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United Kingdom

Dartmouth, Our Favourite Place for a Family Holiday

August 15, 2017 by KCG

I’m not sure what my favourite bit of a family holiday is. Discovering  busy little streets, fantastic little coffee shops, hidden away coves or simply choosing delicious foods at the local shops to cook in the holiday house over a glass of wine.

Most places we go, we find somewhere or something that rewards us on some of those.

Maybe the reason I fell in love with Dartmouth is because I think it can offer all of that and more.

our favourite family holiday destination, Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth, Devon – Our Favourite Family Holiday

We have been to Dartmouth for a summer holiday five times now. Each time I wonder ‘will it have lost its shine this year? ; so far it hasn’t.

Each year we find something new, a different favourite cafe or coffee spot maybe, but we always succeed in finding somewhere we can relax and unwind.

Dartmouth seems to have lots of things we like and not much of the stuff we don’t!

It’s got enough little streets and shops to be interesting to wander around, without being packed with shopping tourists.

There is a good handful of decent cafes, bistros and coffee shops, some great parks for the kids to run off all their energy, and of course there’s lots to do on, in, and around the river!

The water and boats are hypnotic, even on a cloudy, drizzly day, they emit a magical something that draws you back again and again.

Early morning down on the quayside will often reward you with beautiful views of the river, calmly flowing by and bathed in the glow of morning sunlight, watching as life on the river starts over for another day, before heading off for coffee and breakfast at Alf Resco, or a walk to the cafe in the park perhaps.

early morning at Dartmouth Harbour
Early Morning at Dartmouth Quayside

The days are filled with exploring, playing in the parks (we found a new one last year), tennis, swimming, and many other free or very cheap activities such as crabbing, visiting Dartmouth Castle and the coves nearby,

Later, as evening approaches, you can sit back with a drink in Bayard’s Cove, watching the ferries, boats, canoes and all the other activity on the river while the kids dangle their crabbing lines over the edge of the quay, or collect shells from the small shingle beach below.

As adults, we love it. There’s enough happening without it being “in your face”. It caters for tourists but it’s not artificial. There’s enough for the kids to do to keep them happy and occupied, although if you’re after amusement arcades and adventure parks, Dartmouth is probably not for you.

Every year when we ask the kids if they want to go back to Dartmouth ‘again’, the answer is always a resounding yes. It’s definitely become our favourite place for our family holiday!

Filed Under: United Kingdom Tagged With: Dartmouth, Devon, Favourites

Dartmouth Open Air Swimming Pool

August 5, 2017 by KCG

The open air swimming pool in Dartmouth was a great discovery on our most recent visit.

Tucked away at the top of the town just alongside the Dartmouth Academy secondary school (not the Naval College) is a super 25 metre open air pool that’s heated and so lovely and warm whatever the weather is like.

Dartmouth's fabulous heated outdoor swimming pool
Dartmouth Outdoor Swimming Pool

It’s open during the summer months from July through to September with two sessions a day 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm (there are early morning sessions on same days too).

Once our kids had discovered it, a trip to the pool became one of their most popular requests during the holiday and at only £3.70 for a child (2017 prices) it provided great value entertainment and there are always a couple of friendly lifeguards on duty which is reassuring.

For some sessions we were the only people there which made it really easy for the kids to jump in and splash around to their hearts content. Even on the busiest session there were less than 20 people there which made it easy for them to have fun without bumping into other swimmers.

Dartmouths heated outdoor swimming pool
Splashing around in Dartmouth’s Outdoor Heated Pool

There is a newer indoor pool not far away which is maybe a bit more modern in its facilities (and more expensive), but for good, simple fun in a great environment, we found it hard to beat the heated outdoor pool.

Float boards, noodle bars (woggles) and other items are available for use (just ask a friendly lifeguard if they’re not already out) and snacks and sweets are also available from the reception/payment desk.

We just found it a fab place to take the kids for hours of endless fun.

You can find all the current contact details for Dartmouth’s outdoor pool along with opening times, costs and other information on their facebook page.

 
Then you and your kids can have lots of fun too, just like this!

Filed Under: United Kingdom Tagged With: Dartmouth, Devon

Dartmouth Castle and Coves

July 31, 2017 by KCG

It takes about half an hour to walk to Dartmouth Castle from the town centre. It’s a lovely walk too, great view over the water and some fantastic waterside properties to drool over!

view of Dartmouth Castle
Dartmouth Castle

The kids love it when we get to Warfleet Creek, a really pretty inlet, and we walk over the bridge to continue along the road to The Castle. They race off down the steps and to the creek, and join us further along the path. He still remembers the time he saw what he calls a ‘man of war jelly fish’ down there! This year we discovered that the walk there is perfectly pushchair friendly, and of course the pushchair is great for carrying snacks and water there too.

big jellyfish at Warfleet Creek near Dartmouth
The BIG Jellyfish

When you get to the castle there are a few options….

We always take the steps down into Castle Cove and have a drink and snack sat on the rocks. The kids climb the rocks, skim stones and explore.  The pushchair can be carried down, we did with our Baby Jogger as it collapses really easily and is relatively easy to carry, but others leave them at the top.

looking down at Castle Cove from Dartmouth Castle
Castle Cove

Or, instead of going down to Castle Cove, you can follow the path up the hill and around towards Sandy Cove. It’s only a short walk before you’re rewarded with views over the sea, and then following the path down some (fairly steep) steps you get down to Sandy Cove itself.

Both Castle Cove and Sandy Cove have shingle/sandy with plenty of big rocks, caves and rock pools for the kids to explore. They also make great picnic spots – take a blanket, some snacks and relax while the kids run around having fun!

Sandy Cove near Dartmouth
Sandy Cove

There’s a little cafe by the castle, great for a cup of tea or an ice cream on the way home. It’s well worth going into the English Heritage shop for the great view over the water, you also get the Castle tickets there. We actually still haven’t managed a castle tour yet because of all the other things we do on the way, maybe next year!

The kids and the dog (!) love going on the Dartmouth Castle Ferry. This year I walked back with the pushchair, David, the kids and the dog caught the little ferry. It’s quite funny to ‘race’ them back to town, spotting the ferry in the water and them looking out for me from the boat.

Filed Under: United Kingdom Tagged With: Dartmouth, Devon

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