North Devon: Mortehoe to Clovelly

Our next resting stop took us to an old converted heritage property in the village of Mortehoe, just up the hill from Woolacombe Beach, somewhere the summer hordes HAD found. We stayed away from the crowds and opted for more walks and wanders slightly to the north. 

Mortehoe and Woolacombe

Between meals at the pub, literally 20 metres from our accommodation, and leisurely picnics on our little patch of grass, Mortehoe was a fabulous haven of calm. 

We had scones the Devon way, cream first and jam second, and appreciated being away from that big London after so long locked up in our flats. 

Clovelly
Since my days of dating Dave, I'd always meant to go to the village of Clovelly. It happened to be close to where we were staying and so we made our way one foggy morning, white knuckling the whole drive there. Without us realising, it won the 'Britain's Most Instagrammable Village 2020.' Go figure. 

Tucked into the cliff and down to the sea, you must pay to enter this National Trust Heritage village. A day pass will set you back £8.75 and is well worth the visit. Clovelly was once an estate owned by William the Conquerer and slipped into another family's hands before being 'officially' discovered in the middle of the 19th century.

There's a few pubs, sweet shops and bougie tat shops that lead the way down to the harbour. It's a steep journey but a beautiful one. We spent an hour or so wandering the village before launching ourselves back up the hill and onto the significantly less foggy way back. 

Coastal Walk: Croyde to Georgeham

On our final day, we took one more big walk winding our way past Woolacombe to Croyde and beyond. The views speak for themself. 

On the trails, we largely had the surroundings to ourselves. But the village of Croyde was markably busier and if Summer 2020 is a barometer, I can only imagine what a non-covid summer might be like. Comparing this second half of the summer journey to its first half counterpart, I must admit Northumberland still has my heart. But Devon gets a stunning honourable mention.