Watch the otters at play from a holiday cottage or holiday rental home in Chulmleigh, Devon

Chulmleigh, sometimes known as Chumleigh, is a Saxon town and civil parish in South Molton, Devon. It is twenty miles northwest of the cathedral city of Exeter and the Little Dart; one of the tributaries of the River Taw runs through this small hilltop town. Neighboring Eggesford is a station on the Tarka Line that runs from Exeter to Barnstaple.

Places to holiday in Chulmleigh

One of the best ways to explore Chulmleigh is from self-catering holiday accommodation and there are many charming cottages that offer more freedom than a hotel or guesthouse. Almost everything around this area is linked to Henry William's character, Tarka the Otter and there are more wild otters to see from a self catering Chulmleigh cottage than anywhere else in England. The Tarka Trail is a network of footpaths running through Valley Walk, Two Moors Way and Little Dart Ridge.

There are some lovely woodland walks around the Devon cottages in Chulmleigh and this area has rich grasslands known as the Culm. Heywood Wood is part of ancient Eggesford Forest and has some unusual trees such as the Western Red Cedar and the Chile Pine, as well as the remains of a castle dating back to Norman times.

The centre of Chulmleigh is a conservation area and many of the buildings are listed. Most cottages are made from cob and thatch and two of the oldest buildings in the parish are Lower Dodvard and Egypt cottage. If you rent holiday accommodation in Chulmleigh in the last week in July, then you will be able to join in with all the fun of Chulmleigh fair. This event has taken place for the past seven hundred and fifty years. King Henry III granted a Royal Charter to the Chulmleigh back in 1253.

Things to do in Chulmleigh

The fourteenth Church of St Mary Magdalene is well worth a visit, as it is very elaborately built for the size of the area. the Chulmleigh Saxon heritage is not the only history you will encounter, as Cromwell's army rode to victory in neighbouring Torrington. Walking through the cottages in the town you will notice the peculiar carved heads and keystones above the doors and this "axe blade" is unique to this locality.

Chulmleigh self-catering cottages are close to a host of outdoor pursuits and the Chulmleigh Golf Course is one of the best eighteen-hole courses around. Just down the road is the Bold Try Equestrian Centre and there are many routes to cycle or walk through the forest. The banks of the Little Dart alongside the Taw Valley are popular with keen birdwatchers. Fishing is allowed in this river as well as Huntacoot Water, the Taw and Mole and Catham Lakes, and permits are readily available.

Chulmleigh has a cricket club with views over the Dart Valley and Dartmoor. There are tennis courts at the Community College and Chulmleigh Sports Centre has a fitness suite, four badminton courts and tennis courts. The History Society, Taw Valley Ventures and the Chulmleigh Garden Society often stage events and you can eat out at the Cider Press in Eggesford, French's of Chulmleigh, the Fox and Hounds Country Hotel and many other places in the area.

Weather in Chulmleigh

The climate is mild in Chulmleigh and this is demonstrated by the way some holiday cottages in the area have been named, such as orange tree, plum and lime tree cottage.

Travel to Chulmleigh

Exeter airport (EXE) is convenient for Chulmleigh and Eggesford railway station is served from Exeter and there are many links from the Tarka Line. National Express coaches also operate to Exeter and Turners Tours run a local coach/bus service.