Holiday rentals in Westward Ho!

The only city in England with an exclamation mark in its name, Westward Ho! was created in the 1860s as a holiday resort for Victorians who had read Charles Kingsley’s novel of the same title. It’s easy to see why they were so keen to come to this stretch of North Devon coast: Its wide, two-mile expanse of sandy shore is separated by a pebble ridge from Northam Burrows Country Park, a stunning 600 acres of grazing land, dunes, and wildlife overlooking the estuary of the rivers Taw and Torridge. The beach is dog-friendly year round, and its waterfront is lined with restaurants. As well as the traditional seaside amusements and arcades, the town has become a hotbed for all kinds of watersports, and includes a reputable surf school. You can still bathe in the tidal seawater pool the Victorians built among the rocks 150 years ago, or play golf at the oldest course in England.

Expect the beach to be at its busiest with holidaymakers in July and August, when temperatures peak and people gather on the beach to hear live music as the sun goes down. Early summer and early autumn are usually warm, too. There’s a National Sandcastle Competition in June, and, in September, a day honouring the town’s most famous literary resident, Rudyard Kipling. The Burrows are beautiful in spring, when their rare plant life is in bloom, and in autumn the heathland is alive with colour. But the coast is a dramatic sight, and a wonderful walking and cycling destination, any time of year. Come for New Year and you’ll witness the town’s famous (and freezing) Fancy Dress Dip in the sea on New Year’s Day!

The Skern

If you’ve brought a pair of wellies, this area of salt marsh, sandbars, and mudflats is something a bit different from the rest of the Northam Burrows landscape. Its horseshoe-shaped bay, accessed by the South West Coast Path, is a rich habitat for wading birds and a great place for spotting golden plovers, kingfishers, and skylarks, among other species.

Cornborough Cliffs

It’s an easy, wheelchair-accessible 1.5-mile trip along a former railway line to this spectacular viewpoint across Bideford Bay. Backed by heathland and surrounded by birdlife, it looks out to the charming neighbouring village of Clovelly as well as the jagged outline of Hartland Point.

Instow Beach

A community-run seasonal ferry runs across the River Torridge between the villages of Appledore and Instow. The journey is only five minutes, but offers a lovely way to take in the estuary and reach the expansive tidal sands and sheltered waters of Instow Beach. It’s not a swimming beach but rather more suited for walking, building sandcastles, and playing games such as volleyball and cricket.