Woolacombe and Ilfracombe

The two villages of Woolacombe and Mortehoe are set on the coast where it swings south after running almost due west down the Bristol Channel. Now the beaches and cliffs are starting to turn their faces out to the Atlantic and the great rollers that sweep in are a surfer’s delight.

The villages lie in a bay with two massive headlands - Morte Point and Baggy Point (owned and managed by the National Trust). Three miles of golden beaches, backed with rugged cliffs, sheltered coves with gently rolling fields and countryside behind, make this a truly superb location for a family holiday.

Beaches for sunbathing or swimming are Combesgate Grunta or Rockham while the so-called ‘shell beach’ of Barricane is particularly notable. Here exquisite sea-shells of all shapes and sizes and colours have been washed ashore from the Caribbean. Certainly you are now a long way from the mudflats of the eastern Bristol Channel.

If you are a surfer you will be able to choose from the three main beaches of Woolacombe, Croyde or Saunton - these are amongst the best surfing beaches in the UK and championships are held here. But you do not have to stand up and ride in on a Malibu board to enjoy surfing. Buy or hire a lie-on plyboard or polystyrene board and you will still enjoy these perfect beaches.

Woolacombe itself has won the England for Excellence Gold Award for the best family resort. You can be sure of the cleanliness of the water here, since this is a Blue Flag beach, which has also won the Premier Seaside Beach award for cleanliness, water quality and general facilities.

There is plenty for all the family to enjoy in the evenings at Woolacombe, from quiet pubs and restaurants to rousing discos. Sometimes it can be difficult to choose the place for a real traditional family holiday, however Woolacombe will not disappoint you.

The Victorians were really responsible for Ilfracombe as it is today, with all the trappings of a modern seaside resort. If you care to look beyond the multitudes of amusements and entertainments on offer you will soon discover that you are in a setting of great natural beauty.

The harbour and quay are spectacular. The many pubs, restaurants and shops that surround the quay create a friendly continental atmosphere. Pleasure trips are always on offer during the summer season and Ilfracombe is one of the ports used by the M.S Oldenburg on its regular passenger services to Lundy Island.

Every year, during the month of June, the town commemorates its heritage by holding a Victorian celebration. Locals dress in period costume and turn back the clocks to hold a series of events that include pageants, street fairs and a grand costume ball.

The Landmark, North Devon’s finest Arts and Entertainment Complex, provides a comprehensive entertainment building, well suited to the site, which extends to the sub-tropical gardens of the town’s popular southern slopes. The building has been designed to be attractive from all viewpoints, unlike many traditional theatres that have a pleasing facade but often an ugly rear view.

The two brick cones are built from more than 300,000 bricks, which took teams of four bricklayers working on each cone, ten months to complete!

The distinctive outline of the Landmark Theatre

The stunning theatre, capable of seating 483, also boasts cinema screening facilities and is complemented by The Pavilion, a multi-use flat floor space, capable of seating 160 theatre style. It is a beautiful space open to the top of the tower with daylight filtering through the suspended fabric sculptures.

The Rendezvous Cafe Bar offers delicious meals, freshly prepared by the resident chef. Open for morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and pre-theatre dinner.

The story of Ilfracombe is told in the town’s Museum - with over 20,000 exhibits an impressive local museum. There are sections on natural history, Victoriana, railways, old carpenter’s and cobbler’s workshops, old photographs, etc. Situated in Runnymede Gardens near the seafront, the museum provides a fascinating display.

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