The Great Short Break Escape, by Ruth Saunders
Outside the main season is a great time to take a short break in the South Hams
Prices are lower, beaches are empty, and the logs are piled high ready for a night in front of the woodburner with a good book!
Your ideal 3-night break might include coastal walks, excellent food in pubs and restaurants with menus offering local ingredients, and unique shopping in pretty towns overlooking rivers and estuaries at Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Salcombe.
Dittiscombe Estate & Cottages is set in a tranquil South Hams valley, with lovely gardens surrounded by a 20 acre private estate exclusive to guests, 2 miles from Slapton village and the dog-friendly beaches of Start Bay beaches.
In the village and surrounding area you’ll discover:
Two excellent dog-friendly pubs, The Tower Inn which offers a locally sourced gastropub menu, and The Queens Arms with great beers and ciders on tap. In front of the log fires you can read up on the many stories of the D-Day landing practices which took place here during the Second World War. Both pubs welcome dogs inside.
The freshwater lagoon at Slapton Ley is a national nature reserve where you can enjoy fabulous views of the lake and the sea. Take the nature trail around the reedbeds and you might spot rare winter migrants or see Starling murmurations at dusk.
Start Bay, a sweeping curve of dog-friendly beaches, is great for a bracing winter walk beside the sea, or sit and just weather-watch in the local cafes and seaside pubs at Torcross and Beesands. Here too you can join up with the South West Coast Path and take in the spectacular views between Salcombe and Dartmouth with Start Point Lighthouse along the way.
Visit the farm shop at Stokeley to pick up quality craft beers made by the South Hams Brewery and some local Stokeley sausages to take home. Whilst there enjoy a generous cream tea in their cafe with cream on top, the Devon way, of course!
So find a perfect cottage for your short break at Dittiscombe. From October to April we offer warm and cosy short breaks with log-burners, spa baths and views of the rolling Devon hills from a cottage window. We are dog-friendly. You can book 2, 3 and 4-night or more short breaks at all-inclusive rates. You can book online directly with us here.
To find out more about Slapton and Start Bay read Ruth’s Blog.
We had a lovely stay at the Owlery over the August bank holiday. The Owlery itself had everything we could want for a relaxing long weekend away and the setting was stunning. It felt rural and peaceful yet not far away the coast is buzzing with activity.
Excellent location, lots of places to visit. Welcoming and friendly. Slapton village is lovely. Two good pubs and dog friendly.
Rewilding – Could Messy Gardening Save the Planet?
Now referred to as Rewilding, can we help the planet by doing virtually nothing in our own back gardens? At Dittiscombe Estate we’ve been rewilding a previously farmed valley for over 20 years. Find out if the proof is in the oak tree!
Pigs rooting for nature at Dittiscombe Estate
The story of two pigs, Foxy and Hughie, rooting for nature at the Dittiscombe Rewilding Project in South Devon. They’ve helped to kick-start further rewilding within the valley to create a more dynamic environment for biodiversity.
Driving Devon Lanes & the Art of Mindfulness
As the lanes are a very special feature of our South Devon landscape it would be a shame to miss out on all they have to offer, so take your time, be part of the slow holiday movement and leave with some special memories of primrose-clad banks and pensive buzzards.
Start Bay: Stories Old & New
Ruth Saunders took a closer look at the sweeping beaches of Start Bay near Dittiscombe and found a wealth of interesting geological formations; secret wartime stories; piracy; the lost village of Hallsands, and changing coastal landscapes.