Is Devon or Dorset really as lovely as it seems?

[PoorEileen]

Is Devon as absolutely stunning as it seems if you’ve never been?

I have developed an interest in Devon/Dorset as a place to travel to, maybe Weymouth. Are these places as lovely as they seem or am I as a tourist who lives in the north west of England romanticising it?
I love beaches and villages, especially places with painted buildings and beach huts.

I couldn't have put it better myself. I've been down here 34 years and can't wait to move somewhere less busy. Traffic is insane all year round. Ghastly identikit housing everywhere. All changed from 1992. I wouldn't come now.

I love Blackpool Sands. We visit fairly often but Durdle Door and some of the other sights are eroding away due to footfall.

Ah yes, me too. Less spoilt because it's a bit of a walk from the carpark.

Sorry. Lots of it is still lovely! I have seen parts spoilt round here, but it's a big place and there are still lovely unspoilt parts. Lots more pressure from people and cars all over the south of England, though. (Maybe everywhere? IDK)

I take it that it’s some time since you last visited Durdle Door or Lulworth Cove?

I doubt this is what the OP is looking for you…

Yes it really is. Sad to see. I live in Wales by the beach so I only ever really go to English coastal places in the off-season, but I completely get your point.

Sorry I don't understand your second sentence.

It does get busy a lot of places in July and August, so if you want to avoid large crowds on the beaches, the nicest times to visit would be May, June and September imo! Both Devon and Dorset have some lovely spots.

I agree with people about North Devon - the sea is rougher but the scenery is stunning. We actually go to Woolacombe every May, as the beach is great for kids, and do trips to places like Lynton/Lynmouth, Ilfracombe, Appledore etc…

I haven’t been to a huge number of places in Dorset but we love Lyme Regis - it’s well worth going there! A beautiful combo of scenery, independent shops and interesting little museums. It has stony beaches famous for fossils and a sandy beach.

Some of our favourite places are:
Woolacombe
Lynton/Lynmouth
Lyme Regis
Sidmouth
Salcombe
Dartmouth
Dartmoor (particularly like Haytor)
Beer
Totnes (inland but I love it)

There are tons of amazing beaches, the only issue is Southwest water are the worst for dumping raw sewerage so you have to keep an eye on the SSRS app to see if beaches are safe for swimming.

I am not usually a big National Trust person but Greenway, Coleton Fishacre and Lydford Gorge are all great spots too.

Yes, lots of lovely places in both counties, inland as well as along the coast. Weymouth town itself is not pretty but the beach is lovely and the harbour and further along the coastline in both directions have some lovely spots. The tram at Seaton takes you through the gorgeous nature reserves.

I live on Portland which can be lovely in summer, if a little crowded with holidaymakers. But the weather can be challenging in winter. DH calls it character-building 🙄The island's community does have its own problems, though - drugs, antisocial behaviour in the same way that Weymouth has.

If money were no object, I'd choose Abbotsbury or Burton Bradstock to live. Both are not far from Dorchester and Weymouth for bigger shops/hospital and are imho lovely but can still get pretty busy in the summer months with tourists.

It’s nice but I could live without going back! Try the Isle of Wight.

It actually looked a lot like that about a month ago! We went expecting it to be quiet, but there were coachloads of tourists from India and Japan. Apparently Durdle Door has become an Insta global phenomenon.

I’ve lived in both collectively for 15 years and have been very happy, though we did leave Dorset for Devon. It became too expensive for us and lots of second homes. I love Devon, you have countryside, two moors and the sea on both coasts. We went back to Dorset recently for a visit and I found it much more built up and more traffic than even 5 years ago.

I wouldn’t live in East Dorset. West Dorset, Purbeck, etc is all nice. Weymouth wouldn’t be my first choice as it definitely has some antisocial behaviour and a lot of tourists in the summer. Some of the areas around Weymouth are lovely though (not Portland).

It depends on what you’re after. Devon is a bit more traditional farming with more varied landscapes. Dorset a lot of areas more built up and more same-y. Also more expensive. Though there may now be a second home exodus so that may change.

Of the two, I prefer Devon, but I wanted a quieter life but with access to Dartmoor and the sea and also city life (Exeter) with good rail links. I actually get to London faster from Devon than Dorset which is a bonus.

Been to both - without a doubt very beautiful but very expensive, beaches packed, roads jammed by clueless tourists (self included), cottages/rentals are painfully overpriced, and restaurants the same (if you can get a booking). It’s also a pain in the arse to drive to even from the SW London/Surrey, via stone henge (and hundreds of pounds per person if you go buy train).

It’s quicker [sometimes cheaper] to fly to Europe, really, where it is also often cheaper to rent, eat out and buy food from local supermarkets. Where I live in the UK is also just a beautiful and rich in NT properties, AONB, access to London so the trade off just doesn’t seem to be there given the cost of travel etc, though I can see that I might feel differently if I lived somewhere more urban/with less outside space etc and travel and hospitality costs were more reasonable.

We adore Dorset, it's stunning!

Dartmoor prison is fascinating and done really well...your Dad isnt a weirdo. I loved it, well, maybe I'm a weirdo too!

We parked in the car park and my dad was obviously doing some hard thinking looking at the building. I think I was seven or eight. Wasn't that interesting to me. Then an officer came out of the building and told us we weren't allowed to be in the car park unless we were on official business or visiting!

We are both definitely weirdos now though - graveyards? We can't get enough of them!!!

The Isle of Wight is dreary!

Swanage is lovely. So is Corfe Castle. Also Lyme Regis, Charmouth and Woolacombe, among many others.

I wouldn't bother with places like Weymouth or Torquay unless you like really big seaside holiday places with streets full of fish & chip shops, tacky 'gift' emporiums - and nowhere to park.

One of the loveliest holidays I've had was in Salcombe. The weather was stunning and I looked like I'd been to the Mediterranean for a week! The houses, little streets, beaches and countryside in South Devon are beautiful.

Has a very good fish and chip shop

Lyme Regis is still lovely. Suffered from the storms and the beach had to be rebuilt but all is well now.

Bits of Weymouth are lively, like the old harbour.

I grew up by Dorchester, and I miss being able to go down to the sea for a walj and/or swim after work. There are lots of fab things about it all, and I'd move back if I could afford it and could get work there. But some of those high-sided narrow lanes, you need to think about what they're like on a frosty or stormy winter's night and you need to get somewhere quickly.

Lyme Regis is still very lovely. We are going for a few days on Saturday, although I hadn't realised it was a bank holiday 😫 Also a huge Thomas Hardy fan, hence Dorset is my favourite.

Lucky to live in the South Hams.
So bigging it up.

Oh my word. In 50 years I have never been to Durdle Door and seen it look like that.