Location & Activities
Weare Giffard connects directly to the Tarka Trail, opening up extensive walking and cycling routes through Devon's countryside. The village setting provides authentic rural charm while keeping North Devon's coastal attractions, beaches, and market towns within easy reach. The location suits those who appreciate genuine seclusion - this isn't a tourist village, but a working community where you can experience real Devon life.
Our Local Pub, The Cyder Presse
Situated just a 3 minute walk away on the banks of the River Torridge, The Cyder Presse serves locally sourced home-cooked food with a fantastic choice of local ciders and ales on tap.
They have a large beer garden and dogs are most welcome.
Open hours:
Mon – Sat: 5.00pm – 11:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm – 11:00pm
The Tarka Trail
The Tarka Trail is an absolute gem of North Devon! A 180-mile trail system formed of a figure-of-eight pattern centred on Barnstaple, offering everything from gentle strolls to serious hiking adventures.
The trail is named after Tarka the Otter from Henry Williamson's novel, and it takes you through the actual North Devon landscapes that inspired the story - the Taw and Torridge river valleys, wooded hillsides, and dramatic coastline.
Two different loops to explore:
The North Loop heads inland along the River Taw through charming villages with cob and thatched cottages, climbs onto Exmoor's high plateaus, then follows the spectacular coast via Lynmouth and the South West Coast Path back to Barnstaple.
The South Loop travels southwest through the beautiful Taw/Torridge Estuary to historic Bideford, then inland through woodlands and flower-rich grassland before connecting with Dartmoor and returning via the scenic Tarka Railway Line.
What makes it perfect for your stay:
The 31-mile South Loop shared-use section on the former railway line between Braunton and Meeth is the crown jewel - completely car-free, flat, and ideal for walking, cycling, and even wheelchairs. This safe, tarmacked route includes the stunning estuary sections around Barnstaple, Fremington, Instow, and Bideford.
You don't need to tackle all 180 miles! There are 11 circular walks (1-5 miles each) that connect to the main trail, perfect for day trips from your cottage. Most pass through villages with excellent pubs and cafes. [Download the guide]
Practical tips: Bike hire is available in Barnstaple if you want to cover more ground. The trail connects charming market towns, dramatic coastal sections, and peaceful countryside - you can easily plan anything from a gentle afternoon stroll to a full day's adventure, all while experiencing the Devon landscape that inspired one of England's most cherished nature stories.
Historic Woodland Walk
Just outside the cottage and up the quiet lane there is an inviting footpath (Footpath 2) that beckons walkers toward a mysterious historic woodland. The path meanders between towering hedgerows and through dappled sunlight, eventually leading into the cool, hushed depths of the woodland where ancient trees have watched over the medieval village below for countless generations.
The Puffins of Lundy Island
A ferry service runs regularly from Bideford aboard the MS Oldenburg to Lundy situated around 18 miles off shore. Journey time is just under two hours.
The puffin season on Lundy Island occurs from the end of March until August. The peak period falls between the months of April and July which makes it the best time to visit.
This car-free island is a wildlife paradise - you might spot seals, dolphins, and the famous puffins that give the island its name ("Lundy" means "puffin island" in Old Norse).
Clovelly - the prettiest village in Devon
One of Devon’s most popular villages, famous for its cobbled hill and picturesque cottages, visiting Clovelly is like stepping back in time. The village sits on a 400-foot cliff face. This atmosphere is embodied in a traffic-free, cobbled street with flower-strewn cottages, tumbling down a cleft in the 400-foot cliff to the ancient fishing harbour and 14th-century quay. Check out the shops, galleries and museums. Try your hand at arts and crafts workshops, charter a boat for a fishing trip, meet the donkeys, or take a stroll along the beautiful cliffs, beaches and through the village.
Admission to the Village: Adult £9.50, Child (aged 7-16) £5.50, Children under 7 are free.
Family (2 adults & 2 children) £25.00.
Visit Website
Quince Honey Farm - Award-Winning Working Honey Farm
Main Attractions
The Honey Factory: The factory shows visitors how bees make honey, includes honey tasting sessions and beeswax candle rolling activities. Viewing windows look into the honey production areas where visitors can see the journey from hive to jar.
The Bee Shed: Interactive hives allow visitors to see millions of bees at work from behind glass in complete safety. The hives open up at the push of a button for closer viewing.
Beekeeping Demonstrations: Live demonstrations where the team open a beehive from behind protective glass and explain what visitors can see. The challenge is spotting the queen bee.
Nectar Gardens: Beautifully landscaped gardens with hexagonal plots, each with different themes. All plants are bee and pollinator friendly and can be explored year round.
The Play Hive: Large indoor soft play area providing space for children to play.
Nectary Restaurant: Award-winning restaurant serving home-made meals, drinks and special honey cream teas.
Farm Shop: Sells seasonal honeys, beeswax candles, skincare and gifts.
Practical Information
Location: Just off the A361 at Aller Cross South Molton North Devon EX36 3RD. [Google Map]
Dog-friendly: Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome everywhere except the indoor soft play area.
Visitor Experience
Many visitors report the beekeeping experience exceeding expectations and find it surprisingly educational. Typical visits last longer than expected, with some planning to stay an hour but remaining much longer. The farm operates year-round with both free areas (restaurant and shop) and paid attraction experiences including tours and activities.
Nestled in the North Devon Torridge Valley, Rosemoor is an enchanting place to visit and blends formal and informal planting to magical effect. The garden has expanded over the years and there are now more than 65 acres of garden to explore.
Great Torrington Golf Club is set in glorious countryside in the heart of rural North Devon, just seven miles from the beach at Westward Ho!
Owned and managed by its members, the club extends a genuinely warm welcome to members and visitors alike.
Great Torrington Golf Club was founded in 1895, moving to its present site on Furzebeam Hill at Weare Trees in 1932. The 9-hole heathland/parkland course is routed over a pleasantly sloping, triangularly shaped site that measures just 26 acres. The common land on which the course is set occupies the northern part of Torrington Commons, which in total extends to 365 acres.
Measuring just 4,458 yards from the back tees (for 18 holes), the course is not of championship length, but with well-drained fairways, tightly mown heathland turf and challenging green complexes, the design offers a fair and interesting test for golfers of all abilities.
The layout at Great Torrington is a throwback to the way in which golf was first played in Britain. It's a unique golfing experience that more and more visitors are coming to enjoy. The homely clubhouse, with its cosy upstairs bar and restaurant, offers a good selection of beverages and meals, which can also be served in their covered spike bar area.
Open Hours: 8am - Dusk, everyday
The new Visitor Experience houses an updated and upgraded Timeline Exhibition of Dartington Crystal’s products spanning over 50 years of history from 1967 to the present day.
A creative team of in-house staff have been working tirelessly for the last six months to make something quite special, something that is both a leisure experience as well as being a lasting archive of some of the wonderful craftmanship of its North Devon’s glass makers. As well as being able to see glass making demonstrations in a newly installed studio furnace area, Master Engraver Nick Davey will be creating masterpieces right before your eyes.
The Visitor Centre is open from 9:30am to 4:00pm, but to ensure that you are able to see the blowers in action, the recommended entry times are between :- 9:30 - 10:15 or 12:00 - 13:15 or 14:00 - 15:15. Outside these times, the factory may be taking breaks or setting up for the next period of production.
Westward Ho! Beach
Westward Ho! is a beach geared up to cater for every tourist's needs. With seaside shops, toilets and a range of food outlets, Westward Ho! is a popular family beach.
Made up of a long sandy beach backed by a pebble ridge with Northam Burrows Country Park accessible at one end this beach offers the best of both sand rock pools and nature. RNLI Lifeguard service is available from May to September and the beach is popular with windsurfers surfers and
swimmers. Dogs are permitted from October to April on the whole beach and all year round at the Northam Burrows end. There is ample car parking and disabled parking close to the beach.
The wonderful surf that runs on to Westward Ho! draws surfers from miles around and with designated surfing areas the beach caters for every activity. The surf is also home to wild sea bass attracting anglers from all over the country. Equipment for bathing surfing and angling is readily
available from local outlets.