Our first guest blog: Branscombe, Beer, and Seaton Wetlands Centre

This week we’ve got a new feature! Until now, my parents have only ever visited and spent their weekends doing jobs with us, but for the first time since we moved, they stayed and actually went out for the day! So we decided to celebrate this by asking them to write a guest blog of their adventures :-) 

About half an hour’s drive from Yarcombe lies the pretty town of Beer. We visited on a sunny weekday and arrived quite early; the car park near the harbour was already full but 650 yards up a nearby hill was the cliff car park, a large grass area with plenty of space. 

From there, we walked to Branscombe along the high coastal path and enjoyed fantastic views along the coastline all the way. As the tide was in, we returned the same way and then walked down to the picturesque town, harbour and pebble beach to explore. There was a lovely holiday atmosphere – cafes on the beach, upturned fishing boats and lobster pots, streets full of character and plenty of tourist shops. 

The walk back up the hill to the car park was harder than coming down, but a delicious Devon ice cream helped! We took our time and admired the allotments at the side of the road along the way – had we come later in the summer they’d be bursting with vegetables ready to pick. 

In the afternoon we drove on to Seaton (further up the coast from Beer) to visit the Wetland Centre. This nature reserve consists of a number of lagoons and marshes along the tidal estuary of the River Axe, and is home to a wide range of geese, ducks and wading birds. Allegedly kingfishers also frequent the area but, if true, they sadly kept well out of our way.  

Although not the best time of year for visiting a bird reserve, there were still plenty of residents, and five hides from which to view them. The most picturesque one was situated on an island in the middle of the largest lagoon, accessible over an elevated walkway and offering 360 degree panoramic views of the whole reserve. With four kilometres of footpaths and boardwalks linking the hides, a visit provides healthy exercise as well as a feast of birdlife. As an added bonus, the track of the Seaton tramway runs alongside the boundary of the reserve and operates a regular service of rides with its narrow gauge, historic trams, and offering passengers lovely views across the reserve. 

Then it was time to head back to Yarcombe where a very welcome G&T was waiting for us!