New Year's Day in Combe Martin: A Bay That Stays Walkable

Short answer: The bay is small and sheltered between high cliffs, so it stays usable on a day when the open coast is not. Three pubs and the highest-rated café on this coast are all within the village.

The walk

The bay first — sheltered, and at low tide one of the best rock-pooling beaches in north Devon. Children who are already cold do not notice being colder, and it fills an hour.

For something with a view, Little Hangman is a steep forty-five minute climb to a summit looking across the Bristol Channel to Wales. Clear January air gives the best visibility of the year, though the top is exposed.

The swim

The sheltered bay makes this a kinder place for a New Year's dip than the open beaches west of here. No lifeguards on 1 January.

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.

Where to warm up

• The Harbour Cafe by the beach — the highest-rated café on this coast, with cooked breakfasts around the £9 mark.
• The Focsle Inn — the beachfront pub, much bigger inside than it looks.
• The Pack o' Cards Inn — a 17th-century building designed around a deck of cards, with thick old walls.
• The Castle Inn at the top of the village — a proper local.

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.

Park at the right end

Combe Martin runs about two miles down a valley to the sea. For the beach and the Focsle, aim for the bottom — parking at the top means a long walk back up.