South Devon (UK)

Your programme:

Your SPoH host will offer to organise a number of excursions for our single parent families. Below is an outline of activities suggested for your week of stay.

• Mothecombe Beach or South Milton Sands, sandy beaches perfect for rock pooling and sandcastles
• River Dart Country Park, a 90 acre park inside Dartmoor packed with family activities
• local family walk: Long Timber Woods or a walk through the South Hams taking in the views of the coast
• Pennywell Farm with its miniature donkeys and pigs, hedgehogs, ‘funky fowl’, goats, ponies, alpacas, etc.
• inside Dartmoor: see the wild horses as you drive to Widecombe in the Moor for pub lunch, climb Haytor and Bonehill Rocks, sample cream tea at a farm shop in Ullacombe and visit the marble museum.
• Plymouth Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the UK with over 4,000 animals
• Start Bay: Visit Start Point Lighthouse, walk the coastal paths, spot marine wildlife, or visit one of the nearby beaches and coastal towns

Alternatively, you could book an alpaca experience, a steam train ride or a Devon sea safari, visit Sparkwell Zoo, Woodlands Family Theme Park, and much more. The choice is yours!

South Devon – the coast, the South Hams and Dartmoor National Park

Our barns on the edge of Dartmoor, just outside the village of Moorhaven, enjoy unrivalled views of  unspoilt moorland on one side and the rolling South Hams countryside on the other, including views to the sea to the south in the distance. The nearest town is Ivybridge, which is less than 10 minutes away by car.  The ancient town is rich in history with a medieval packhorse bridge that gives the town its name and a number of characterful pubs offering speciality ales from local brewers. It is also the starting point of the Two Moors Way – a long distance walking route to Lynmouth on the North Coast of Exmoor.

From here you can discover the South Devon coastline, with its sandy expanses and stunning secluded coves, rugged cliffs, pretty coastal villages and diverse waterside market towns. You will also find some of the best beaches in the UK here, from sheltered bays to sandy stretches, no two beaches are the same and all offer hours of fun for families.

The South Hams are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty stretching from the southern tip of Dartmoor National Park, to Devon’s south coast. The landscape here is unique and diverse dotted with quaint villages, nature reserves, and historic towns, such as famous Salcombe or Totnes. It is also a paradise for outdoor lovers.

Dartmoor National Park in the north of the South Hams is a vast moorland, and has been protected as a national park since 1951. An area of 954 km² of heather clad moors, steep hills, and rugged tors, it is one of the last great wildernesses in the UK. The region is dotted with pretty villages, abandoned medieval farmhouses, Bronze Age stone circles and castle ruins. The landscape is best known for its wetlands and rock formations (tors), forests, rivers and roaming Dartmoor ponies. Its bottomless mires, craggy tors and thick mists have, no doubt, stirred the imagination of locals over centuries leading to colourful tales of pixies, ghosts and witchcraft, some of which are kept alive today through local tradition and folklore.

South Devon has something for everyone, from gentle walks to steep climbs, hacks over the moor on horseback and cycling, to kayaking and wild swimming. There are lots of outdoor activities and family attractions in and around the area as well as some excellent beaches within easy reach, such as Wembury, Bantham, Bigbury-on-Sea, Mothecombe, and Blackpool Sands.