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Area & activitiesIntroduction The Hartland Peninsula The Beach & Waterfall at Spekes Mill Mouth Walking Surfing Other activities Young children Gardens IntroductionSituated within the Hartland Peninsula on the North Devon coast, wonderful coastal walks are accessible from the front door, the nearest one taking in the dramatic waterfall at Spekes Mill Mouth and the famous Hartland Quay. On the beach, where sandy strips are exposed at low tide, explore the rock pools and swim in the sea. The more adventurous might try some bodyboarding or surfing and there are a wide range of sports and family activities and attractions on offer in the near vicinity. The tranquil environment and outstanding natural beauty all around also make Spekes a perfect retreat for painters, writers, musicians and other artists seeking an inspiring, peaceful break. For photographers and wildlife enthusiasts, the area is renowned for its wonderful natural light and abundance of wild flowers and birds of prey. For the landscape enthusiast, the spectacular cliff scenery on this stretch of coastline offers a fascinating insight into a 300 million year history of what was once a mountain system comparable in size to the Alps today. The Hartland PeninsulaSet against the spectacular Atlantic coastline, the 17,000 acres of the Hartland Peninsula offer a landscape of wonderful contrasts. Tucked away in the far North West corner of Devon, this area is a haven of peace and tranquility, perfect for those wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
As you cross the peninsula, high open moorland and ancient woodland give way to coastal waterfalls tumbling from hanging valleys onto rocky shores. These meandering valleys create sheltered micro-climates which support an abundance of wild flowers, rare lichens, culm grassland, insects, birds and animals. The Hartland Peninsula is located within the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is itself located within the UK's first new-style UNESCO Biosphere Reserve ; a designation which reflects the international importance of the area's diversity and abundance of rare plants and its continuous human use from ancient times. Across the water, Lundy Island is home to the country's only statutory Marine Nature Reserve. The Beach & Waterfall at Spekes Mill MouthThere is a wonderful beach and waterfall at Spekes Mill Mouth, less than 1/2 mile from your front door. Access to the beach is via steep steps and it exposes sandy stretches at low tide running down to the shore. Surfers like to visit Spekes for its renowned reef brake, yet it remains peaceful and quiet even at the height of summer. If you are lucky you may even spot some dolphins or porpoises in the bay during the summer. The beaches in the area are known for their excellent water quality and are MCS recommended in the Good Beach Guide. WalkingThis area is a walkers` paradise whether you are a dedicated rambler or someone who enjoys a leisurely stroll amongst beautiful and varied scenery. Click here to download some local walking route leaflets. You can even join the Stoke via Hartland Point walk from the front door of Spekes House at para 22! SurfingThe area boasts some of the finest surfing beaches in the country, including Spekes Beach itself. For beginners there are a number of surf schools around including the North Devon Surf School at Westward Ho! Skern Lodge in Appledore and Atlantic Pursuits in Bude. Bodyboarding is also great fun. Other activitiesThere are varied opportunities for outdoor activities - walking, horse-riding, cycling, golf or take to the water and enjoy canoeing, fishing, windsurfing, sailing or a simple boat trip. The outdoor adventure specialist, Skern Lodge (see Surfing above), offers a range of activities for all ages and abilities and is well known nationally for its courses and instruction. Horse-riding can be booked locally, the nearest being Kingslands Stables, Woolsery (01237 431378). Cycles can be hired and delivered to the house from Gifford Cycles. There are a number of golf courses in the area including the oldest links course in the country, the Royal North Devon, or the nearby Hartland Forest. A good safe place for sailing and other watersports is at Tamar Lakes Watersports Centre. Boat trips are available from the picturesque nearby village of Clovelly or Bideford to Lundy Island. Young childrenSpekes offers a wonderful natural environment for young children to play and explore - around the house and garden, down in the valley and on the beach. However, there are also some good local family attractions. At The Big Sheep you can learn breeds of sheep, shearing processes, watch sheep dog trials and laugh out loud at the exciting sheep races. Children and adults can cuddle baby animals including puppies and rabbits and treasure magic moments bottle feeding the lambs. The Milky Way Adventure Park, near Clovelly has a large indoor play area, outdoor displays of falconry, a mini railway, animals to feed and more. GardensThere are lovely nearby gardens at Docton Mill and Hartland Abbey or, further afield, the RHS Garden at Rosemoor is well there is The Eden Project where you will find more than 1,000,000 plants representing 5,000 species from many of the climatic zones of the world. Many of these can grow in the mild conditions of Cornwall, others need greenhouses and that is where Eden's two gigantic Biomes - the biggest conservatories in the world - come in. In addition to the plants, art is central to Eden's messaging, and the site is liberally peppered with fascinating, thought-provoking works and installations. Further information on all of the above and many other activities/attractions are available at the house. |
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