Follow our guide to finding a quieter Devon and Cornwall away from the tourist hordes

Devon and Cornwall Monday 8.00pm C4

Ed Grenby - 13 June 2021

Thinking of a holiday in the South West this year? So is everybody else, alas. And with a new series of Devon and Cornwall starting on Channel 4 this week – focusing on those fortunate enough to call the region home – the queues of people visiting this gorgeous corner of England will be getting even longer. This week’s episode features the honeypots of Cornwall’s Lost Gardens of Heligan and picturesque Brixham harbour in Devon – but it is possible to find less crowded and not quite so touristy places if you know where to look. Here’s our pick of (at least slightly) hidden splendours.

WALK TO THE WONKY PUB

FROM MYLOR BRIDGE, CORNWALL

All the best walks involve pubs, and this easy hour-and-a-half circuit from Mylor Bridge, just outside Truro, has a perfect midway pit stop at the appealingly wonky Pandora Inn. Devour one of their excellent crab sandwiches and a pint of St Austell ale (or one of nine local gins) under the thatched roof or al fresco on the pontoon beside boats and swans. Your walk continues through verdant woodland, wideopen fields and along the pretty creeks of Restronguet and Mylor if you complete the full circuit. Don’t worry if those gins go to your head, though: the Pandora has mapped out a whole range of walks – both shorter and longer – that they can advise you on. You’ll also find some on their website: pandorainn.com

SWIM FROM A SECRET BEACH

MOOR SAND BEACH, NEAR EAST PRAWLE, DEVON

You’ll want walking shoes as well as flip-flops here, because the only way to or from Moor Sand (other than by boat) is a solid walk along the South West Coast Path. A 40-minute stroll will get you there from the car park at Prawle Point – past smugglers’ coves and butterfly-filled wildflower meadows – but you’ll have to lower yourself by rope ladder to this beautiful, bonewhite shingle and sand beach. Cool off in the sparkling and surprisingly Indian Oceancoloured shallows, or among the rockpools at either end. Not many people make the effort, so there’s a decent chance you’ll have it to yourself.

FIND A HIDDEN HAVEN

SMALLICOMBE FARM, NEAR HONITON, DEVON

It’s hard to find a quiet little haven anywhere beside the sea in the South West, so stay overnight inland and go to the coast as a day trip. There’s no shortage of idyllic farmhouse B&Bs or rental cottages dotted across the Devon and Cornwall countryside, and Smallicombe is both: cosy self-catering barn conversions sleep up to six, while the farmhouse B&B adds a well-worth-it breakfast of the farm’s own bacon, sausages, eggs and tomatoes, with locally produced honey and apple juice. Once that’s gone down, wander the smallholding’s 70 acres of pasture, pig fields and ancient woodland, or venture further into the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that surrounds it. And when you do need that dip, lovely Beer Beach is only 20 minutes’ drive away.

ESCAPE THE MASSES

GOLITHA FALLS, LISKEARD, CORNWALL

The Eden Project teems, Poldark Mine heaves, St Michael’s Mount seethes – but somehow the spectacular cascades of Golitha Falls never seem to get crowded. (Perhaps people are put off by the nature reserve’s decidedly unsexy web page at gov.uk, and its proud claim to be home to 83 different species of moth…) What the masses are missing is a stretch of the River Fowey that plunges 90 metres over a series of waterfalls through immensely atmospheric ancient woodland – with a rather handy circular walk to take it all in.

MOVE OVER, RICK

THE WINKING PRAWN, SALCOMBE, DEVON

Never mind Padstow with its Nathan Outlaws and Rick Steins and making reservations three months in advance. Some of the best food in the South West is available at the humblest shacks – and this utterly unpretentious, bunting-bedecked seafood and BBQ joint across the road from Salcombe’s North Sands is a prime example. No bookings, no dressing up and no way a spot of weather is going to spoil the fun: if it rains, diners on the outside benches just throw blankets over their laps and carry on enjoying their joyously fresh fish, seafood and steak and the views over the boatspeckled estuary. The whole barbecued mackerel is a favourite, but then again so is the pint of prawns… winkingprawngroup.co.uk

EAT LIKE A LOCAL

CARNEWAS TEAROOMS, NEAR BEDRUTHAN STEPS, CORNWALL

There are fancier scone joints in the region, but this largely overlooked smasher is a locals’ favourite for good reason. A simple, slightly time-warped affair, with views over dramatic Bedruthan Beach, it’s run by Scott and Craig, the sons of the former owner Norma Archer, using the same recipe to bake their fresh-daily scones that worked for her for 30 years. All they ask is that you go jam first and then clotted cream!

ED GRENBY

Cornwall – Falmouth Bay & St Ives

5 Days - UK Tour

This varied tour combines the incredible highlights of Cornwall in just a short break, featuring the incredible Tintagel Castle, Lost Gardens of Heligan and St Michael’s Mount. With a unique geographical setting, the river Tamar sets Cornwall apart from the rest of England, giving the locals a real sense of identity and belonging. Cornwall is blessed with both stunning natural features and a colourful history of maritime trade and smuggling. As well as these impressive coastlines, characterful little harbours and fishing villages, we will be sure to immerse ourselves in what it means to be Cornish. Imagine experiencing time-honoured Cornish cream tea overlooking the harbour or visiting a traditional cyder farm to see how the famous local drink is made.

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