Thinking of visiting Devon or Cornwall? Are you planning your UK holiday this year? Much as we share similar coastlines, coves and sandy beaches and fresh purer air. There are quite a few tourists choices you might want to think about.
Where we are in the South Hams we are surrounded by the rolling Devon hills an area of natural area of beauty (AONB) countryside. Just a few miles down the road from our B&B is the well known and much loved Salcombe, with its harbour and south and north sands beach.
Salcombe
It’s harbour has a history for its boat building days. The towns cobbled streets still have many traditional craftsmen that repair and build sailing ships. Now fast rib speed boats now also have mooring in the quay. You’ll often see a local boat building brand Ribeye boats speeding though the water. Sailing is a popular water attraction that Devon has to offer. The annual regatta in August is one of the busiest times of the year for the town, with lots of stalls and boat parties.
Cornwall
Is the other South West jewel, and we are just approx. 30 miles from there boarder. You enter Cornwall when you cross the river Tamar and the Tamar Bridge crossing. After our recent visit to Cornish village Mawgan Porth, staying at The Scarlet Hotel. We got to experience what an eco-friendly 4 star hotel has to offer, and has given us ideas to make Brightham House even more environmentally friendly. The hotel itself has a spa with a similar hot tub experience that we offer at our boutique bed and breakfast. Our hot tub is wood-fired, which guests love the smell of, the wafts of burning wood adds to the experience. Other touches that they are making a huge effort to reduce plastic in the guest rooms, and at the breakfast table too.
So what we found is the beaches are very similar, perhaps they sometime have more sand. We have Burgh Island & Bigbury. They have Rock, and surfing beach Newquay. We took the dogs for a for a beautiful walk along the long sandy beaches of Rock. Then took a 2 minute boat trip across to Padstow. The small fishing village Padstow, with lots of fish restaurants, galleries and surf shops. It’s got many bakery’s filled with famous Cornish pasties. The smells lures you in and they make a perfect lunch. The well known celebrity and professional chef Rick Stein has two restaurants, that are in the centre of the village.
Devon and Cornwall are both famous for their delicious cream teas. There is an ongoing rivalry between the two counties about whether it’s jam or cream first, on the scones. Dawn French, who lives in Looe, Cornwall often tweets about scones. She thinks that the Cornish way that the tastes best. That’s jam with cream on the top. However in Devon its cream and jam on the top. You’ll have to test out one of each. Let me know which you like more. I’m a Devon every time, sorry Dawn!
