[Closed] holiday location recommendations north cornwall / devon area

I regularly stay at Croyde but surf at Saunton.
Woolacombe is bit more of a town and the beach is amazing. Bideford is OK and has the river running through it if you want to go paddle boarding. Its also on the Tarka Trail if you fancy a scenic nice flat ride. To be fair, I love anywhere in North Devon apart from Westward Ho! which we visited for about half an hour then left because it seems to have turned into Costa Del Ho!

We'll braunton is quick to barnstaple and to the saunton croyde etc has some food and cafes etc. Valley of the rocks not far, lynmouth and all that jazz. Day drip to Lundy island.

Head down the coast to Bude. Inland to Exmoor.

My father in-law is Fife and we are Dorset so similar drive to you. We always try to do a stop halfway for day to mix it up any plans to do similar? Could do somewhere in the peaks or Shrewsbury or similar.

Thanks for those ideas searches are underway.
TheBrick yeah we were planning to stop either at my brothers place in the south lakes but that’s maybe not far enough down so possibly somewhere around Cotswolds.
Braunton/Croyde/woolacombe all good ideas.
Might also look into campsites but 2 dogs makes it a bit more challenging to find somewhere okay.
Cheers

Maybe look at Ilfracombe? It's a bigger town, and a bit more "interesting" than Barnstaple imho. Seems to have cheered up in recent years too. Not far from most places mentioned above (but thankfully quite a long way from Westward Ho!).

Ilfracombe is on the up just avoid the spoons.
https://warcombefarm.co.uk/ if you have dogs I've been going there for more than 20 years it's spotless 3mins to the beach. Woolacoombe beach is fantastic one section is closed to dogs all year but the dunes area by the the old coast road car park is better anyway the car park is ran by the council 5 pounds all day come and go as you please just keep your ticket. Park half way up by the cafe hut as it's easier to get to the sea through the dunes less steps.
I will be honest I'm sitting in woolacoombe now work/hols type affair.
They have won the Times beach of the year 2021 I think,somethings not right with the place it's not as chilled as I remember but I do have a stinking head cold so it might be me.
Lee is great. The best beaches are hidden around watermouth castle tbf not sandy or patroled by life guards but ace.
Inland Devon is empty and fantastic for walking

TheBrick yeah we were planning to stop either at my brothers place in the south lakes but that’s maybe not far enough down so possibly somewhere around Cotswolds.

Yeah I think you want something in between the two tbh. Some nice areas in the boarders.

Might not be as town-y as you want but we have been to lynton / lynmouth a couple of times.

It has some *awesome* riding if you know where to look

We stayed in Combe Martin last year, tiny little town though so most likely not what you want. I heavily recommend the Broadsands beach nearby on the north coast (not the big one on the south). If you have to park on a side road near a hotel and walk for 20 minutes you've got the right one.

Ilfracombe did seem alright for the half hour we were in it though, bit busy but it was high season then.

Strewth, thing must have changed if Ilfracombe is getting a better rating than Westward Ho!

The Ho has changed and not not really for the best in a lot of ways. The apartment blocks are shite I agree but lot of positives elsewhere, good food, pubs etc.
Pier House, Tea on The Green, and above all Hocking's Ice Cream!

You should have tried living there in the late 80's, properly run down.

We camped at Ultimate Adventure a few years ago, could be worth a look.
There was also a fantastic campsite in Hartland, almost on the cliff edge (don't worry it was kid safe!) Stoke Barton Farm it's called.

I was back a month or so ago and went to Lynton and Lynmouth and loved it. Probably not been there in 30 years but would go back in a heartbeat!

Bude!!
Cracking town, plenty of choice for beaches, quick trip down to Bodmin moor, loads of great cafe, bars, restaurants & camp sites. Plenty of live music in the bars.
Canal & Tamar lakes for paddle boarding.
I moved down here from N Devon 6 years ago and much prefer it.
Just a much better community feel to it vs. N Devon.

Much the same as other people's suggestions:

We stay in the area at least twice a year usually. Braunton is a cracking little place. Bike shop too. Close to Saunton for what is I reckon one of the best beaches anywhere but also within a very short drive of Barnstaple, Woolacombe, Ilfracombe etc and not much further to the likes of Bideford, Appledore, Instow, Westward Ho! etc. Braunton itself has everything - Tesco, top notch chippy, some nice shops etc. We usually rent a house when in the area, never camped around there but loads of options.

Otherwise, a bit bigger but Bude. Another place we love. More great beaches, the canal if you want to paddleboard, nice places to eat/shop and easy access to lovely countryside. Cafe at Widemouth Bay beach is a belter for lunch. Only 45mins or so from the likes of Padstow as well for when you want to brave the hoards but its worth a trip. Only 45 mins to Dartmoor too for a total change of scenery. For accommodation, Wooda Farm just outside Bude has become our go-to. Static caravans, few lodges and camping but really well equipped site, loads of stuff for the kids to do (golf, fishing lake, I think theres actually a bike track through the woods but never done it, footy field, playground etc). Only 10 min drive into the centre of Bude.

Love that part of the coast. Was down there at Easter, we're back in August and again to Wooda Farm in October... can't get enough of it.

thanks all, some really good recommendations there.

I think we'll look at Woolacombe and the Bude options mentioned and we've decided we're going to camp rather than be in a town. Just got to hope the weather's kind that week as I've been promising the kids the weather in England is always better than Scotland and at least 10degs warmer :-)) even the Fife Riviera....
Can't wait to get a cream tea (devon style first week cornish the second) and a pint or two of the south wests finest ales

cheers

It’ll be great in north Devon as is very beautiful whatever the weather. If you’re here in August it’s the second wettest month after December here so bring your brolly or just get in the sea!

Woolacombe is a little cheaper than Croyde/Saunton. Worth going just for the Sri Lankan curry on Barricane beach and the cream cakes in the Mortehoe NT tea shop.

good stuff we're there beginning of July, 3-9th then off to Cornwall for a week in an air bnb rental. Some rain will be fine just not all the time!

The curry shack on Barricane beach (late afternoon service only) and Hockings ice cream are both excellent shouts 👍.

Reading with interest. A friend and family are staying at Cloud Farm Campsite near Lynton which looks awesome. But I don’t drive so it might be a bit isolated for me and the boy(6)

Cloud farm is nice but it’s in the middle of nowhere. It’s a lovely walk down to lynmouth but it’s about 10km.

Braunton/Croyde/Saunton. These places have got busier and busier over the years. Absolutely bombed out with lifestyle vehicles!

Not Westward Ho or Barnstable (shithole) though. Is Crabby Dicks (funny name that's about it) still there?

Go to Bude.
Wife's daughter lives there, has done since last August, says it's great.
Free holidays for us!*

*If so desired, but Cornwall's not our gig.

Crabbies has recently reopened I believe.

I lived in Bude for a few years, its OK for a holiday but is a ghost town & always very windy Sept to Easter.

Crabby Dicks is in Bideford & a shadow of its heyday 20+ years ago.

https://www.braddicks.com/crabby-dicks-central-bar/

If you are going to North Devon then choose your time carefully if you need to get through Braunton as it can be a nightmare if the traffic is heavy.

Barnstable? never heard of it - Barnstaple on the other hand is not really a holiday town but where the A361 & A39 junction is to spit off to N Devon or N Cornwall.

I can't say the apartment blocks at Westward Ho! are lovely but I could imagine living in one looking out down that massive long beach towards Saunton could be appealing.
The little centre is much nicer now than it was 10 years or so ago with nice places to eat and the like. Plus the beach at Northam Burrows has a very reasonably priced car park with a massive space to play in and a nice new visitor centre / cafe at the other end. I may be biased as it is one of my favourite kitesurfing spots but I think Westward Ho! is getting somewhat unfairly slated...
Second the comment about traffic through Braunton. That place is almost supernaturally able to get snarled up.
Cloud Farm is a lovely campsite btw.

If you do want to go for a long walk up the beach at Saunton, rather than paying a million quid to park by the beach shop, pay about £1 to go along the toll road at Crow Point and park for free. It's right at the other end of the beach and very few people seem to go there.