Travel
Ocean
colour
scene...
Looking beyond buckets and spades, Emilia Harris finds out what’s new in this popular Devon resort
T
he cold wind whips around my ears and violently shakes the branches overhead. Right now, I’m unsure whether the bead plummeting down my cheek is sweat or rain. As my feet weigh down on the pedals and my legs start to burn, I activate ‘turbo mode’ and battery power aids my climb to the top of the hill. I’m on an e-bike and that bead slipping down my cheek is most certainly rain – even on the steepest of South Devon hills, I’ve barely broken a sweat. It’s my second morning in the South Hams region of Devon, located between Torbay and Plymouth and bordering the Dartmoor National Park to the north. It’s an area with a strong rural and maritime heritage, where sandy beaches rub up against rich coastal grasslands. And it’s so pretty, it’s a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Naturally beautiful it may be, but
exploring on two wheels has largely lacked appeal to the average South Devon visitor, due to the relentless and often steep hills. Thankfully, e-Xplore Devon (e-xploredevon.co.uk; from £50 per bike per day) have made cycling here more accessible (and a great choice during the summer, when car parks are full and the roads are gridlocked). Their collection of battery-powered e-bikes (from all-terrain to e-tandems) will have you speeding along with minimal effort – though if you’re feeling energetic, you can drop to a lower setting or turn off the battery completely. There are suggested cycling routes on the e-Xplore website, and the 21-mile Beach Circuit is a delicious amble along coastal roads and through quaint villages. I dismount in the tiny hamlet of Thurlestone and admire its 17th century thatched roofs and it’s glorious bay (featuring Thurlestone Rock), before continuing to Bolberry Down, a long stretch of rugged coastline.
It’s an area with a strong rural and maritime heritage, where sandy beaches rub up against rich coastal grasslands
The route continues east and I refuel at The Winking Prawn (winkingprawngroup.co.uk/winkingprawn; seafood mains from approx £10), a family-run seafood restaurant on Salcombe North Sands beach. Beer fans should order the aptly named Prawn Juice, which is brewed in partnership with the South Hams Brewery. I continue on my cycle and initiate ‘turbo mode’, mainly because I’m full of garlic prawns and don’t fancy a stitch. The route flanks the Salcombe estuary – its vibrant blue waters punctuated with small white sailing boats – before turning back inland. I finish back at the e-Xplore showroom in Kingsdown and space permitting, you can leave your car there whilst you cycle. The crew at e-Xplore can also drop your bike directly to your accommodation. The rainy weather and long cycle have me craving some home comforts, so I head back to my rustic but extremely cosy shepherds hut. Located at the, the Salcombe Shepherds Huts (salcombeshepherdhuts.co.uk; from £200 for Monday-Friday and weekend visits, and from £325 for a week) are an excellent choice if you want a slightly more luxurious camping experience.
The four huts are handcrafted using local and sustainable wood, and each includes a log burner (perfect for winter trips or chillier nights), and a fully-equipped kitchen. I’m in the Foxes Den which has an en-suite toilet (new for 2021), a comfy double bed (though it’s up a ladder so book either The Potting Shed or The Shippen if that’s a problem), and a small leather couch. I enjoy my morning coffee at the picnic table with its views of the Kingsbridge Estuary and flocks of sheep merrily grazing in the surrounding fields. The next morning I’m zipping along country roads to Bigbury-on-Sea, where I’m booked in for a surfing lesson with Discovery Surf School (discoverysurf.com; from £35 for a 1.5-hour lesson). All equipment is provided and I’m thankful for a super thick wetsuit, as the temperature is barely hitting double digits. We start on the beach as Matt, our instructor, guides us through the basics . We’re soon in the water and Matt’s constant encouragement fills us with enthusiasm and motivation, even after numerous wipeouts. Slowly but surely we start to stand, unsteady but feeling accomplished. There are just three of SO Magazine | June 2021 | 45
