Salcombe Crabfest 2024: All You Need to Know
Salcombe’s crab fishing industry is coming out of its shell from 10am on Sunday 5th May to celebrate Crabfest...
by Coast And Country / Events
Christmas in Devon always bring treasured memories, whether they’re 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 beautiful scenery.
Whether you’re 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.
As early as the autumn, manufactured mince pies begin adorning the shelves of supermarkets and local shops, but let’s 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’s finest eateries.
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.
So you’ve placed all your family’s presents in the perfect spot in the corner of your lounge… 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, located between Kingsbridge and Loddiswell, just off the B3195.
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.
Its excellent cafe also attracts locals and visitors during their Christmas time, with its festively-themed decor and warm, friendly atmosphere.
So far we’ve 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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
Stokeley Farm Shop, which sits in the village of Stokeley Barton near Kingsbridge, is a country farm shop with a deli, a butcher’s, 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.
A couple of miles outside Dartmouth, the Farm Shop at Garden Time 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.
Jilly’s Farm Shop, which you’ll find in the Old Market, Dartmouth, is small, but perfectly formed – unlike most of the vegetables in stock which are large and perfectly formed. You can’t use Jilly’s Farm Shop for all your Christmas needs but it’s a great place to stop by, and it’s much loved by locals for its reasonable prices and high quality.
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…
A good-sized ceramics shops with ornaments for every taste and budget, China Blue is well worth a visit when you’re running low on time or ideas for presents. (A few steps away you’ll find a well-stocked Majestic Wine store – another quick and easy option for the time-poor Christmas shopper!)
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’s Bookshelf in Salcombe is a quaint little bookshop with particular strength in local-interest books. In Kingsbridge, the Harbour Bookshop stocks all the best-sellers and also has an excellent children’s section.
Dartmouth has two bookshops selling new books, the non-profit-making Dartmouth Community Bookshop and the Dartmouth Bookseller, 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.
If you’re 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.
With these hints and tips in mind, you’ll be all set for a homely, relaxing holiday stay. May everyone who visits enjoy the perfect Christmas break in Devon.
Find out more about cottages in South Devon for your Christmas break today.
by Coast And Country / Events
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