The Hunters Inn

 We had dinner in the Hunters Inn today, a pub nestled in a valley near the coast by Heddons Mouth. Its changed a lot since I was last there with gardens and picnic benches out the front and back. Inside it no longer has that old world pub charm but is being modernised and made to look more up-market. I'm not sure I like it, but other people must as it was packed. We had sandwiches with came on a huge plate also full of chips. They were nice. And we were allowed to take the dog inside, which is always a bonus. Afterwards we went for a walk.

 There are many footpaths around the Hunters Inn as much of the land is owned by the National Trust. We walked up a very very steep hill towards the village of Trentishoe until we found the sign for the South West Coast path. More steep hill walking was involved as we made our way through fields of sheep towards the top of the cliff. The South West Coast path goes, strangely enough, all along the coast for miles in either direction of where we met it. We weren't on it for long though, preferring instead to follow a smaller path around the top of the headland by Heddons Mouth. There were some spectacular views down to the sea 200m below us, despite the gloomy Bank Holiday weather.

Then the path took us into woodlands where bluebells were in bloom. It was a pretty walk but the terrain was rough and steep both up and down hill. My legs are still aching now and the dog has been pretty much immobile since we got home. I hope I manage to get out of bed okay tomorrow!

Combe Martin

Combe Martin - a tiny village on the North Devon coast. I believe I have posted about it before so sorry if I am repeating myself. Tiny - but very very long. It has the longest village main street in England at over two miles in length and we seem to have walked most of it today.

For our traditional Christmas Eve walk I found this route around Combe Martin online and printed it. It had very clear instructions and started off quite pleasantly by the beach and past a few shops into pretty country lanes. Then the lanes went up, and up, and up some more until we were all out of breath and wondering when the up would end. Half way along the next instruction I read said 'Continue up the path for one mile...' It seemed more like about five! But eventually we stopped going up and started going back down. The views were fairly spectacular though I am not entirely sure they were worth the leg ache.

It was muddy going down and my husband slipped and fell at one point - that amused us, as did playing in the fallen autumn leaves. The lane eventually gave way to civilisation and we found ourselves back by the old church with a long walk back along the main street till we reached our car. There were a few shops with interesting looking windows that would be worth pottering about in the summer season and of course plenty of pubs to chose from including famous The Pack of Cards. Even the houses are pretty. Come for a visit in the summer - and perhaps don't bother with giant walk up into the hills.

Barnstaple Christmas Lights Event

 The Sunday one month before Christmas the time each year that Barnstaple turns on its Christmas lights. I haven't been for years and its a bit more of an event than the last time I went. All along the Strand there are fairground rides and stalls full of people. The pubs and food venues along there were also doing a roaring trade. There was quite a fun atmosphere.

The stage area in the Square was also packed full. There was a large TV screen to one side of the stage for anyone, like us, who couldn't get close enough to see anything. We arrived 15 minutes before the lights were turned on and in time to hear the presenters of Heart radio announcing that there were 10,000 people there. Given that's just under half the population of Barnstaple I think they were being over-generous - the Square was certainly full to bursting but I don't really think it can actually hold that many people.

This years nominally famous act turning on the lights was The Overtones. I have never heard of them but my children have, so I guess that makes me old. The turned on the lights at 6.00pm to great applause and a few fireworks erupting from the top of the stage, then half the crowd up and left instead of staying for the music. What was that all about? I'll let you decide for yourselves what you make of that, and if its for you or not.

West Somerset Railway

We had a day out today, first time in a long time. I bought a Family ticket for the West Somerset Railway, to go for a ride on the steam train. It's £43 for a Day Rover if you buy it in advance, £45 if you buy it on the day. This allows 2 adults and 4 children to travel along the line and hop on and off as many times as you want. So both my daughters took friends with them to keep them company.

We got up early and headed for the first train, the 10:25 from Bishops Lydeard. The railway runs different timetables depending on day of the week and month. Today was a green timetable day, meaning there were only five trains running, so not a great deal of opportunity for hopping on and off at any of the nine stops along the way. We opted for going straight to Minehead. I don't know that there is a lot to do if you hop off in the villages along the way anyway.

Train travel is great, the train just pootles along at a sensible speed and you get to see great scenery along the way. For some of the time the train runs along the coast, which is really pretty. The steam train had it's windows open, so it wasn't too hot. We had seats round a table, so we could have a drink and a snack too. It was all very civilised.

When we got to Minehead we all wandered off and did our own thing. There is not a lot to do in Minehead so that didn't take very long. Then we met back up for lunch at 1.00. After lunch it was ice-cream on the beach, then the 15:15 train back again. This was a diesel train and not nearly so much fun. It was hot and stuffy and no tables. So my advice, if you are going for the day, make sure you catch the steam trains. I had a lovely day and can completely recommend it.

Braunton Burrows

 We came out here to walk the dog today, me, my husband and daughter no.3. Apparently there is more to Braunton Burrows that I knew. I had wanted to go to what my husband said I should have specified as 'Crow Point'. He told me that after he'd driven past the turning. So we drove on to a place called Sandy Lane Car Park where it cost us £1.50 to park.

 There were a few sign posts up in the car park indicating route we could have walked, and a rather helpful dot remarking 'You are here'. I nearly got out my pen and wrote alongside it 'But not where I want to be.' We chose to take the yellow route down the road marked 'American Road' which is known to us as 'The Tank Road'. Unlike the yellow line on the map it went on and on and on with no indication that was ever a right turn taking you out onto the grass and dunes. After a while we gave up and walked back again. The dog had had a good time.



A quick investigation along the blue path led me to the conclusion that it might have made a more interesting walk. But a lot of the burrows still looked be under flood water. Maybe I'll come back.

Georgeham to Putsborough

 Yesterday it was time to stretch our legs and get some fresh air, particularly for daughter no.3 who seemed not to have been out of her pyjamas in three days, let alone out of the house. We drove out to the tiny village of Georgeham just round the corner from Croyde. We walked through the village until we found a sign for a public footpath which took up a country lane and through a few fields then onto a road to an even tinier village called Pickwell. Once around that it was on to a farm with access down to the cliffs above Putsborough beach.

We could have walked on down to the beach but it was getting a bit chillier by then (note the difference in the skies in the two photos) and it seemed like it would be a very steep walk up again so we settled for sitting on a picnic bench for a while and taking in the view before heading back the way we had come. In total the walk was just less than 3 miles. If you like pretty villages and walking through country roads, or if you want to get to Putsborough an unconventional way, this might be a walk you would enjoy, but I don't think I'll be rushing back to do it again.

Pizza Hut

It's been seven and half years since I started this blog, and here we all still are, going to Pizza Hut for tea on Christmas Eve. This year my three girls (now 20, 16, and 13) and I walked the dog without my husband, as he had to go to work. Then, when he finished early, all five of us drove to resaurant in Barnstaple. We arrived at just before 4.30pm, probably to groans from the staff, who might have had some hope of leaving early. The food was nice, most of us took advantage of the Christmas Menu, two courses and a drink for £12.95, and the staff were actually very friendly and helpful. We were the last ones to leave the restaurant at 5.30pm, and they were still smiling and wishing us 'Happy Christmas' as we walked out the door. I'm sure we'll be back next year.

Arlington Court Woods

This was a nice discovery this afternoon. I had intended on taking the dog for a walk around Whistland Pound Reservoir, but having travelled the 10 miles to Blackmoor Gate, I discovered that the road was closed and had no option but to turn around again (the diversion taking me all the way back to where I came from). I decided to stop at Arlington Court on the way back because I knew there were public footpaths around there, although I had no idea where they went to.

I parked in the National Trust car park and then followed the signs down the drive below the car park, not the one that takes you to the main entrance where to have to pay to enter the house and grounds. At the end of the drive were two footpaths; I took the one to the right. After that were several more options, all nicely signposted, indicating National Trust paths, all colour-coded and with information like 'Birdhide', 'House', 'Wilderness', and 'Circular path via lake'. I took the later. Along the route were many other signposts to other walks and pathways. I passed the lake, headed off to a small bridge, through a field and up through the woods until I eventually ended up back at the big house. I felt somewhat like a tresspasser, having not paid to go in, but this was where the path had lead me. It lead me back around the house and then back to my original starting point down the left fork where I had chosen the right, so I guess I must have been meant to be there.

It was a lovely walk, and many others were out in the woods too, including families with small children. There seemed to be a lot to keep them occupied, including something concerning monkey puzzle trees that I couldn't quite see, a small camp area, and stepping stone logs through the streams. I think I might come back here again.

Pilton Park

Pilton Park hasn't changed much since I reported on it many years ago. Then I used to take my children to play, now I take the dog. It's a popular place for both. The children's playground is quite small but with all the usual equipment, and is completely enclosed. It now has two gates. For dog walkers there is nicely tarmaced path that runs around the outside in a giant circle. There is now also access across the river via a slope so all the people in the new flats can wander across for an afternoon stroll. A popular place in Barnstaple.

Dartmoor Zoo

The trip tp Dartmoor Zoo is a long one from North Devon, but one you may be willing to make it if zoos are your thing, particularly Hollywood-famous ones. This is the zoo on which the film 'We Bought A Zoo' is based, from Benjamin Mee's book of the same name. Except that in the film they all live in California. The real Dartmoor Zoo is in Plymouth's backyard in a tiny village called Sparkwell. We drove down via the M5 and A38, it's long in miles but quicker in time as you don't have to go through all the windy Dartmoor roads.

When we arrived there was definately no California weather. It was chucking down and crowds of people stood at the paying kiosk just waiting for the rain to stop. We walked on by with my second daughter muttering, "We're British, we don't mind rain." It wasn't long, however, before they were suggesting we have an early lunch in the Jaguar Restaurant (yes, that's what its called in the film too). The panini's were very nice, although none of us were very impressed with the range of cold drinks.

After lunch the weather was kinder to us and we spent a good few hours wandering around. The bears were nice, the wolves were in hiding, we enjoyed the reindeer but everyone's favourite was the big cats. Dartmoor Zoo has the biggest collection of big cats in the South West: two tiger enclosures, cheetahs, lynx, jaguars and a lioness. The lioness was have a good roar when we were there, then she had fun running round her enclosure and playing with a log on a rope. We went back to see her being fed and that was a bit disappointing. They 'hid' her food, which wasn't actually very well hidden at all, far away from the waiting crowd, then she went even further away to eat it before disappearing altogether. They could at least have hidden it nearer to us.

There are plenty of talks and other feeding sessions throughout the day, some of which we caught. There is also an enclosure you can walk through with wallabies, ducks and goats. The girls enjoyed petting the goats and thought it hysterical when the goats nibbled their fingers. If the weather had been nicer we may have stayed longer. Benjamin Mee was due to make an appearance at 3.00 to sign copies of his book. But really, after about three hours you've pretty much seen it all, and we were getting cold, so we made a quick trip in to Plymouth to do some retail therapy, then drove home to watch the film again.

The Glasshouse

The Glasshouse is situated above Clayton's bar in Barnstaple. This is a photo I pinched from their website. We went here last night with some good friends to celebrate (belatedly) my husbands birthday. I've been before, during the day some years ago, when the menu was quite different, but equally as nice. The choice during the evening seems somewhat more limited - about five each of starters, mains and desserts, but it was all very very lovely. There was a lot of fish on the menu, but I had lamb, and my husband had steak. All the meals came out looking like works of art, the service was excellent, the waiters very polite, and the chocolate brownie dessert to die for. The restuarant itself is beautiful with a high glass roof and an outdoor seating area, although the weather last night precluded us from using that. A three course meal and a drinks came to just over £60 for the two of us. For a posh restuarant and top-quality food I'd say well-worth it.

Pilton Festival

Pilton Festival, known locally as Green Man Day, has been previously reported on in this blog. Held on the third Saturday in July it is an event which draws crowds no matter what the weather, but yesterday, in temperatures approaching the thirties, it was jam-packed.

In years when my children were younger it was a day of expense, as almost every fairground ride and kerbside stall had to be visited. Now, they have grown out of such things. Now, the best thing about the day is the live music. There are three music stages aptly named 'bottom', 'middle' and 'top'. The best, and the one that pulls in the crowds, is the Bottom Stage, and band that everyone talks about the most, 'The Liquidators'.

My 12 year old spent the day with friends spending her own money. My 16 year old, who wandered around with us, was quite happy to be bought a Hockings ice-cream but nothing else drew her eye. We wandered around for a while, then bought beer from one of the local pubs and stood about with the sweaty masses listening to 'The Liquidators'. When the heat got too much we came home again. Typically British - we moan when the weather is crap and still moan when it's glorious!

Tarr Steps

This is a beautiful and popular picnic spot on Exmoor and we came here to day to enjoy the sunshine along with many other people. I have never seen Tarr Steps so crowded.

Tarr Steps can be found easily by driving through Dulverton and following the signs. There is a large car park with a visitors centre half way down the hill to the river and then you have to walk the rest of the way. We decided we'd try and follow the Google maps suggested route today, via North Molton, and ended up approaching on entirely the wrong side of the river where there is no car park and no access to the official one unless you want to drive through the river. Driving through is perfectly possible, if you have a 4x4, but not if you are in a Citroen. So we drove back down the road for about a mile, until we found a small clearing to park in and walked from there. It was a nice enough walk, but not the one I was planning on.

The nice walks around Tarr Steps take you through woods and fields and along footpaths, not roads.

We enjoyed our picnic though. The dog had a lovely time chasing a stick into the water. She even got the hang of letting it go again so we could throw it some more. There was hardly a space available on the grass there were so many people there - and lots of other dogs too. The cafe was doing a roaring trade, as was the ice cream van. We stayed for a couple of hours, until the children started moaning that they were too hot, then returned the same way we came.

Ice skating

It was Dec 2009 when I last reported on the (plastic) ice skating at Let's Go Superbowl in North Devon. At the time I seemed to think I was quite good at this while daughter no.2 couldn't do it at all. Now our roles have been reversed. She whizzed round the ice rather elegantly and I edged round by the barriers with my backside doing it's best waddling duck impression.

It was a very wet afternoon in the school holidays and still the ice was practically empty. That may be something to do with the cost which is now £5.95 for a 45 minute session. And the guy behind the desk was keen you stick to your 45 minutes too. You'd have thought, with no one else desperate to get on, he'd have let us have a little while longer - but no!

A new thing, since last we came, is the little penguins on wheels which toddlers can use to push around and stop them from falling over. They were quite cute, but at £2 for 15 minutes, also very pricey. I think this is a once in a while treat thing rather than a regular day out.

Westleigh

Westleigh is a tiny village in between Instow and Bideford. It has narrow, windy roads, a church and a popular pub (see earlier post). Today we came for a quick Sunday stroll through fields filled with lambs. There are many footpaths to be taken with the village as a starting point with walks of up to 6 miles posted on various webpages. We walked for about a mile and a half, maybe a bit more if you count the time we almost walked around one field twice looking for the exit. The lambs were cute and the views over the estuary were nice, and for one it wasn't raining! What more could you ask for?

Torrington

We spent just over an hour today walking around Torrington. When you drive through it you tend to forget there is more to the town than just the one road, but we discovered quite a lot of it today. We did a Treasure Trail that my daughter was given for her birthday. It was quite an easy one to follow, although we spent a long time in the church yard looking for the date the church was blown up. We walked through the town square, shown above, with its 17th century pub, The Black Horse, through the tiny Pannier Market, and round to the back of the town where there are stunning views into the valley with its winding river. If you have time to kill its worth a little wander, and there is always Torrington 1646 to visit as well (see earlier post for more details).

Verity

We had friends down this weekend and for lack of anything else to do on a wet and windy Sunday in February, we went for a walk around Ilfracombe with the chief intent of visiting Verity. It's the first time I've been since she went up in October. Verity stands on the edge of the pier in Ilfracombe, a 20 meter bronze statue by artist Damien Hirst. She's like statue-marmite; you either love her or hate her. I think she's great. From the town side she appears to be naked, but anyone approaching from the sea can see the skin striped away and all the muscle revealed below. The face is really quite wierd, and you can also see the baby inside the womb. She's definately something else, and if you are in the vacinity, I think she's worth a visit.

Wimbleball Lake

We were after a nice easy stroll this afternoon, nowhere too muddy or wet after all the rain and floods, and somewhere easy to drive to. We opted for Wimbleball Lake and a walk up to a small village called Withiel Florey. We didn't make it that far.

We were supposed to be finding a free car park near a bridge across the northern end of the lake. What we managed to find was the pay and display car park at the activity centre in the middle of the west side of the lake. We got out and walked anyway. The dog loved it, she ran round like a mad thing sniffing goodness only knows what. We walked towards the north end of the lake, along nice man-made, largely mud-free paths. The sun shone. It was lovely.

Then we found the bridge where we were supposed to have parked. We tramped along the edge of the lake through muddy fields, across the road and into a nature reserve. It was quite muddy, but also pretty and offered great views of the lake. If we'd have had more time we'd have kept going on up into Withiel Florey, but we'd been walking for nearly an hour by then and weren't even half way round. We had no choice but to turn around or we'd still have been walking when it got dark.

Not long after that the heavens opened and we got drenched. Good job we were on our way back. I'm not a big fan of the there-and-back-again walk. I prefer to go around in circles and see something I haven't already seen. Still, it was nice to get out. Perhaps we will make it all the way into the village next time, and see the other side of the lake.

Morte Point

Amazingly the sun actually came out this morning. Taking advantage of this rarity we all donned wellies and headed for the the coast. We were actually out and strolling around Mortehoe by 11.30am despite the protests from my teenager and pre-teen about needing to do homework. Serves them right for spending all their waking hours watching telly.

From the tiny village of Mortehoe we followed signs past a church and pub towards Morte Point. There were many other families of walkers around, some with dogs, some without. The views from the cliffs were stunning. We took a slight detour at one point and instead of coming at Morte Point from the south arrived at it from the north. The path to the south was littered with sheep and we decided not to put the dog on the lead. There are footpaths that criss-cross the headland however, and its easy to take any one of them.

Once down at Morte Point the cliff path heads towards Rockham Bay and on towards Bull Point Lighthouse. We followed it as far as Rockham Bay and then headed back to the village. The path hugs the coast although you are balanced right atop the cliffs. It is possible to look down at the rocks where the seals like to play. We didn't spot any today, but we did meet people who had. Perhaps if we'd have stayed for longer on the many seats and benches that grace the path we'd have been lucky too. We'll have to come back another day.

Baggy Point in Summer

 If walks along the edge of cliffs are your thing then you really must try the walk from Croyde to Baggy Point, its stunning. I walked the dog there yesterday late afternoon with daughters no.2 and 3, although 3 moaned a lot about not wanting to go for a walk. Aside from that it was glorious. There was cloud in Barnstaple, but it was boiling in Croyde and it wasn't long before we were all wishing we hadn't worn jeans.

At the far end of Croyde, nearest to Baggy Point, is a National Trust car park. The sign on entry read 'Parking £5' (although it is free to NT card holders). I arrived at 4.45 and wasn't at all happy about the price given that were only going to walk the dog to Baggy Point and back again. The guy said at this time of day we only had to pay £2, they just didn't bother to adjust the sign. Thank goodness for that.

The walk is 3/4 of a mile from the car park. I have blogged about it before, but the last time we came out was the dead of winter. It's very different in summer. We met lots of other dog walkers, saw sea gulls and comorants on the rocks and black sheep grazing at the top of the point. There were even climbers still on the rocks, if you look closely you can see them in the photo.

Several times the dog gave me kittens when she went too close to the edge but we walked on the higher path on the way back and that made me less nervous. The coast path goes all the way round to Woolacombe but that signpost said 4 miles, it was getting late and daughter no.3 would have had a fit if we'd decided to go on. We opted for an ice cream in Croyde instead.

When we got back to the car park the kiosk was all closed up, even though the sign said parking until 9 o'clock. I suspect if I'd've arrived after 5 o'clock I might have got away with not paying altogether. I'll have to test that theory next time.