Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)
  • Cornwall/Devon for a northern monkey's first visit?
  • ElShalimo
    Full Member

    We’ve got a week off in mid July and were thinking of staying in the UK. (we normally go to the western highlands in May but mid-July = midge hell)
    Can anyone recommend a nice place to base ourselves for a week in Cornwall/Devon?
    Somewhere with decent pubs & places to eat, nice coastal walks and quiet roads for cycling. I really have never been on holiday south of the peak district before therefore I have no idea where to go. I’m not interested in going in the sea, so strictly land based fun only.
    cheers

    Having said all that, would Pembrokeshire be a good alternative?

    toys19
    Free Member

    hartland point/welcombe mouth/speakes mill

    Bloody awesome.

    It’s all in the Hartland Peninsula.clickedy do da

    toys19
    Free Member

    DoH just read the no sea bit. Well its near the sea but plenty of land there too, and the coastal walks are stunning, no bloody stunning, actually, effing bloody stunning.

    Otherwise its gotta be anywhere on dartmoor/exmoor, lots of walks cycling but no sea… I love Chagford myself, Belstone is awesome too..

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    wrecker
    Free Member

    Having said all that, would Pembrokeshire be a good alternative?

    YES. Quieter, cheaper, nicer beaches, nicer people.
    I holidayed for a good few years in Cornwall until I managed to persuade the family to try west wales. Wouldn’t even think of going to Cornwall again now.
    Devon is also a lot nicer than Cornwall but pembrokeshire is nicer again.

    ElShalimo
    Full Member

    I don’t mind the sea, it’s lovely to look at but I’m not going in it (crap swimmer & scared of water). Walking along a beach is fine but paddling is my limit.

    ElShalimo
    Full Member

    wrecker – Member

    can you recommend anywhere in Pembrokeshire?

    BristolPablo
    Free Member

    I really like the area aruond Sancreed, just outside Penzance. You have Penzance itself (nice for a day and the walk across the bay to Marazion and St Michaels mount is nice), then you have Newlyn, Mousehole and St Just and Sennen which are all nice villages. in my opinion, Sennen is the best beach in the country. Go to St Just and walk down to Cape Cornwall, which is great on a windy day, pop into the Coastguard hut and they let you “play” with the computers tracking the ships going past which is always fun for a while! You are also pretty close to Goonhilly radio satellite station (if the weather is bad) and Porthcurno where there is a good musuem of radio and telgram communication (sounds bad, actually quite enjoyable!) also Lizard Point which is a great coastal path and you can often spot seals and porpoises along the way. Just avoid lands end….

    I dont really know pembrokeshire as well as cornwall but there are some great beaches at Broad haven, we based ourselves in Solva for a week which is a nice village to stay, two pubs, small harbour, not much else. the RIB boat trips to Skomer and Ramsey islands are great for spotting seals, puffins, other rare birds and dolphins. St Davids is a nice walk and the coastal path is just as bracing as cornwall though i dont think the scenary is quite as spectacular.

    BristolPablo
    Free Member

    if you do go to pembrokeshire, man up a bit 😉 and go on a boat trip, the RIB trips arent cheap but they are totally safe, they have life jackets etc but its really worth it to get up close to the wildlife and if there are porpoises around (the guides will go looking for them) its an amazing expereince. there are always seals around and htey are quite inquisitive despite seeing people on boats every day.

    you can of course stick to the coatal path and spot them but invest in some binos, a good pair of Bushnells or something should only be about £30-40 but are worth their weight in gold when you spot something in Ramsey sound.

    bigblackshed
    Full Member

    ElShalimo

    Are you tenting or holiday home? (That’s the edited version. I nearly sent the first post until I read it back. 😳 )

    I know Pembrokeshire very well, but it depends on how civilised you want it. North Devon around Croyde is very nice, but very busy. Cornwall. Meh. Just my opinion.

    ElShalimo
    Full Member

    bigblackshed – Member

    – not sure yet, we could rent somewhere or bring our big tent; or maybe even bring the little tent and move around a bit with an odd night in a B&B

    So we’re flexible

    bigblackshed
    Full Member

    St Davids is small, quiet and a bit posh, with access to Ramsey Island via boat, Whitesands just north, Solva and the coastal path to the south. Lots of small villages and great beaches south from there, Maroles and St Brides.

    In South Pembrokeshire, miles of beaches and coastal walks, from the kiss-me-quick of Tenby (still quiet and quaint) to the wilds of Freshwater West (Very wild). Stackpole and St Govens Head are great cliff top walks, although some is restricted access due to the MOD. Just check before making an plans.

    Preseli Hills north of Narberth. MTB heaven. Singletrack issue 72.

    I’ll dig out a few of the campsites and cottages we’ve used. Can’t recall the names ATM.

    EDIT: Skomer Island via Martins Haven. As long as you like rabbits and puffins!

    Sponging-Machine
    Free Member

    How about somewhere in the South Hams, like Wembury or Bigbury?

    Beautiful beaches with decent surf in the right conditions and decent coastal walks (also cracking on the bike). Dartmoor just around the corner. Plymouth for a bit of shopping, naval history and some ace mtb riding too. There’s also a very sociable road & MTB club based in Plymouth (Yogis) who’ll happily let you tag along with them.

    ElShalimo
    Full Member

    lunchtime bump

    carlphillips
    Free Member

    its rubbish down here in Devon in the summer, I’d avoid it if I were you..

    ElShalimo
    Full Member

    bigblackshed – Member
    I’ll dig out a few of the campsites and cottages we’ve used. Can’t recall the names ATM.

    thanks – that’ll be really helpful

    SprocketJockey
    Free Member

    Come to the People’s Republic of Devon. Lovely walks, great beaches, nice pubs, good biking. Nowhere’s more than half an hour from the coast (choice of North or South). Dartmoor is epic if you’re not bothered about being on the coast.

    For accomodation try http://www.helpfulholidays.com

    Pembrokeshire also lovely – that’s where we go on hols.

    Whathaveisaidnow
    Free Member

    this will all end like the Wickerman but in reverse . . .

    SprocketJockey
    Free Member

    Paganist policeman rises phoenix-like from the ashes and flys a light aircraft backwards to Scotland?

    That sort of thing happens all the time in Devon.

    peterich
    Free Member

    Devon and Cornwall both stunning -tour round Dartmoor and costal areas

    bigblackshed
    Full Member

    ElShalimo, Sorry it’s taken a while. These are the only 2 I can find links for ATM. I did have details of others but they are a bit old and phone numbers only.

    If you’re feeling flush

    Caravans and Touring @ Manorbeir Country Park

    CountZero
    Full Member

    The area around Llanstefan, near Carmarthen, is lovely, and the South Hams area of South Devon is beautiful, with great walks using the South Coast Path. Start Bay has a couple of good pubs in Torcross and Beesands, and others in East Prawle and Salcombe. Kate Bush loved it she paid £2.5million for a house there.
    I’ve stayed in the pub in Beesands for the last couple of years, and the food and beer is outstanding.
    Cycling around there is not for the unfit, though; lots of very steep hills and narrow lanes where the hedges drop straight to the road edge.

    The view from Start Point looking back towards Hallsands, Beesands and Torcross.

    Start Point lighthouse.

    Kate Bush’s house.
    It’s a really lovely part of the country, and Dartmoor is not that far away, as several have said.

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