All dogs go to Devon
We usually go on holidays to Cornwall. This year we were in the mood for a change and wondering if we could find a piece of holiday paradise for us and our dog in Devon.
The first point in its favor is that it is quicker to get to Devon, unless of course you already live in Cornwall. And then why would you bother leaving Cornwall anyway?
That said, we were curious how Devon would fare against our main holiday criteria of good quality holiday accommodation with excellent pub food and plenty of places to visit close to dogs.
We decided to stay in rural isolation in a town called Shirwell in North Devon. During our stay we saw more sheep than people, which was fine with us. The cabin was really stylish and spacious, but it had no internet access or phone signal, so we were cut off for the duration of our stay. Unfortunately, the water supply to the cabin was about as reliable as Keith Richards running an open bar, so showers were a hit or miss affair.
We found a couple of very dog-friendly locals, where the food was good and we didn’t have to travel too far down the dangerously narrow country lanes to get back to the cabin. These were the Muddiford Inn and the Pyne Arms, both near Barnstaple.
The beach has little attraction for my dog. She enjoys a quick popsicle and then she looks at you expectantly as if to say, “Okay, but what are we going to do now?” She is a bitch of mixed pedigree but on a walk the spaniel in her stands out and all she wants to do is sniff and there are very few decent scents near the sea when the tide comes in to take them away. We paid the exorbitant mandatory parking fee at Woolacombe Bay and Saunton Sands and headed out for a walk along the seaside. We enjoyed our walks by the sea and our dog perked up quite a bit on the way back as we let her run free on the sand dunes at the bottom of the beaches, where rabbit smells abound.
North Devon has a surprising number of dog-friendly gardens and almost all of them seem to have excellent tea rooms, so you’re never more than ten minutes away from a coronary-inducing cream tea. Ambrosia wasn’t wrong when she said, “Devon knows how they make it so creamy.” Garden highlights included a spectacular forest path at Arlington Court, Barnstaple, tea in a beautiful lawned garden at Tapeley Park Gardens, Bideford and the choice of charming walled gardens or sea views at Hartland Abbey, Bideford.
My dog Holly was unmistakably her vacation favorite. We visited Marwood Hill Gardens, Barnstaple, and no matter where we were in the garden or in the tea room, she dragged us on her leash (like a dog that has never set foot in obedience class) to the lake. There she would sit for hours if we let her, watching the multicolored ducks and carp swim by as soon as you stood or sat near the water.
It was an excellent choice, although in terms of relaxation and beauty it was also our favorite place in Devon.
So will I change my holiday allegiance from Cornwall to Devon? Both are so good I think I’ll have to visit them again before I make up my mind… All I know is that my dog found dog heaven in Devon this year.
