A SPRING ESCAPE TO DEVON [Part 2 of 2 Colyton]

You can read more about our trip to Devon in Part 1 of this post

For our week-long stay in the East of the County we were based in the ancient town of Colyton. We were there to take some photos for cottage owners Dave and Tracey and also to take advantage of the chance to explore an area of England which has been on our list for years.

VINE COTTAGE

Our little home away from home was this lovely Airbnb cottage. Located in the middle of town, it was a beautifully renovated (and immaculately clean!) rental and proved the perfect spot for a week of WFHH (Working From Holiday Home). Anywhere that offers scones and tea as a greeting is okay by us.

COLYTON TOWN

The charming little town of Colyton was first mentioned in around 700AD and has some wonderfully preserved stone architecture and thatched cottages. It’s a quiet spot with a friendly community feel and serves as a good base for exploring East Devon, while still offering enough amenities to host a relaxing city break.

HOW TO GET THERE

Direct trains run frequently from London Waterloo to Axminster Station, with a journey time of just under 3 hours. From the station a 15 minute taxi or Bus will have you into the centre of Colyton in about 15minutes (bus service 885 serves Colyton on its route between Beer and Axminster via Seaton). We can highly recommend Vic’s from Coly Cabs.

WHERE TO EAT

We soon discovered that the opening times of all the restaurants and cafes in town were a little all over the place so we certainly advise planning ahead in order not to go hungry!

There are 2 pubs in Colyton; The Gerard Arms only serves food on Friday and Saturdays so we didn’t visit but we had a pretty hearty dinner at The Kingfisher one evening and really enjoyed their dessert offerings in particular.
Pizza Roma 77 was an unexpected gem, again they are only open of Fridays and Saturdays so you’ll have to visit on the weekend if you want to indulge but we were so impressed with both the pizzas and the prices.
Finn Coffee and Gallery was perfectly located a short stroll from Vine Cottage for our morning coffee/ cake needs. There was also a lovely photography gallery and shop attached
Colyton Fish & Chip Takeaway was right next to Pizza Roma in the main square and although we didn’t get the chance to eat there, judging by the line out the front it is a hit with the locals
The Bear Bread and Bakery Sadly this was closed throughout our stay but we have it on good authority that the sourdough and croissants are worth a visit
Merchants Tea Room They just don’t do ‘em like this in London. The loveliest staff and surroundings with delicious baked treats all made on site. If you only have time for one meal in Colyton this is our pick

Or if you miss out on any opening times, take advantage of the 2 little grocery stores in the main square and cook something at ‘home’.

WHAT TO DO

Besides a lazy wander around the main town, we didn’t get a chance to explore the area on foot but hear there are some beautiful walks in the surrounding countryside and quite a few pubs that might be worth planning a meal at too. Colyton is also located close to the East Devon coast so make sure to pack your beach gear in the warmer months and check out The Seaton Tramway for a nostalgic day out. For more information on how we spent our week in Colyton you can read more here in part one of our Devon blog