5 Places to visit in the Westcountry

Many people talk about going away on holiday to places in Europe or further a field at massive expense and having to deal with flights, ferries or trains. To leave this island, that is unless you live on likes of the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.
Anyway my point being why do we so quickly go to explore another country and another culture? Rather than explore closer to home. “Because there’s better weather and it’s cheaper, Richard” Okay fair enough. That can be the case or it can be the case that a Global Pandemic takes everyone out of the blue so we can’t go abroad. Just saying.
The UK has some incredible scenery to offer there is such a large amount of things to see. I personally think that the Westcountry is one of the best. I mean I am incredibly biased on this of course. Having lived here my whole life.
I have explored many other parts of the UK as well mind and there are some really great places that should be visited. That’s for a whole different post though.

Personally, I believe that these are some of the best places to visit in the Westcountry, that I’ve personally visited, before we get there though. The Westcountry, what does that even mean? Well it’s traditionally the counties of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorest. Sorry everyone else in the South West.
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​While this list has some pretty incredible places on it there is a massive list, of incredible places scattered all over the Westcountry to list them all on a website would create a page so long that it would take an age to read! If you are interested in exploring more of the Westcountry have a think about joining our Westcountry Rally in September.

Croyde Bay

This small sleepy village on the North Devon Coast line, has many a great memory for me, as this was where I used to go camping with my family year on year. It’s fantastic beach is a mecca to surfers and baggy point has some incredible climbing so many people have been telling me. I should really get up there.

In winter months like much of the peninsula everything is quiet and sleepy compared to the summer, with festivals and an invasion of tourists.

Along with surfing and climbing one can play beach volley ball, do horseback riding on the beach or explore the sand dunes, taking care not to disturb them too much. 

Photo from Visit North Devon and Exmoor

Dartmoor National Park

​Dartmoor has played a massive part in my life, having been trouping around it’s incredible scenery for the last 14 years on and off. As such it holds a very special place for me, it’s magical and forever changing. Now there are so many places and so many activities that happen up Dartmoor. Some of the biggest events are the Ten Tors Challenge, Dartmoor Walking Festival and train courses like our wild glamping adventures.

I have and always will have a love for Dartmoor, not it’s not the biggest mountains or even mountainous for that matter. However it’s magical it’s an area steeped in history. In a single days walk out of Princetown and many other places you can see the landscape change with history. From the Bronze Age, all the way to modern days with the granite and tin workings. 

The Lizard

The most Southerly Point in the UK mainland, the Lizard Peninsula is an incredible place that when the weather is bad is certainly an experience to say the least more so in the winter months when the big storms come through. Then again most of the year it experiences great weather or as great as it can be in the British isles. With crystal clear waters, sandy beaches and majestic cliff tops you can almost be forgiven for thinking that you are no longer in the UK but are instead somewhere on Mediterranean.

The Lizard also has some incredible structures at Goonhilly earth station which has been involved in communications with space and around the globe since it’s inspection. It was even involved in the transmitting of the moon landing in the 1969.  

Photo from https://www.mullion-cove.co.uk/blog/things-to-do/5-top-activities-and-things-to-see-at-lizard-point-cornwall

East Porthlemouth

​Many people have heard of Salcombe, known for it’s Ice Cream and Jack Wills as well as it’s beaches and fisheries. Across the estuary from Salcombe sits East Porthlemouth a small village perched on the side of a cliff. Around the village is some incredible walking routes along with several stunning beaches nestled away.

Getting to East Porthlemouth is a challenge in it’s self. With several miles of narrow Devon lanes. Along with a few small fords one of which involves crossing a beach, so make sure double check the tide times! 

Photo from Visit South Devon

Watchet

​Hiding away on coast of Somerset, where the Quantocks reach the sea, Watchet has the best of all worlds, stunning coastline dramatic hills and excellent transport links wherever that is by steam railway which links Minehead to Bishops Lydeard forming part of the British national rail network. The town also has roots within the shipping industry with small mariner, used by private and pleasure vessels. Up to 2000 the town’s habour was commercially active.  

Photo © Phil Champion (cc-by-sa/2.0)