Devon Coast Seaside Escape

Devon Coast Seaside Escape Independent (self-guided) walking holiday Taster Break – Short Break Staying in one place

“Thank you, we had a really lovely walking holiday.

Relaxing, refreshing, rejuvenating, interesting, FUN. We had a truly wonderful time! �

Sheri & Steve, USA

Welcome & trail story from Alison Howell We had such fun creating this trail, a homage to our family seaside holidays. Guests have asked us for a coastal Foot Trail for some time but where to start When people think of the coast and South West England the South West Coast path often comes to mind. But for me it's not the best experience. And it's not very Foot Trails.

Sections of the South West Coast path are steep. Really steep! And parts see in excess of 900 000 visitors a year, and the walking, well you can get a little scenery blind after a while.

When we thought of our own family holidays, and an area of unspoiled coast, the South Hams came to mind. There’s a little of everything in a small area, rivers, creeks, coves, lighthouses, ferries, steam trains and of course stunning cliffs and scenery. This clever little itinerary will give you a taste of all these things!

Warm regards Alison Howell Founder & Director 3

About Devon Coast Seaside Escape This taster break is where you stay in one place - each day enjoy a different and varied walking trail and return to your host inn at the end of the day. The trail is great for a short relaxing break or those new to walking & hiking on multiple days.

Exploring South Devon, known as the South Hams. Officially an area of outstanding beauty, its history can be traced back to the early Dumnonii tribe, translated as deep valley dwellers who would later give the county its name.

This truly varied tour gives you boat rides, coastal walks, a lost village, author Agatha Christie's holiday home, a steam train experience, breath-taking scenery and peaceful landscapes. With every day its own mini adventure your walking will be filled with discoveries.

Read on for a pick of the highlights.

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Contents Pick of the highlights

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Where & getting here

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Sample daily itinerary

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Where you stay

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Prices & booking

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Booking your trail

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Our pick of the highlights * Walk on the shore of South West England's largest freshwater lake - separated from the sea by just a narrow shingle bar * Explore a wide diversity of landscapes and habitats including woodland, reed beds, fen, hill, beach and more * A great trip for wildlife including badgers, dormice, otters, bats, sea campion, lichen and fungi to name a few * Visit Salcombe, seaside town with a sheltered harbour and reputation for ship building * Learn tales of shipwrecks off Devon's coast * Admire seascapes, sea views, feel sea spray on your face, dip your toes! * Opportunity to see Greenway House & Gardens, English crime author Agatha Christie's holiday home, gardens and boathouse * Enjoy the banks of the River Dart * Wander past Devon white plastered cottages and enjoy delicious food and Devon's country pubs

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Where & getting here Devon in the west country of South West of England. This historic county borders Somerset, Dorset and of course Cornwall. The South Hams is the southern most tip of the county and is an area of outstanding natural beauty.

How to get here?

The trail begins near Kingsbridge, Devon.

The nearest train station for arrivals is at Totnes, Devon. Travel is approximately 3 hours from London Paddington. The journey time by car, about 4½ hours from London.

The suggested international airport is London Heathrow which offers an easy transfer to London Paddington and around two hours to the start of the trail. There is also a regional airport at Exeter.

Airport cars often make the most convenient transfer and we can arrange this for you.

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Sample daily itinerary...

We have created this itinerary as an outline for the optimum Devon Seaside Escape. You will find the mileages & prices for this itinerary in the ‘Trail details & prices’.

Custom Itinerary Service If the suggested itinerary; lengths of stay, arrival day, daily mileages are not right for your plans, we can customise an itinerary to you. You can choose your preferred dates - start on any day of the week - stay for how long you wish - include rest days - change the daily walk distances.

Day 1 - Arrive and Relax Arrive in Devon and your Foot Trails adventure! Take a little time to settle in and for those that wish take today's short introductory trail to get to know the local area.

Day 2 - Out on a Devon trail An inspiring day exploring an area named Slapton. Its unusual sounding name doesn’t do full justice to its depth of history and beauty. The impressive ruined tower in the village dates to 1347. And you’ll explore the shores of one of the South West’s largest freshwater lakes. The shingle bar that separates it from the sea is so thin that one day the sea will reclaim the lake.

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Day 3 - All the joys of the Coast!

(Drop off service included) Be intrigued by the story of the "lost village", with both sad and inspiring elements. Walk this sea filled landscape, there are cliffs, lighthouses, the sounds of waves and sandy coves. At the village of Beesands, linger and take supper at the inn or freshly caught fish 'shack' then a dusk time walk back to your hotel.

Day 4 - Delights of Salcombe (Drop off service included) The small town of Salcombe is full of charm with its sandy beaches beside the wide estuary (although technically it is not an estuary, it is a ria, a drowned valley caused from rising sea levels after the last ice age!). After exploring the town start your walk with a ferry ride over the estuary giving you great views from the boat.

Follow the coast path with sensational views then turn inland to find creeks and green meadows and delightful villages. Return to your hosts on foot.

Day 5 - Depart at your leisure At the end of your Foot Trail it's time for your onward travel, full of memories and tales of your adventures.

Walks / hikes lengths?

Our approach to walking is very much about enjoyment, something achieved but not too much that you are not excited to do it again! When we put together the trails we plan them with a day out in mind, a few hours walking a nice place to pause for lunch such as a pub or cafe, then a couple of hours walk in the afternoon.

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“Just letting you know our trip was fantastic from start to end!! Everything was planned and everyone who looked after us was great. We loved every minute of it and are planning to do this again sometime soon!

Gemme & Derek, Canada

Where you stay personally chosen Where you stay is a key part of your Foot Trail & experience. One of the reasons guests choose Foot Trails is for our choice and quality of accommodation.

A little differently to other Foot Trails, during your Devon trails you will stay at a handpicked guest house set in a traditional Devon village in the South Hams.

We chose this location for it’s classic family feel, comfort & welcome, and the choice of dining that can be enjoyed in a short walk. Spacious, relaxing and calm bedrooms await.

And there’s a guest lounge with real fire for cooler nights and sofas to fall into.

After an excellent nights sleep in spacious well appointed guest rooms you can wake to Devon fresh air and a fantastic breakfast in the conservatory which overlooks the garden.

Alison, Foot Trails founder, chooses each inn personally. Centuries old, each building provides a relaxing and authentic setting in which you can kick off your boots and eat dinner at the end of an inspiring day on the trail.

You will receive full details and website addresses of our suggested accommodation with your itinerary when we confirm availability of your trip.

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Trail details & prices Details for the sample itinerary Best start day: Daily miles: Grade: Arrival train station:

Monday, staying for 4 nights 3 - 8.5 - 12.5 - 9 - depart Moderate, walking with some steeper ascents & descents Totnes, Devon

May & September: June to August: April & October: Winter:

£445 p/person £385 p/person £385 p/person £330 p/person

Weekend supplement: +£35 p/person Prices based on 2 persons sharing a bedroom. Twin (2 x single beds) bedroom options available. Solo's welcome (solo supplements apply).

3 night stays start from £250 per person Customise your itinerary If the itinerary featured, lengths of stay, arrival day, daily mileages are not right for your plans, we can customise an itinerary to you. You can choose your preferred dates - start on any day of the week - stay for how long you wish - include rest days - change the daily walk distances.

Prices for custom itineraries are quoted per trip and will vary from the prices quoted above.

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What is included? * Our services in arranging your itinerary * Our guest support in preparing for your trip, and on call support during your trip * Accommodation for 4 nights, superior double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms * Country breakfast to set you up each day * 4 days of independent walking with a tailored itinerary to suit you and the season * Transport drop off services if required for your itinerary * A comprehensive Walk and Explore box, posted to your home address Including: * Local maps with your trails clearly marked (on our fully waterproof paper) * Innovative trail cards, one for each day, with clear easy to follow directions in word (on waterproof paper) * Trail cards also include local histories and stories to enjoy and read as you explore * Suggested departure times so that you don't miss lunch, recommended lunchtime stops at country pubs or cafes (lunch not included) * Foot Trail’s famous fortifying sweets, nature guide, guest booklet, local information and more

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Booking your trail If you would like help choosing the best trail for you then call us on +44 (0) 1747 820626 or email us at Enquire@FootTrails.co.uk. We plan, write and create all our own walking trails and are here to offer you our expert advice.

If the trails featured, arrival days or lengths of stay are not right for you, you can choose your preferred dates and start on any day of the week. We will create a custom itinerary for you based on your preferences. Prices for custom trips are quoted per trip and vary from the prices quoted in the brochure.

You can make your booking by calling us on +44 (0) 1747 820626 or if you prefer you can email us at Enquire@FootTrails.co.uk.

We will ask you a few details to enable us to make a reservation for you. We will then be able to confirm the availability of your trail. Due to the crafted nature of our trails there may be a day or two's wait while we contact our inns and hosts.

We will email you with confirmation of your itinerary, accommodations and details for your deposit of ÂŁ125 per person. Payment of your deposit will confirm your booking. Balances are due 8 weeks before arrival. We accept all major credit cards, PayPal and bank transfers.

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Words from our guests “Just to let you know that we successfully completed our walking holiday last Friday week. It was a great holiday and certainly exceeded our expectations. Thank you so much for the wonderful service you provided.

We have posted back to you today the printed material that you supplied to us. Don't be surprised if we contact you in a year or so for another walking adventure.”

Malcolm and Rosemary, Australia “Once again you have organised a wonderful 12 days of walking. We loved the coastal walks in Devon, inspiring and breathtaking in their ruggedness.”

Mark (pictured) & Bev, Canada (3 rd Foot Trail) “I would also like to thank you and your team for the fantastic customer support. All our questions have been answered immediately and all our wishes were included into our itinerary. Your team is very friendly and helpful! We are already looking forward to our trip and can't wait for it to start.”

Sabrina, Austria You can read more reviews from our guests on our tripadvisor page – www.tripadvisor.com/foottrailsUK 17

Why a Foot Trail?

A Foot Trail avoids the formulaic nature, crowds and predictability of mass tourism and focuses instead purely on the quality of your experience. Take a Foot Trail and you will explore deep beneath the surface.

You will walk and hike in real and authentic places. Enjoy real, not manufactured tourism moments. Shared conversations with a local person, the stillness of time spent in beautiful landscapes and the joy of encountering stories and moments from England's past.

Three words describe a Foot Trail perfectly.

Simple - Crafted – Authentic The press say: "One of the 7 Adventure Vacations you need to take in your lifetime."

JetSetter.com, 2019 Foot Trails are one of England's best loved regional walking travel companies. We work within our local community, crafting walking experiences from scratch, aiming for a positive outcome for us all.

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Bookings & contacts Call +44 (0) 1747 820 626 with your chosen date, we will then confirm your place for you upon which a £125 person deposit will be payable. Bank transfers, PayPal & all major credit & debit cards accepted.  +44 (0) 1747 820 626 (landline)  Enquire@FootTrails.co.uk

 www.FootTrails.co.uk www.facebook.com/FootTrails www.instagram.com/FootTrailsUK

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