Best of Britain: South Devon

One of the most surprising things about moving to Birmingham has been the sheer amount of people that know and love my seaside hometown in South Devon. This appreciation of the area is eternalised by the street names in Selly Oak; Dawlish, Teignmouth, and Exeter are all places I grew up in. Visitors understandably tend to gravitate towards these more well-known towns, and for good reason as they are all geographically beautiful as well as being accessible along the only coastal trainline in England. However, if you are planning a visit to South Devon anytime soon and want to explore some gorgeous but lesser-known areas, then I have a few recommendations you may love.

One of my favourite towns in Devon is Totnes, a historic market town home to a Norman castle and easily accessible by train. It is situated along the River Dart and has many pubs and picnic areas at the river edge, which are especially beautiful in the sun. The high street is full of shops which are widely known for being ‘hippie’ and intriguing, as well as having some of the best charity shops in the area. There is a tiny cinema tucked in between two shops on the high street which I highly recommend – it shows just two screenings a day, and acts as a café for the rest of the time. If you visit on Saturdays there’s a lovely food market in the main square, which has wonderful curry (and if you visit near Christmas there is a great Christmas market on Tuesdays).

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The high street is full of shops which are widely known for being ‘hippie’ and intriguing, as well as having some of the best charity shops in the area

Teignmouth is a great choice if you are looking for somewhere to spend an evening, and it is also easily accessible by train. The seafront and shops are nice, but my favourite part is the more private back beach and the numerous pubs surrounding it. During holidays there is live music on most nights, which creates a very ambient feeling. Even when it’s busy, it feels incredibly peaceful as people spread out with their drinks along the sand, or perch on walls overlooking the river Teign and the opposite village of Shaldon. Shaldon itself is a great place to visit for a wander – there is an old smuggler’s tunnel leading to a hidden pebble beach by the cliffs, as well as a small zoo that can result in some incongruous monkey sounds being heard when walking along the beach.

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Even when it’s busy, it feels incredibly peaceful as people spread out with their drinks along the sand, or perch on walls overlooking the river Teign and the opposite village of Shaldon

If you are looking for somewhere more nature heavy then I would suggest Dartmoor, a large national park situated a little more inland. It is hard to recommend specific areas of Dartmoor as it is all so beautiful, although you will realistically need a car to visit it – public transport is unreliable on the moors. Foggintor Quarry is a beautiful place that tends to not get as busy as the more popular tors but is perfect for a medium length walk. There is also a small village called Widecombe which is a great place to start and end a walk of any distance, and has multiple good places for lunch, my favourite being the Rugglestone Inn.

Perhaps the most gorgeous place in Dartmoor is Wistman’s wood, one of Britain’s last temperate rainforests. It is a bit of a walk to get there from the small car park, but it is incredibly worth it – every time I visit, I feel as though I have entered another world. It is full of ancient, wizened trees and massive rocks covered in a thick layer of lichen and moss, which it is best to avoid touching to protect the landscape. If you only have time to visit one place in Devon, this would be my top recommendation.

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