Summer Escapes

With two coasts and an interior laced with pretty English country gardens contrasted with wild moorland, Devon makes for a beguiling getaway

- Chantal Borciani

One of England’s largest counties, Devon’s centuries-old harbours, secluded smugglers’ coves and picture-perfect beaches have sparked the imaginations of some of our most revered writers. From Kipling to Christie, this rural southwestern corner of England is a literary treasure trove and the perfect coastal destination for a summer holiday.

Founded by the Romans in AD55, large parts of the defensive wall still remain in Devon’s ancient city of Exeter. At the heart of the city lies the magnificent Gothic cathedral, which dates largely from the 12th and 13th centuries and is home to the longest stretch of Gothic stone vaulting in the world.

Exeter was put on the map after the boom in the wool trade, and prosperity grew throughout the Tudor and Georgian eras with merchants erecting elegant houses along the city’s thriving quayside. Today, the merchant houses remain, while the quay has been renovated and is home to antique shops, craft stalls, cafés and pubs.

One of Exeter’s most famous alumni is JK Rowling – it’s widely believed that some city haunts inspired her best-selling Harry Potter novels including Exeter’s narrow Gandy Street which some say was the model for Diagon Alley.

Fursdon house, about 10 miles from Exeter, is one of Devon’s oldest family homes and contains medieval, Jacobean, Georgian and Regency features. The house, gardens and tearoom are open to the public, while two private apartments in the manor house and a cute cottage (complete with inglenook fireplace and fireside wingback chair) in the grounds are available for overnight stays.

When the house is open to the public, guests can roam the extensive grounds (wellies are recommended), which include The Meadow Garden, originally planted 200 years ago, which now forms part of a woodland walk. On your amble you can enjoy views over the River Exe towards Dartmoor.