Following our stay in Leeds, our journey to Little Meadow Campsite, North Devon, took us just over 5 hours. This would be our first time in North Devon but we had researched this campsite. Its reviews were very positive but until you actually see for yourself, you are always cautious. Our trip from Leeds, post-Airbnb and Festival, had been straight forward and we arrived in good time. Once checked in, we were directed to our pitch. The campsite is situated on a hill but has been cleverly landscaped to create small areas of around 8 pitches to the left and right of the small road running up the centre. Each of these sections has lovely views of the sea below. We were pitched in the section that was first right and it was perfect. The campsite has a lovely quiet feel to it. Well maintained and with facilities that fit in with the surroundings.

It wasn’t long before we were soon all pitched up with our oversized Airbeam tent and only a short walk to the coast. And relax! We were pitched next to a friendly couple who informed us that they had camped several times in North Devon before but the weather had been poor and this was their best year yet. For those of you who camp regularly, you may be familiar with the situation I am about to describe. It goes something like this – you strike up a sociable conversation with your neighbours, you assess their personalities and decide if you like them or not, you try balance giving them privacy or being to sociable and in the end, giving them privacy usually becomes the choice. That’s what happened on this occasion and thinking back on it, we probably missed out on getting to know a nice couple. We have decided to be more proactive and try to get to know fellow campers, in future!

The location was also perfect but there is no local pub and we had to wait until we were out walking before we discovered the The Sandy Cove Hotel, about 1.5 miles away. It is a nice place for a drink, with stunning views across the Bristol Channel.

There is also a coastal walk, part of the South West Coast Path, from the Campsite to Ilfracombe, so we decided to explore it. Unfortunately, this particular stretch was overgrown and difficult to follow but it all added to the adventure. It was another scorcher of a day and Ilfracombe looked every bit the seaside resort. With its picturesque harbour and nearby cliffs, it made our pleasant walk even more so. You will find many photo opportunities as you stroll around the horseshoe shaped sandy beach, with stranded boats, waiting for the tide to come in.

There is a short walk from the campsite to the picturesque Watermouth Harbour and the striking looking Watermouth Castle that turned out to be a theme park, which took us by surprise.

Just opposite the castle is a path that is part of the South West Coast Path, taking you passed another campsite, Watermouth Valley Camping Park which was a lot busier than ours but is a perfect location for Watermouth Castle. Once passed this campsite, you reach a viewpoint looking down on Broadsands Beach. This view is well worth the walk and if you are feeling energetic, you can take the 202 steep steps down to the cove below. We were fortunate to have it all to ourselves, which added to the atmosphere of our surroundings. That said, obviously due to the steep climb back up, there is a section full of rubbish. Dropped by lazy and thoughtless visitors!

We took a drive East, along the Bristol Channel coast, to take a ride on the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway joining the twin towns of Lynton and Lynmouth, separated by a steep cliff. It’s an engineering marvel, making use of two carriages as counterweights. Thus, enabling each carriage to make the decent from Lynton to Lynmouth. This was a short but enjoyable trip that gave us a taste of a bygone era.   

We would also recommend a tranquil walk along the East Lyn River. Location of the Lynrock mineral factory. The factory was destroyed in the flood of 1952 when 23cm of rain fell in one day. Altogether 34 people died, 93 buildings were demolished and thousands of people were left homeless.

This walk takes you out of Lynton and into a pleasant woodland walk that’s not too taxing but we had picked one of the hottest days of the year and were glad to stumbled across a perfect spot for refreshments and shelter from the hot summers day, The Lodge at Myrtleberry, before heading back the way we came. We would recommend this walk, which was no more than 4 miles round trip and full of interesting things to see along the way. One such interesting photo opportunity is a tree with its bark covered in coins. All inserted into the bark, via their edges, possibly hammered in for some unknown reason but very unusual looking.

The following day, we headed west along the coast towards Croyde for a day at the beach and we were not disappointed. There is plenty of ‘beach’ choice – Woolacombe Beach, Croyde Beach and Saunton Sands. With large expanses of soft sand, Surf Life Saving Club and cafes, it’s perfect for a relaxing day at the beach. If you are needing to stretch your legs, the South West Coast Path passes by with local signage directing you to viewpoints and points of interest. During our walk along this coastline, we stumbled across the Barricane Beach Cafe, down some boardwalk stairs and onto a sheltered cove. At first, we thought the sand was brilliant white but it was actually made from shells, many of them crushed underfoot which gave it a fine brilliant white effect. The coffee wasn’t too bad either!

North Devon is a lovely part of the world and we will definitely return as there is so much more to explore.