Coombe House
Sleeps 15-17
Combe Martin, Devon
Sand, seals and high hills
Bring your buckets for beaches at Combe Martin and Wild Pear and watch out for dolphins. Try a wildlife cruise or swimming with seals on an Ilfracombe Sea Safari. Walk the South West Coast Path, 700 miles of Exmoor footpaths or just to the Hunter’s Inn for a pint. Or leap from the rocks on a coasteering adventure.
Kids ahoy!
The beaches of Combe Martin and Wild Pear are just along the lane: bring your buckets and spades and watch out for dolphins and seals. In the other direction, Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park promises the latest dinosaur animatronics and a ride on the Dino Express. Get ready to get wet.
Go back in time to Victorian days at Watermouth Harbour Castle and theme park. Ride the rides, try the crazy golf and snooker, master the maze and beat the folks on the soft-ball shooting cannons. Or choose a nautical adventure on an Ilfracombe Sea Safari, with trips including wildlife cruises, fishing and swimming with seals.
Take a half-hour ride through some of Devon’s loveliest scenery on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, then grab a snack in the tearooms at Woody Bay Train Station. Exit through the gift shop. Catch more lovely views cycling the famous Tarka Trail, a figure-of-eight loop spanning hills, cliffs and beaches.
Day trip on your radar? Catch the boat to Lundy Island and enjoy car-free, pollution-free clean living among puffins, pygmy shrews, pipistrelle bats and Sika deer. Or enjoy an action-packed programme at The Big Sheep, including train rides, tractors, pedalos, sheep-racing and animal-petting.
For the grown ups
Life here on the ragged edge of North Devon is all about the outdoor life. On the cusp of Exmoor, that means wild hills but, close to the coast, it also means beaches. The nearest, Combe Martin, is perfect for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, while Wild Pear Beach is worth it for the adventurous trek down the South West Coast Path.
Like something from Jurassic Park, Broadsands offers a perfectly curved bay, turquoise sea, interesting rock caves, trees and an abundance of wildlife. Watch out for seals and dolphins. Or try Tunnels Beaches, a network of hand-carved tunnels that lead to sheltered private beaches and a Victorian tidal swimming pool.
Bring your dog and get out over Exmoor, with over 700 miles of footpaths, bridleways, tumbling waterfalls, rivers, and heather-topped hills. Right on the doorstep, walk to the dog-friendly Hunter’s Inn at Heddon Valley for a meal and a drink in an idyllic setting. Or hack your way over the hills with the Dean Riding School.
