ribeirasacra

I cannot find the exact cottage in the listing..I am in too much of a rush today!
However it is one of those cottages that I suggest would not have parking near by. Some cottages have a sea view only from the upper windows. Check if the back garden is north facing so it overlooks the estuary. Only then will you havea full view.
Below is Google maps of the street.
http://maps.google.es/maps?q=Irsha+S...05338&t=h&z=18
Again tick the box for some photos.
The large public car park is towards the eastern end of the road. The road is one way flowing from the car park towards Jubilee Road. The road is quaint.

annhig

Hi, wrenwood,

here's the link to the boat to Lundy:

http://www.lundyisland.co.uk/sailing.htm#

it goes from Ilfracombe as well as bideford and I like the look of the apartment there - Damien Hurst no less. Ilfracombe must be coming up in the world!

what Ribeirasacra says about looking carefully at websites to see what the view really is is very sound. the website for the Westward Ho! property has lots of pretty pictures of the apartment and the beach, but none of the town - that's because it's a dump!

parking in Appledore is difficult but it's better since they built what we used to call the "scenic car park". usually you can draw up outside your property to unload and load up again at the end of your stay, which is what we used to do when we had our house there though we had to reverse out as "one end street" was exactly that! in Irsha street you wouldn'y have that problem. it is very pretty and "quaint". one of the houses is particularly narrow and used to hold some sort of record for that - it was called the Doll's House:

http://www.appledore-letting.co.uk/Cottages4.htm

good luck with your house-hunting


regards, ann

wrenwood

That is SO true about websites. If a website has artistic pictures of fruit and champagne glasses and few pictures of the property I don't even look any further.

Ann ~ do you know that area in lfracombe? Nice restaurants to walk to? It does look like it's actually looking at ocean, not bay or river? ( it does say "panoramic sea views")

ribeirasacra ~ no trailer parks?

We just want a comfortable place where we can see the ocean rain or shine from the apartment or house, and walk out on a balcony or terrace with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.( with no trailer parks and people with bad teeth. I'm not sure I'll ever get over that visual image!)

Thank you all again for all your help, and for sharing your knowledge. Invaluable.

annhig

Hi wrenweood,

I don't know the area in Ilfracombe specifically - as we had a house in Appledore we didn't stay anywhere else! but I can visualise it and it does tick all your boxes. there are certainly pubs which do meals in the area, and google maps/via michelin will tell you if there are restaurants near-by. there are certainly nice places a short drive away - Coombe Martin for example. good luck!

regards, ann

annhig

hi again,

try googling Damien Hurst ilfracombe - there appears to be at least onne decent restaurant in the area!

Ann

wrenwood

http://11thequay.co.uk/

"Hirst is slowly having the same one-man regeneration effect on Ilfracombe that Rick Stein brought to Padstow"

looks encouraging!

annhig

yes, there's lots of good stuff in the area, now I cast my mind back, aided by my ancient west country michelin green guide.

as well as nice pubs, [the mill @ ossaburgh near Woolacombe, the Sawmill @ Berrynarbour, the Grampus @ Lee] there's Morte Point [great views], Arlington Court [house and gardens], and don't forget Combe Martin, and the Pack O'Cards pub, with 4 floors, 13 doors on each floor, etc. etc..

hele bay nearby is nice too, I remember.

regards, ann

wrenwood

I figure one day we'll do Clovelly and the coastal path near Hartland point, and maybe as far down as Morwenstow????

Another day Exmoor National Park, some of the Villages on the north coast.

Another day leave open for last minute suggestions. Maybe the trip to Lundy?

Last day (sister-in law will need to leave to head towards Heathrow sometime late afternoon for a Sunday flight) some shopping in the local area ( she LOVES to shop!) and anything close by. Morte Point?

Will look at Arlington Court, what about Knightshayes? Rosemoor?

Thanks for the recommendations for eating ~ take a look at this site I found while googling some of your suggestions. Lots of helpful information.

http://www.cottagebythebeach.co.uk/ttd.html

annhig

hi wrenwood,

ref your plans,

Clovelley to Morwenstow is a long but dooable day, I think. if you are travelling on to Cornwall after you leave North Devon, I mgiht leave Morwenstow til then and do it en route, and go to Appledore instead.

Exmoor is definitely a day by itself.

Lundy is also a day to itself - obviosuly on a day that the boat goes from Ilfracombe, not Bideford.

Shopping - nowhere springs to mind, unless you count Barnstaple which has the worst traffic problems I can think of. there is something called Atlantic village near Bideford which is heavily advertised but I've never been. you could try Minehead. you do NOT go to north Devon to shop.

morte point or Coombe Martin would make nice short trips in the area.

we went to Arlington Court a very long time ago, but have never been to knightshayes. Rosemoor is stunning, especially when the roses are out in June/July - I've forgotten when you are travelling, sorry. you could combine it was a visit to Torrington, which has cavalier and roundhead associations and has lovely walks round the town.

thanks for the link to that website - I have bookmarked it for myself. I never knew that other beach at Coombe Martin existed!

there are other places you could think about going as well, but they are just escaping my memory at present. I'll keep mulling it over.

regards, ann

annhig

here's two more - both near Hartland - Docton Mill [a garden, very pretty] and Hartland Abbey - old house and gardens with a walk down the valley to the beach.

wrenwood

Regarding shopping ~ no outlets etc, just local shops with local products. When in Ireland with this sister-in-law she bought Irish scarves and some crystal, and some lace goods. So ANYWHERE in the area with nice "English" products will make her happy.

We are travelling end of September, early October, so I'm afraid past the rose season!

Dunster too far to do the same day as Exmoor?

annhig

hi wrenwood,

rosemore has a lovely gift shop and also there is the Dartington glass factory and shop nearby in torrington. rosemore would still be worth visiting to Sept/Oct - they have great veg and fruit gardens and you might get a 2nd flush of roses.

Dunster is well worth a visit, if a friend of mine is anything to go by - she and her SI go there all the time including for their honeymoon [which I suppose means he's her DH!]. in fact, she's on holiday there now! i don't see why you couldn't include it in your exmoor day. again, my michelin guide suggest a route that takes you east along the north coast on the way out, via the Doone valley and porlock, then back via wheddon coross, Dunkery beacon, Simonsbath, and watersmeet.

Lynton, Lynmouth, the valley of the rocks and Heddon's mouth would all make another day.

i'm sure that your SIL would find many nice places to shop in Dunster, Simonsbath and lynton/lynmouth.

hope this helps,

regards, ann

ribeirasacra

Sorry it has been a long time since I added anything to this conversation.
There is a shopping outlet near to Bideford called Atlantic Village.
http://www.atlanticvillage.co.uk/09/index.php
It sells some things you could be looking for.

There still should be some flowers in September. It does depend on the season.

kleeblatt

Here's my trip report of Devon, including Dunster and many places listed above. It might help you with ideas.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...st-england.cfm