Weare Giffard
This pretty North Devon village stretches out along the banks of the River Torridge, made famous by Henry Williamson’s novel Tarka the Otter. It is positioned mid-way between the working port of Bideford and the historic market town of Great Torrington, just 10-15 mins from the coast.
A couple of minutes walk leads to our friendly local pub serving great food plus a wide selection of of local ales and ciders (the Cyder Presse). Try the cider wall if you dare! Just beyond lies the village park with play equipment, a basketball hoop and an active community orchard. Make the most of circular walks from the doorstep to while away an afternoon, through local ancient woodlands and alongside the meandering river. At the entrance to the village is one of many access points to the Tarka Trail, a traffic free cycling and walking route traversing North Devon, allowing you to cycle along to the coastal cafes for lunch.
A little further afield:
Glorious Beaches:
Instow beach (15 minutes away, see photo) sits across the estuary from the pretty fishing village of Appledore, at the mouth of the River Torridge, and is perfect for sandcastles or playing hide and seek in the dunes; follow this by lunch/dinner at one of the beachside bars/restaurants.
Another fabulous beach is Westward Ho! (15 minute drive with plenty of parking). This is a Blue Flag, 2 mile long, open sandy beach loved by families and surfers alike, with RNLI lifeguards on duty in the summer months. Perfect for learning to body board, surf or kite surf with tuition available locally for all levels. It sits within the North Devon Biosphere AONB which includes Northam Burrows country park and this whole area is renowned for birdwatching in the winter months.
Head further north, beyond Barnstaple, to find lots more sandy surfing beaches (Saunton Sands, Croyde, Putsborough, and Woolacombe) or head south along the Atlantic Highway to experience the dramatic coastline down towards North Cornwall, dotted with rocky inlets and coves just perfect for rockpooling and swimming (Bucks Mills, Clovelly, Hartland, Welcome, Sandymouth and Bude).
Walking | there are numerous coastal walks which make up sections of the South West Coast Path from Combe Martin to Hartland and beyond, down into Cornwall. These provide some dramatic scenery along rocky cliff tops with tiny beaches below where you really feel off the beaten track.
Watersports | Surf lessons are available at North Devon Surf School and Westward Waves Surf School. Surfing and Standup Paddleboarding (SUP) lessons and trips are also available at Surf SUP Academy. SUP and kayak tours, along with coasteering, are also available through OSKC watersports in Combe Martin. Kite buggying and kitesurfing lessons are available at Westward Ho with Elemental 514.
Wakeboarding Park | if you are feeling adventurous, lessons for all abilities are available at this great family run cable park plus they have inflatable rides, SUP and an inflatable aquapark. A great fun day out for all ages with a cafe and pizza oven on site.
Golf | Royal North Devon Golf Club– is the oldest links course in England and one of the ‘Top 100 Courses in the World.’ It is perfectly positioned in Westward Ho! right next to the beach. Saunton Golf Club – 36 holes overlooking Saunton Sands beach, is around 30 mins away and our nearest 9 hole course is Torrington golf course, just 5 mins drive away.
Cycling | We are very close to the Tarka Trail cycle route. Explore 180 miles of this traffic free route heading north towards the coast or south, deep into lush Devon countryside. Cycle hire is available in both Bideford and Torrington, including E-bikes.
Fishing | Fly fishing is available at Blakewell Fisheries in Barnstaple. Fishing tackle and friendly local advice including fishing trips are available from Summerlands in Westward Ho! Sea fishing trips are also available from Ilfracombe or Clovelly – both places are interesting and worth a look.
Themed Attractions for children | Amongst many options ….The Big Sheep is a sheep centred day out with soft play, rides and animal displays and the Milky Way has a small rollercoaster and plenty of activities for all ages.
RHS Rosemoor Gardens. Very impressive and well worth a visit at any time of year. Great for all ages with woodland playgrounds and a cafe, shop and restaurant.
Local towns and villages
Great Torrington and Bideford are our two nearest towns. Both are old market towns with numerous pubs, supermarkets and some great cafes, restaurants and take aways. Bideford is an old trading port with an interesting waterfront and pedestrianised shopping streets full of small independent shops. From here you can catch the ferry to Lundy Island, home to puffins and seals. Torrington is famous as the Civil War site of the Battle of Torrington in 1646 and home to a great little cinema and arts centre, The Plough, plus a number of independent shops and a swimming pool.
Appledore and Instow are both very pretty coastal villages which face each other across the Torridge Estuary, connected in the summer months by a small passenger ferry. Both have great deli’s, cafes, pubs and restaurants. Appledore hosts an annual Book Festival in September attracting authors from around the world. Nearby is Skern, a coastal area great for walking and bird watching and usually quiet, even at the height of summer.
Clovelly is a picturesque and car free, privately owned, fishing village, steeped in maritime atmosphere. With a cottage lined cobbled street tumbling down to the working harbour, a couple of great pubs, one right on the harbourside and breathtaking views, it’s quite unique and well worth a visit.
Ilfracombe has an attractive working harbour and is famous for ‘Verity’, a 20m tall statue standing at the entrance to the harbour, created by artist Damien Hirst. The Tunnels Beaches, a renovated Victorian bathing beach, also makes for a great day out.
These are just a tiny taste of what North Devon has to offer… for any further information please do ask. There’s so much more!
wendybardner@hotmail.com