{"id":10696,"date":"2015-11-17T10:20:25","date_gmt":"2015-11-17T10:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coastandcountry.co.uk\/?p=10696"},"modified":"2025-09-15T08:27:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T07:27:34","slug":"christmas-breaks-in-devon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coastandcountry.co.uk\/blog\/christmas-breaks-in-devon","title":{"rendered":"Christmas in South Devon; top festive tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christmas in Devon always bring treasured memories, whether they\u2019re enjoyed by families, couples, friends or individuals looking for a warm rural retreat for the holiday season. <\/strong><\/p>\n

First time visitors often become regulars, with many choosing to head to Devon every Christmas thanks to its warm and kindly people, excellent accommodation options and of course its beautiful scenery.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re putting the finishing touches on your festive holiday plans or just flirting with the idea of a last-minute dash down to the West Country, here are some seasonal suggestions for the perfect Christmas in Devon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\"Christmas<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Spiced delights: the best mince pies in South Devon<\/h2>\n

As early as the autumn, manufactured mince pies begin adorning the shelves of supermarkets and local shops, but let\u2019s face it: they bear little resemblance to their homemade or handcrafted relations. Christmas in Devon simply has to include at least one crumbly, fruity and aromatic mince pie from one of South Devon\u2019s finest eateries.<\/p>\n

Being fans of the mince pie, our locally-based team decided to put our local independent bakeries to the test, and organised a blind-taste challenge to compare their festive offerings.<\/p>\n

2. Completing the Christmas picture: where to get a tree<\/h2>\n

So you\u2019ve placed all your family\u2019s presents in the perfect spot in the corner of your lounge\u2026 and something is missing. No Devon Christmas is complete without a tree of some variety, so jump in the car and take the easy drive to Avon Mill Garden Centre<\/a><\/strong>, located between Kingsbridge and Loddiswell, just off the B3195.<\/p>\n

As well as picking up a tree you can get everything else you need to turn your holiday property into a cosy home for Christmas. Their stock includes lights, stands, baubles, candles, crackers, holly, ivy, mistletoe and wreaths.<\/p>\n

Its excellent cafe also attracts locals and visitors during their Christmas time, with its festively-themed decor and warm, friendly atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Christmas carols – South Devon services and singalongs<\/h2>\n

So far we\u2019ve covered some of the sights and smells that fill us all with Christmas spirit, so how about the sounds? Everyone has the chance to enjoy some special moments during at Christmas by taking in a carol service. Here are some that have been scheduled for this September.<\/p>\n

Tuesday 28th November – 14th December – ‘Carols in the Caves’<\/h3>\n

Sing carols like never before in the depths of caves at Kents Cavern. Relax and listen to the choir in the Vestibule Chamber, before exploring the other areas of the caves by candlelight. Making for a truly enchanting evening!<\/p>\n

Monday 11th December – \u2018Carols on the Green\u2019<\/h3>\n

Thurlestone War Memorial is the place to be for festive cheer from 4.30 pm. Enjoy free mince pies and mulled wine, sing carols, see Father Christmas down the Phone Box Chimney, and win a prize for the best Christmas hat!<\/p>\n

Saturday 16th December – \u2018Festival Carol Service’<\/h3>\n

Join the choir of Buckfast Abbey at 3pm for traditional Christmas carols and readings to celebrate the final days of Advent in this beautifully historic setting.<\/p>\n

4. Festive fruit and veg in South Devon<\/h2>\n

Christmas is the time of year when the desire to be traditional seems to override even our strongest taste preferences. For example, people who would never dream of adding Brussels sprouts to their shopping basket outside of the festive season take a certain pride in managing to eat a couple with their Christmas dinner. A sprout on 25th December has become a peculiar sort of patriotic duty.<\/p>\n

Vegetables are therefore clearly of the utmost importance when it comes to Christmas dinner. Here are the places to bag the best broccoli and pick up the most perfect parsnips.<\/p>\n

Stokeley Farm Shop<\/h3>\n

Stokeley Farm Shop<\/a><\/strong>, which sits in the village of Stokeley Barton near Kingsbridge, is a\u00a0country farm shop with a deli, a butcher\u2019s, and a restaurant\/cafe, i.e. everything you need for Christmas dinner. They also stock a wide range of beers, wines and other alcoholic drinks – some from their own brewery.<\/p>\n

The Farm Shop at Garden Time<\/h3>\n

A couple of miles outside Dartmouth, the Farm Shop at Garden Time<\/a><\/strong> has a nice selection of good quality fruit and veg as well as a deli and butchery. You can also buy jams and chutneys, all in the knowledge that most of it has travelled only footsteps from its source.<\/p>\n

Jilly\u2019s Farm Shop, Dartmouth<\/h3>\n

Jilly\u2019s Farm Shop, which you\u2019ll find in the Old Market, Dartmouth, is small, but perfectly formed – unlike most of the vegetables in stock which are large<\/em> and perfectly formed. You can\u2019t use Jilly\u2019s Farm Shop for all your Christmas needs but it\u2019s a great place to stop by, and it\u2019s much loved by locals for its reasonable prices and high quality.<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Last-minute Christmas shopping<\/h2>\n

Come Christmas Eve, will you still be running around like a headless turkey, desperate to pick up a some last-minute stocking fillers before the shops close? Well, never fear, the perfect shops are here…<\/p>\n

China Blue at Devon Ceramics, Totnes<\/h3>\n

A good-sized ceramics shops with ornaments for every taste and budget, China Blue<\/a><\/strong> is well worth a visit when you\u2019re running low on time or ideas for presents. (A few steps away you\u2019ll find a well-stocked Majestic Wine store – another quick and easy option for the time-poor Christmas shopper!)<\/p>\n

Bookshops Galore in South Devon<\/h3>\n

South Devon is unusually blessed with its many independent bookshops, at least one of which is found in every major town in the region. Salter\u2019s Bookshelf in Salcombe is a quaint little bookshop with particular strength in local-interest books. In Kingsbridge, the Harbour Bookshop<\/a><\/strong> stocks all the best-sellers and also has an excellent children\u2019s section.<\/p>\n

Dartmouth has two bookshops selling new books, the non-profit-making Dartmouth Community Bookshop<\/a><\/strong> and the Dartmouth Bookseller<\/a><\/strong>, which is part of a small local chain. The former has lots of local-interest works and supports local authors, while the latter has an impressive fiction collection.<\/p>\n

Head for the High Street<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re stuck for ideas and looking for inspiration, simply head to your nearest High Street. Salcombe, Kingsbridge, Totnes and Dartmouth all boast vibrant streets full of independent shops to fill your Christmas stockings. Kingsbridge, with its mix of chain stores and individual independent shops, is probably the best place to begin, with Totnes a close second when it comes to Christmas shopping.<\/p>\n

With these hints and tips in mind, you\u2019ll be all set for a homely, relaxing holiday stay. May everyone who visits enjoy the perfect Christmas break in Devon.<\/p>\n

Find out more about cottages in South Devon<\/strong> for your Christmas break today.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christmas in Devon always bring treasured memories, whether they\u2019re enjoyed by families, couples, friends or individuals looking for a warm rural retreat for the holiday season. First time visitors often become regulars, with many choosing to head to Devon every Christmas thanks to its warm and kindly people, excellent accommodation options and of course its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events","location-salcombe","location-south-devon"],"yoast_head":"\nChristmas in South Devon; top festive tips | Coast & Country Cottages<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From our tips for finding the best mince pies to where you can catch a carol service, here are some hints and tips for Christmas breaks in Devon.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coastandcountry.co.uk\/blog\/christmas-breaks-in-devon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Christmas in South Devon; 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