PR 01720 423168. Hot snacks, sandwiches and cakes are sold during the day, and there are twice-weekly set evening meals (£21; bookings only, BYOB). No debit/credit cards.Easter–Oct Mon & Thurs–Sat 10.30am–4pm, Wed & Sun 10.30am–4pm & 7–9.30pm.
The north Cornish coast is punctuated by some of the finest beaches in England, the most popular of which are to be found around Newquay, the surfers’ capital, and Padstow, also renowned for its gourmet seafood restaurants. North of the Camel estuary, the coast features an almost unbroken line of cliffs as far as the Devon border; this gaunt, exposed terrain makes a melodramatic setting for Tintagel Castle and nearby Boscastle. There are more good beaches nearby, for instance at Bude.
In a superb position on a knuckle of cliffs overlooking fine golden sands and Atlantic rollers, its glorious natural advantages have made NEWQUAY the premier resort of north Cornwall. The “new quay” in question was built in the fifteenth century in what was already a long-established fishing port, up to then more colourfully known as Towan Blistra. The town was given a boost in the nineteenth century when a railway was constructed across the peninsula for china clay shipments; with the trains came a swelling stream of seasonal visitors.
Today, the town centre is a tacky parade of shops, bars and restaurants from which lanes lead to ornamental gardens and clifftop lawns. The main attraction is the beaches. A number of surfing competitions and festivals run through the summer, when Newquay can get very crowded – it’s also popular with stag and hen parties.
All Newquay’s beaches can be reached fairly easily on foot from the centre, otherwise take bus #A5 for Porth Beach and Watergate Bay, #85 for Crantock and Holywell Bay
Close to the centre of town, Towan Beach, Great Western Beach and Tolcarne Beach are the most sheltered of the seven miles of firm sand that line the coast around Newquay, and all get very busy with families in high season. Together with Porth Beach, with its grassy headland further east, these are popular with bodyboarders and novice and intermediate surfers all year. Experienced surfers are generally more partial to Watergate Bay to the north, and the more exposed Fistral Bay, west of Towan Head. Fistral is also the venue for national and international surfing competitions.
On the other side of East Pentire Head from Fistral, Crantock Beach – reachable over the Gannel River by ferry or upstream footbridge – is usually less crowded, and has a lovely backdrop of dunes and undulating grassland. South of Crantock, Holywell Bay and Perran Beach are also very popular with surfers.
Arrival and departure newquay
By plane Newquay’s airport is at St Mawgan, 5 miles northeast of town, with connections to major British and Irish cities, and linked to town by bus #A5.
Destinations London Gatwick (1–3 daily; 1hr 10min); Manchester (1–2 daily; 1hr 20min); St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly (Mon–Sat 3–6 daily; 30min).
By train Newquay is served by trains from Par (Mon–Sat 6–7 daily, Sun 3–5 daily; 50min); the train station is off Cliff Rd, a short walk east of the centre.
By bus The bus station is on Manor Rd, near the tourist office.
Destinations Bodmin (4 daily; 30–55min); Padstow (hourly; 1hr 20min–1hr 30min); Plymouth (4–5 daily; 1hr 35min–2hr); St Austell (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun every 2hr; 1hr–1hr 15min); Truro (Mon–Sat 3 hourly, Sun 1–2 hourly; 55min–1hr 30min).
Tourist office Marcus Hill (April–Sept Mon–Fri 9.15am–5.30pm, Sat & Sun 10am–4pm; Oct–March Mon–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat & Sun 10am–3pm; 01637 838516, visitnewquay.org).
Surfing Newquay’s surfing buzz is infectious enough to tempt scores of non-surfheads to try their hand every summer. Equipment is available to rent or buy from beach stalls and shops along Fore St, Tower Rd and Cliff Rd (£5–15/day for board or wetsuit rental). Dozens of local outfits arrange surfing coaching and courses year-round. For surf reports and webcam images, see magicseaweed.com.
Base Surf Lodge20 Tower Rd, TR7 1LR 07766 132124, basesurflodge.co.uk; map. A good central option for small groups, with fresh, private bunk rooms sleeping 2–6 people. It’s surfer-friendly, with board storage facilities and free hot drinks to warm you up post-surf. Beginners should ask about their surf and stay packages, which include lessons. No credit cards. Closed Oct–March. Dorms £25
Harbour HotelNorth Quay Hill, TR7 1HF 01637 873040, harbourhotel.co.uk; map. Small, luxurious hotel with stunning views from its stylish rooms, all with balconies. Some rooms are tiny, so check first. £180
Trevella Park Near Crantock, 1.5 miles southwest of town, TR8 5EW 01637 830308, trevella.co.uk; map. It can feel crowded at peak times, but this remains one of the better holiday parks near Newquay, with good, clean facilities for campers and a heated outdoor pool. Apart from camping pitches, they offer “Ready Tents” sleeping four (three nights £221) and static caravans sleeping six (three nights £284), both self-catering, among other options. Camping £21
Trewinda Lodge 17 Eliot Gardens, TR7 2QE 01637 877533, trewinda-lodge.co.uk; map. The owners of this B&B, close to Tolcarne Beach, can give informed advice to surfers (they also run Dolphin Surf School). Rooms are on the small side, but clean and comfortable. £60
The Boat HouseNewquay Harbour, TR7 1HT 01637 874062, the-boathouse-newquay.co.uk; map. Seafood is the main event at this atmospheric bar/restaurant by the old harbour. The menu includes hake, haddock, crab (£11–17) and whatever else is on the specials board. Easter–Nov daily 10am–11pm; kitchen Easter–June & Oct daily noon–3pm & 6–10pm, July–Sept daily noon–10pm.
Butcher’s Bistro26 Cliff Rd, TR7 2ND 01637 874470, butchers-bistro.co.uk; map. This small eatery is renowned for its steaks and seafood. For a real treat try the seafood marinière – a big, steaming bowl of prawns, crab claws, mussels and boneless fish (£20). Daily 6–9pm; Sept–June closed Wed.
Fifteen CornwallWatergate Bay, TR8 4AA 01637 861000, fifteencornwall.co.uk; map. Overlooking the beach, this contemporary restaurant set up by TV chef Jamie Oliver showcases the culinary talents of trainee chefs. The Italian-inspired but locally sourced dishes are inventive and delicious; set menus are £26–40 at lunchtime, £65 in the evening, and breakfasts are also worth tucking into. Daily 8.30–10am, noon–2.30pm & 6.15–9.15pm.
KahunaStation Approach, TR7 2NG 01637 850440, kahunarestaurant.co.uk; map. Mouthwatering Asian dishes from tom yum seafood soup to beef rendang are presented beautifully at this friendly, relaxed and modern restaurant. Mains are £12–15.Daily 6pm–late.
PADSTOW attracts nearly as many holiday-makers as Newquay, but has a very different feel. Enclosed within the estuary of the Camel – the only river outlet of any size on Cornwall’s north coast – the town has retained its position as North Cornwall’s principal fishing port, and boasts some of the country’s best seafood restaurants. The harbour is jammed with launches and boats offering cruises in the bay, while a ferry carries people across the river to ROCK – close to the isolated church of St Enodoc (John Betjeman’s burial place) and to the good beaches around Polzeath. Padstow is also known for its annual Obby Oss festival, a May Day romp when locals in horse costumes prance through the town preceded by a masked and club-wielding “teaser”, in a spirited reenactment of an old fertility rite.
Church Lane, PL28 8BG • Daily 9.30am–5pm, closes 4pm in winter • 01841 533776, padstowparishchurch.org.uk
Set on the hill overlooking Padstow, the Church of St Petroc is dedicated to Cornwall’s most important saint, a Welsh or Irish monk who landed here in the sixth century, died in the area and gave his name to the town – “Petrock’s Stow”. The building has a fine fifteenth-century font, an Elizabethan pulpit and some amusing carved bench ends – seek out the one to the right of the altar depicting a fox preaching to a congregation of geese.
Half a mile west of the quay, PL28 8RP • Easter to early Oct Mon–Thurs & Sun 1.30–4pm; grounds 12.30–5pm • £9 • 01841 532411, prideauxplace.co.uk
Padstow’s ancient Prideaux family – whose Cornish origins date back to the Normans – still occupy Prideaux Place, an Elizabethan manor house with grand staircases, richly furnished rooms full of portraits, fantastically ornate ceilings and formal gardens. You might recognize some parts of the house, which is used extensively for location filming and has appeared in a plethora of films, including Oscar and Lucinda (1997).
The area immediately west of Padstow has some fine beaches – all within a short walk or drive of the town. On the west side of the estuary, round Stepper Point, you can reach the sandy and secluded Harlyn Bay and, turning the corner southwards, Constantine Bay, the best surfing beach hereabouts. The dunes backing the beach and the rock pools skirting it make this one of the most appealing bays on this coast, though the tides can be treacherous and bathing hazardous near the rocks. Three or four miles further south, the slate outcrops of Bedruthan Steps were traditionally held to be the stepping-stones of a giant; they can be readily viewed from the clifftop path and the B3276, with steps descending to the broad beach below (not safe for swimming).
Arrival and departure padstow and around
By bus Buses #A5 from Newquay (hourly; 1hr 20min) and #11A from Bodmin (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 6 daily; 50min) pull in on Station Rd, above the harbour.
By ferry The ferry across the river to Rock operates daily year-round, roughly every 20min during the day (£4 return; padstow-harbour.co.uk).
By bus Bus #A5 (hourly) connects Padstow with Harlyn Bay (10min) and Constantine Bay (15min). Every 1–2hr, the same bus calls at Bedruthan (40min).
Tourist office North Quay, by the harbour (April to late July, Sept & Oct Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat & Sun 10am–4pm; late July & Aug Mon–Fri 9.30am–5.30pm, Sat & Sun 10am–4.30pm; Nov–March Mon–Sat 10am–4pm; 01841 533449, padstowlive.com).
St Petroc’s HotelNew St, PL28 8EA 01841 532700, rickstein.com. Restaurateur Rick Stein has extended his Padstow empire to include classy accommodation, including this chic little lodging away from the harbour, with modern decor and outstanding breakfasts. But even the very small rooms are pricey. £175
Treverbyn HouseTreverbyn Rd, PL28 8DA 01841 532855, treverbynhouse.com. A short walk up from the harbour, this elegant Edwardian B&B has large, beautifully furnished rooms. Breakfast is served in the dining room or on a terrace in the garden with views over the river. No debit/credit cards. £130
YHA Treyarnon Bay Treyarnon, PL28 8JR, 4.5 miles west of Padstow 345 371 9664, yha.org.uk/hostel/treyarnon. Perfectly sited hostel in a 1930s summer villa right by the beach. Take bus #A5 from Padstow or Newquay to Constantine, then walk half a mile. Surf packages available. Camping/person £15, dorms £15, doubles £39, bell tents £59
Foodies know Padstow for its high-class restaurants, particularly those associated with star chef Rick Stein; the waiting list for a table at one of his establishments can be months long, though a weekday reservation out of season might mean booking only a day or two ahead. For something a little cheaper, try Stein’s fish and chip shop or his deli, both on South Quay.
Prawn on the Lawn11 Duke St, PL28 8AB 01841 532223, prawnonthelawn.com. Part fishmonger, part rough-and-ready bistro, this cheerful place is usually abuzz. Menus are based on what’s on display: small plates such as marinated scallops and Szechuan prawns cost £7–10, larger platters are £16–30. Book ahead. Tues–Sat noon–10pm.
The Seafood Restaurant Riverside, PL28 8BY 01841 532700, rickstein.com. The core of Rick Stein’s culinary empire, this is one of Britain’s top places for fish. Most mains – Singapore chilli crab, hake en papillote, seafood curry – cost £25–35. Daily noon–2.30pm & 6.30–9.30pm.
Despite its romantic name and its famous castle standing aloof on a promontory to the north, the village of TINTAGEL is for the most part a dreary collection of cafés and B&Bs. Apart from the castle, Tintagel has one other item of genuine interest: the Old Post Office on Fore Street (daily: mid-Feb, early March to early April & late Sept to Oct 11am–4pm; early April to late Sept 10.30am–5.30pm; £4, NT; 01840 770024, nationaltrust.org.uk/tintagel-old-post-office), a slate-built, rickety-roofed construction dating from the fourteenth century, now restored to its appearance in the Victorian era.
Half a mile northwest of the village, PL34 0HE • Mid- to late Feb daily 10am–4pm; late Feb to March Wed–Sun 10am–4pm; April–Sept daily 10am–6pm; Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov to mid-Feb Sat & Sun 10am–4pm • £8.40; EH • 01840 770328, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tintagel-castle
The wild and unspoilt coast around Tintagel provides an appropriate backdrop for the forsaken ruins of Tintagel Castle. It was the twelfth-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth who first popularized the notion that this was the birthplace of King Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon and Ygrayne, though the visible ruins in fact belong to a Norman stronghold occupied by the earls of Cornwall. After sporadic spurts of rebuilding, the castle was allowed to decay, and most of it had been washed into the sea by the sixteenth century. The remains of a sixth-century Celtic monastery on the headland have provided important insights into how the country’s earliest monastic houses were organized.
KING ARTHUR IN CORNWALL
Did King Arthur really exist? It’s more likely that he was an amalgam of two people: a sixth-century Celtic warlord who united the local tribes in a series of successful battles against the invading Anglo-Saxons, and a local Cornish saint. Whatever his origins, his role was recounted and inflated by poets and troubadours in later centuries. The Arthurian legends were elaborated by the medieval chroniclers Geoffrey of Monmouth and William of Malmesbury and in Thomas Malory’s epic, Morte d’Arthur (1485), further romanticized in Tennyson’s Idylls of the King (1859) and resurrected in T.H. White’s saga, The Once and Future King (1958).
Although there are places throughout Britain and Europe that claim some association with Arthur, it’s England’s West Country, and Cornwall in particular, that has the greatest concentration of places boasting a link. Here, the myths, enriched by fellow Celts from Brittany and Wales, have established deep roots, so that, for example, the spirit of Arthur is said to be embodied in the Cornish chough – a bird now almost extinct. Cornwall’s most famous Arthurian site is his supposed birthplace, Tintagel, where Merlin apparently lived in a cave under the castle (he also resided on a rock near Mousehole, south of Penzance, according to some sources). Nearby Bodmin Moor is littered with places with names such as “King Arthur’s Bed” and “King Arthur’s Downs”, while Camlan, the battlefield where Arthur was mortally wounded fighting against his nephew Mordred, is associated with Slaughterbridge, on the northern reaches of the moor near Camelford (which is also sometimes identified as Camelot itself). At Dozmary Pool, the knight Bedivere was dispatched by the dying Arthur to return the sword Excalibur to the mysterious hand emerging from the water – though Loe Pool in Mount’s Bay also claims this honour. Arthur’s body was supposedly carried after the battle to Boscastle, on Cornwall’s northern coast, from where a funeral barge transported it to Avalon, identified with Glastonbury in Somerset.
Arrival and information tintagel
By bus Buses pull in on Bossiney Rd, opposite the tourist office.
Destinations Boscastle (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 5 daily; 15min); Bude (5–6 daily; 50min); Camelford (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 5 daily; 20min).
Tourist office Bossiney Rd (daily: April–Oct 10am–4pm; Nov–March 10am–1pm; 01840 779084, visitboscastleandtintagel.com); it also has a small exhibition about the region’s cultural heritage.
Avalon Hotel Atlantic Rd, PL34 0DD 01840 770116, theavalonhotel.co.uk. Classy guesthouse at the eastern end of the village, mixing Victorian-Gothic details with a fresh, contemporary style. Some rooms are small, but all are spotless and most have amazing views. Breakfast choices include porridge brûlée. £89
Bosayne Atlantic Rd, PL34 0DE 01840 770514, bosayne.co.uk. This solid Edwardian B&B has amiable, eco-aware owners and smallish rooms with sea views and mini-fridges. Breakfasts are mainly organic with home-made bread and cakes. £75
Charlie’s Fore St, PL34 0DA 01840 779500, charlies.cafe. Deli and café with outdoor seating and a bright, family-friendly feel. Choose from among the pies and Scotch eggs for a superlative picnic, or settle down for brunch, sandwiches (£4–7) or burgers (£7–9). Cakes and cream teas include gluten-free options. Mon–Sat 10am–5pm.
YHA Tintagel Dunderhole Point, PL34 0DW 0345 371 9145, yha.org.uk/hostel/tintagel. Three-quarters of a mile south of Tintagel, the offices of a former slate quarry now house this hostel with great coastal views. There’s a kitchen and BBQ area but no restaurant. Closed Nov–Easter. Dorms £17
Three miles east of Tintagel, the port of BOSCASTLE lies compressed within a narrow ravine drilled by the rivers Jordan and Valency, and ending in a twisty harbour. One of the lime-washed cottages bordering the tidy riverfront holds the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic (April–Oct Mon–Sat 10.30am–6pm, Sun 11.30am–6pm; £5; 01840 250111, museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk), an absorbing, non-gimmicky account of witchcraft and sorcery through the ages, displayed in themed galleries. Above and behind, you can see more seventeenth- and eighteenth-century cottages on a circular walk that traces the valley of the Valency for about a mile to reach Boscastle’s graceful parish church of St Juliot, tucked away in a peaceful glen, where Thomas Hardy once worked as a young architect.
Arrival and information boscastle
By bus There are bus stops at the car park and Boscastle Bridge, at the top of the harbour.
Destinations Bude (5–6 daily; 40min); Camelford (5 daily, 30min); Tintagel (5 daily; 10min).
Tourist office The Harbour (daily: March–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–Feb 10.30am–4pm; 01840 250010, visitboscastleandtintagel.com).
Napoleon InnHigh St, PL35 0BD 01840 250204, napoleoninn.co.uk. Boscastle’s excellent pubs include this traditional tavern in the upper town with tankards hanging off the ceiling, real ale, great food (mains £9–13) and Cornish singing every Tues. Daily noon–11pm; kitchen daily noon–2pm & 6–9pm.
Old Rectory St Juliot, PL35 0BT, 1.5 miles east of Boscastle 01840 250225, stjuliot.com. For a real Thomas Hardy experience, head for this luxurious Victorian B&B, where you can stay in the author’s bedroom and roam the extensive grounds. Minimum two-night stay. £95
YHA BoscastleHarbourside, PL35 0HD 0345 371 9006, yha.org.uk/hostel/boscastle. Fine old hostel in a former stables right by the river. Rooms have two to six beds and there’s a self-catering kitchen and a comfy lounge. Only groups can book Nov–Feb. Dorms £18, doubles £69
Just four miles from the Devon border, Cornwall’s northernmost town of BUDE is built around an estuary surrounded by a fine expanse of sands. The town has sprouted a crop of hotels and holiday homes, though these have not unduly spoilt the place nor the magnificent cliffy coast surrounding it.
Of the excellent beaches hereabouts, the central Summerleaze is clean and spacious, but the mile-long Widemouth Bay, south of town, is the main focus of the holiday crowds (though bathing can be dangerous near the rocks at low tide). Surfers also congregate five miles down the coast at Crackington Haven, wonderfully situated between 430ft crags at the mouth of a lush valley. To the north of Bude, acres-wide Crooklets is the scene of surfing and life-saving demonstrations and competitions. A couple of miles further on, Sandy Mouth holds a pristine expanse of sand with rock pools beneath the encircling cliffs. It’s a short walk from here to another surfers’ delight, Duckpool, a tiny sandy cove flanked by jagged reefs at low tide, and dominated by the three-hundred-foot Steeple Point.
Arrival and information bude and around
By bus Buses stop on The Strand, running to Boscastle (5–6 daily; 40min) and Hartland (Mon–Sat 6 daily; 30–55min).
Tourist office The Crescent car park (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; summer school hols daily 10am–7pm; 01288 354240, visitbude.info).
The Bank at Bude Pethericks Mill, EX23 8TF 01288 352070, thebankatbude.co.uk. A bit out of the way – unless you’re a cyclist, as it’s right on the cycle path – this place offers tapas (£5–9) as well as paellas and other meat and seafood dishes (£14–25). It’s a 5min walk along the riverbank from the tourist office. Easter–June, Sept & Oct Tues & Wed 6–10pm, Thurs–Sat noon–10pm; July & Aug Tues, Wed & Sun 3–10pm, Thurs–Sat noon–10pm; Nov–Easter Tues–Sat 6pm–late.
The Beach Summerleaze Crescent, EX23 8HJ 01288 389800, thebeachatbude.co.uk. Chic hotel overlooking the beach, with modern, airy rooms, swish bathrooms and an excellent restaurant (mains £17–20). The bar has an outdoor terrace, perfect for soaking up the sunset. Daily noon–2.30/3pm & 6–9/9.30pm.£175
CerenetyLynstone Lane, EX23 0LR 01288 356778 or 07429 016962, cerenetycampsite.co.uk. Back-to-basics, eco-friendly camping a mile south of Bude, with grassy pitches, solar-powered showers and composting toilets. In summer, hot drinks and crêpes can be bought from a caravan on the site. £14
Life’s a Beach Summerleaze Beach, EX23 8HN 01288 355222, lifesabeach.info. Right on the beach, this is a café by day, offering baguettes, burgers and drinks, and a seafood-focused bistro, with the accent on seafood (mains £18–26). Easter–Oct Mon–Sat 10.30am–3.30pm & 7–9pm, Sun 10.30am–3.30pm; reduced hours in winter, call to check.
North Shore 57 Killerton Rd, EX23 8EW 01288 354256, northshorebude.com. Friendly hostel 5min from the centre of town, with clean and spacious rooms – including en-suite doubles – a large garden and a kitchen. Dorms £22, doubles £60
Bodmin Moor, the smallest of the West Country’s great moors, has some beautiful tors, torrents and rock formations, but much of its fascination lies in the strong human imprint, particularly the wealth of relics left behind by its Bronze Age population. Separated from these by some three millennia, the churches in the villages of St Neot, Blisland and Altarnun are among the region’s finest examples of fifteenth-century art and architecture.
BODMIN’s position on the western edge of Bodmin Moor, equidistant from the north and south Cornish coasts and the Fowey and Camel rivers, encouraged its growth as a trading town. It was also an important ecclesiastical centre after the establishment of a priory by St Petroc, who moved here from Padstow in the sixth century.
Priory Rd, PL31 2DT • Daily 9am–4pm • Free • 01208 73867
After Bodmin’s priory had disappeared, the town retained its prestige through its church of St Petroc, built in the fifteenth century and still Cornwall’s largest parish church. Inside, there’s an extravagantly carved twelfth-century font and an ivory casket that once held the bones of the saint. The southwest corner of the churchyard holds a sacred well.
Berrycoombe Rd, PL31 2NR • Daily: April–Sept 9.30am–8pm; Oct–March 9.30am–6pm • £10 • 01208 76292, bodminjail.org
The notorious Bodmin Jail is redolent of the public executions that were guaranteed crowd-pullers until 1862, though it didn’t finally close until 1927. You can visit part of the original eighteenth-century structure, including the condemned cell and “execution pit”, and some grisly exhibits chronicling the lives of the inmates. The Governors Hall café/restaurant stays open until 9pm.
3 miles southeast of Bodmin, PL30 5AD • House and garden Daily: March & Oct 11am–5pm; April–Sept 11am–5.30pm • £13.55, Nov & Dec £7.50; garden only £8.25, Nov & Dec £4.35; NT • Grounds Daily dawn–dusk • Free, but parking £3; NT • 01208 265950, nationaltrust.org.uk/lanhydrock • Less than 2 miles’ walk from Bodmin Parkway train station
One of Cornwall’s most celebrated country houses, Lanhydrock originally dates from the seventeenth century but was totally rebuilt after a fire in 1881. The most prominent survivor from its Jacobean past is the long picture gallery, whose plaster ceiling depicts scenes from the Old Testament, while the servants’ quarters fascinatingly reveal the daily workings of a Victorian manor house. The grounds have magnificent gardens with lush beds of magnolias, azaleas and rhododendrons, and a huge area of wooded parkland bordering onto the River Fowey
BLISLAND stands in the Camel valley on the western slopes of Bodmin Moor, three miles northeast of Bodmin. Georgian and Victorian houses cluster around a village green and a church whose well-restored interior has an Italianate altar and a startlingly painted screen.
On Pendrift Common above Blisland, the gigantic Jubilee Rock is inscribed with patriotic insignia commemorating the jubilee of George III’s coronation. From this 700ft vantage point you look east over the De Lank gorge and the boulder-crowned knoll of Hawk’s Tor, three miles away. On the shoulder of the tor stand the Neolithic Stripple Stones, a circular platform once holding 28 standing stones, of which just four are still upright.
The northern half of the moor is dominated by its two highest tors, both of them easily accessible from CAMELFORD, an unassuming local centre known for its slate industry. Four miles southeast, Rough Tor is the second-highest peak on Bodmin Moor at 1311ft. A short distance to the east stand Little Rough Tor, where there are the remains of an Iron Age camp, and Showery Tor, capped by a prominent formation of piled rocks. Easily visible to the southeast, Brown Willy is, at 1378ft, the highest peak in Cornwall, as its original name signified – Bronewhella, or “highest hill”. Like Rough Tor, Brown Willy shows various faces, its sugarloaf appearance from the north sharpening into a long multi-peaked crest as you approach. The tor is accessible by continuing from the summit of Rough Tor across the valley of the De Lank, or, from the south, by footpath from Bolventor.
The village of BOLVENTOR, lying at the centre of the moor midway between Bodmin and Launceston, is an uninspiring place close to Jamaica Inn, one of the moor’s chief focuses for walkers and literary sightseers alike.
10 miles northeast of Bodmin, PL15 7TS • Museum daily 8am–9pm • £3.95 • 01566 86250, jamaicainn.co.uk
A staging post even before the precursor of the A30 road was laid here in 1769, the inn was described as being “alone in glory, four square to the winds” by Daphne Du Maurier, who stayed here in 1930, soaking up inspiration for her smugglers’ yarn, Jamaica Inn. There’s a room inside devoted to the author, and the hotel also has an attached Smugglers Museum, illustrating the diverse ruses used for concealing contraband.
The car park at Jamaica Inn is a useful place to leave your car and venture forth on foot. A mile south is Dozmary Pool, another link in the West Country’s Arthurian mythologies – after Arthur’s death, according to some versions of the story, Sir Bedivere hurled Excalibur into this pool, where it was seized by an arm raised from the depths. Despite its proximity to the A30, the diamond-shaped lake usually preserves an ethereal air, though it’s been known to run dry in summer, dealing a bit of a blow to the legend that it is bottomless.
Four miles northeast of Bolventor, ALTARNUN is a pleasant, granite-grey village snugly sheltered beneath the eastern heights of the moor. Its prominent church, St Nonna’s, contains a fine Norman font and 79 bench ends carved at the beginning of the sixteenth century, depicting saints, musicians and clowns.
Approached through a lush wooded valley, ST NEOT is one of the moor’s prettiest villages. Its fifteenth-century church contains some of the most impressive stained-glass windows of any parish church in the country, the oldest glass being the fifteenth-century Creation Window, at the east end of the south aisle.
One of the moor’s most attractive spots lies a couple of miles east of St Neot, below Draynes Bridge, where the Fowey tumbles through the Golitha Falls, less a waterfall than a series of rapids. Dippers and wagtails flit through the trees, and there’s a pleasant woodland walk to Siblyback Lake reservoir just over a mile away.
North and east of Siblyback Lake are some of Bodmin Moor’s grandest landscapes. The quite modest elevations of Hawk’s Tor (1079ft) and the lower Trewartha Tor appear enormous from the north, though they are overtopped by Kilmar, highest of the hills on the moor’s eastern flank at 1280ft. Stowe’s Hill is the site of the moor’s most famous stone pile, The Cheesewring, a precarious pillar of balancing granite slabs, marvellously eroded by the wind. A mile or so south down Stowe’s Hill stands an artificial rock phenomenon, The Hurlers, a wide complex of three circles dating from about 1500 BC. The purpose of these stark upright stones is not known, though they owe their name to the legend that they were men turned to stone for playing the Celtic game of hurling on the Sabbath.
The Hurlers are easily accessible just outside MINIONS, Cornwall’s highest village, three miles south of which stands another Stone Age survival, Trethevy Quoit, a chamber tomb nearly nine feet high, surmounted by a massive capstone. Originally enclosed in earth, the stones have been stripped by centuries of weathering to create Cornwall’s most impressive megalithic monument.
ARRIVAL AND information Bodmin Moor
By train 3 miles outside Bodmin, Bodmin Parkway station has a regular bus link (hourly; 15min) to the centre of town.
Destinations Exeter (every 1–2hr; 1hr 40min); Penzance (every 30min–1hr; 1hr 25min); Plymouth (every 1–2hr; 40min).
By bus Most buses to and from Bodmin stop on Mount Folly, near the tourist office.
Destinations Newquay (4 daily; 35–50min); Padstow (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 6 daily; 45min); Plymouth (4 daily; 1hr); St Austell (Mon–Sat hourly; 1hr).
Tourist office Mount Folly, Bodmin (March–May & Oct Mon–Fri 8.45am–4pm, Sat 10am–5pm; June–Sept Mon–Fri 8.45am–5pm, Sat 10am–5pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Fri 8.45am–2pm; 01208 76616, bodminlive.com).
Bedknobs Polgwyn, Castle St, Bodmin, PL31 2DX 01208 77553, bedknobs.co.uk. Victorian villa in an acre of wooded garden, with three spacious and luxurious B&B rooms (the priciest with its own en-suite Airbath) and a self-catering apartment (£115). Friendly, eco-aware hosts and lots of extras. £95
Blisland Inn The Green, Blisland, PL30 4JK 01208 850739. Traditional village pub on the green, serving seven cask ales, including Blisland Bulldog, as well as Cornish fruit wine, bar snacks and full meals (£8–15). There are outdoor tables, and often live music on Sat. Mon–Sat 11.30am–11pm, Sun noon–10.30pm; kitchen Mon–Sat noon–2pm & 6.30–9pm, Sun noon–2pm.
Jamaica InnBolventor, PL15 7TS 01566 86250, jamaicainn.co.uk. Despite its fame, this inn immortalized by Daphne du Maurier has lost any trace of romance since its development into a bland hotel and restaurant complex. It occupies a grand site, though, ideal for trips onto the moor. Mon–Sat 7.30am–midnight, Sun 7.30am–10.30pm; kitchen daily 7.30–10.30am, 11am–4pm & 5–9pm.£89
Roscrea 18 St Nicholas Rd, Bodmin, PL31 1AD 01208 74400, roscrea.co.uk. Central, friendly B&B with tasteful Victorian rooms. Breakfasts include home-made bread, jams and muesli. £90
