London to Devon: recommendations for a nice stop on the way? And a hotel on way back?

[mrsbabookaloo]

We are going to South Devon - Kingsbridge area - for a week with my parents and DD age nearly 3 for a week after Easter.

Driving down there and would like to make it leisurely and stop somewhere nice for lunch, a nice pub probably. Does anyone do this trip regularly and have a recommendation? I guess it would be somewhere near where you come off the M4 and go on to the M5 outside Bristol, or maybe round Bridgewater/Taunton?

Also dh and I might stay overnight somewhere on the way back, leaving dd with grandparents, as dd2 is due soon and it would be nice to have some alone time. Any special (but not too expensive) B&Bs between Devon and London you can recommend?

TIA

Posted this yesterday and then I disappeared and couldn't get back online.

Anybody, any ideas?

we do this trip fairly regukarly but never found anywhere particularly nice!
so will watch with interest :D

OK then people, iwontbite and I are waiting for your wisdom!

We often try to stop at national trust properties on journeys with children - they usually have quite good cafes and lovely gardens to run around. We have stopped at Knightshayes Court on the way to North Devon but it's not on your route. You could have a look on their website.

Alternatively try the good pub guide website?

I know friends who have stayed in Wiltshire on route from London to Devon.

Check out this B&B in Mere, Wiltshire... Castleton House Hotel. We are staying there next month, it gets good reviews on tripadvisor. It is in a small village, and is near to Longleat.

It depends on what you like. There's a big Garden centre called Garden World just off the M4 at Highbridge (just n of B'water). Food's OK but there is a lovely big pirate ship play area that might be good for burning off energy,

Near there is a pub called the Red Cow (I think).

I live in Bridgie and there's nowhere I'd recommend particularly unless you are willing to drive a bit further away from the mway.

You can take a detour from the M4 via Bath and then join the M5 some time after Frome (can't remember the junction number). That way you could stop off in Bath or Glastonbury. Loads of nice places around there, but it is a detour, no doubt about it.

It is not that easy to leave the M5 and get somewhere nice quickly tbh, even if you go via the A303. I do that journey quite a bit and I tend to leave London either early or late and just blitz it in one go. Most of the motorway places do have decent coffee now, which is an improvement at least.

We stayed at a lovely b and b farmhouse near Long leat (we stayed in the family room) the nearby village had a couple of nice pubs

cool farm

If you go from london via M3 - then A303, M5 to Devon you could stop at the Little Chef at Popham on the A303 which has just been revamped by Heston Blumenthal (or wahtever he's called!)

wee have about 3 different routes we take, just for variation lol

national trust is a good idea, and am looking up garden centre now.
we're off next in July I think

OOh, thanks! I nearly forgot to check back!

I think we ARE prepared to drive off from the motorway a bit to go somewhere nice, so do give any recommendations that are further off the route (within reason of course!)

No doubt my dad will be checking the Good Pub Guide and I'll check out National Trust and the B&Bs tomo...falling asleep at the keyboard right now....

Thanks again.

we normally stay in Exeter when we do this sort of trip (but we are going down to Cornwall so it's nearer half way)

You could go to Tyntesfield. You would get off at the Gordano junction on the M5 and it is signosted from there:

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-tyntesfield

Or go a bit further and go here:

www.puxton.co.uk/

B & Bs:

www.theoldciderhouse.co.uk/och-home.php

www.torfarm.co.uk/

Thank you, will check these out.