The British surfing paradise set to rival Hawaii
North Devon joins Malibu and the Gold Coast as it’s named Europe’s second world surfing reserve. Our writer tests the water
On a languid, sun-drenched day in May it’s hard to imagine Croyde in Devon as home to Britain’s best beach-breaking wave. But Damon Beveridge, the director of the Surfing Croyde Bay school, has no such difficulties — he has been surfing it for more than 20 years.
“When conditions are right it’s a powerful, challenging place,” he tells me as we paddle out in search of gentle early-summer fun. En route he points out some of the key breaks. On the right, as you look out into the yawning mouth of the bay, is the Boneyards area, which unfurls at high tide over a shallow rock reef. And in the middle, when the swell’s up, you’ll find big, heavy waves rearing up as walls of water and submerged sandbanks combine. Often they’re so steep and fast that their lips frame tunnels of air as they tumble. These are the vaunted “barrels” that fill every ambitious surfer’s daydreams.
Meanwhile, Beveridge tells me, those in search of (slightly) more mellow rides can go to Woolacombe Bay, on the northern side of the Baggy Point cliffs, or head south to surf similar waves on Saunton Sands. All are found within a single 18-mile stretch of coastline.
And if this is beginning to sound like a surfer’s paradise — well, you’re not the only one to think so. Because last week this seaside pocket became the 12th world surfing reserve, joining the likes of Malibu and Santa Cruz in California, Ericeira in Portugal and the Gold Coast in Queensland. It’s only the second coastline in Europe to achieve the status.
This does not mean, by the way, that we should speak of Croyde or Woolacombe in the same breath as the Pipeline in Hawaii or Teahupoo in Tahiti. The Save the Waves Coalition, which confers the award, is not in the business of picking out the world’s pin-up waves. It has broader priorities, and considers not just the overall surfing quality of a coastline, but also its beauty, ecology, culture and community. It also looks at threats such as poor water quality and plastic pollution.
Advertisement
For Ben Hewitt, former chairman of Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) and one of the leaders of the successful north Devon campaign, the last consideration is key. “To protect something you first need to recognise it for what it is,” he tells me at the inauguration ceremony at Woolacombe. Thanks to this new eye-catching status he and other members of the reserve’s stewardship council, which includes local surf clubs, SAS and the National Trust, can push harder for higher environmental standards and more stringent enforcement.
In the meantime the rest of us can zip into our wetsuits and find out what all the fuss is about. And I’m not talking about the experts who have long been making autumn and winter pilgrimages to this place. What’s really striking about north Devon, as summer settles over its golden beaches and leafy combes, is just how accessible it is to first-timers and occasional wave-riders. When the surf is smaller, it’s hard to imagine beaches with a more forgiving surf than Woolacombe and Saunton. Croyde produces firm, consistent waves, even if they’re just one or two-foot tall, rather than six. Armed with a longboard and tuition from Beveridge and his Surfing Croyde Bay instructors, your abilities and confidence blossom.
This is not another Cornwall. There isn’t the space for big seaside resorts to sprawl on a scale to match Newquay or Perranporth. Nor does it have the same Michelin-starred restaurant scene. But what it does have in spades are charm and grandeur. There are few more reviving tonics for tired city-dweller eyes than the view south from Woolacombe. Whale-back hills roll down to a two-mile stretch of beach and a pocket-sized holiday town that, for most of the year, is really just a village.
Many visitors camp or stay in well-organised holiday parks. Others book cute cottages tucked so tightly into the combes that they seem to be stacked on top of each other. The only drawback is the mind-bending maze of narrow roads that connects them all. If you’re planning to come in July or August, find a strip of sand that suits you, park the car and stay put.
North Devon must also surely be one of the nation’s best places to eat alfresco, for example at the Beach Café in Downend car park, just south of Croyde. It’s where I refuel after my surf session with Beveridge, chatting to Hewitt between mouthfuls of coconut chicken curry and fiery caramelised onions. He tells me what the visiting Californians of Save the Waves had noticed among the locals. “They said everybody seems to emerge from the water beaming and then makes a rather grumpy comment about the surf,” he says. “Something like, ‘Oh, the ones I caught weren’t that good,’ or ‘I only got a couple.’ ”
Apparently, in such an exceptional spot, the Americans thought the self-deprecation hilarious. So whatever you do, don’t be too British when you come. This is a place to be proud of.
Sean Newsom was a guest of Visit England (visitengland.com) and Woolacombe Bay Hotel. Surfing lessons from £33pp for 2.5 hours (surfingcroydebay.co.uk)
Three places to stay
Advertisement
1. Baggy’s, Croyde
It’s all about style and convenience at this swanky studio flat and three-bedroom house, which can be booked separately or together. The style comes courtesy of a recent refit in a lush mix of butterscotch, eggshell and powder blue. The convenience is down to its location — next to a surf school and its lively café, and just a few minutes’ walk from the beach.
Details One night’s self-catering for two from £90 (baggys.co.uk)
2. Woolacombe Bay Hotel, Woolacombe
The layout of the grande-dame Victorian property feels, in places, labyrinthine. But there’s no denying the appeal of its generous breakfasts, perky refurbished bedrooms, pools, gym and spa. The hotel’s setting seals the deal — this is Woolacombe’s plum spot, separated from the beach by a luscious stretch of lawn.
Details Room-only doubles from £150 (woolacombe-bay-hotel.co.uk)
3. Byron at Woolacombe Bay
Just up from the sands on Beach Road, these recently built apartments bring a big splash of modernity to Woolacombe’s seafront. Inside, simple Scandi-flavoured furniture and fittings keep the mood light and airy. Outside, just across the road, the Red Barn pub beckons for sundowner drinks — followed perhaps by a visit to Stoned, Woolacombe’s wood-fired pizza truck.
Details One night’s self-catering for four from £181 (byronwoolacombeholidaylets.co.uk)
Sign up for our Times Travel newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Twitter
