Photo: Arpingstone at English Wikipedia (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
Planning a holiday in Ilfracombe? You're in good company — it's one of the UK's best-loved escapes, and this guide brings the best places to stay together in one place. Harbour arts and rugged North Devon coast. Set in Devon, it makes a brilliant base whether you're here for a week or a quick escape.
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Official Environment Agency classifications for designated bathing waters near Ilfracombe.
1 place matching your filters.
✓ Woodland walk on site where kids can roam
🏖️ a few minutes' walk from Combe Martin (Sufficient water quality)
Combe Martin, South West England
£149 per break
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Itineraries
Haunted Britain
Ilfracombe makes a good base for the kind of holiday where nobody has to plan too hard. You can fill a week with museums, coast paths, castles and tea rooms without ever driving far in a single direction, and there are 239 places to stay on BritStays in the region, so you can pick a base to suit your group rather than squeezing into whatever's left.
Watermouth Castle is the obvious one to put on the list — a castle and heritage attraction that tends to hold children's attention for longer than a stately home does. If you want something more hands-on, the Museum of British Surfing over at Woolacombe is a good fit for older children and teenagers, particularly if anyone in the family has ambitions in the water.
For active days, Upper Tamar Water Sports Centre at Bude is the nearest thing on our list to a proper on-the-water session, and it suits families who'd rather be doing something than looking at something. Further afield, if you're touring more widely, Swansea and Gower adds Aquasplash Play Pool, Blackpill Lido and the Animal Park to the mix.
North Devon weather does what it likes, so it's worth knowing your indoor options before you need them. The strongest cluster is the small local museums:
Stretch a little further and you can add the Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life over at Exmouth, or, towards Minehead, Dulverton Heritage Centre, Porthcawl Museum and the Nash Point Fog Horn. If a wet spell sets in properly and you fancy a bigger day out, the Swansea and Gower attractions — the National Waterfront Museum, the Egypt Centre, the Dylan Thomas Centre, 1940s Swansea Bay and the Swansea Museum Collections Centre — are all indoors and all substantial enough to fill an afternoon.
Arlington Court is the anchor for a slower day: a National Trust property with grounds to walk off lunch in. Hunter's Inn is also National Trust, and is the sort of place you head for when you want a walk with a clear start and finish. Castle Hill adds another heritage stop if you're building a route rather than picking a single destination.
If you're a National Trust member, bring your card — two of the four main landmarks on our Ilfracombe list are Trust properties, which changes the sums on a week's holiday.
The trick is to pair one bigger stop with one small one, rather than trying to do three museums in a row.
The region is strong on tea rooms, and the ones with five-star hygiene ratings are the easy picks. Fremington Quay Cafe and Quay Cafe both work well as a mid-walk stop. The Lime Kiln Cafe and Little Mama's are good for a sit-down lunch when you've got a car park nearby and no particular rush. For an evening meal, The Wellington is the pub on our list with a five-star rating — worth booking at weekends and in school holidays.
Three nights is enough for a proper taste of it. Give day one to Arlington Court and a tea room, day two to the coast and Woolacombe, and day three to whatever the forecast allows — Hunter's Inn and a walk if it's clear, the Lynton and Exmoor Museum and Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall if it isn't. A five-night stay lets you add Watermouth Castle and a water day at Upper Tamar Water Sports Centre without any of it feeling rushed.
Small museums like Combe Martin Museum and Dulverton Heritage Centre often keep shorter or seasonal hours, so check directly before setting out rather than turning up on spec. Book The Wellington ahead if you're a group of more than four. Take waterproofs even in August — the indoor list is long for a reason. And if you're relying on National Trust membership for Arlington Court and Hunter's Inn, check the card hasn't lapsed before you travel.
The local museums are your best bet: Lynton and Exmoor Museum, Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall and Combe Martin Museum are all in the Ilfracombe region, and Braunton and District Museum and the Museum of British Surfing are at Woolacombe. If you want a bigger indoor day out, Swansea and Gower has the National Waterfront Museum, the Egypt Centre, the Dylan Thomas Centre, 1940s Swansea Bay and the Swansea Museum Collections Centre.
Yes. Arlington Court and Hunter's Inn are both National Trust properties, and they are two of the four main landmarks on our Ilfracombe list. If you are a member, bring your card, as it makes a noticeable difference to the cost of a week's worth of days out.
Watermouth Castle is the main family attraction in the region and is usually enough for a full day on its own. For older children, the Museum of British Surfing at Woolacombe works well, and Upper Tamar Water Sports Centre at Bude suits families who would rather be on the water than in a museum.
Five places on our Ilfracombe list hold five-star hygiene ratings: Fremington Quay Cafe, Quay Cafe, The Lime Kiln Cafe and Little Mama's are all tea rooms, and The Wellington is a pub. The Wellington is the one to book ahead for an evening meal, particularly at weekends and in school holidays.
Three nights covers the essentials — a heritage day at Arlington Court, a coast day around Woolacombe, and a third day chosen by the forecast, with Hunter's Inn if it is dry and the Lynton and Exmoor Museum or Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall if it is not. Five nights lets you add Watermouth Castle and a water sports day without rushing.
There are 239 places to stay in the region on BritStays, which gives you room to choose a base that suits your group size and the kind of days out you have planned, rather than taking whatever is left.
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