The “little white town” of Bideford is a lovely coastal village close to River Hall. It’s the perfect spot to potter about and treat yourselves to an ice cream. Along the coast, the villages of Appledore and Clovelly are picture perfect English seaside villages.
At Westward Ho! there are two miles of wonderful sandy beach where you can enjoy swimming, surfing, canoeing and kite surfing. The South West Coastal Path and the Tarka Trail are close by – a must for cyclists and walkers. Try out a few watersports at Croyde Bay, part of the beautiful heritage coastline of North Devon and one of the UK’s favourite surfing beaches.
Croyde village is a charming hamlet of thatched cottages with many places to eat, buy gifts and great for hiring beach equipment and wetsuits. Lying at the entrance to the Taw-Torridge Estuary, Braunton Burrows is one of the most important sand dune systems in Britain and forms the core of a Biosphere Reserve. And it’s a lot of fun to explore.
A short drive away is Saunton Sands, one of Devon’s most memorable beaches, Saunton Sands is an impressive expanse of flat sand stretching for three miles backed by massive sand dunes and very popular with families and surfers.
You can happily spend your holiday playing and relaxing on the beaches and in the fishing villages of the North Devon coast. Digging sandcastles, hunting in rock pools, catching crabs. This is what the British seaside holiday is all about.
Head to the the beach, enjoy a spot of sailing out on the open water or treat the children to surfing lessons at one of the UK’s top surfing beaches. For a trip out, pick your way through the Mystery Maze or hop aboard the Pirate Galleon at the Discovery Island Adventure Park. Or spend an afternoon at The Big
Sheep, enjoying sheep racing, lamb feeding sessions, pets corner, twister, tractor, train and piggy rides, mountain boarding and much more. Or head inland and enjoy a day hunting with North Devon Falconry. You can learn a little about how to handle this magnificent bird of prey, under the safe and watchful eye of one of the expert falconers.
River Hall is set in an incredible location just a few miles from the spectacular beaches of the Atlantic coast. There are beaches galore to choose from and pretty villages to explore. And plenty of great pubs a short drive from the house. Enjoy an afternoon stroll along the South West Coastal path, you will see some spectacular views.
Lathwells in Bideford offers a private dining room for celebration groups. They pride themselves on using the freshest, local produce – every dish is hand-made from scratch, many of their vegetables are grown by local gardeners and they serve fish caught by local fishermen wherever possible.
Play a round of golf at Saunton Sands Golf Club. It is widely regarded as one of the top links courses in the country. The magnificent course follows the dramatic UNESCO protected Burrows site along the shoreline. Take to the skies with a high ropes session at The Ultimate High, just a short drive from The River House, they have a wide variety of adrenaline fuelled adventures for you to tackle.
