Visiting Welcombe
Welcome to Welcombe
We look forward to welcoming visitors to our beautiful village from 4th July 2020. This page will provide more information closer to this date. If you wish to book accommodation from 4th July onward, please contact a self-cater provider by clicking here.
Thank you for choosing to visit Welcombe, Devon’s most westerly village, bordered by the dramatic Atlantic Ocean to the west and Cornwall to the south. Welcombe formed the most western point of the Anglo-Saxon England. Cornwall remained Celtic and its inhabitants were called “Westwalas”, meaning West Welsh. It is possible Welcombe got its name due to Westwalas living in the village, maybe at Well Farm.
While you are here you may hear of Darracott, Henaford, Hollacombe, Linton, Mead, [Welcombe] Town, and Upcott. These are all hamlets that form the ‘village’ of Welcombe. We are fortunate to benefit from the beauty of the rolling Devon countryside, a valley nature reserve and the spectacular Atlantic coast.
You will find Welcombe is a small village but with a big heart. We hope you will have the time to walk around the village and speak with locals. They will be very happy to help, give advice and certainly an opinion! We hope you will find this small guide helps you find your way around the village.
This visitors section of the website contains the following sections:
Village Map - a useful map to help you orientate yourself and find what you are looking for
Accommodation - a list of accommodation providers in the village
Things to Do - whether you want to relax or be active there is something for everyone
Walks - a list of popular walks to experience the beauty and drama of the local landscape
Retail Therapy - enjoy a drink and a meal, find some holiday essentials and take a memento home
A Welcombe Guide - download a copy of the village guide found in the Old Smithy Inn, Welcombe Pottery and Community Shop
You will also find the following pages useful:
A Welcombe Guide
Help and Advice
A few handy hints and information to make your stay and those of others as enjoyable as possible.
General
Free parking available at Welcombe Mouth and Village Hall.
Free parking also at the Old Smithy as long as you also use the pub!
Phone signal can be weak, especially at the beaches. In an emergency send someone by car inland to get a signal.
Wear walking boots/shoes or wellies on footpaths. Especially important if the ground is wet.
Beware of ticks when walking in long grass. Tick removers can be purchased from the shop. Click here for advice.
Please ensure footpath gates are closed. Loose livestock can be a danger. Never assume a field is empty.
Defibrillators are found in Darracott and the Village Hall. Click here to view on the map.
Please dispose of rubbish properly.
Clean up after your dog - and please take it home. Poo bags in the bushes lack any appeal.
Keep dogs on leads in fields and on footpaths. Especially important in spring due to lambs. If livestock surround you let your dog loose.
Fires or BBQs on the grass can cause wildfires.
Cliffs are liable to collapse. Don't stand near the edge or directly underneath.
Beaches
Only Welcombe Mouth has a car park but it can be busy in the summer.
Both beaches are dog friendly all year round. May be advisable to keep them on a lead when around others to avoid arguments over lost picnics!
There are no lifeguards on the beaches.
The beaches are not accessible at high tide. See Things to Do page for tide times and weather.
Beware that the tide comes in fast - particularly during the mid-tide phase.
Beware of rip tides/currents - see RNLI website for advice.
The track for cars to the Welcombe Mouth car park is uneven and often overgrown.
Paths to beaches are steep and uneven. There are often large steps at the bottom.
There are no toilets or bins at the beaches.
National Trust do not permit camping.
Seek advice from locals before surfing.
Information
Wifi is available in the Old Smithy for customers
Nearest petrol station is Morrisons in Bude
Welcombe Shop caters for most food and drink needs.
Co-Op, Spar and Premier in Kilkhampton.
Larger supermarkets in Bude (Morrisons) and Bideford (ASDA, Morrisons and Tesco).
Look up on clear nights and enjoy the dark skies