Short answer: Kingsbridge is a market town rather than a beach, so a wet day here is shopping, eating and the quay. Slapton Ley's bird hides are twenty minutes away and are genuinely better in poor weather. Verse is the best meal in the South Hams — book ahead.
Kingsbridge sits at the head of its own estuary and is where the whole South Hams shops. There is no sea here — just a tidal creek that empties to mud twice a day — so rain takes away less than it does at Salcombe or Bigbury.
A working waterfront with pubs and a boatyard, and a long walk along the embankment. It is exposed, but the Crabshell Inn is right on it — a 17th-century inn with indoor seating on two levels looking up the estuary, and the social centre of the town.
Slapton Ley, twenty minutes away, is the largest freshwater lake in the south west with bird hides, waterside paths and a lot of wildlife. Hides are shelters, and poor light and weather often bring more activity rather than less. Free parking at the memorial car park.
You cannot circle the whole lake, but the route up through Stokenham and back along the beach makes a good loop when it clears.
This is the real answer in Kingsbridge. Verse is the best new restaurant in the South Hams and the only place in this guide with a perfect rating — monthly changing menus, beer bread, slow-roasted garlic with focaccia. Book well ahead; evenings only, Wednesday to Saturday.
Start Point and Bolberry Down. Both are clifftop walks with no shelter, and Start Point involves a three-quarter mile exposed track down to the lighthouse. Save them for a clear day.
On the beach itself, see whether Slapton Sands is sandy or pebbly.
See the full Kingsbridge guide, filtered by who's with you.
Plan your day near Kingsbridge →