The East Devon Way - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

A foxglove logo marks the 40 mile (64km) route of the East Devon Way linking the beautiful countryside of gentle rolling hills that lies inland between Lyme Regis and Exmouth. Some of the route enjoys spectacular views as it crosses open heathland and passes through ancient woodlands, while other sections follow the sides of streams allowing the opportunity to appreciate the wide variety of flora and fauna to be enjoyed in this hidden region of the English countryside.

The East Devon Way was developed in 1991 to encourage access to the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, allowing those keen to explore the wonderful scenery an easily identified route. The Way can be broken up into day long walks utilising the local bus services or there are a number of circular walks that can be followed.  An official guide is available from Tourist Information Centres in East Devon.

The crowd gathers in anticipation...

In they go...brave or foolhardy? It's all in a good cause though...

A quick dip...

And out they come...well done!

The ‘Lyme Lunge’ on New Year’s Day was a fantastic success - a fancy dress ’swim’  for charity organised by Lyme Regis Rotary. Book your spot for next year!

The Jurassic Coast around Lyme Bay

We have featured the following walks previously in our blog but we think it’s worth highlighting these two wonderful walks again. If you have over-indulged over the festive season get out your hat, gloves and walking boots and enjoy a walk along the beautiful Jurassic Coast while burning off those extra calories.

East Devon – from Beer to Branscombe
One of our favourite forms of exercise is a bracing two mile walk along the East Devon coast between Beer and Branscombe. But be warned, a head for heights will come in handy! This walk is quite strenuous but you will enjoy the most fantastic views across the open seas.

There is large car park at Beer Head and this is the starting point for the walk. Head west out along the relatively level white cliffs of Beer Head and enjoy the views to Portland Bill in one direction and Torbay in the other. On your walk you will pass the spectacular chasm of Under Hooken that was created in 1790 when part of the cliff broke away and slipped down. Follow the well-maintained path on to Branscombe Mouth. This is the spot where the container ship MSC Napoli was shipwrecked in 2007 and this became national news as crowds flocked to the beach in a re-creation of ‘Whisky Galore’. Tranquility has now returned to this beautiful part of the coastline.

The village of Branscombe is a short way inland from Branscombe mouth and is spread out along a long winding road. There are two pubs in the village, The Masons Arms, which is closest and the Fountain Head, which is at the far end of the village – both are well worth a visit. You can enjoy at your leisure a locally brewed Branscombe ale before you head back to Beer.

West Dorset – Stonebarrow , Golden Cap and Seatown
Golden Cap, at 191 metres above sea level, is the highest point on the Jurassic Coast and gets its name from its distinctive yellow sandstone summit. Do yourself a favour and have a wonderful day out walking to the summit of Golden Cap and slightly beyond to Seatown. Good walking shoes are strongly recommended.

Start at the National Trust car park at Stonebarrow, near Charmouth and then head east and follow the route to Seatown, it’s about 2 miles. The views are stunning, both out to sea and inland. The route can be steep and quite challenging at times, but it’s well worth it – especially when you reach the summit at Golden Cap. And now here’s the bonus – on arrival at Seatown you can visit the Anchor Inn, nestled below Golden Cap. The food’s very good and the local real ale is a treat. Having spent a relaxing hour enjoying lunch you can then burn off the calories on the walk back – perfect!

Ice skating in Exeter

Why not indulge in the delights of a small town Christmas and visit Lyme Regis over the festive period. On Wednesday the 23^rd (from 7:00pm) and Thursday the 24^th of December (from 10:30am) the town band performs carols around the Christmas tree in Broad Street. The Christmas lighting on Broad Street is always delightful and it’s the perfect place to find a few last-minute Christmas presents in the wide selection of small independent shops.  If you have children to entertain you could pay a visit to the Marine Theatre in the town to see their production of ‘Nickolai of the North’ running from the 18^th of December to the 3^rd of January. This Christmas treat for all the family tells the tale of young Santa set to music.

For more fun with the kids visit Father Christmas in the beautiful setting of Bicton Park Botanical Gardens in East Devon. Meet Father Christmas in his grotto on the following dates: Sat 5th, Sun 6th, Sat 12th, Sun 13th, Sat 19th, Sun 20th, Mon 21st, Tues 22nd & Wed 23rd December between 11:30am & 4:30pm and on Christmas Eve between 11:30am & 2:00pm. You can also stroll around the stunning grounds and discover the wonderful glass houses and the children’s play area.

Why not combine fun with the kids and some serious Christmas shopping in Exeter city centre. The Exeter Christmas Ice Rink is located in the heart of the city, next to the bus station and there are themed sessions and refreshments are available. Enjoy family fun with toddlers’ bob skates and push-along penguin cars as well as carol singing sessions. For the first time ever there is a traditional German Market running for four weeks in Exeter’s Sidwell Street, from Monday 27th November to Saturday 23rd December.  There will be a carol service around a magnificent Christmas tree outside Exeter Cathedral on Monday 4th December.

Holiday cottages for Christmas

Christmas swim at Charmouth

Why not enjoy a Christmas break and do your Christmas shopping away from the hectic pressure of a big city high street. The attractive county town of Dorchester hosts a traditional Christmas parade with Father Christmas and his helpers on Wednesday the 2^nd of December. The town’ shops and businesses join in the Christmas spirit and there is live music and entertainment from 5:30pm. Festive stalls, chestnuts and mulled wine will get you in the mood for some relaxed Christmas shopping. There is free parking in the town centre from 4:30pm.

On Wednesday the 9^th of December Bridport’s Christmas Festival and late night shopping kicks off with craft, food and charity stalls, a farmers market and Santa’s Grotto. Music and entertainment will add to the festive feeling – things get started at around 6:00pm.

If you are in the Briport area don’t forget to have look at the Christmas Tree Festival. This wonderful exhibition of 65 decorated and illuminated trees is in its 11^th year. Each tree with a different theme is donated by a charity or a local community group. The festival runs from the 9^th to 16^th of December in the Bridport United Church in East Street and admission if free.

For those of a more hardy nature how about enjoying a festive sea swim! You could start off with the Fancy Dress Swim in aid of the RNLI on Christmas Day morning in Charmouth (11:00am) and then try The West Bay Wallow, a charity fancy dress swim off East Beach in West Bay which happens at midday on Boxing Day. Of course if you’re not feeling that hardy you can just enjoy the fun as a spectator and help to support a worthy cause!

An aerial view of Corfe Castle

Corfe Castle is a fortification situated in the heart of the ‘Isle of Purbeck’, Dorset standing above the village of the same name. The original castle was wooden dating back to the 9th Century and was rebuilt in 1106 with Purbeck stone.

Corfe Castle is one of England’s most majestic ruins. With a long and eventful history, the castle is strategically positioned in a gap between the Purbeck Hills – the perfect spot for defending inland Dorset from attack by sea. With a history dating back to ‘Ethelred the Unready’ the site of the Castle was a royal fortress for over 600 years. An interactive exhibition at the visitor centre details many stories of treachery and treason associated with the castle’s history. The Purbeck estate in which the castle stands covers about 8,000 acres of the Isle of Purbeck and includes extensive stretches of fascinating Dorset coastline.

The castle ruins are set on top of a steep chalk mound, surrounded by a defensive ditch. The original Outer Gatehouse welcomes visitors to this site that was once known as ‘the most secure of all English Castles’. There are magnificent views over the surrounding countryside from this picturesque and romantic ruin that has been enjoyed by tourists since Victorian times.

The Exeter Ship Canal

If you are looking for a relaxing walk or cycle with a difference why not try the visiting The Exeter Ship Canal which runs for 5.3 miles from its basin in Exeter to the River Exe at Turf. The River Exe is popular with rowers and canoeists, walkers and anglers and both commercial and leisure boats. The huge variety of birdlife makes it a popular destination for birdwatchers too.

The Riverside Valley Park follows the Exeter Ship Canal and offers a variety of long and short walks. A pleasant stroll of one and a half miles will take you along the canal basin to the Double Locks Pub where you can stop for some refreshments. If you fancy venturing a little further the two and half miles between the pub and Topsham Lock Keepers Cottage includes the Double Locks, the Devon Wildlife Trust Reserve, the River Exe and the historic village of Topsham. Continuing a further one and a half miles will take you to the Turf Hotel, passing by the estuary mud flats, the Turf Lock Hotel (for more refreshments!) and Exminster Marshes. There are car parks for walkers at various points along the canal.

Cycling is permitted along the entire length of the footpath, 11 miles in total, starting at the Quay in Exeter and taking you through the Riverside Valley Park. It’s a leisurely route for cyclists of all standards and with lots of wildlife to see along route is particularly popular with young families. A shorter seven mile canal trail is also available. If you haven’t got your bikes with you cycles can be hired in Exeter.

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

On the outskirts of Abbotsbury village (one of the prettiest villages in Dorset) you will find Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens – magnificent Victorian walled gardens set in 20 acres of woodland valley.

The gardens were established in 1765 by the first Countess of Ilchester as a kitchen garden for her nearby castle and have since been the site of many plant introductions to this country. The first camellias introduced to Britain in 1792 are now magnificent tree groves! The unique micro climate enables rare and exotic species from all over the world to thrive here. At the heart of the gardens is the Colonial Teahouse with its splendid veranda which overlooks the sunken garden. There is also a very well stocked plant centre, a gift shop, a children’s play area and free car parking. A viewing point in the Garden, at the top of the Magnolia Walk, offers stunning views of West Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.

From 14^th October through to 1^st November you can enjoy the gardens at night – you can stroll along the garden pathways and through enchanted glades, illuminated by candle light. Lights go on at dusk until 8:30pm. The full walk takes about 40 minutes but there is a shorter route for the less fit and wheelchair users, if required.

Burning barrels at Ottery St. Mary

‘So tell me again, you hoist a barrel with flames pouring out of it, onto your shoulders and you run through the streets of the town…’ Hard to believe, I know – but for residents of one east Devon town this is a loved tradition.

Every year on November 5th flaming tar barrels are carried through the streets of Ottery St Mary to the delight of thousands of townsfolk and visitors. Ottery St. Mary is internationally renowned for its Tar Barrel tradition which is hundreds of years old. The exact origins of the tradition are unknown but probably started after the gunpowder plot of 1605. Various alternative reasons suggested for burning barrels have included fumigation of cottages and as a warning of the approach of the Spanish Armada.

Each of Ottery’s central pubs sponsors a single barrel. In the weeks prior to event the barrels are soaked with tar. On the day the barrels are lit outside each of the pubs in turn and once the flames begin to pour out, they are hoisted up onto local people’s backs and shoulders and carried through the streets of the town. The streets and alleys around the pubs are packed with people. Seventeen barrels in total are lit over the course of the evening. In the afternoon and early evening there are women’s and boy’s barrels, but as the evening progresses the barrels get larger and by midnight they weigh at least 30 kilos. In most cases, generations of the same family carry the barrels and take great pride in doing so.

It is an incredible night to remember and if you are in the area you simply have to see it to believe it. One of the biggest bonfires in the South West is ignited on the banks of the beautiful River Otter providing an impressive background to the whole occasion.

The following holiday cottages are near to Ottery St. Mary:
The Old Chapel (FB101) – sleeps 2
Bantam Cottage (OM201) – sleeps 4
Ixworth Cottage (OM202) – sleeps 4