Things To DO In Westward Ho!

Appledore Quay is a great place to stroll, to go crabbing, to watch the tide, the boats and the changing quality of light. Hockings, the local ice cream, is highly recommended.

Anchor park by the museum is lined with cherry blossom in spring, has a great play area for kids and a field ideal for kicking a ball about. The pirate ship play area, off the main car park also has a skate park attached.

Appledore’s art galleries, shops, pubs and narrow lanes. Stroll to the Lifeboat Station and watch the sunset on a fine day.

Instow - across the water from Appledore, with good pubs and a yacht club. Take the Appledore-Instow Ferry in summer

Tapeley Park near Instow- lovely Italianate garden, walks with great views and walled vegetable garden. Charming café/tearoom.

Braunton Burrows - UNESCO biosphere reserve with huge range of interesting plants and insects amidst the sand dunes

The South West coastal path: clearly marked, good for all ages and abilities

Cycling the Tarka trail towards Torrington or Barnstaple. This is all off-road and completely safe for ‘weekend cyclists’. Bikes can be hired at various places: at East-the-Water side of Bideford old bridge (turn right), Barnstaple train station or Fremington Quay (for a riverside ride, good for a visit in its own right). Look out for leaflets for more information.

Built on the site of an ancient settlement atop an inland cliff with the River Torridge below, Great Torrington is a welcoming market town that enjoys spectacular views, and it's easy to look up the fascinating history online before heading out an exploring the breathtaking scenery.

RHS Rosemoor Garden, nestled in a Devon Valley, blends formal and informal planting to magical effect. Rich in horticultural heritage, this year round beautiful garden offers something for everyone.

Clovelly Village and Gardens is a must. An ancient and privately owned fishing village, perched on a 400ft cliff. The circular walk from Brownsham Woods to Closvelly is breathtaking and makes a pint in the Red Lion even more refreshing.

Taking a dip at Hartland Quay or walking along the coast path towards Speke's Mill Mouth Waterfall where you can carry along to Docton Mill Gardens, an award-winning and very traditional tearooms is a great way to spend a day. On the first Sunday of the month, visit the Hartland Farmers Market and pick up some sourdough and bakes for sustenance.

Hartland Abbey is a cherished home, often shared to star in film and, thankfully, with the public too. The gardens, almost unchanged over the centuries, are a beautiful, peaceful place to visit. Describing the romantic walled gardens, bog garden, fernery, the 'Ladies Walk 'through woodland, carpeted with wild flowers cannot do them justice. Walking to the wild Atlantic Cove, through the woodland walk and past the Gazebo offers some of the most spectacular cliff scenery in the British Isles.

Drive the ‘Atlantic Highway’ coastal route to Bude in Cornwall, watch the surfers or join in amongst it and test out the sea pool. Bude is quirky, full of independent shops and worth seeking out Temple or Electric Bakery for sustenance.

Lynton and Lynmouth, also known as 'Little Switzerland', elegantly connected by the Cliff Railway, the highest and steepest fully water powered Victorian railway in the world! Also encompassing; Valley of the Rocks, Watersmeet and Heddon Valley, this corner of Exmoor is full of stunning scenery, magnificent wildlife, views to remember forever and unique local character.

The scenic Tarka Line train from Barnstaple to Exeter, with its award-winning museum, quayside and cathedral.

A trip to Lundy Island - needs planning because of the tides and its popularity.