At Hele Valley, we are passionate about the environment. Unsurprising, seeing as we are surrounded by some of the most splendid natural scenery in England.

Our guests are always delighted by the stunning countryside in the area, and we are committed to protecting it. So, we thought we’d provide some details about how we make sure we are doing our bit to help.

The Big Spring Beach Clean

We are fortunate enough to be located close to some fabulous beaches at Hele Valley. It’s not hard to find spectacular beaches in North Devon, and whether you’re enjoying a summer sunbathing session or a wild winter walk, we have beaches to die for.

Like our local Hele Bay Beach, which has been awarded a Blue Flag and comes with sand, shingle, rock pools and even smugglers’ caves. But you also have Putsborough, Croyde Bay, Saunton Sands and more to choose from.

Every year, The Big Spring Beach Clean takes place in April – in 2020, it will be held from April 18th to 26th. This is the biggest beach cleaning project in the country, maybe even in Europe, and we are going to be very much involved.

England is home to 48 ceremonial counties and as a nation we have strong opinions about them. There are those we prefer, put it that way.

It’s all personal preference, sure. But some are undeniably prettier, greener, more dramatic, more everything than others. It’s just the way the geological cookie has crumbled over the last few million years. No changing it.

YouGov conducted a survey with over 40,000 people, asking them which counties they liked and disliked, then ranked the data. Below is map showing each county and the percentage who liked it.

Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall are the top three. Basically, as Brits, our favourite place is the South West. At Hele Valley we’re not surprised. It’s utterly stunning where we live in North Devon, and we don’t take it for granted. We’re very lucky to be here and want you to experience it too.

Beyond public opinion here are the top reasons you should book a family holiday in North Devon this year.

Lundy is the largest island in the Bristol Channel. A granite outcrop, 3 miles long and ½ a mile wide, 12 miles (19 km) off the North Devon coast. The name ‘Lundy’ is the name of a shipping forecast area in the UK and is Old Norse for ‘Puffin Island’.

Originally purchased in 1834 by William Hudson Heaven and subsequently inherited by his son until 1917 when Lundy was bought by Augustus Langham Christie. Christie then sold Lundy in 1925 to Martin Coles Harman who was deemed a bit of a character and pronounced himself the ‘King of Lundy’. He even issued stamps and coins with his own head on alongside several flags he designed. 

One flag was flown when the Queen Mother visited from the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1958 and on visits from Trinity House, owners of the two lighthouses on Lundy, both of which are still in service today.

After Harman's death the island was sold to the National Trust thanks to a generous donation from Mr Jack Hayward, English businessman, property developer, philanthropist, and president of football club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Today, The Landmark Trust manages the island on behalf of the National Trust.