Rainy Day in Combe Martin: A Sheltered Bay and Thick Walls

Short answer: Combe Martin's bay is tucked between high cliffs, so it stays usable when the open coast does not. Rock pooling is unaffected by rain, and the Pack o' Cards has walls thick enough to forget the weather.

A bay that handles weather

Combe Martin's bay is small and sheltered between high cliffs, which makes it noticeably more comfortable in poor weather than Woolacombe or Croyde taking the full Atlantic. It is not immune, but it is the better bet on this coast when the forecast turns.

Rock pooling does not mind rain

At low tide this becomes one of the best rock-pooling beaches in north Devon. Children who are already wet do not notice weather, and the pools are more interesting out of season when the beach is empty.

The building worth going inside

The Pack o' Cards Inn is a 17th-century building designed around a deck of cards — four floors, 52 windows, 13 doors on each level, built by a gambler who won a fortune at cards. Thick old walls, and a genuine curiosity rather than a themed pub.

Where to sit it out

• The Harbour Cafe by the beach — the highest-rated café on this coast, with cooked breakfasts around £9.
• The Focsle Inn — the beachfront pub, much bigger inside than it looks.
• The Castle Inn at the top of the village — a proper local with a beer garden for when it clears.

What to leave

Little Hangman. The forty-five minute climb to views across to Wales is superb in clear air and pointless in cloud, and the summit is exposed.

Ten minutes west

Ilfracombe copes with winter and weather better than anywhere on this coast — an aquarium on the quay, a museum near the seafront, and parking that is cheaper than the surrounding villages all year.