Local Devon Tips
Meet Mel
Property Recruiter
♥ South Devon
Mel's tip
I’m a true born Devon Dumpling and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. I have been very lucky to grow up in South Devon and this makes it easy to understand why South Devon is a popular holiday destination. There is an abundance of local eateries throughout the villages and bigger towns, each place opts for using local produce from local companies. There are so many coastal walks on offer, along the beaches, through the woods and around the villages (Blackawton, The George Inn, is good for a pub lunch). I personally love to walk along Brixham seafront to Brixham’s Shoalstone Pool, where our dog Hetty can dip her paws into the sea, we’ll then walk the coastal path to the Breackwater Bistro which is perfect for homemade lunch. I like to order the fish pie, it’s delicious and they use local fish from the fish market in the centre of Brixham’s town. Find out more about South Devon with our local guide here
Meet Bianca
Regional Imagery Manager
♥The North Coast at Combe Martin
Bianca's tip
One of my favourite summer time adventures is to go stand up paddle boarding on the north coast at Combe Martin. The family friendly beach is a small sheltered cove and when the tide goes out it’s brilliant for rock pooling with all sorts of marine life to be found. There is easy access to the beach from the car park so you don’t have to drag your boards too far, and there’s a friendly local shop which hires out SUPs, kayaks and canoes if you don’t have your own. Because the beach has a gentle graduating slope it’s easy to launch yourself into the water, and off you go. The scenery is spectacular with high rock faces, secret beaches and breath-taking views along the coast up towards Lynmouth. One of our most memorable trips was a July evening at sunset a few years ago; we had paddled out quite far when suddenly we were joined by a family of dolphins who actually ‘performed’ for us! They swam under our boards and leaped out in front of us, caught a large seabass and threw it into the air then caught is again, it was a very special and humbling experience and luckily for us caught on camera! (Pictures below) After a paddle we like to enjoy a cool drink at the Focsle Inn which is situated right on the beach front, or have an ice cream at one of the parlours or perhaps a BBQ on the beach. There are so many great spots to SUP in North Devon, but this has to be one of the best! Fancy staying in Combe Martin? Take a look at our cottages in this location here
Meet Koren
Property Managed Services Coordinator
♥Dartington in South Devon
Koren's tip
Born in Shrewsbury, raised in Wolverhampton and truly living in the south west, Devon captured my imagination, creativity and heart. After moving to study at Dartington College of arts almost 15 years ago, I found the beauty, serenity and passion a calling for me to stay. Dartington is why I left home, where I made fantastic friends, met my husband, graduated and got married. A stunning estate with a long history of the arts which anyone can enjoy. From the ways with words festival to the international music festival, anyone can enjoy a walk around the beautiful garden listening to the sounds of violins, harps and drums transforming the grounds into a magical, mystical world for all ages to escape to. The small barn cinema, garden and studio spaces hold many performances throughout the year and is also the home of Dance In Devon bringing the community together. You can explore the River Dart take a stroll down to the shops at Dartington and have a meal at Bayards Kitchen or browse the local merchandise from soap to Dartington Crystal. I love to visit Dartington for the day and take a picnic to eat in the garden, stop for a drink at the White Heart, walk along the river and spend my hard-earned money in the fantastic shops. Even my son loves the walk and of course, the kids toy shop.
