Ilfracombe, Devon

Overview

Ilfracombe is quintessentially British, a seaside fishing town with great fish and chips, bracing walks and lots of souvenir shops and cream teas. We had a wonderfully relaxed day playing crazy golf, eating fish and chips and wishing we had left more space to enjoy a cream tea. A great day out.

How did we get there?

Travelling on the BMW1250R along the A3123, a super road for motorcycling, we reached the roundabout connecting us to the A361, which has a large Depot Eatery for a quick refreshment stop before turning north to Ilfracombe. Another 5 minutes and we were driving past the Ilfracombe Museum to the parking near Wildersmouth Beach. There is parking for motorcycles, and we quickly changed out of our road gear and into our wet weather clothes as the weather looked changeable and is often foes in this part of the world.

Walking along the beach, we climbed Capstone Hill, short and steep but with great views over the harbour to the east, the town to the south and the coast to the west.

Where did we stay?

We were staying at Treetops Camping, on the New Barnstable Road. Although it had been slightly difficult to find, it was worth the effort as the views from our pitch were stunning. They overlooked the sea in the distance, and we were completely undisturbed. The shower was interesting, but they gear the site towards the surfing fraternity and felt this was adequate for the moment. The only drawback was the vehicle had to stay at the bottom of the hill, but the entire area is secure. This was not an issue.

What was the weather like?

The UK weather on our trip generally was dry. Ilfracombe decided to show us what can happen in minutes with the UK weather and why you should always be prepared. We had noticed in the car park that the weather was likely to change and had taken anoraks. However, the sun appeared, and we decided to have a round of “crazy golf”. A great thing to do by the seaside. Within 5 minutes of starting, the heavens opened. We carried on in the great British tradition. Honours went to both sides of this epic with holes in one, top score, most out of bound balls, etc. Great fun and even better, as the sun came out as we finished.

What did we eat?

Great British fish and chips was the order of the day for lunch. After finishing the “crazy golf” we carried on walking down to the harbour. Here are many shops restaurants and as you would expect fish and chip shops.

Breakfast had been porridge cooked on the stove overlooking the amazing scenery and had set us up for the day. Now, with the fresh sea air, the crazy gold and the walking, we were ready to enjoy the crispy batter, the tender fish and more chips than was probably good for us. We sat by the harbour as we ate this, watching the world go by and as the sun had reappeared, enjoying the warmth that it brought. Someone with a DJI was taking aerial shots of the harbour, and showed us the footage afterwards.

Where else did we go?

Normally we try to pack as many things in as possible in the day. However, today we were happy to enjoy the crazy golf, walk around the harbour and up and down Capstone Hill twice. It was a very relaxing day and one we will repeat.