After several visits to Scotland, we visited southwest England this time. Devon and Cornwall, with rugged coastlines, beautiful hiking trails, charming villages, and impressive wild skies. A report on 6 wonderful days in one of the most popular regions of the United Kingdom.
Are you curious about our adventures in Scotland, take a look here!
Route and Accommodation
We took the ferry in Calais and drove the first day to Chawton, where Jane Austen lived. As soon as you turn off the M3, you drive through the rolling Hampshire countryside and encounter villages like this. With beautiful cottages, a small castle, and an old church.
After Chawton, we drove on to Hook for an overnight stay at the local pub, The Whitehart Inn. A nice room, good pub food, and a peaceful night. The next morning, we drove to Dartmoor National Park.
We drove to Boscastle, where we booked a lovely cottage, the Lugger, withThe National Trust. We stayed there for three nights. The TNT cottages are well-maintained, you immediately feel at home, and almost all of them are in unique locations. They’re a bit (and sometimes a lot) more expensive, but we really enjoyed staying here. We’ll definitely be back!
On the way back to the Netherlands, we’ll first visit Exmoor National Park. We’ll stay overnight at the Wellington Arms (impressive building, less impressive room…) and have a delicious Thai meal at the Four Horseshoes. And then it’s over. A quick visit, that calls for further exploration…
Below are the highlights of our visit!
Dartmoor National Park
Dartmoor National Park is a vast nature reserve with a diverse landscape. You’ll find moors, granite rock formations, and Dartmoor ponies. The area has a remarkable history, having been inhabited since prehistoric times.
Tors
The granite rock formations are called tors. There are more than 160 in the park, usually on hilltops. They have been sites of storytelling, rituals, and worship for centuries. One of the most famous tors is Haytor Rock. You can park in various places and walk to Haytor. It’s chilly, but we also decide to visit this beautiful rock formation and enjoy the impressive view.
We encounter several Dartmoor ponies, standing unperturbed in the snow and hailstorms.
Other sights
Besides the many hiking opportunities, there’s much more to do in Dartmoor. There are several castles, such as Buckfast Abbey, Lyddford, Okehampton, and the prison in Princetown, which is also worth a visit. You can easily spend several days here!
We also stop at the Postbridge Clapper Bridge, an old bridge from the 13th century, with large granite (clapper) slabs. The loaded horses used this bridge to cross the River East Dart.
Boscastle and surroundings
Boscastle is a small fishing village on the north coast of Cornwall. The slate cottages in a steep valley are situated on a natural inlet. It is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and popular with day trippers. It is located on the South West Coast Path, meaning you can practically start walking straight away.
The village gained great notoriety for the major flooding in 2004. This flood was devastating, but many houses have since been thoroughly repaired and the water management has been improved
Let’s hike!
On the first day, we walk a short distance along the South West Coast Path towards Tintagel, enjoying a beautiful sunset and seeing a wild pony. You can pick up the South West Coast Path anywhere. It’s a total of 1000 km and runs through stunning scenery almost everywhere. We can imagine it might be a bit busier in other seasons…we hardly encounter anyone this time.
The next day, we walk east (via the SWCP) to Pentargon Cliff and waterfall. We have a delicious lunch at Boscastle Farmshop!
At the end of the day, we drive to Tintagel, where we walk to Tintagel Castle at sunset. The remains of this castle lie on a small island off the coast and are connected by several bridges. We arrive after closing time and manage to take some beautiful pictures.
The Strangles
Another lovely walk leads to the Strangles, east of Boscastle. A very rugged, deserted beach with impressive views.
We also walk, in the hail, to Pentire Glaze. Wind force 4 and around 4 degrees. But we enjoy it! Pentire Point and the Rumps. In harsh conditions, which fortunately change quickly. The coast here is also stunning!
Exmoor National Park
After four days in Cornwall, it’s time to head home. We make a short stop in Exmoor National Park, Devon.
Here, we take a walk from Heddon Valley, a green oasis, even in winter, where the birds give a magnificent concert! What a beautiful place! We walk through the valley, along the river and the beautiful bridge, to the coast where we pick up the South West Coast Path again. Unfortunately, there’s not enough time for a circular walk, so we return the same way.
Ponies again here, but this time they’re Exmoor ponies! There’s plenty to see and do in Exmoor National Park. We’ll definitely be back to this beautiful region!
