Needs to have…

Sandy beach
Nice centre
A park
A pub
Decent road connections

GO!

Sigh, it pains me, but Torquay on that brief…

Grew up in Devon for 20+ years. There’s so many lovely niche places, need more info. Holiday I assume?

Holiday. Nowhere too busy/massive/full of arseholes.

We’ve done Sidmouth, Looe, Rye in the past few years. That sort of size and vibe. Did Weymouth too, but it was a but like Rochdale-On-Sea.

saunton/braunton. Plus croyde, woolacombe/puts/georgeham.

Just noticed you said village.

Budleigh, but not sandy beach. Epic all day sun though. Tiny bit twee.

Exmouth good, sandy beach, very long, dunes. Busy town though.

Is North coast a possibility?

Email in profile if you want to drop a line.

Edit: As toys says, opportunities on north side. Lynton/Lynmouth I reckon fits your requirements.

Start bay/east prawle? Loads of great beaches/towns within striking distance. My wife is from South Hams so we visit often, love it.

Teignmouth? That’s not far from Halden either if you can squeeze in a ride.
Ifracombe?
Salcombe? A bit more town than village but nice, if a little ‘sailing daaaarling!’
Challaborough/Bigbury

Best off on the north coast if you’re looking to avoid arseholes

Wooh easy there Yunki – I used to live in Exmouth, now live in Plymouth, work in Saltash, got married in Hope Cove.

That’s all South Coast and I’m not an arseho. . . .ah, hangon. I am a bit of an arsehole. Yeah – best go North coast 🙂

Hope Cove?
think it ticks all the boxes (appart from road connections), not sure about the park though. but when you’ve got some lovely beachs, who needs one…
decent road connections is directly proportional % of arseholes down here.

See Richie.. Think about it first.. 🙂
FWIW I’ve lived in Exmouth more than half my life and in Exeter for most of the rest.. I love South Devon to bits, but that’s at least partly because I’m also a big fan of ‘orrible arseholes..

The OP should try Paignton, Paignton’s delightfully charmin

oh yeah… once again i only read the 1st few lines of a post. Fab place to get married Richie!

Rochdale Sur La Mer, or a trip to Hollingworth Lake.

Stoke Fleming near Dartmouth, very nice and quiet, nice local pub, cracking beach and restaurant at Blackpool sands

Croyde is great, Woolacombe (or the village up the hill) OK

surf at Saunton or Putsborough depending on conditions

Brixham is a better option than Torquay. Breakwater beach is sandy as long as you don’t mind golf ball size sand

I’d say Croyde or Woolacombe, I’ve lived in North and South Devon and the roads in the South Hams can be a right PITA (Stoke Fleming and Blackpool Sands did look stunning when I cycled through there one morning back in July though).

Is Ilfracombe still nice? Used to holiday there as a kid and loved it… It was easy to get to Croyde, Woolacombe, Combe Martin, Lynton/Lynmouth, Valley of the Rocks etc.

Salcombe’s good, a bit pink chinos and champers but it’s got some very nice beaches.

Salcombe’s good, a bit pink chinos and champers but it’s got some very nice beaches.

It never used to be. 🙁

Beaches are sublime, however, if you are on the correct side of the estuary…

Is Ilfracombe still nice?

was it nice!!!!!!!!!

The nice thing about Ilfracombe is that it’s located between some nice places, in either directon 🙂

It’s got to be the N. Coast (I’m from near Exmouth), but to fit your requirements (the sandy beach bit) head north!

Salcombe is an absolute arse to get to though.

I’ll throw in Lyme Regis, it ticks all the boxes on your brief.

Agreed with the road/arsehole formula – it works nicely!

Lymouth/Lynton is what your looking for.

Bude.

No beach to speak of at Lynmouth and Bude is in Cornwall not Devon.

Is Bude alright?

Woolacombe for me

Prices in Woolacombe are absolutley stupid 😕

Bude is great and its only just in Cornwall.

be sure to visit Trebarwith Strand….at low tide