About the area around the Lodges of Croyde and Saunton.

Croyde to Saunton Sands Hotel Walk via Down End

All the amazing activities near to our 3 luxury Self Catering Holiday Lodges especially at Croyde, Saunton and Braunton.

Walks

Local walking highlights include Baggy Point at Croyde, Saunton Beach and Braunton Burrows sand dunes.  Sections of the South West Coast Path from Westward Ho! to Ilfracombe are accessible by Stagecoach bus, for those planning stages of the route. The dramatic coastal scenery and ancient woodland on the western edges of Exmoor are less than 30 minutes drive away.

Golf

The lodges are popular with golfers coming to experience 2 of the famous Atlantic Links Golf courses, some of the finest in the UK. Saunton Golf Club is just 1.5 miles away on the Braunton Burrows and over the estuary at Westward Ho! is the oldest golf course in England, The Royal North Devon. https://thegallerylodges.petecaswell.co.uk/index.php/category/things-to-do-in-north-devon-golfing/

Surf

Surfers are spoiled for choice in North Devon. Saunton Sands is just 2 miles away and a great beach to have a go at surfing. With the endless stretch of beach there is plenty of room to enjoy the surf or just take in the expansive scene. Croyde Bay has a famous break, seasonally patrolled by Surf Lifesavers; this can be a challenging wave to surf. A little further away Putsborough and Woolacombe beaches have yet more rolling waves and beautiful sunsets to discover! High quality surf instruction is available locally.

Cycle

The Tarka Trail follows the rivers Torridge and Taw on the disused railway lines and travels inland towards Barnstaple, a bustling town. The Cycle route is named after the novel Tarka the Otter, by Henry Williamson, which was based along the banks of these rivers and the estuary at Crow Point. The trail is well supplied with tea shops and cycle hire is available locally. We have a lockable bike store for guests use.

The Tarka Trail Cycle Trail

Nature watching

From the lodges, bird-watchers can enjoy sightings of a barn owl and greater spotted woodpeckers, along with a host of smaller birds from greenfinches to dunnocks, not to mention our regular pheasant visitors! The area has an interesting variety of habitats from moorland and headlands, where stone chats and warblers can be spotted, to the beaches, dunes and estuary with birds such as the ‘clockwork’ sanderlings, curlews, oystercatchers and many more sea birds. Local to the lodges, the lanes lead into the Braunton Marsh, which is a reclaimed land area with grazing, vegetable farming and managed ditches. Walking along the lane in summer you will soon see warblers defending their nest sites in the reed grasses, swans rearing their signets and occasionally the flash of the kingfisher. Butterflies such as the Gatekeeper can be seen in our meadows and other rarer species colonise the Braunton burrows. The National Trust, near Exmoor also manages some areas for rare Fritillary Butterflies. Lovers of the wild and unspoiled will enjoy a day trip on MS Oldenburg to Lundy Island, famous for it’s puffins and migratory birds as well as a healthy seal population.

Yoga and wellbeing

The area has a well established number of yoga fitness and well-being providers. Some can arrange private lessons, drop in at their regular sessions or seasonal events, such as beach yoga. Our suggestions for providers is not exhaustive but will give you some ideas: https://thegallerylodges.petecaswell.co.uk/index.php/walk-cycle-surf/

Always drop them a line to check what’s on or visit their Facebook page and if you have any medical conditions we would always recommend contacting in advance.