New Year's Day in Bideford: A Free Park and a Flat Trail

Short answer: Victoria Park by the quay is free, open and has a large modern playground — useful on 1 January with children. The Tarka Trail runs through, flat and paved, with no mud whatever December did.

The walk

The Tarka Trail along the Torridge estuary. Flat, paved, traffic-free and benched, so you can set your own distance. No mud, which on 1 January in Devon is worth more than the view.

A shorter option is the quay and the medieval bridge — twenty minutes, level, and enough on a cold morning.

With children

Victoria Park by the quay is free and open from early, with a large modern playground. On a day when children have new things to try out and nowhere to do it, that is the answer.

Where to warm up

• Amalfi Bar and Cafe on the High Street — opens at seven in normal weeks, spotless and noticeably cheaper than most.
• The Boathouse at Instow, ten minutes away — the best-loved pub in the area, facing the estuary.
• The Thatched Inn at Abbotsham — covered outdoor booths with heaters and fairy lights.
• The Mill Street Brasserie — the best dinner in Bideford, and tiny, so book.

Almost everywhere opens later than usual on New Year's Day, and some places do not open at all. Ring in the morning rather than assuming.

The swim

Instow is the nearest sheltered water, and Westward Ho! is the open one. Both are a short drive.

New Year's Day swims on this coast are organised by lifeboat crews, surf clubs and pubs rather than councils, and most are announced in the last fortnight of December on local Facebook pages. Check there rather than expecting a listing.

If you are getting in: the sea is colder on 1 January than at any point in the summer, cold water shock is the real risk rather than the temperature itself, and it is worth going in with people rather than alone. Walk in, do not dive, and get warm clothes on quickly afterwards.

Parking

Easier and cheaper than anywhere on the coast, and quieter still on 1 January. Aim for the quay.