Devon (Exmoor)

Lush, green, gently rolling hills, wooded valleys, soaring cliff tops overlooking the Bristol Channel - Exmoor has a bit of everything. We stayed in the small town of Lynton over the May Bank Holiday and had a brilliant time indulging in cream teas and long walks through the valleys and along the coast. We had sun and blue skies for all but one day and its just amazing how much it can lift your spirits when you are so used to grey. Some highlights included: • Cream tea at Watersmeet House: After walking along the riverside from Lynmouth to Watersmeet, we treated ourselves to mouthwatering scones with jam and cream and a pot of tea at Watersmeet House. It is a tranquil and picturesque spot where the East Lyn River meets Farley Water. • Gorse: This bright yellow wildflower bush grows in abundance in Exmoor and has the most fragrant, sweetest smell - almost like vanilla. • Walk to Countisbury: from Watersmeet we headed straight up the wooded hill and once at the top found ourselves in a clearing with awesome views over the surrounding valley. With the sun shining and the fragrant smell of gorse all around I felt like I was in heaven. • South West Coastal Path: This is the longest path in England and we walked it from Countisbury back to Lynmouth where we had an awesome view of the water along the cliff top. • Bread @ Madhatters Bistro: It was almost impossible to get a table for dinner at any of the Lynton restaurants without a booking - most only had about ten tables. We managed to find one at the Madhatters Bistro and had one of the best meals ever! Service was so friendly and the bread was too die for - big call, but the best bread I have ever tasted. It was so more-ish. • Antique shopping: I almost dropped £2k on a late 1800s rose diamond brooch until common sense prevailed. The owner of the antiques store in Porlock was so patient and lovely, giving us tips on how to look for quality antique jewelry. In Dunster we dropped by a car boot sale and were invited for a cuppa with the ladies running it. They were so kind and welcoming and we had a fantastic time rummaging through stuff in their garage that they hadn't even unpacked. Sitting in the sun and chatting with them made me think about just how the quality of life is so much better when you are not in the city – people have all the time in the world to be friendly and nice to other people, kids can roam freely in the streets and its just so much more relaxed. It was a world away from London, where we don’t even know our neighbours, let alone invite them for tea!