BEACHES AND WALKS

The closest beach is lnstow about 25 minutes away. Take the Barnstaple Road until you reach the first roundabout (about 6 miles) turn left and drive for about 5 miles until signpost to lnstow on right. Turn right and then right again alongside the estuary. This is next to a super walk along the old railway line that goes from Barnstaple to Bideford and then onto Torrington. It is part of the Tarka Trail and is well worth walking or cycling. When you reach lnstow turn left along the beach road, either park on the road, or in the car park at the far end of the beach. The Boathouse pub caters for children and is good value with superb food. The Westleigh Inn only half a mile away is also very good with facilities for children; it has super views of the estuary. On the other side of the estuary is Appledore and Northam with some super pubs and fishy restaurants.

The popular surfing beaches with their vast expanses of sand are located about 20 minutes the other side of Barnstaple. There are several large beaches such as Saunton, Croyde and Woolacombe. Our favourite however, is the southern end of Woolacombe called Putsborough.

If you want secluded beaches all to yourselves then there are plenty but they all involve a long walk to get to them. Some have over 500 steps to get down to them! Lee Bay near Ilfracombe is worth visiting particularly if you can find the secret passage through to the next beach to the south.  Part of the fun is exploring. There are plenty of maps for your use in the cottage.

If you want to walk from the cottage then a 20-minute walk to Atherington is worthwhile particularly as there is a superb cream teashop at the end! There are also swings and a slide in the playing field on the way there. The church in Atherington is definitely worth a visit with its unique carved ‘minstrels gallery'. Look out also for the plaque to Anthony Snell who lived at Bartridge up to his death in 1707 aged 79, quite a feat for those days. Walk through the small field behind the collage to the top right hand corner, through the gate and turn right to follow the side of this large field. There is a gate at the far end. Keep to the right going down a very wet and muddy lane for 75 yards. At the end of the lane there are two gates separated by 20 feet. Once on the tarmac lane turn left and walk into Atherington passing the swings and play area on your right.

It is sometimes possible to walk to Umberleigh along the riverbank depending on the height of the river and thickness of the brambles. A popular walk is to the Exeter Inn in Chittlehamholt. Follow the map along the other side of the river. The walk takes a maximum of 2 hours, (and two hours back!). Its sometimes possible to cross the river to make the journey shorter but local knowledge is needed!

The track up the lane does not really go anywhere but is worth walking up to admire the view of the valley and Exmoor

Bike hire is possible from several locations in Barnstaple and lnstow. The route from Barnstaple to Braunton or the other way to Torrington is great fun. The Puffing Billy just outside Torrington is the best place to go from and hire bikes as well.

The teashop in Umberleigh has a good list of walks available in the area that is on a map on a plastic board that can be borrowed for a small deposit.

Eggesford and Wembworthy forests are brilliant for walks and cycling in and are only 15 minutes drive from the cottage. The train from Umberleigh stops there as well. There is a Saxon fort on one of the routes and the Lymington Arms is not far away!

 

PUBS AND FOOD

There are a number of good food establishments within a very short drive of the cottage. The cottage and farm are set in a very peaceful unspoilt area of Devon and it is quite usual to travel for some time without passing another car! All of the hostelries mentioned below are busy from local trade and are open all year round.

The nearest pub is the Rising Sun in Umberleigh just half a mile away. It won the North Devon best pub food award in 2000. Under new managers in April 2006 we await your comments!

The nearest farm to us on the main road to Exeter is Weirmarsh Farm. It has opened as a farm restaurant. The food is excellent but it is only open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Booking is a must and they do like you to pre-book the food so that it is all fresh. They do a 4-course meal for a set price of about £25. Definitely worth a visit but spend all evening there and hire a corset for the rest of the week.

Further down the road towards Exeter (about 5 minutes) is the Portsmouth Arms pub. It changed hands in April 2006 and we are looking forward to trying out their fare, which has been excellent over the past few years.

The Cranford Inn 3 miles away on the road to Torrington is certainly a favourite of many previous guests. It has super food; reasonably priced and they cater for children, it's best to book especially for Sunday lunch. Again it changed hands in April 2006 but its new owner produced great food when he owned the place a few years ago!

The village shop in Atherington (20 minutes walk over the fields) has been known to serve an excellent meal at lunch times at a very reasonable price. It is licensed.

An excellent pub is the Kings arms in Winkleigh about 25 minutes drive away. The food and drink is superb.

In the next village to Winkleigh called Iddesleigh the Duke of York is open from 10 am to beyond midnight every day and serves food all the time. A lovely old thatched pub with views to Dartmoor. It positively welcomes children, dogs, and their owners and has chess and other board games for all to play. It is totally unpretentious and like a pub was 50 years ago. It won the 2000 Times national pub food of the year award and can get very busy. There is also a restaurant there and you will probably see Noel Edmunds or one of the Rolling Stones who are locals. You will see the pub on the BBC series Down to Earth renamed as the Black Bull.

Stumbles wine bar produces good value superb food in South Molton. It is slightly formal.

If you really want to have a superb meal at a set price of £30 then the High Bullen hotel in Chittlehamholt is well worth visiting. Booking is essential and children are not actively encouraged! The views from the restaurant are fantastic. There is now a newly opened brasserie open for lunches and evening meals (except Mondays) overlooking the golf course with superb views. Definitely a relaxing way to eat and drink! We recently visited the Brasserie and the food was really excellent.

After a walk in Wembworthy or Eggesford forests it is essential that you visit the Lymington Arms in Wembworthy. Booking for food is essential. Some have said that the food is very rich. If this is full or not to your liking then a short drive to the Kings Arms (Winkleigh) or the Duke of York (Iddesleigh) is on the cards.

The Exeter Inn in Chittlehamholt, just down the road from High Bullen is very reasonable for good pub food and drink and they also accommodate children. We would recommend a visit here. They only serve food in the evenings and between 12 noon and 3 seconds to 2pm. It may be worth booking in the evenings.

Northcott Manor Hotel, 2 miles along the road and opposite the Portsmouth Arms is a very impressive establishment. It is excellent and in feb 2008 we had a meal there with friends and it was one of the best we have ever had with incredible service. It worked out about £50 per head including wine. You could well be eating with King Constantine of Greece or Lord Lucan. Some of the major shoots stay there. Its great for a special occasion when you want to impress or be impressed! Northcotte Manor  

The Boathouse on Instow seafront is excellent for lunches or evenings. It caters for all ages and also has a separate seafood restaurant which needs booking up several weeks in advance.

Decks is the restaurant next door which serves very good food but has been said by some to be slightly on the expensive side.

The Masons Arms in Knowstone was a super country pub that has recently changed hands and is now an upmarket restaurant that serves very high quality food. Worth a visit as the owner/chef trained and worked in the Riverside for the Roux Bros.

There are two pubs in High Bickington (5 minutes away) The George and The Golden Lion. The George  produces very good food at a very reasonable price. Certainly worth a trip.

Fish and chips plus various other dishes for take-aways are available from The Bell Inn in Chittlehampton. (5 minutes away) This is very much a drinking local but produces very good and cheap food. They actually encourage children and the owners are very friendly. They have a super conservatory and lovely garden with Alpacas in it.

The best fish and chips between here and the moon can be had from Squires in Braunton, (25 minutes away) which has won all BAFTA of chippies awards. Even the prime minister has eaten there………There is a fish and chip van that calls at High Bickington on Tuesday evenings.

Indian take-aways are an interesting phenomena seeming to change hands every year. The Ganges in the Newport area of Barnstaple has recently been recommended to us as good food at a reasonable price. The one in Chulmleigh currently holds our attention followed by several in Barnstaple.

The Cyder Presse in Weare Gifford (20 minutes drive near Torrington) does good food although its sometime since we have had a report.

Chinese take-aways or eat in are excellent from Han Court in Fremington (20 minutes) just to the west of Barnstaple. Or from 2 Chineses in the Strand Barnstaple. (20 minutes)

A few of the local restaurants with my own scoring using feedback from guests, locals and ourselves. This is regularly updated throughout the year. Please e mail me with your comments or if you want your establishment put on here.

Last but not least are the tea rooms in Umberleigh which serves excellent cream teas along with home made cakes and snacks. Although the owner,Frank, is eccentric he produces really great value cream teas. Frank is also the honory harbour master for Umberleigh and has a variety of boats which he patrols the river checking on piracy and illegal immigrants. Please visit the tea rooms otherwise he makes our lives a misery!

We can normally supply baby sitting services via our two daughter 18 and 16 and sometimes a taxi service.