Instow Beach

Instow in winter is place of driftwood and dunes, but arrive at any given daylight hour on a weekend and you are bound to encounter dog-walkers also. My dog loves it and whined this morning when I didn't open the car door quick enough.

If you are lucky you might chance upon a parking space along the narrow sea front where, once all spaces have gone, cars can only travel in single file. I usually opt to park in the dunes-end car park, a small patch of potholes and sand next to, strangely enough, the dunes. This means me and the aforementioned dog get to start our walk along the paths that criss-cross through the dunes and the dog gets to run round sniffing like a mad-thing.

It can be windy on the beach in winter, but the sand is usually wet and doesn't blow around too much. The beach is at the edge of the river Torridge, not the sea, so opposite are views of picturesque village Appledore. And if you don't have a dog to worry about you can always pop into The Boathouse for a quick drink or a leisurely meal - ideal after all that exercise.