Devon: South Ham

South Pool

The first family holiday since Covid took us to South Devon. It was 556 miles made even more difficult by the closure of the M6 in Cheshire resulting in a 3-hour hold up and then various other delays as the summer traffic on the M5 backed up and brought us to standstills in Birmingham and North Somerset. We had wisely decided to spend a night in Somerset and the Devonshire Arms in Long Sutton provided the perfect place to rest up before the final 100 miles to South Pool. 

We arrived on Saturday lunchtime with other family members arriving at 4pm from London and 7pm from Glasgow. The narrow Devon roads, with high hedgerows and frequented by lots of high-end SUVs, only rarely driven by folk with any courtesy, made the last twenty miles more threatening than Covid. It was summer staycation in full swing with no quarter given. The tide was out but the local pub provided a chance to relax after the long drives whilst we waited for the Glasgow arrivals.

Over the next couple of days, we visited the local attractions: Kingsbrdge, Bigbury, Burgh Island, Bee Sands, Salcombe, and best of all the coastal walks. The weather was not the best but the real problem has been the narrow roads clotted with cars and jammed by oversized vehicles. Car parking has been almost impossible and on two occasions we simply had to abandon plans and find alternative destinations. 

The secluded beaches are fine if crowded but it has proved almost impossible to find anywhere to eat given the number of visitors. Devon has an enviable reputation as a holiday destination but I suspect it will suffer a decline next year as people reject holiday traffic jams and the rising costs of UK hotels and holiday lets and return to the better value and weather that Europe offers.

Cyder House

South Pool

Burgh Island from Bigbury beach

Bigbury on Sea

Burgh Island Trailer as the tide recedes

Burgh Island Hotel and Bigbury car park

Paddling back from Burgh Island

Salcombe