15. Swim in style: swimming in the sea might not be for everyone, but the invigorating sea water is given a stylish setting for the beautiful grade II listed Tinside Lido on Plymouth Sound. Built in 1935 the Art Deco lido was renovated in 2005, and offers stylish refreshment for those who want to swim in history. Get the openning times from the Tinside Lido site.
16. Food for Fort: Apparently 70 batteries and forts have been built in and around Plymouth, most can still be seen today, but the most notable are probably the Citadel and Drakes Island Fort, built on Drake’s Island in the middle of the Sound. There are guided tours from March to September of the Royal Citadel, which was build over the early Plymouth Fort against a feared Dutch Invasion. Another older fort of note is that at Berry Head, which was the site of an Iron Age hill fort, which was reinforced against the threat of French invasion between 1794 and 1804
17. Castles in the air: As you might expect, there are plenty of castles around Devon. Some, like Exeter Castle, are no longer castles. Others like Castle Drogo, never were. And some are now just ruins. Here’s a quick list: Castle Drogo; Dartmouth Castle; Powderham Castle, Watermouth Castle; Hemyock Castle, Lydford Castle; Compton Castle; Tiverton Castle, Berry Pomery Castle and Totnes Castle, Okehampton Castle; Bickleigh Castle; Gidleigh Castle, Bampton Castle; Affeton Castle; and Kingswear Castle.
18. Devon cream teas: Be in no doubt that a Devon cream tea is a very different affair to that of the cream tea over the boarder in Cornwall. (For those in Cornwall, the jam should be spread first over the scone with clotted cream placed on top, but for those on other side of the border in Devon, the jam should go on top of the cream.) But where to get the best Devon cream tea in Devon? Devon blogger Grazing Kate did her own investigation.
19. Wine o’clock!: Inspired by the unique soils, the aspect and temperate winds, Devon wine has been becoming quite a force to be reckoned with. Often combining tasting with a tour around the vines, once you find them the vineyards are pleasant places to spend an afternoon (and at Kenton, you can also be treated to some of the unique art). In case you fancy a tour, here’s our list of wine in Devon: Kenton Vineyard, Starcross, near Exeter; Sharpham, Totnes; Yearlstone Vineyard, Bickleigh; Pebbled Vineyard, Topsham; Eastcott Vineyard, Okehampton; Boyces, Shillingford St George, Huxbear Vineyard, Chudleigh; Lily Farm, Budleigh Salterton; and Old Walls Vineyard, Bishopsteignton.
20. Push those pedals: Cycling in Devon can be super rewarding, whether you prefer the more sedate ride, or you’re one of those off-roaders (there are even BMX tracks – in Decoy Park, Newton Abbot for example!). To cater to your cycling needs, wherever you are, the Cycle Devon site is a good start – there’s even a cycle planner for your Devon bicycle journey, and routes around different areas plus where you can hire a bike.
21. Hoe, hoe, hoe: Plymouth Hoe is worth a visit if only to step on the land of a legendary fight between a giant and a hero, the venue where Sir Francis Drake finished his game of bowls before setting out to beat the Spanish Armada and the iconic Smeaton’s Tower (the upper portion of Johen Smeaton’s Eddystone Lighthouse, which was reconstructed on the Hoe in 1877. What’s interesting too is that up until the 17th century two giant figures were cut into the turf, revealing the limestone below. These were Gog and Magog (Goemagot and Corineus), of the battle we mentioned earlier.
49 things to do in Devon: 1-7
49 things to do in Devon: 8-14
49 things to do in Devon: 22-28
49 things to do in Devon: 29-35
49 things to do in Devon: 36-42
49 things to do in Devon: 43-49
- Giving blood still needed in all tiers - December 31, 2020
- Pop-up choir a blessing at Northam church’s Covid-safe Christmas Eve service - December 30, 2020
- Meet Bobby and Dizzy the donkeys at Springfield farm’s Christmas event - December 16, 2020
Leave a Reply