Hartland

About four miles north of the main A39 is the remarkable small town of Hartland. Being slightly off the main holiday route it is often overlooked by visitors. This is their loss and your gain, for Hartland is not a tourist town which hibernates through the winter, it is a vigorous and self-sufficient community with a life of its own.

Look out for the signs to the impressive Hartland Abbey. Originally a religious community founded by St Nectan, it was the last monastery in the country to be dissolved in 1539. Henry VIII gave it to the Keeper of his Wine Cellar, Mr Abbot, and it has descended to the present day via a series of marriages and remains a loved and lived-in family home.

The Abbey, extensively remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries, contains fascinating collections and lies across a beautiful sheltered valley with woodland gardens of rhododendrons, camellias, tender and rare plants and parkland. It provides a lovely afternoon out with plenty of space for children, a beautiful walk to the beach and a good Devon tea. Please note the opening days listed in the entry on this page.

Of particular interest are the paths designed by Gertrude Jekyll, leading to the woodland gardens and to the Bog Garden. Then to the newly discovered Victorian Fernery and the secret 18th century walled garden, recently restored and replanted with borders of shrubs and perennials. These contain some tender and rare plants. Fruit and vegetables for the house are once again being grown here.

There is a delightful gazebo overlooking the sea - little wonder that the house and estate have been used as the setting for many films, including Rosamunde Pilcher’s ‘The Shell Seekers’ in 2005 and Blackpool Mill as ‘Barton Cottage’ in the BBC’s 2007 adaption of ‘Sense and Sensibility’. Now licensed for Civil Weddings, the Abbey and grounds create a magical setting for couples to celebrate their special day.

For a small self-contained town Hartland has something missing: a church. This is to be found in the hamlet of Stoke, midway between Hartland and the Quay. St Nectan’s Church, is often referred to as the Cathedral of North Devon; impressive from the outside, the interior is full of interest and beauty.

Originally built as a thanksgiving for deliverance from a shipwreck, the 128ft tower, rising in four stages, claimed to be the highest in Devon, was for centuries a landmark to sailors at sea before the lighthouse was built at Hartland Point. The tower was built about sixty years after the main church and it contains a peal of six bells, last rehung in 1952, weighing practically 3 tons.

On a stormy day, Hartland Quay, with its great rocks rearing out of the sea, is the perfect place to sample the ferocious majesty of the wild and unpredictable Atlantic Ocean. In stark contrast, on fine days, Lundy Island can be seen, at a distance of some 10 miles away.

It is here you will find the Hartland Quay Hotel which must surely enjoy one of the most magnificent settings in the country. Even when the wildest storm is raging on the headland rocks you can be sure of a warm Devon welcome from the Johns family, whose members have run the hotel for forty years. Whether you have just dropped in for a quick drink in the Wreckers bar or are enjoying a longer stay in the hotel’s comfortable accommodation, you will be well looked after.

There is plenty of parking and a family friendly beach that is a ‘dog free zone’. During the summer season there is a small Shipwreck Museum where you can learn more about the history of this wild coastline. If you just need cooling down on a hot day, the Gift Shop sells excellent ice cream!

The three mile walk between Hartland Quay and Hartland Point is probably one of the most beautiful walks you can undertake in Devon and on the Devon coast. Sublime magic in the extreme, along a challenging path with many ups and downs so good clothing and footwear are recommended. Start it from either end, as there are car parks at both Hartland Point and Hartland Quay. The walk takes you slightly inland in parts through beautiful green valleys and you’ll pass charming villages like Stoke. You’ll be well rewarded once you reach Hartland Point with its perched lighthouse and the very best views of Lundy Island!