Make a holiday cottage or holiday rental home in Shaldon, Devon your home away from home

Shaldon is an unspoilt village situated at the mouth of the River Teign. However, the original river settlement was upstream in Ringmore. It is one of the prettiest villages in England having kept its old English style. Shaldon is fourteen miles from the City of Exeter. Neighbouring towns include Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Dawlish, Paignton and Torquay and surrounding villages include Abbotskerswell, Bishopsteignton, Bovey Tracey, Teigngrace and Chudleigh.

Places to holiday in Shaldon

The best way to explore the area is by taking a self-catering holiday rental cottagein Shaldon, as these offer you home from home comforts and the freedom to pick and chose when and where you will eat. If you like to cook your own food, Riverford is an organic company who deliver vegetable boxes to cottages in the area.

Devon cottages also have the convenience of the village shops with a general store, post office, pharmacy, local butcher, newsagent, green grocers and delicatessen. Some parts of Shaldon are conservation areas with listed buildings that date back to the seventeenth century and Ringmore has fifteenth century origins. Shaldon is connected to neighbouring Teignmouth by a ferry, as well as the longest Bridge in England, which has thirty-five arches across the Teign.

Before the local church of St Nicolas was built a hundred and eighty years ago, there was a wooden Saxon church. Shaldon is pretty with narrow streets and late Georgian and Regency cottages. Holidaymakers flock to Shaldon for its beaches, bird spotting, a game of bowls on the village green and a generally laid-back way of life famous from Devon cottages.

Things to do in Shaldon

To a certain extent Shaldon's livelihood is based on the beaches and river, so fishing trips, pleasure boats and water sports are plentiful in the area. There is plenty to do all the year around as well as a range of seasonal excitements such as the Shaldon Water Carnival, Music Festival and Regatta. Holiday cottages need to be booked early around festival times. Every Wednesday is 1785 day. A day when there is a local gift market, locals dress in Georgian costume and put on evening entertainment.

This estuary village is not short of restaurants, cafes and pubs. The Tide Restaurant at the Ferry Boat Inn is found next to the beach and has glorious views of the Estuary. Their menu utilises the finest local fish and produce.

Shaldon Zoo at Ness features a unique collection of endangered species, Paignton is much larger and Living Coasts is Torquay’s Coastal Zoo. Shaldon has a good golf course, horse riding facilities and numerous coastal walks. Upstream, Dartmoor and the famous Haytor are easily accessible via Bovey Tracey and Widdicombe or you can take the Templar Way, an eighteen-mile walk with stunning views.

You can take the foot ferry from the Shaldon cottages to explore Teignmouth. Shaldon is in easy reach of Exeter and Newton Abbot racecourses. The Old Walls vineyard overlooks Bishopsteignton and is just the place to enjoy a glass of wine with a cream tea. Other interesting days out from your Devon cottage include Buckfast Abbey in Buckfastleigh, the Occombe Farm Project in Paignton and Homeyards Botanical Gardens in Shaldon

Weather in Shaldon

The Shaldon climate is mild, although climate change is bringing more storms and there is an increase in the risk of tidal flooding due to the rise in sea levels.

Travel to Shaldon

Exeter and Plymouth airports service Shaldon, National Express and the mainline railway stops at Teignmouth and Stagecoach buses operate in the locality.