Westward Ho! Wanderings

Written by Boom Buddy mum, Lisa, from The Watson-Pick Family

Lisa, Tom, Eban (10) and Abernathy (8) have fallen in love with Westward Ho! Here they share their unmissable highlights.

Did you know Westward Ho! is one of only two places in the world that has an exclamation mark in its name? Saint-Louis-du-Ha!-Ha! in Quebec, Canada being the other. In 2021, we visited the beautiful seaside village of Westward Ho! on the North Devon coast. It was our first time but most definitely not the last!

The beach is adjacent to the village and is one of North Devon’s most popular surfing and swimming spots. Its award-winning Blue Flag beach is renowned for its consistently high-water quality, and we spent most of our time playing on its golden sands. A prominent feature of the beach is the Pebble Ridge, a natural water barrier that backs the beach and offers a unique landscape for walking and exploring – perfect for inquisitive kids!

If you’re feeling a little braver, why not visit the Sea Water pool? A tidal pool that fills with fresh seawater during high tide providing a natural and refreshing alternative to traditional swimming pools. With its gentle sloping side, it’s accessible for swimmers of all abilities and it’s free to use with no booking required – just watch out for jellyfish!

In the village, you will find plenty of local shops for a souvenir or two, family arcades, go-karts, crazy golf and lots of places to eat. When the weather is sunny, it is lovely to sit on The Green, a large expanse of grass with benches and a park for the kids right on the sea front where you can enjoy a Hocking’s Ice Cream. Hocking’s is a family run business, founded in the 1930s, that serves delicious award-winning ice cream.

Just a 5-minute drive from Westward Ho! is North Devon’s most popular family attraction. The Big Sheep is an amusement farm park filled with rides (including Devon’s largest family roller coaster – The Rampage!), animals and all-weather fun including Ewetopia, an indoor playground and giant outdoor jumping pillows. A family favourite of ours, however, are the hilarious live shows with sheep racing and duck trials! With plenty to do, The Big Sheep is a great day out with fun for grown-ups and children alike. Prices are dependent on what time of year you go but savings can be made by booking online and Tesco Reward Vouchers can also be used.

Another family favourite is Merry Harriers Garden Centre. Located a 14-minute drive away in the lovely town of Bideford, Merry Harriers is a family run garden centre that not only serve amazing cream teas (clotted cream first then jam is the Devon way!) but is also home to The Gnome Reserve where more than 2000 gnomes live in the grounds of the centre. A fun, free activity open 7 days a week that we always visit on the hunt for new additions!

Westward Ho! is the perfect place for making sandy memories with your loved ones!