Having people to stay has definitely given us the excuse to get out and explore our local area a bit more, instead of simply ploughing through the job list. We’re gradually working our way west along the coast – one of our recent trips was to Sidmouth, a beautiful coastal town about 35 minutes’ drive from us.
We actually started at Salcombe and walked to Sidmouth, going through a beautiful forest and then joining the cliff path, with stunning views along the coast back to Seaton and then as we got closer, overlooking Sidmouth, before we dropped down into the town itself. As the town is positioned at the bottom of a valley carved out by huge ancient glaciers, it was a steep walk down and back up again later. Well worth it for the views though (and burning off the ice-cream calories!!).
Sidmouth is one of the more beautiful coastal towns we’ve visited, full of old streets and historic shops and buildings with blue plaques – as well as lovely independent shops everywhere crammed with holiday gifts. A couple of the shops looked like they even had the original shopfront signs remaining. The seafront is lined with old resort hotels built in the Regency period, and there’s an ice-cream shop seemingly on every street – particularly welcome in the hot weather! There are several pubs and bars dotted around the town centre, although not all allow dogs in, so worth checking and booking a table if you’re taking a furry friend – we visited the Swan Inn and were glad we booked in advance!
The main pebble beach (no dogs during the summer months) has a path leading around the red sandstone cliffs, and continuing up the hill takes you to Mutter’s Moor with beautiful views down to Exmouth and beyond. We then took a path around the edge of the golf course and back through the western part of the town, into the centre.
It’s amazing just how different each of our nearby coastal towns are – and how much they have to offer. They’re certainly worth leaving the jobs for another day!
Ley Farm Cottages 