Painting in North Devon QQQQ

Indoor and outdoor pools
Spa
Treatments
Fitness area
Tennis

Staying on the South West Coast Path you are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the natural wonders of North Devon, epitomised by the unspoilt expanse of golden sand beach washed by the Atlantic.  The clean consistent waves of Saunton Sands provide the perfect classroom for would-be surfers. For those with experience of wave riding the world-famous surfing beach of Croyde is just around the headland. Further afield, Ilfracombe boasts beaches reached through Victorian hand-hewn tunnels, and a restaurant owned by artist Damian Hurst, whose 66-foot statue, Verity, stands sword drawn, at the harbour mouth.

There’s plenty more than seaside to discover too. Braunton Burrows dunes, part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve due to the huge variety of wild flowers and wildlife they sustain, are just steps away from the hotel. Take the opportunity to visit the historic houses of North Devon, including Arlington Court, where you’ll find the National Trust Carriage Museum and Tapely Park with its Italian garden. Gardeners will be drawn to the RHS Rosemoor Gardens, with special holiday dates arranged to view the spring blooms and the renowned Rose Festival.

At Instow, enjoy the English summer chorus of leather on willow at a unique cricket ground set among the sand dunes, with a thatched club house. While on the opposite side of the estuary, in arty Appledore, you’ll find a churchyard inhabited by a much quieter crew of 'drownded mariners'. North Devon’s main town, Barnstaple is just under eight miles from Saunton Sands and home to an historic working Pannier Market, the tiny artisan food shops of Butchers' Row, a thriving theatre and many independent shops and restaurants. Walkers can take to the South West Coast Path and cyclists can explore North Devon’s coast and countryside on 163 miles of car-free Tarka Trail.

Diarmid ‘Dee’ Doody

Your host for this special interest holiday, ‘Dee’ to his friends, is a passionate naturalist. Having provided his expertise to the reintroduction of the red kite to Scotland and monitored the species’ population in Wales, Dee has also worked as a television presenter and filmmaker for a selection of wildlife programmes shown on ITV.