Visitors Guide to Kingsbridge & Salcombe - Devon
Countryside and coastline combine to make Kingsbridge and its environs a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Known as South Hams – the latter being an old English word meaning 'sheltered place' - it covers 340 square miles between the Rivers Dart and Tamar and it is a very popular holiday destination, attracting visitors from both home and abroad.Inland you will find villages with picture-postcard thatched cottages and old-fashioned hostelries nestling in breathtakingly beautiful undulating countryside, with rivers meandering their haphazard way through the valleys, while in the higher reaches you will experience the more dramatic scenario of rugged, exposed moorland. Down by the sea there are safe, sandy beaches, with hidden coves simply begging to be explored, and wherever you go there are wonderful walks to enjoy, both for gentle exercise and the glorious Devon views they offer amidst a diverse range of wildlife and flora.
Things to Do in and around Kingsbridge and Salcombe:
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But there is more to Kingsbridge than the scenery. Situated at the head of the Salcombe Estuary, it is, in its own right, a bustling market town which lies claim to being the undisputed capital of The South Hams. There are monthly farmers' markets in the town square, where there is also a recently installed bandstand, summer music festivals and carnival processions.
History, too, is all around you. The church, for example, has a 13th century tower and parts of the charming area known as the 'Shambles' go back to the 16th century.
There is plenty to do 'out of season' as well. Kingsbridge boasts a purpose-built sports and leisure complex, a recently completed indoor swimming pool, and there is an 18-hole links gold course at nearby Thurlestone and Bigbury, while just six miles to the south you will find the hugely popular sailing centre of Salcombe, where every aspect of water sports is on offer. A highlight, which comes at the end of the year, is the magnificent illuminated carnival procession through the town's narrow streets.
If the weather takes a turn for the worse, you could take the opportunity to visit Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum, located in the Old Grammar School, the two art galleries – the Busy Bee and the Mayne – or make the short journey to the Salcombe Maritime Museum. So, whether it be on water or land, energy-sapping or totally relaxing, countryside or coastal, Kingsbridge and the surrounding area offers something for everyone.
