There is no shortage of places to go or things to do in Devon. From the more obvious such as the world class sandy beaches; the wilder and spectacular craggy parts of the coastline (where you can see the highest sea cliffs in England); the classic village fishing ports such as Clovelly and Lynmouth; the award winning theme parks; or the wildernesses of Exmoor and Dartmoor. All of these and more are easily accessible from Crossways with none of the major attractions in North Devon more than 40 minutes drive from us. So if your 'thing' is walking, climbing, surfing, paddle boarding, cycling or simply enjoying fine food and drink in a real pub setting then yours (or your kids!) 'to do' list will be easily fulfilled.
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A useful online guides for places to see/things of interest in Devon: ​
Our own favourite places to visit and things to do include:
  • Torrington - the nearest town to us with a superb hilltop location, the view from the edge of the main car park is just spectacular giving extensive views up and down the Torridge valley.​
  • ​The Tarka Trail - the longest continuous off-road cycle path in the UK providing safe cycling/walking for the whole family through beautiful countryside and the ideal starting point is the consistently excellent Puffin Billy cafe/restaurant (a delightfully restored old railway station) just outside of Torrington where as luck would have it, cycle hire is also to be found: Torrington Cycle Hire
  • RHS Garden Rosemoor -  acres of beautiful gardens in any season
  • The Gnome Reserve - guaranteed to make you smile!
  • Cobbaton Combat Collection - (Michael used to be in the Army, he never left to be honest!)
  • Clovelly - picture perfect West Country fishing village
  •  Lynton/Lynmouth - known as 'Little Switzerland' and with good reason. Two of our favourite walks are from here: the riverside walk from Lynmouth to Watersmeet; and the small section of the South West Coastal path by the Valley of the Rocks near Lynton.
  • Hound Tor - and indeed any of the Dartmoor Tors!
  • Widecombe in the Moor - perfect Dartmoor village with what we think is the prettiest village pub in England: The Rugglestone Inn
  • Exmoor Safari - a great day out exploring the hidden treasures of Exmoor, especially in Stag rutting season.
  • Crow Point - a hidden gem of a beach with no shops, restaurants, toilets and so very few tourists, but, with a cool box full of food and drink, your favourite books and music this is where to go to relax!
  • Woolacombe - consistently voted as one of the best beaches in the world, enough said.
  • Morthoe - Pretty village to the North of Woolacombe Bay, the coast walk from here to Woolacombe via Morthoe Point is stunningly beautiful and to top it all off, you will almost always see the colony of sealions sunbathing ​
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Picture
Northam Burrows Beach as photographed by Simon James
For those that prefer to chill-out and relax in either  Dartmoor Cottage or Pippin Cottage you may simply wish to have a barbecue or picnic in the guest's gardens. Disposable barbecues (for a small charge) and utensils are available on request.   If you would like to play a few ball games in the paddock we have a small selection of beach ball games and outdoor activities in the garden shed, so please feel free to help yourselves.
There is very little light pollution here, we are just on the edge of one of the officially darkest areas in England.  This makes us a near perfect venue for astronomers.  On a clear night the vast range of brightly lit stars is just amazing, we have been able to view so many stars with our naked eyes than was ever possible in a town, so feel free to bring your telescope if you are a keen stargazer.  
Sally and Michael South, Crossways Holiday Cottages, Langridge Cross, Atherington, Umberleigh, North Devon, EX379HP, England.
E-mail:  i[email protected]
Telephone: 01769-560840, Mobile: 07906-070169