How Long Do You Need in Clovelly?

Short answer: Two to three hours covers it for most visitors. The village is one steep cobbled street down to a harbour, with no cars. There is a Land Rover service back up the hill, which is worth knowing before you start down.

The short answer

Two to three hours. Clovelly is one cobbled street dropping steeply to a small harbour, with no cars, and you walk down it and back. Most people find that is enough.

The descent is the thing

The street is genuinely steep and the cobbles are uneven. Going down is easy; coming back up is the part to plan for. There is a Land Rover service back to the top, which is worth knowing before you set off.

If anyone in the party struggles with slopes or uneven ground, be honest about it before you pay to go in — the street is the attraction and there is no way round it.

It is privately owned

Access is through a visitor centre with an entrance charge, which surprises people who assume they can park and walk in. Check prices and opening hours on Clovelly's own site before travelling, and ask them directly about anything outside normal hours.

What fills the time

• The walk down, which is the main event.
• The harbour at the bottom.
• The cottages and the lack of traffic, which is genuinely unusual.
• A drink or lunch before the climb back.

Making a day of it

Clovelly on its own is a morning. The Milky Way Adventure Park is along the same road and largely indoors — closed Mondays and Fridays. Hartland Quay and the Hartland peninsula are a short drive and free, and some of the wildest coast in Devon.

If the charge puts you off

Hartland Abbey has gardens, grounds and a walk down a valley to an Atlantic cove. Northam Burrows and Westward Ho! are twenty minutes back towards Bideford.