Question 1

Southleigh & Coltyon (Under 2.5 miles/10 minutes by car)

Accepted Answer

East Devon has a host of wonderful attractions, our partners East Devon Excellence have a great What's On and Culture Guide that gives you loads of useful information about where to go and visit.

The following are some hand-picked favourites by us, but to get the full view, check out the links above.

There's plenty to do in the immediate locale, especially if you're into walking or cycling.  You're welcome to borrow maps from us here at Underhill.

Walking routes from our door:

Blackberry Camp via Southleigh Hill - c. 45 mins up to Iron Age Hill fort.  There is a car park so you can drive and walk on the flat up at the Camp.
River Coly loop walk - you can pick this up from Southleigh or drive to Colyton and do walk from there

Colyton:

A charming country town, Colyton is a lovely place to walk around, with the beautiful Church of St. Andrew and its quaint little streets, shops, pubs and cafes.  A lunch in the garden of The Kingfisher on a sunny day is a treat indeed.  Its on the Seaton Tramway so if you fancy taking the tram from Seaton, you can explore Colyton and head back on a later tram.

Colyford:

Just along the coast road  towards Lyme Regis & Seaton (A3052) is Colyford.  The Colyford Stores a fantastic little shop with every ingredient you could possibly want or need!  It also has a Post Office and a butchers shop in the back (where we get our breakfast ingredients), it really is a fantastic hub of the local community and its always a pleasure to visit.

Amy's Cafe is a cute cafe in the old filling station on the main road through Colyford.  Delicious cakes, snacks and hot & cold food, its a great pit stop-en route to Lyme Regis or a lunch stop - you can even walk it from Southleigh to build up an appetite.

Question 2

Branscombe & Beer (Under 5 miles/15minutes by car)

Accepted Answer

Branscombe and & Beer are two charming villages right on the Jurassic Coast that are just over 10 minutes from us by car. They are well worth a look around - Beer is a quaint fishing village with a buzzing village centre with plenty of shops, galleries, pubs and eateries, whilst Branscombe is a much smaller affair, and it's my favourite beach in this area.

There's a stunning Beer-Branscombe circular walk along National Trust land that takes in dramatic coastal scenery from the SouthWest Coastal Path, also part of the Jurassic Coast.  We've adapted the walk slightly, that takes us past The Mason's Arms pub, (hence the adaptation of the walk!) great for a midway lunch, its popular so always good to book ahead.  Start your walk from Beer Head car park, along the coast path, inland a little down to the Mason's then return link via Pecorama again, all along footpaths - its a really simple route to follow.

Aside from the beach and walking, there's the Beer Quarry Caves, which are a stunning visitor attraction, that supports heritage restoration projects to this day.  Go and tour inside the man-made caves created after years of excavation work.

East Devon Excellence What's On
East Devon Excellence Culture Guide

Question 3

Sidmouth, Seaton & around (Under 9 miles/20 minutes by car)

Accepted Answer

Sidmouth & around:

Sidmouth is a gorgeous Regency Seaside Town, with lovely shops with a dramatic coastline and seafront.  There's loads of great options for lunch, and the shopping here is great, from little galleries and boutiques to Crew, Seasalt, Fat Face & Saltrock should the surfer vibe be more your thing! There's also a decent sized Boots here and plenty other shops for you to peruse and wander around in between hot drinks and ice-creams!

There's a charming cinema here too, its a real treat to see a film there and should you wish to be in parkland, there's The Connaught Gardens . They have a wonderful cafe, just take the undercliff walk to Jacobs ladder and climb up to the gardens for scenic views of Sidmouth and around.

Salcombe Regis:

Not to be confused with its South Devon namesake, Salcombe, Salcombe Regis is a beautiful little East Devon village with a stunning church and there's an amazing circular walk along National Trust land part of the Jurassic Coast or you can park at the National Trust Car Park at Salcombe Regis and take the walking route down into Sidmouth.  Breath taking coastal scenery will leave you transfixed, its a wonderful walk.

Just by Salcombe Regis is the Norman Lockyer Observatory, and The Donkey Sanctury, both of which are open to the public and well worth a visit.

Seaton

A large-ish commercial centre, it has a couple of large supermarkets and independent shops in the town centre.  It has a large sea-front but the real gem in Seaton is the Seaton Tramway It shall take you to Colyford and Colyton and is a fun trip on a dry day and if you've always wanted to drive a tram, then you can even learn how and drive one of them!  (Driver experiences must be booked ahead).  The team at the Tramway are super friendly and helpful and there's a large car-park right by the Tramway.  If you are a birdwatcher, or you'd like to do a flat walk or run, why not try the Seaton Wetlands?  4KM of flat board walks and bird hides over the River Axe flood plain, the wetlands are a wonderful habitat for birds and a peaceful place to visit and explore, even if you're not a mad-keen twitcher.

Axmouth:

A pretty little village just the other side of Seaton with a cracking pub, The Ship does great pub-grub and is very popular with holiday-makers and locals alike.  Definitely worth the trip into Axmouth if you are popping into Seaton for any provisions.

The Blackdown Hills:

Our neighbouring Natural Landscape (AONB) the Blackdown Hills are another wonderfully beautiful area.  If you love nothing more than meandering around a pretty garden, pop along to Burrow Farm Gardens, just 20 minutes from us here in Southleigh, its a gorgeous garden and they have a cafe, ideal after you've wandered around the gardens.

East Devon Excellence What's On
East Devon Excellence Culture Guide

Question 4

Lyme Regis, Dorset (Under 10 miles/20 minutes by car)

Accepted Answer

Lyme Regis is a stunning town full of character and its becoming quite a foodie hot-spot, see the eating out tab. Lyme is full of independent shops a great spot is The Town Mill with galleries, restaurant and a microbrewery - great place for a sunny beer whilst your other half peruses the artisan jewellers and galleries. The beach front has great cafe's and stalls as well as The Lyme Fish Bar on the beach. The Cobb is part of the protective harbour which again you can walk out to and get stunning view of the sea and Dorset to your East and Devon to your west.  If you every want to try deep sea fishing, there are numerous options to get out onto the Lyme Bay and try your luck.

It's most famous inhabitant was Mary Anning, a fossil hunter and dealer, who never received the recognition she deserved in her lifetime. There's a statue of her along the undercliff path and a fossil museum if you're into all things paleontological!  Keep an eye on The Marine Theatre with its varied programme from comedy to jazz, its a great night out.  No trip to Southleigh is complete without a jaunt into Lyme, you shan't be disappointed.

East Devon Excellence What's On
East Devon Excellence Culture Guide

Question 5

Sea Town, Dorset (Under 20 miles/35 minutes by car)

Accepted Answer

Sea Town is all about St. Gabriels Beach, and the wonderful walks along the South West Coastal Path.  St Gabriels is a beautiful beach on the Jurassic Coast, and its just 10 or 15 minutes further into Dorset from Lyme Regis.

If its the beach you want, why not try the Beach Sauna along with your dip in the water, especially invigorating in the cooler months.  Sea Town has the fantastic Anchor Inn pub (see Eating Out) but in my opinion, the real draw of Sea Town is the walking here.  Above Sea Town is The Golden Cap one of the highest points along the South coast, you can do a spectacular circular walk taking in The Golden Cap, then if you're really keen, walk down from the Golden Cap National Trust car park to The Anchor pub for a refreshing pint and something delicious to eat.  Alternatively, why not park at Sea Town (charges apply) and walk up to The Beacon and towards West Bay from the very beach front - whatever walk you choose, you ca be guaranteed dramatic scenery and lung-fulls of fresh sea air.

East Devon Excellence What's On
East Devon Excellence Culture Guide

Question 6

Exeter & around (Under 30 miles/c.45 minutes by car)

Accepted Answer

Exeter:

Exeter is a beautiful city, famed for its architecture and buzzing student life, its a thriving University city and is full of great places to eat.   You can see beautiful rolling Devon hills from within the city and take in everything from medieval architecture, to the old quay side with its quirky shops and eateries or its art-house cinema, Exeter is a real gem. There's so much to see, get inspiration from the Visit Exeter website to plan your perfect day...and evening out.  The Northcott Theatre is an amazing venue with a diverse programme, why not head into Exeter for an early supper and take in a show? Just 40 or so minutes into the city centre, its well worth a visit if you're here on a slightly longer stay.

Topsham:

Just outside Exeter is the beautiful town of Topsham, along the estuary of the River Exe.  If you're an antique hunter, stroller or lover of gourmet food, Topsham is definitely for you. The Salutation Inn and The Galley feature in The Michelin Guide, and whilst we've not eaten at either, we've heard good things about both venues.  Its a gorgeous place to wander around, with little independent shops and great cafes for every budget to tempt you. Topsham's a great place to spend an afternoon and if you want to take in a little shopping, or even treat yourself to a spa treatment, why not head to Darts Farm ?  This is no ordinary farm shop, think the Harrods food hall combined with a spa and beautiful eateries combined with a variety of retailers.  Darts farm is a wonderful place to visit and buy some rare artisan cheeses, a nice bottle of wine and maybe grab a bite at one of the many interesting eateries.  There's also a comprehensive Cotswold Outdoor shop there too, which we've frequented on plenty occasions to kit ourselves out to make the most of the Devon landscape whatever the weather!  You can be there in under 40 minutes, and as its just outside of Exeter, why not combine the two on one day?

Budleigh Salterton

30 minutes from Southleigh is the charming little town of Budleigh Salterton, with its independent shops and quirky cafe's. A large beach and seafront with the forever popular Fifty Degrees North cafe, or head into the town for a tad of shopping in some really interesting and quite unique shops.  Its a lovely place to spend a morning or afternoon and its just the other side of Sidmouth, so easily combined.  One of the big attractions in the area is Bicton Park Botanical Gardens, with its stunning Victorian glasshouse and gardens, as well as a countryside museum and garden centre.

Killerton House - National Trust

A spectacular 18th Century house and parkland and just 40 minutes from Southleigh, Killerton, is not far from the M5, so if you're travelling down that route, its a great visit either en route to us, or on your way home.

Bridport, Dorset:

Bridport has an arty and alternative vibe, parts of Bridport remind me of The Lanes in Brighton and its famous for its cornucopia of antique shops and antique emporia in the town centre.  Even if antiques aren't your thing, its a really interesting place to walk around and take a look and have a browse, I'll guarantee you'll find something you love to remind you of your holiday.  Just 40 minutes from Southleigh, its a charming town. Broadchurch fans need look no further, West Bay provided its stunning location, so why not take in Bridport in the morning and have the afternoon on the beach?

Forde Abbey & Gardens - Chard, Somerset
Forde Abbey is a popular destination for families, historic house and garden lovers alike within thirty acres of award-winning gardens, you'll find something of interest all year round.

East Devon Excellence What's On
East Devon Excellence Culture Guide

Question 7

Further afield, an hour or more

Accepted Answer

RHS Rosemoor:

If gardens are your thing, then no trip to Devon can miss out RHS Rosemoor.  Its a wonderful garden with varied planting and landscapes.  Its in mid-Devon and takes around 90 minutes to get to, but its well worth the investment in time.

Coleton Fishacre & Greenway - National Trust

Set in the South Hams area of Devon, Coleton Fishacre is by far my favourite National Trust property of all time...and I've visited many many places!  Its a classic Arts & Crafts House and garden occupying a beautiful valley towards Dartmouth.  The formal gardens are spectacular, and you can also do a coastal walk there and pick up the South West Coastal Path, its a real gem and I'll never get bored of it.  Its around an hour and a quarter from us, and I could not recommend it more highly.  If you do decide to venture to Coleton, then also take in Greenway once owned by The Queen of Crime herself, Agatha Christie.  Its only 10 minutes or so from Coleton, and its doesn't take long to go around, so whilst you're in the area do pop by, I'd recommend after Coleton in the early afternoon as parking is limited, however by 2:30 you can usually get a space, the helpful team at Coleton will phone Greenway for you and check if there's parking.

Dartmouth:

Dartmouth is a gorgeous and historic town, famous for the Naval College, with great little shops and fantastic eateries such as Rockfish and The Angel for a special treat.  Again well-worth popping into if you're visiting Coleton or Greenway, you shan't be disappointed, you can even take your car over the small ferry crossing to get a bit of sea air into your lungs. A lovely place for a wander around and pop into the Salcome Dairy if you like ice-cream, I mean who doesn't like ice-cream?

East Devon Excellence What's On
East Devon Excellence Culture Guide

LOCAL GUIDE

Local – Southleigh & Colyton (Under 2.5 miles/10 mins by car)

Branscombe (Under 5 miles/15 mins by car)

Sidmouth (Under 9 miles/20 mins by car)

Lyme Regis, and Axminster (Under 10 miles/20 mins by car)

Sea Town, Wambrook & Tytherleigh (Under 20 miles/35 mins by car)

Exeter c.40mis by car

The Colyford Post Office & General Stores

Southleigh & Coltyon (Under 2.5 miles/10 minutes by car)

Branscombe & Beer (Under 5 miles/15minutes by car)

Sidmouth, Seaton & around (Under 9 miles/20 minutes by car)

Lyme Regis, Dorset (Under 10 miles/20 minutes by car)

Sea Town, Dorset (Under 20 miles/35 minutes by car)

Exeter & around (Under 30 miles/c.45 minutes by car)

Further afield, an hour or more