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With the national parks of both Dartmoor and Exmoor lying to the south and west respectively, this quaintly dramatic part of Devon is one of Britain’s least despoiled holiday destinations.

Full of charming West Country villages, glorious gardens and fine historic buildings, it also boasts a rugged coastline dotted with scenic seaside resorts.

No doubt most first-time visitors will head for places like Ilfracombe and Appledore that hug a coastline constantly broken by wave-lapped combes.

The Great Hangman Photo © Grant Sherman
The Great Hangman Photo: Grant Sherman

To the east, however, the Exmoor coast boasts the highest cliffs in southern Britain with the Great Hangman, near Combe Martin, soaring to 1043ft or 318 metres.

To the west, Hartland Point gazes out to the spot where the Bristol Channel meets the vast Atlantic Ocean.

Hartland Point Photo © Ernie Camacho
Hartland Point
Photo: Ernie Camacho

Saunton Sands Photo: Mark Ogden

In between are numerous sandy beaches - exemplified by those at Woolacombe and Saunton - and many sites of special scientific interest.

So important is the area that the Taw and Torridge Estuary, together with the dunes of Braunton Burrows, has been awarded the status of a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

Woolacombe Sands Photo: Jon Barton

Braunton Burrows Photo: Richard Johns

This area takes in the plant-rich Braunton Marsh as well as Northam Burrows.

Braunton Burrows is the largest sand dune system in the UK, possessing about 500 species of flowering plants, including a number of rare orchids.

A few miles off the coast is Lundy Island, now owned by the National Trust.

It’s a haven for puffins, not to mention peace and quiet - it has a tiny human population and can only be reached by ferry.

In contrast with the drama of North Devon’s seashore, inland lies rolling countryside, picturesque river valleys, evocative market towns and a welcoming climate.

Lundy Island Photo © Steve Edge
Lundy Island Photo: Steve Edge

It was the arrival of the railways in the 19th century that opened up the region to tourism and this aspect of Devon’s economy is now worth well in excess of £1billion a year.

The region as a whole is a pleasing mixture of farmland, eye-catching country mansions and fascinating buildings set against the atmospheric backdrop of Dartmoor’s hills.

One of its most talked-about attractions is the Tarka Trail, a 180-mile, figure-of-eight footpath that takes in many of the places Tarka the otter visited in Henry Williamson’s fictional story.

Many of these sights have changed little since his novel hit the bookshelves in the 1920s. It was made into a film in the 1970s.

The route takes in the Torridge Valley, where the heroic otter was born, and Eggesford Forest in the Taw Valley where the footpath joins the Tarka Line railway.

It also crosses part of northern Dartmoor and the heather moorland of Exmoor.

Williamson lived in a small cottage in Georgeham and is buried in the village’s churchyard.

Among North Devon’s great houses is Hartland Abbey, near Bideford, which was built in the 12th century as a monastery.

Its gardens wend their way to a rocky cove.

Arlington Court, near Barnstaple, is a treasure-packed Regency house, while ancient Docton Mill boasts eight acres of gardens in a sheltered, wooded valley with a number of babbling streams.

Overall, northern Devon also offers huge potential for those who like to take exercise in addition to sightseeing. Walkers, cyclists, riders, surfers, bird watchers, anglers and an endless list of other activities are catered for.

And for families who love traditional festivals, this part of the West Country has plenty of opportunities.

The biggest festival is the Goldcoast OceanFest, staged on the beaches of Croyde and Woolacombe.

Tourist Information Centres:

Devon Information Holiday Line
PO Box 55, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 8YR.
Tel: 0870 6085531 (calls charged)
E-mail: tourism@devon.gov.uk

Barnstaple
36 Boutport Street, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1RX.
Tel: 01271 375000 Fax: 01271 374037
E-mail: barnstapletic@visit.org.uk

Bideford
Victoria Park, The Quay, Bideford, Devon, EX39 2QQ.
Tel: 01237 477676 Fax: 01237 421853.
E-mail: bidefordtic@visit.org.uk

Braunton
The Bakehouse Centre, Caen Street, Braunton, Devon, EX33 1AA.
Tel: 01271 816400 Fax: 01271 816947
E-mail: brauntontic@visit.org.uk

Combe Martin
Combe Martin Tourist Information Centre, Devon, UK.
Contact Combe Martin Tourist Information Centre in North Devon for a complete guide.
Web: www.visitcombemartin.co.uk

Crediton
The Old Town Hall, High Street, Crediton, Devon, EX17 3LF.
Tel: 01363 772006 Fax: 01363 772006.

Great Torrington
Castle Hill, South Street Car Park, Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8AA.
Tel: 01805 626140 Fax: 01805 626141.
E-mail: info@great-torrington.com

Ilfracombe
The Landmark, The Seafront, Ilfracombe, Devon, EX34 9BX.
Tel: 01271 863001 Fax: 01271 862586.

Lynton
Town Hall, Lee Road, Lynton, Devon, EX35 6BT.
Tel: 01598 752225 Fax: 01598 752755
E-mail: info@lynton-lynmouth-tourism.co.uk

South Molton
1 East Street, South Molton, Devon, EX36 3BU.
Tel: 01769 574122 Fax: 01769 574044
E-mail: mail@visitsouthmolton.co.uk

Woolacombe
The Esplanade, Woolacombe, Devon, EX34 7DL.
Tel: 01271 870553 Fax: 01271 870553
E-mail: woolacombetic@visit.org.uk

Useful Links:

North Devon Festival - www.northdevonfestival.org

Holiday home management, relocation & equipment hire - www.helpsathand.co.uk

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