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Devon's Best Hotels

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The Devon Experience

A wonderful combination of town and country life can be experienced in Devon, whatever your interests. Unwind in our beautiful countryside, enjoy the heritage coastline, soak up the history, expand your horizons- and possibly your waistline! The hotels featured on this site offer guests the chance to spend time in the city then relax in the countryside, so take a break and enjoy the best that Devon has to offer.

Heritage and Gardens

The area is well-endowed with National Trust properties including Killerton House, A La Ronde and Knightshayes Court; historic castles at Powderham, Tiverton, Bickleigh, and Castle Drogo near Dartmoor. There are many beautiful gardens such as those at Bickleigh and Bicton; take a trip into Cornwall and visit the RHS garden at Rosemoor, or the famous 'Lost Gardens of Heligan'.

Art and Culture

As well as year round galleries and museums, Exeter and surrounding area offers a wide and varied festival programme throughout the year with it’s Summer and Autumn Festivals, Shakespeare in the Park, Animated Exeter and Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink.

The surrounding area boasts a huge array of smaller galleries, potteries and craft shops to explore.

History

On a site inhabited for over 2000 years, Exeter retains traces of every period of English history. See the remains of the Roman Wall (built around AD 200), admire the Guildhall, reputedly the country's oldest municipal building dating to 1160, and visit the fascinating underground passages that first piped water to the centre of the medieval city. At the heart of the city is the magnificent Gothic Cathedral, famous for its unique Norman twin towers and the astronomical clock- nicknamed the Hickory Dickory Dock Clock as it is said to have inspired the well-known nursery rhyme.

Adventure

Situated as it is, Exeter and the heart of Devon makes an ideal base to experience many activities such as sailing, canoeing, coastal or moorland walks and other outdoor pursuits.

Active Devon

Devon is calling you out to play. Surfing or diving, walking or golfing, sailing or fishing - come and have fun! Devon's glorious countryside and superb coasts are the perfect setting for a great escape. Fling yourself into the wildest and wettest of watersports - diving, kite surfing, sailing or windsurfing - Devon's sailing centres are unrivalled. Walk our 3,500 miles of footpaths, cycle through sunken lanes, trek on horseback across windswept moors. If golf is your passion, you can take your pick of challenging and scenic courses. Fishing enthusiasts will enjoy discovering Devon's multitude of well-stocked lakes and streams. Discover Devon's idyllic playground - the place to switch off from everyday life and get active. Try something new, enjoy something old - you'll charge up your batteries and return home refreshed and invigorated.Devon is perfect for outdoor activities: a playground of beaches, National Parks, superb unspoilt countryside and England's first natural World Heritage Site. 

The English Riviera

For the golf enthusiast the English Riviera has many of the country's finest courses within an hour's drive with a challenge for every level. Watersports obviously have a large part to play in an English Riviera holiday with a wide range of the activities on offer including diving, fishing, sailing, windsurfing, water-skiing. Back on dry land, walking and cycling are the best ways to get some excercise whilst taking in the beautiful scenery

Plymouth

Plymouth's unique location, with its combination of sea, moors, and lush countryside, makes it the perfect venue for those seeking a more active holiday break. The coastal footpaths are exceptional, offering magnificent views. For lovers of the sea, you will find Plymouth exceeds your dreams. Choices include windsurfing, canoeing, sailing, scuba diving and water skiing. Or for golfers, tee off on the internationally renowned St Mellion golf course, or try a round at Elfordleigh and China Fleet Country Clubs.

Shopping

The city of Exeter boasts a huge range of shops, from leading names in the high street to individual designer shops around Gandy Street and Fore Street. The surrounding towns such as Topsham and Honiton offer an entirely different shopping experience where you can browse around antique and craft shops.

Golfing

South Devon has a hugely diverse range of walking opportunities from stunning coastal paths to challenging moorland walks, but you’ll also find a great selection of golf courses including some such as Bigbury, Dawlsih, Dartmouth and Thurlestone which have stunning views over the sea.Devon Castles

Devon's Castles

Powderham Castle: Lies in a beautiful deer park setting on the banks of the River Exe, just a stone's throw from the historic cathedral city of Exeter. The Courtenay family have been welcoming visitors to the Castle since 1959, and over the years in excess of a million people have been through the doors. Very little of the Castle itself has changed since those early days, but there are now many more attractions in the grounds for visitors of all ages to enjoy. www.powderham.co.uk
Castle Drogo: The 'last castle to be built in England', set above the Teign Gorge with dramatic views over Dartmoor, Castle Drogo is one of the most remarkable works of Sir Edwin Lutyens. Perched above the Teign Gorge, the castle has the highest National Trust garden, at 900 feet and there are family activites every day of school holiday.
From the outside looking like every school boys vision of a medieval castle, there is even a portcullis guarding the entrance tower. Inside much more the 20th century country house – rooms hung with elaborate Spanish tapestries, and filled with fine furniture, not forgetting a kitchen and scullery. Getting there, only 12 miles west of Exeter. www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Dartmouth Castle: Built on a rocky promontory at the narrowest part of the entrance to the Dart estuary, the castle was originally designed to protect the harbour at Dartmouth from attack by foreign vessels. A small fort was built in 1388 to protect expensive stone-throwing machines whose range just about covered the narrow harbour entrance. Between 1481 - 1495 a new tower was constructed to mount heavy guns, the first purpose-built artillery tower in the country. Over the following centuries, as the power and range of guns improved, other gun emplacements were added to the castle in positions that allowed them to fire on ships well before they reached the narrow harbour entrance. By the 19th century, Dartmouth's importance as a harbour had declined and the defences at the castle were reduced, although not entirely abandoned. The last gun emplacements to be built and manned were added during the Second World War.
www.english-heritage.org.uk

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