Staying in Touch

We love that Lane End is a little haven from the hustle and bustle of the world, and our guests tell us they appreciate it too. However, there are some speedy things we like.

Social Media

Social media can be a strange place to spend time, but it is useful for quickly sharing our news and keeping in touch. If you follow us, you may have seen recent posts about the growing Gunnera and the little wrens that fledged from the Red Pod. We are trying to update our news and share local information on both our Facebook and Instagram pages and love to see your news too.

If you take any photos of your trips to Lane End we would be thrilled to see them there. Links to our social media pages, and all the other places we are featured, are on the bottom of the home and contact pages. And do let us know if you have any local events you want us to share or if would like to put a poster up at Lane End. We’d be happy to.

Reviews

We are glad to be able to open our beautiful home up to welcome guests and we are constantly working to improve the place. The wonderful comments and reviews we receive make it all worthwhile and we are grateful for all the feedback we receive. You can see some guests’ comments on our Review page. We were over the moon to find out we had appeared on YouTube when Steve documented his family’s holiday with us last year. Recently Kimberley also shared her TikTok of her stay with us last month. While we are slow at keeping up with tech and online stuff, we are grateful others are a little more savvy! If you would like to review us, we can be found on Google. We and future guests appreciate hearing about your experience of staying at Lane End.

So if you would like to keep in touch or review us, follow the links. We look forward to hearing from you.

Richard, Jan and Emma

Bideford

Make Bideford your base and you’ll have the best in pubs, music and restaurants to satisfy every palate. This historic harbour town is packed with independent shops, local produce and the picturesque quay, which draws visitors during every season.

Bideford was once Britain’s third largest port and while it still has maritime connections, these days, it is more widely known as being a thriving shopping centre, with a historic Pannier Market as well as being the home to the Atlantic Village outlet, where you can find your favourite brands at bargain prices. Bideford is the perfect place for a spot of retail therapy, between the brand names at the outlets and the quirky shops that line the streets, you’ll find all manner of interesting items and unique gifts.

Great base for exploring
If exploring and setting off on your own adventure sounds up your street, make sure to choose Bideford as your base. From here you are well placed to explore some of the best beaches in North Devon, including those at Croyde Bay, Westward Ho!, Putsborough Sands and Woolacombe where you can indulge in a variety of watersports, embark on nature trails and take in some of the spectacular views on offer from the North Devon AONB. If that wasn’t enough, there are regular trips from Bideford across the Lundy Island, the home of Devon’s puffin population as well as a host of other rare and protected species of bird. The charming harbour area is home to a number of organisations offering pleasure cruises around the harbour and you’re also close to the surrounding towns and villages such as Appledore, Instow and Clovelly, which are all charming and full of interesting heritage attractions. If you want to explore the rest of the region, take a trip over the bridge on the old road which crosses the river and links you to the wider area.

Bideford is also a great place to stay as you can easily access the start of the Tarka Trail and Exmoor’s National Park is just a short journey away.

Cultural hub
Bideford is the former home of the author Charles Kingsley, who regularly mentioned the towns and villages of North Devon in his work. Bideford also made its way into his writings, he noted that it was a town full of white houses, while there are few white houses these days, you will find several pastel coloured homes which are delightful to look at. One thing that hasn’t changed from Kingsley’s writings though is Westward Ho! which was named from one of his books.

Plenty to see and do
As well as the nature attractions, such as the many walking and cycling trails and the ferry trips, Bideford also has a range of theme parks and family friendly attractions offering plenty of adventure, thrills and activities suitable for the whole family.

So, whether you want to stroll along the quay and admire the expansive waterfront, or take a stroll around the fortnightly farmers’ market, you’ll never be short of things to see and do while visiting Bideford. For the kids and younger families, make sure to visit Victoria Park which boasts a wonderful children’s play area and free splash pool which is popular on sunny days.