We are planning on a 2 day "loop" around Devon. Can anyone suggest a base of operations? We are picking a car up in Bath, and will return it to Bath. We are interested in Devon only, and realize two days is not much time, so need to know the "don't miss" areas of Devon. What town is pretty and in a good location for our tour?
Thank you in advance
Posted by
2403 posts
You can't 'do' Devon in 2 days - it is a big county and once off the M5, many roads are bendy & slow going. I presume that you are spending 1 night in Devon - that being so, it would need to be at the furthest extent of your loop from Bath.
I think you have 2 options:>
1. Leave Bath heading for Wells - park & take a look around the area by the cathedral. Leave Wells and head via Glastonbury for Taunton where you join M5 (like an interstate) .Shoot down the M5 & A38 to south Devon (South Hams) leaving expressway at Buckfastleigh & head for Totnes = worth a walk around the main street. Then head SW on A381 to Kingsbridge & continue to Salcombe = lovely estuary side small town & popular yachting centre. FIND ACCOMODATION IN THIS AREA =furthest point out from Bath. More info here on this part of Devon:> http://www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/explore-south-devon/south-hams
On day 2 (of Option 1) you head back to Kingsbridge & take A379 to Torcross & follow this road alongside Start Bay - see memorial to American & Canadians killed here in war. Next - visit Dartmouth =http://www.discoverdartmouth.com
Leave Dartmouth on A3122 to head back via Totnes to expressway for Exeter. (Not advised to ferry across estuary at Dartmouth & go via Torquay = very congested & not particularly scenic). Exeter is worth a visit but it can be congested getting in and out. (You can always loop around the city on the M5). Now head back to Bath the way you came. However, if you have time, you could take A3052 eastward & take a look at Sidmouth before continuing east to Beer = lovely village with stream in middle and a pebbly beach with white chalk cliffs. From here, you could head back across country to Bath. Montacute House (nerar Yeovil) - which you would pass near - is worth a visit.http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/montacute-house/
Option 2 would be to do north Devon (& Somerset). As Option 1 via Wells but this time head for Bridgewater & follow A39 to Dunster (well worth a visit) & then Minehead. You now enter the Exmoor National Park - visit Selworthy - about 2 miles W of Minehead.
http://www.visit-exmoor.co.uk
Continue on A39 - which has some very steep hills. Visit Lynmouth . You could go via Combe Martin to Illfracombe = Victorian in character or cut through to Barnstaple = very bendy road = A39. You will probably need accommodation in this area for 1 night or maybe Bideford. If you have time on Day 1 - try and visit Clovelly. http://www.devon-online.com/towns/clovelly/Welcome.asp
Option 2 Day 2. Start heading back for Bath via a circuitous route. Consider visiting Rosemoor Gardens at Great Torrington:>
https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor
Then head for Exeter & follow as I said for Option 1. http://visitexeter.co.uk
Of course, you could try and do a combination of Options 1 & 2 - but that would be pushing it. If you did do this, you would probably have to skip south east Devon (Sidmouth & Beer) & just shoot straight back up the M5 to Bath. (You would still have to cut across country via Wells).
Posted by
Florida, USA
27 posts
We spent some time in Devon last year to visit my husband's uni town of Exeter. I really enjoyed our time there. There's a nice cathedral in the middle of town as well as parts of the old Roman road. We even took a drive out to Dawlish for the day to see the beach and the town. Dawlish was adorable with birds and a creek cutting through the center of town. On our way back to Exeter we stopped at the Starcross train station and had the best fish and chips overlooking the River Exe.
I'm sure locals can give you a better idea of where to travel in the area. Two days is not much so I would focus on one town or area.
Posted by
OP
Barrington, Illinois, USA
4 posts
Thank You James for your detailed options for the Devon portion of our trip.
We are now doing our homework. I so appreciate this travel forum and the time you took to answer our questions
Pam
Posted by
High Wycombe, Bucks, United Kingdom
70 posts
As an ex-Plymothian, might I suggest yet another alternative? Head down from Bath to Exeter early doors, have a look around the city (the Cathedral's nice), then head down to Plymouth over the moor via Moretonhampstead, stopping at Warren Inn for late lunch or just a drink (coffee for the driver, of course) and a stretch of the legs, in the middle of the high moor. Carry on down through Postbridge (not forgetting to stop for a look at the old clapper bridge!) to Yelverton and on to Plymouth, then stop the night there. Lots to see in Plymouth the following morning - Smeatons tower (the top of the 3rd Eddistone lighthouse, relocated to the top of the Hoe), the remaining pre-war town around Queen Anne's Battery and Sutton Harbour (including the Mayflower Steps) and so forth. Have lunch at one of the seafood restaurants by the quayside, then get back to the car and head back to Bath either via the coast taking in Dartmouth, or if time is tight just straight up the A38 to Exeter, then go Honiton - Shepton Mallet - Bath. There's way too much to see and do for 2 days but this gives some nice highlights with lots of moors and city for contrast. If the weather's good, you can spend more time on the moors, if it's bad, spend it in Plymouth and Exeter, so you're not totally beholden to the weather.
I'd have to recommend against north Devon though - it's like a smaller, damper attempt to be cool like south Devon but actually a bit dull in comparison. You'd go out for a drink with it perhaps, and it'd be perfectly nice and all, but you'd be off for an early night with a good book regretting not going out clubbing with south Devon and all the Cool Towns... Though north Devon does have this nifty party trick where it gets some numpty to try going up Porlock Hill towing a caravan with a clapped-out Modeo because they don't want to pay the toll for the New Road. The inevitable clutch burnout and immediate 2-mile-long traffic jam down into town and up the other side is hilarious but best enjoyed (a) on foot and (b) with a pint or two close to hand and (c) nowhere better to be.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Two days is nigh on impossible to do all of Devon - I would concentrate on the north.
Day 1 - Bath to Clovelly with a stop in Exeter. http://www.clovelly.co.uk/
Day 2 - Clovelly to Bath with stops in Ilfracombe and Wells. http://www.visitilfracombe.co.uk/
You are looking at 3-4 hours driving each day, so not much time for more than 1 or 2 reasonable stops.