When I was discharged from hospital in May, one of the first things I did was book a family mini-break. In terms of our finances, it felt like a pretty risky decision. After all, there’s no sick pay when you’re freelance!
Deep down, I knew that a holiday, however brief, was what we all needed, so I felt completely justified dipping into our savings. Having something to look forward to definitely helped me weather those early weeks of recovery when, to be honest, things felt quite desperate.
Hope Cove in Devon was recommended to us by an old friend. A quick Google search threw up plenty of accommodation options, but we finally settled on Primrose Cottage, a Grade 2 listed thatched cottage built in 1650.
Since then, the property has been sensitively extended to create a specialist architect-designed steel, stone and glass construction that links the original old part of the cottage with a modern fully equipped kitchen. A former piggery, this space has a wonderful light and airy feel. The cottage also has a double bedroom, a twin bedroom, two bathrooms and a beautiful garden that’s perfect for dining al fresco.
We arrived on a Friday afternoon in June at the tail-end of the half term holiday. As you may or may not know, we don’t drive, so public transport and ease of access is always a consideration for us. We travelled to Totnes by train, caught a bus to Kingsbridge and finally a taxi to the cottage. It was incredibly simple and while some people might find such a convoluted journey tiresome, the children treated it like an adventure.
The sun was shining when we arrived and as we walked down to the beach I immediately knew we were going to fall in love with this particular spot on the English coast. Primrose Cottage is about 12 minutes from the water {20 if you’ve got little legs like Jesse} and the beaches at both the Inner and Outer Cove are beautiful.
Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty {AONB}, there’s plenty to do nearby, including an array of coastal walks and a couple of National Trust properties.
We deliberately kept things simple. The weather was incredible during our stay, so we spent most of our time at the beach or exploring on foot. We’d usually head back to the cottage for a bit in the afternoon so I could rest before venturing out again for our evening meal.
Board games have become a bit of a thing for us on family holidays, so we also spent an hour or so each night playing Cluedo* or Sushi Go* by the fire before bed. The latter is a brilliant card game and highly addictive.
We ate at the Hope & Anchor every evening during our stay. Each dish that we sampled was delicious and the service was impeccable. The seafood was among the best I’ve ever tasted and Isabel and Jesse both gave the children’s menu a thumbs up too. Time it right and you can watch the sunset over the cove as you eat.
We saw a few people barbecuing on the sand while we there and I have to admit I’d very much like to give that a try next time we visit. We also visited The Cove Cafe Bar where they do a great cream tea and offer some tasty lunch options too. The village shop sells a few basics and we enjoyed eating their pasties on the beach. There are also supermarkets locally that will deliver.
It would be fair to say that we fell hard for Hope Cove. We left wanting more, keen to come back and see it at a different time of year too.
Primrose Cottage felt so cosy in the evenings, I know it would be a wonderful bolthole during the colder months.The owners were a delight to deal with and I’ve already made an enquiry about a return trip!
As I write, we’re about to head to Cornwall for a week. Both Mr L.A. and I spent many a summer there as a child and I can’t wait to dip my toes in the Cornish sea again.
Obviously, I’d never say no to an exotic holiday abroad, but I love that we’re able to make some pretty special memories here in the UK.
Speaking of memories, here’s a sweet little film shot by Mr L.A. during our stay.
If sporadic, but beautifully made Youtube videos happen to be your thing, you can subscribe to my channel here.
Love Audrey xxx
1. Finally, some Franky weathe
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Sounds fabulous. Will bookmark for next year’s holiday.
Hope Cove is one of our favourite beaches down here, although there are plenty to choose from. Sounds like you had a lovely and well deserved time away
It was wonderful, we’ll definitely be back! xxx