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Fancy seeing yourself 1/12th size? Or sending your child down a mine? Or building your own cob house? Alex Johnson take a look at the many attractions of Devon.
Devon delights
Like all fathers, I like to think that my children will enjoy the books I read as a child. So far Noggin the Nog, Tintin and Bobby Brewster have all been hits and as I write this, the oldest – who loves animals -is enjoying another of my favourites, Tarka the Otter.
The book, set in Devon, gives a real feel for the lovely countryside in the area (as well as the fairly robust life that animals in the area led during author Henry Williamson’s heyday 70 years ago). So much so in fact, that a whole industry has sprung up to celebrate his work, in particular The Tarka Trail, which is a series of footpaths and cycle paths in the north of the county that follows Tarka’s travels in the book. It’s a gorgeous 180-mile route around the coast, moorland and through wooded valleys, well marked and with stretches to suit all levels of fitness. Even if you’re not a keen cyclist, a two wheeled tour is well worth considering.
Indeed, there’s something about Devon that seems to resonate particularly with writers. Dartmoor inspired Conan Doyle’s The Hound
of the Baskervilles, Exmoor is Lorna Doone country, and both Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen featured it in their most famous novels. More recently, Alice Oswald’s work Dart, a long poem tracking the beautiful Devon river from source to the sea and featuring conversations with people who live and work alongside it, has been one of the bestselling poetry books of recent years.
However the author most associated with the county is Dame Agatha Christie who was born in Torquay and lived in Greenway, a lovely riverside house and gardens on the banks of the Dart now managed by the National Trust and open to the public. For those keen on her works, the fifth annual Agatha Christie Week will be held in 2009, September 13 –19 and there is a special Agatha Christie Mile which features various seafront locations associated with her lifeand work in Torquay.
Step back in time
While hopefully you won’t come across too many bodies in studies, Devon is full of surprises. Take for example the pretty village of Clovelly, or to be more precise, the private village of Clovelly. While private roads are reasonably common, private villages in the 21st century are rather more unusual. Clovelly, built at the bottom of a steep hill by the harbourside, has been owned by the same family for nearly 300 years and the village has been preserved largely as it was in the middle of the 19th century: although there is a nominal fee to enter, it’s not a museum, but it does feel like a step back in time since traffic is not allowed in its main street. If you enjoy the work of artist Rex Whistler, you may recognisethe village from a china service he designed for Wedgwood. And if you’re here next November, there’s an excellent fish festivalto enjoy.
Another interesting little village, especially if you have smaller children, is Babbacombe Model Village (www.babbacombemodelvillage.co.uk) which has
been offering a bite-sized reconstruction of modern life since 1963 – as well as titchy versions of the English countryside (including Stonehenge) and stately homes, there are towns, wind farms and even a hydro electric dam in four acres of gardens. The village is also home to 13,000 models of people (including the streakers in the football stadium) and the village offers you the chance to become a mini resident too: send in a photograph of yourself - or a friend - and their own craftsmen will make a realistic miniature replica. And as part of their ‘Celebrity package’, your model can ‘live’ in the village for a year in one of the scenes!
As well as little wonders, there are many full sized attractions to visit in Devon. The National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) has two especially lovely properties, the 700-year-old Buckland Abbey which was once the home of Sir Francis Drake, and Castle Drogo, known as ‘the last castle to be built in England’designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.You can also get a feel for life in the 19th century at Morwellham Quay (www.morwellhamquay.co.uk) in 200 acres of the lovely Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is a role-playing recreation of a port and quayside community during the 1860s and you can even put on replica costumes yourself to wander around the village (and get your children down a mine, something I’ve always been tempted to do) as well as the farm/nature reserve.
Totnes blend
While proud of its history, the county does not just look back to its heritage.Totnes, for example, is an intriguing blend of conservative and alternative lifestyles (look out for example forTotnes’ most famous poet, Matt Harvey (www.mattharvey.co.uk), who performs locally as well as for the national media). Particularly interesting is theTotnesTransitionTown initiative (www.totnes.transition network.org) whose goals are to look at ways of reducing the town’s carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels but also to become more self reliant in areas such as food, energy, health care, jobs and economics.Their work is being followed up nationally and internationally as well as more recently onThe Archers in an ongoing storyline.
One of the best ways of seeing Devon is on one of its scenic railways.There are two Rail Ale trails which combine tracks with stops at excellent real ale pubs: the Tarka Trail runs between Exeter and Barnstaple following the beautiful Yeo and Taw valleys, while the 14 mile Tamar Valley branch line takes in the historic Calstock viaduct. More details at www.railaletrail.com
Surfs up
While the towns and villages of Devon are well worth a wander, the great outdoors is very special too, not least because the climate is so pleasant, good enough in fact for it to have commercial olive growing businesses. The county has 16 Blue Flag beaches (the most of any English county) including lovely golden sand at Woolacombe as well as many tiny and deserted spots where you’ll probably have the whole stretch to yourself. Woolacombe is also one of the spots surfers head for thanks to its Atlantic coastline, as are Bantham and Challaborough. There are various surf schools
offering to coach beginners at spots such as Saunton Sands plus regular national and international surfing competitions.
And of course it’s great walking country too with pride of place going to the South West Coast Path. You can read all about it (and where it crosses into Dorset) at www.jurassiccoast.com. It’s a route which has spectacular coastal views with local footpaths linked together to make both long A-B routes as well as circular walks. There are guided walks and events throughout the year and at stopping off points along the Path which is very easy to follow (just keep your eye out for acorn symbols).
Vineyards
But there are other ways of enjoying being in the open air. The words ‘Devon’ and ‘wine’ might not immediately seem to have much connection, but the Sharpham Vineyards (www.sharpham.com) are well worth visiting and touring, producing some of England’s finest tipples. The more famous varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, are being produced on this 500-acre, 1,000-year-old farm near Totnes. As well as the vineyards, there is also a creamery and organic dairy farm, with tours running all year round: these include a look at the wildlife along the nearby River Dart as well as a tutored wine tasting session and free bottle of wine.
Also think about an outdoors holiday where you can learn a new skill. Devonbased Earthed run educational workshops teaching you the basics of cobbuilding www.earthedworld.co.uk). Cob is a very old building technique which combines earth, straw, sand and water in a sturdy way to form lumps ('cobs') which you then press together to form walls: many people live in cob homes in the UK, especially in Cornwall and Devon. And of course it's superduper eco-friendly. Earthed - artists and builders who create sustainable structures specialising in cob, roundpole timber frame, lime and stonework - run educational workshops teaching you the basics of cobbuilding. Now I wonder if they have a tiny cob building at Babbacombe…
Your Devon Facts
☞ Getting to Devon is easy by train with First Great Western trains leaving
London Paddington regularly, and South West Trains from London
Waterloo.You could also consider flying to Exeter International Airport
or Plymouth City Airport.
☞ For details on accommodation (and indeed a great place for general information
on the county) whether you’re after farmstays, B&Bs, hotels, or campsites, go to Discover Devon at www.discoverdevon.com which has lots of specialist microsites and links to other useful web sites. One of my favourite family-friendly choices is the converted farm Boswell House, a couple of miles from the beaches of Sidmouth with seven selfcatering cottages, each with its own private garden and plenty of farm animals (www.discoverdevon.com).
☞ If you’re interested in learning to surf, there are various schools along the
coast which offer lessons, courses and equipment hire including North Devon Surf Scool (www.northdevonsurfschool.co.uk) based at Westward Ho! beach, North Devon, and Discovery Surf (www.discoverysurf.com) at Bigbury on-Sea (South Devon).
☞ For more details of the Tarka Trail go to www.devon.gov.uk/tarkatrail
☞ For more information on ‘The English Riviera’ – which covers Torquay,
Paignton and Brixham – go to www.englishriviera.co.uk
This article originally appeared in the Winter 08 edition of The Travel & Leisure Magazine. All photographs © Destination Devon Management Organisation. All details were correct at time of publication.