In a trip to South England at the end of March I am first flying into Exeter. What is a good (cheap) Hostel or B&B which is in a small town easily accessible from this airport while still "getting away from it all" (Cornwall Character). I would like to spend most of my time relaxing and walking the coastal trails. Any hints?
Posted by
Whitby, Ontario
101 posts
Hi there from the other side of the country. I lived in Cornwall for a little while so maybe I can help. You will need to travel a bit to get to Cornwall from Exeter airport. Once in Cornwall pick a small town like Wadebridge, Newquay [bit touristy though] or even Padstow. From there you will have great access to the coastal footpath. There are smaller towns/villages such as Portreath and Mawgan Porth that are very quaint and may suit your needs.
The north coast of Cornwall is very different to the south coast. North seems to be more dramatic as it gets the full brunt of the Atlantic whereas the south coast seems to be more gentle as its faces the Channel. You find warmer weather on the south coast thus some different kinds of gardens and some have quite a few semi tropical plants that do quite well.
If you are doing the coastal trail then stop by Bedruthan Steps. Its on the north coast east of Mawgan Porth/Newquay. Part of the National Trust I believe and you can take the steps down the cliff to the beach. There used to be a hotel there call the Bedruthan Steps Hotel that did great clotted cream teas. We used to live on the military base nearby and went there nearly every weekend.
Padstow is a nice fishing town, been sort of taken over by a tv chef called Rick Stein but it has put it on the map. Do a google search on Cornwall Bike paths as I read an article in the Travel Section of the online version of the Daily Mail about it. In fact. Google the The Daily Mail and then at the top on the right click on the Travel button. You will be able to search for loads of info about UK holidays and especially Cornwall [as its extremely popular]
cheers
Pete in a rainy Port Hope, ON