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Just back from 10 days in Cornwall and already thinking about next year!

We are planning to go to Devon but cannot decide between North or South, I've always associated the North with picturesque villages and a rocky coastline, and the south with sandy beaches and holiday parks.

Maybe if I tell you what we're looking for you can come up with ideas of suitable sites or location, please.

1 - looking for a relatively quiet site but with good facilities, not really in to the holiday park thing.

2 - We have 2 young children and would like to be close to family style beaches (lots of sand etc).

3 - Like to travel round and do things - Towns, Gardens, National Trust, Preserved Railways, Countryside.

Hope you can throw up some suggestions.

Well coming from Plymouth and knowing the county very well (having been born and lived there for 29 years), it sounds like if you fancy South Devon, Kingsbridge would be the ideal spot. Having just put Kingsbridge in the site search, there are quite a few sites, and none of them have the club feel, just the expected quiet market town site which I'd expect.

Kingsbridge is 19 miles from Plymouth (Plymouth Hoe, biggest city west of Bristol, border with East Cornwall of course!)

Around 10 Miles from the Dart Valley Railway at Dartmouth/Kingswear.

Around 15 miles to Torbay - all the family days out of Torquay, but Brixham harbour is much more interesting Golden Hind etc. Paignton has the entertainment.

Around 20 miles and it's Dartmoor (ah my walking heaven) with lots of quiet walks, rivers for little ones to paddle in, and if going out of season the best wilderness in Southern England with ponies and wildlife.

Finally as a plus point for South Devon, yes North Devon is known for cliffs, but South Devon is just as good (Thurlestone, Bigbury, the 9 mile drive walk near Newton Ferrers/Noss Mayo) even the cliffs near Plymouth (Wembury/Heybrook Bay) are just as impressive and as they aren't so well known they are a lot quieter and more friendly as they aren't after a quick buck like certain places in North Devon (Clovelly for example).

Hope that helps......... God I miss home sometimes.  Mind you this promotion for tourism is dead easy when you know how!

I would reccommend somewhere like Dawlish.  Its on the east side of the more popular places like Torquay.  It had a lovely beach at nearby Dawlish Warren which also offer a sort of fun prk for the kids (and adults!)  There is a train line that runs though Dawlish taking you to Torquay, Paignton (my fav place) or even to Exeter, just great for not having to keep taking the card, and parking does prove quite pricy in some places.  We have mostly stayed at Lady's Mile when we've been to Dawlish they have a take away, childrens play area etc....Good Luck!

I am a Devon bumpkin...lived here all my life....my most favourite part of Devon is Dartmoor...but you are looking for beaches...we mainly go to the south coast if we want a trip out. 

Kingsbridge is a nice area, Dartmouth is very pretty....as is Blackpool Sands, Slapton Sands and the South Hams.  Torquay area is busy and more touristy, you have Paignton and Teignmouth with their seaside piers and plenty to do.  Further up the coast it tends to quiet again with Branscombe, Sidmouth, Beer and up to dorset - all nice beaches (but pebbley).

For sand and dunes etc I would say north Devon has the open sprawling beaches - Saunton Sands is a lovely huge long beach which certainly blows out the cobwebs on a windy day - popular with kite surfers etc.  Nearby you have Croyde, Braunton and Putsborough beaches, Westward Ho and Northam burrows near Appledoor is also nice.....all sandy beaches.

north and south devon both have the attractions for all the family -

south devon - access to -

Dartmoor/Powderham Castle (they have jousting performances there in the summer)/castle Drogo (national trust)/Bicton Gardens/Killerton Gardens/Buckfastleigh Abbey/Exeter Cathedral/it goes on and on

kiddie things to do - National aquarium Plymouth/Pennywell farm (buckfastleigh)/woodlands adventure park (nr Dartmouth)/crealy adventure park (nr exeter)/donkey sanctuary (free! near Sidmouth)/minature pony farm (mortonhampstead)/River Dart Steam Railway/Otter sanctuary (buckfastleigh)

North Devon - access to -

Easy access to north cornwall/Bude etc/Exmoor/Tarka Trail (highly recommended you can hire bikes and cycle for miles on disused railway)/Clovelly/visit Lundy island/cobbaton army museum (nr umberleigh)/again it goes on and on!

kiddie things - the big sheep/the milky way/

apart from some of the few things above we have umpteen farm shops/vineyards/cheese making places/walking/cycling/boating the list is endless

I would suggest looking at the tourist information and also looking at sites for the national trust etc...

you wont be short of things to do whatever you decide!

i also live in devon, so i would pick almost any site that suits your pocket. your talking a lot of places to visit in almost any camping place you pick. hope that helps.

floppy

I have to agree with dazphil, you can't beat the south hams. Me and a few girl friends went camping to Modbury and the surrounding area is fantastic, we visited Bigbury On Sea, well it was an amazing place (hadn't heard of it until my Dad recomended it before we went). Funny thing is, six months later whilst researching my family tree, I discovered that my gggrandmother used to be Inn Keeper at The Pilchard Inn on Burgh Island. How weird is that!!

Also Salcombe is beautiful as is Bantham Beach and Kingsbridge, you are reasonably central to all places of interest and also not far from the Torpoint Ferry in Plymouth where you can drive across to cornwall.

The adventure continues.......................

We love it so much we are off there on Saturday.....

........i'm so excited I could burst

We have sited our van in Chudleigh and can't wait to go down on Friday for the weekend.  yippee!!  Great area for Dartmoor, the coast, Plymouth, Exeter, in fact everything we could want within easy reach.

Ali

Cofton county park near dawlish is good. 10 minutes walk to the sea front or a 5 mins car drive. The site is huge and holds hundreds of units but believe it or not it is fairly quiet especialy after 11pm and it was really packed when we went. there is a decent sized heated out door pool which is life gaurded and has good grass area around where you can sit and sunbathe. There is an on site shop, restaurant and small bar. fishing lakes where there were kids learning to fish. |The beach is a fantastic beach lovelly and clean one small amusemewnts on sea front a bar and a couple of food shack type units. Look up the name on a search engine and if you request they will send you a brochure. 

OOh you've got me all excited now - I'm off to Torquay for a week on Sunday. Not camping though...

Anyway, was going to say that in researching our trip we have found the Tourist Information service for Devon really good.  They have all manner of (free) literature so I would suggest asking for info on both areas so you can decide what activities are on offer.

Gail Dartmouth is lovely, prob preaching to the converted but we went there back in May and really enjoyed it.  Great book shops which pleased OH!

Ali