The Exe Valley is ideally situated for a whole range of activities. The coast is 40 minutes away and Exmoor is just a 10 minute drive. Each cottage has a pack of interesting things to see and do. Here are some of them
Exmoor
Talking a walk or drive across Exmoor soon shows you the wonders of this landscape. There are a host of activities available from horseriding to canoeing, fishing and biking. A wealth of information be found at www.activeexmoor.com and www.visit-exmoor.com which also details forthcoming events such as Golden Horseshoe and the Annual Walking Festival.
Fishing
From Wonham Kiln you are minutes away from the Exe & the Barle both of which provide excellent salmon and trout fishing. Day tickets are freely available at a number of local outlets. There is a live webcam showing the river conditions that can be viewed by clicking on www.activeexmoor.com. There are a number of excellent lakes close by for fly fishing including Exe Valley Fisheries at Exbridge , www.exevalleyfishery.co.uk and Wimbleball Lake www.swlakestrust.co.uk . Local tuition providers include Nick Hart www.hatflyfishing.demon.co.uk and John Dawson www.johdawson.co.uk
Shooting
Shaldon Shooting School in nearby Shillingford offers coaching in clay pigeon shooting www.shaldenshootingschool.co.uk.
National Trust
Knighthayes Court with its restored walled garden and romantic & gothic interiors, The Heddon Valley and Watersmeet and Killerton near Cullomtpon are just some of the stunning places looked locally by The National Trust, www.nationaltrust.org.uk
The Coast
We are just 40 minutes from the North Devon Coast with its stunning beaches such as Saunton and Croyde. Saunton Sands stretches several miles is dog friendly too. These are both great surfing beaches, if you fancy learning how to surf visit www.surfsouthwest.com . Exmouth and Sidmouth are just 45 minutes to the South.
Walking
The Exe Valley is a lovely area to explore on foot. There are a number of walks that can be done straight from the cottages. Alternatively a short drive will take you to the South West Coastal Path or the Coleridge way. Exmoor provides excellent walking routes too and the Visitor Centre in Dulverton does a number of guided walks Tel no. 01398 323841. There is also a Moor Rover bus service that can be prebooked to pick you up on Exmoor useful for linear walks. You will find details walking routes in the cottages.
Cycling
The local area provides challenging cycling terrain with the opportunity for mountain biking too. We are near National Route 3 and there are a number of Mountain Biking routes on Exmoor with a mountain biking marathon held in August visit www.activeexmoor for more details. The Tarka Trail provides a more leisurely cycling option with its 32 miles of cycleways along the old railway line. We have two hybrid bikes available for hire or there a number of cycle hire companies in the area.
Gardens
RHS Rosemoor ( www.rhs.org.uk/rosemoor),Torrington referred to as the gardeners garden, is a stunning sister garden to Wisley. 45 minutes drive
Marwood Hill Gardens (www.marwoodhillgarden.co.uk) With a unique bog garden, Marwood has an array of colour for every season with a wide range of shrubs and exotics.
Tapeley Park at Instow (www.tapeley-park.co.uk) has four themed gardens taking you through graceful landscapes to more formal terraced gardens including an Italian Garden recently restored by Mary Keens and Carol Klein
Hartland Abbey
Broomhill Sculpture Park,(www.broomhillart.co.uk) Muddiford, visiting and permanent sculpture exhibitions set in a beautiful North Devon landscape. 45 minutes drive.
Cothay Manor (www.cothaymanor.co.uk), Wellington , a 15th Century Medeival manor surrounded by 12 acres of delightful romantic gardens.
Hestercombe Gardens (www.hestercombegardens.com) , near Taunton cover three centuries of garden design with a Georgian Landscape Garden, a Victorian Terrace and the Edwardian Formal Garden created by Sir Edwin Lutyens and a planting scheme designed by Gertrude Jekyll. 30 minutes drive.
Castle Hill Gardens, Filleigh (www.castlehilldevon.co.uk) are beautifully landscaped gardens with follys and temples set among woodland. 25 minutes drive.
These are a few of our favourite things to do:
Tarr Steps: Walk along the river and finish off with lunch at Tarr Farm Unn
Saunton Sands: Take the dog for a walk along the 2 mile beach and stop for fish & chips at Squires on the way home
Brushford: Walk along the riverside footpath to Dulverton and having a drink in one of the local hostelries.