Westward Ho! and Local Area
A picturesque coastal village, whose name derives from the Victorian novel by Charles Kingsley and is unique, as it is the only place in Britain with an exclamation mark in its name! Renowned for its golden sandy beach and backed by a protective pebble ridge, Westward Ho! offers a great venue for surfing, bodyboarding, with a growing reputation for kite surfing. This family-friendly beach boasts Blue Flag status for its water quality, lifeguard presence across the summer season in two areas of the beach and hosts a sea-water tidal swimming pool amongst the rocks on the southern end of Westward Ho! Beach.
Westward Ho! is located at the mouth of the Taw/Torridge estuary, between Hartland Point to the south and Saunton Sands to the north. Its two miles of long and wide sandy beach, known as Golden Bay, can rival anywhere in the country.
Westward Ho! village…
A short walk from the Willows you have access to several ‘express’ supermarkets, a local butcher, bakery, fishing tackle shop, post office, chemist, pet store, beach shops, sweet shop, fish and chips, restaurants, amusements, pubs and cafes. You will also find surf schools, village green play area with some challenging climbing apparatus.
Westward Ho! is an excellent family destination with great expanses of sand and rock pools to explore at low tide. The beach is a firm favourite for kite flying and surfing, the coastal path will take you around the headland to the historic fishing villages of Clovelly and Bucks Mills and there is a large section of the beach beyond The Burrows (with a very good golf course) which is dog-friendly all year round. The beach is just a short stroll from The Willows – it is just at the end of the road. In the heart of Westward Ho! you will find all the shops that you will need, some great cafes, pubs and places to eat, gift shops where children can spend their holiday pocket money, a long promenade and a seafront park to enjoy. Northam Burrows Country Park is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; it is north of Westward Ho! at the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet. There is a magnificent stretch of grassland, salt marsh and dunes at the mouth of the estuary, allowing walkers, ramblers and naturalists to enjoy and explore this area of north Devon, all year round! Westward Ho! is a great place to be without a car, with excellent walking from the doorstep, great local bus service and the nearest rail station just ten miles away at Barnstaple (transport to The Willows can be organised for you).
For a birds’ eye view of Westward Ho! village, the beach and pebble ridge.
Things to do…
Endless choices are available, but we have tried our best to cover as many things as possible. Information on what’s on offer can be found in the Willows handbook along with supporting literature, leaflets and a possible discount code for some of the local attractions..