How to Spend 4 Dreamy Nights in South Devon

{ad/ press stay with Canopy & Stars}

Going away the first week of December seems to be turning into a trend for us. Last year we went to The Peak District and it was so lovely that we decided to do it again! This time though, we went to the South Hams in Devon. We drove down and had a week of relaxation; we even made a point of limiting our phone time to really make the most of it! We’d been to Devon before, though only for a weekend and our accommodation was very different this time around! It was a wonderful week and I took so many pictures that I felt like a blog post was definitely in order!

Bowcombe Boathouse

For this trip to South Devon, we stayed in the incredible Bowcombe Boathouse. The accommodation was organised by Canopy and Stars as I was doing some work with them, but I’ve booked with them in the past and I really like the experience they offer. Our previous stay in Herefordshire was a bit more rustic but no less wonderful! The boathouse is situated just outside of Kingsbridge, and sits on the edge of the Kinngsbridge Estuary. Let me tell you that waking up to that view every morning was absolutely incredible. I’m not sure the photos I took even do it justice!

We relaxed by the fire, did some stargazing and made the most of the spacious kitchen facilities. My husband even commented that we’d been spoiled by Bowcombe Boathouse because of how incredible it was! We also got the chance to meet the owner Miranda, who shared with us a bit about how she found and renovated the boathouse, and how all of the art and furnishings is ‘found and foraged’ in her words. It’s put together really beautifully and is a wonderful retreat.

Exploring Dartmouth

We woke up bright and early on our first day in Devon and decided to head to Dartmouth. It’s a little town situated on the River Dart, fill of colourful houses and a rich history! After meandering through the cute streets, we wandered over to look at Bayard’s Cove Fort, which dates back to the 1500’s. Then we walked over to Dartmouth Castle, and decided to do a short walk from a short walk from there down to Compass Cove and back. There are a ton of walks you can do, and I found a whole bunch for the area we were staying in! The views as we walked were pretty breathtaking!

Once we made it back to the town centre (at a very leisurely pace, mind you) we stopped for a little bit of lunch at Smith Street Deli. I opted for a mini cheese board with some local cheeses and Mr. Actually went for a smoked fish board. We both were pretty happy with out choices and they were the perfect post walk treat! Afterwards, we wandered through Dartmouth a little bit more before heading back to our accommodation. One day down!

Lighthouses and Crab Linguine

Our second day started with another walk, this time from Start Point. The thing about Devon is it’s got some truly stunning landscapes. I wanted to make the most of it and this walk did not disappoint! We walked by the Start Point lighthouse, and then followed the South West Coast Path along the coast down to Mattiscombe Sands beach and then back. Depending on the time of year you can also apparently see seals and dolphins, though we didn’t get so lucky… It does go pretty close to the edge which was a little nerve-wracking for me, but well worth the effort!

After our walk, we drove over to Salcombe to do some more exploring. At the risk of repeating myself, it’s another pretty little town on the water. It was pretty quiet which suited us just fine and we decided to look for somewhere to eat lunch. I came across The Crab Shed, which intrigued us both as Salcombe is known for its crab. They even have a crab festival every year! We didn’t really know what to expect as we walked through the boat yard to get to The Crab Shed, but I can tell you right now that the food was delicious! Talk about a pleasant surprise! Our final bill was a little on the pricier side considering it all had crab in it, but if you make it to Salcombe you should definitely head to The Crab Shed!

The Dart Valley Trail

If there’s one thing we love, it’s a country walk. And where better to do that then in Devon! I’d found a great walk along the Avon estuary but it’s hard to do out of season when the ferry isn’t running. So we opted to try out the Dartmouth Greenway Round instead and it did not disappoint. We started in Dartmouth and took the ferry across to Kingswear to begin the walk. It takes you along the river (where there is also a steam train you can take in peak season!) and up to Greenway, where Agatha Christie lived. It took us through woods and lots of really pretty scenery, though it’s definitely a hilly walk.

Our route also included a ferry across to Dittisham, and the ferry driver decided to point out some seals to us as we crossed. Apparently seals like to sleep on the pontoons in the winter, as they rise and fall with the tide and it’s quiet. We saw two sleeping in the sun and one swimming around in the water nearby! I don’t think I’ve ever seen seals in the wild like that before and it was a delight! From Dittisham we made our way back to Dartmouth. There were some very steep climbs toward the end and I will confess that I hit a very hard wall and struggled so much that I shed more than a few frustrated tears. I’m glad we did the walk though, because it really was incredible and so varied!

All in all, I’d say we had a pretty successful trip to Devon! We really lucked out with the weather too and there was plenty of sunshine for us to enjoy. We didn’t even get to see everything that was on my list, but it was such a relaxing week! There’s something to be said for taking a few days off and slowing down a little bit. There are so many parts of the UK that I’m very keen to explore, but I’d also be very happy to come back to Devon because it is, in a word, breathtaking!