This popular resort, the only place in the U.K. with an exclamation mark after its name, used to be the home of the famous author Charles Kingsley. The safe sandy beach stretches for two miles, and is easily accessible from the slipway, where holidaymakers and locals alike enjoy the water sports on offer, including surfing and kayaking, and where children can play in the shallow rock pools, catching fish and crabs.
One of the most eye catching parts of the beach are the rows of traditional beach huts, and the Pebble Ridge is also a distinct boundary between the beach and the Northam Burrows, a vast expanse of green land you are welcome to explore. The famous North Devon Golf Course is also situated here, and is the oldest course in England and Wales.
There are many local shops and some good family run restaurants and pubs here, the popular Waterfront Inn serves an excellent Sunday carvery and also has a small child’s indoor play area. A go-kart track and a putting green can also be found, and numerous strategically placed benches overlooking the sea, the perfect resting place to watch the magnificent sunsets in the evening.
Bideford, the “Little White Town” famed for its pannier market and port, is also just a short car ride away, where you can catch the Oldenburg ship for a trip to Lundy Island, a peaceful haven for birds and wildlife just off the North Devon coast.