cycling

North Devon is a cyclist's paradise, with long tracks and lanes and endless vistas of undulating fields, hedgerows, moorland, woodland, rivers and coastal scenery.

Hatherleigh is conveniently placed at the halfway point of the coast-to-coast Tarka Trail/NCN27 and is also on the NCN3. We regularly take our bikes on the Tarka Trail.

Bring your bikes - we store them safe and dry in our flagstone hallway. Or hire them from various places on the Tarka Trail, at Tavistock, Sourton, Torrington, Bideford, Fremington Quay, Barnstaple and Braunton. Also from Exeter Quayside for exploring the Exe River valley and estuary, and Haldon Forest for forest trails.

Sustrans provides a good planning resource. www.devon.gov.uk/cycling provides a comprehensive guide to planning your cycling visit. This Tarka Trail site has a useful leaflet, and this Devon Council site provides an interactive map showing cycle routes.

We strongly recommend Mike Harrison's cycle maps because they are unbeatable, and so cheap! We have a few, but not the whole set.

walking

There's no need to get in your car - Raymont House is right on the Tarka Trail, and there is also a good choice of walks directly from the house across Hatherleigh Moor and along the river Lew: see walks on our Explore page.

If you are as serious about walking as we are, you will also want to explore Dartmoor, Exmoor and North Devon, and the West Devon and North Cornwall clifftop paths. We have a collection of maps and walking books of the area, which you are very welcome to borrow.

Below are some useful planning resources on the web.

Dartmoor: not for the softie walker, you need to be properly equipped and experienced. A good resource is Best Walks, another is Walking Britain. Another, though sadly without maps, is Dartmoor Walks. Also without maps is Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks.

Exmoor and North Devon: This Holiday Exmoor site is a superb resource, it even has videos of its walks! Walking Britain also has several walks with GPX files if you have a walking GPS.

West Devon and North Cornwall: The South West Coast Path association has descriptions for the sections from Hartland to Bude, Bude to Crackington Haven, and Crackington Haven to Tintagel, each page also giving information on shorter circular walks within these sections.

This Devon Council site provides an interactive map showing every right of way in the county!

As for cycling, Mike Harrison's walking maps are unbeatable and cheap.

gardens

We have described some of our favourite gardens in our Explore pages, but here is more comprehensive list of Devon gardens for the enthusiast. Make sure you check on access times and entry fees.

Rosemoor - Royal Horticultural Society.

Arlington Court - National Trust.

Bicton Park Gardens

Buckland Abbey - National Trust

Burrow Farm Gardens

Castle Drogo - National Trust

Clovelly Court

Coleton Fishacre Gardens - National Trust

Dartington Hall

Docton Mill

Exeter University Gardens

The Garden House

Greenway - National Trust.

Hartland Abbey

Heddon Hall Gardens

Holbrooke Garden

Killerton - National Trust.

Knightshayes Court - National Trust.

Marwood Hill Gardens

Overbeck's - National Trust.

Rowden Gardens

Saltram - National Trust.

Tapeley Park

Winsford Walled Garden

North Devon is especially interesting to lovers of flora and fauna. The air is clean, so species such as lichen and mosses thrive well here. Devon is a strikingly green county, with the added attractions of the rugged coastal and moorland habitats. Braunton Burrows (30 miles away) is a the largest sand-dune habitat in the country, and a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

Devon Wildlife Trust web site is the key resource for nature reserves, their map showing the locations.

The National Trust also manage interesting wildlife sites, especially coastal, in Devon and Cornwall.

For birdwatchers, Devon Birds and Wildlife in Devon are mines of information, including current sightings.

For plants (wild flowers, trees, fungi, mosses, grasses, seaweed etc.), David Fenwick's Devon and Cornwall web site is useful, especially for the excellent photos.

If trees are your thing, this BBC website gives a list of woodlands and parks.

The National Trust has eight major sites in Devon and seven in Cornwall, all within a day trip of Raymont house.

English Heritage lists 13 sites in Devon, including nearby Okehampton Castle and ancient sites on Dartmoor.

This Stately Homes web site lists some additional sites.

Jan is a keen watercolourist and Alan a photographer, so we regularly seek out galleries and studios in the South West.

Our Explore pages include some of our favourites, but Devon (and Cornwall) has long been a magnet for artists and craftspeople so the sheer scale of opportunities can be daunting!

North Devon Arts provides a guide to artists, places and events in the area.

The Country Ways site is also a good resource for galleries. If ceramics is your thing, then the Country Ways Pottery page is also useful.

Although not something we take part in, horse riding is a traditional activity in this area of Devon. Local centres provide different facilities, so check out these stables for what you are looking for:

Easter Hall Park (distance from Raymont House 3 miles)

The Grange Equestrian Centre (distance from Raymont House 7 miles)

Skaig Riding Stables specialise in Dartmoor rides (distance from Raymont House 11 miles)

Coles Mill Stables (distance from Raymont House 13 miles)

This Country Ways site gives a wider range of North Devon riding facilities.

In the town there are numerous opportunities for watching sport, and maybe taking part. Local clubs include Bowls, Cricket, Football and Tennis.

Golf players should consider Okehampton Golf Club, Holsworthy Golf Club and Manor House and Ashbury golf courses, all within 10 to 15 miles of Raymont House.

The terrain, agriculture and unique building style of this part of Devon have all contributed to the special skills of local people. There are many opportunities to take advantage of these skills, whether it for economic reasons or just expanding one's horizons. Here are some local providers of such opportunities:

Forest Crafts by Ben May provides a variety of woodcraft courses including charcoal burning and basket making. Distance from Raymont House 2 miles.

Mike Wye at nearby Buckland Filleigh gives courses on traditional building techniques, including maintenance of cob and lime rendering, natural painting and advanced plastering. Distance from Raymont House 9 miles.

Ian and Gillian at South Yeo Farm East provide courses on keeping pigs, sheep and poultry. Also land management and farm machinery. Distance from Raymont House 5 miles.

Debbie and Andrew at South Yeo Farm West provide courses on smallholdings, livestock and website building. Distance from Raymont House 5 miles.

further information

www.hatherleigh.net is an excellent local guide which provides insight into life in and around Hatherleigh.

www.devon.gov.uk is a comprehensive resource of everything the visitor could want to know.

www.devonguide.com is also a useful resource for planning a visit.

www.therubycountry.com is another site that gives a flavour of the area and what it has to offer.