Devon – Budleigh Salterton Beach, Otter Head & Cream Teas

I mentioned last week that we went on a jaunt to the west country to visit family and one place we always drop in on is Budleigh Salterton to visit my dad and step-mother.

Known as “God’s waiting room” on account of the hefty average age of the inhabitants, the town’s crowning glory is its beach and the Otter River Estuary which flows into the sea at Otter Head.

It was a very foggy day when we ventured out for a yomp past all the knick knack shops and down to the water. I took the photo above just as I saw some bird of prey out of the corner of my eye flying along the top of the tree lined lagoon.

There were loads of families out working off all those mince pies and I spotted this lot about to disappear into the mist at the water’s edge just before Otter Head.

There’s a lovely little cafe on the beach called The Long Boat, but as is usually the case in the south west of England, it wasn’t open for business just when you need it to be or, god forbid, when they could make a killing from the influx of seasonal visitors.

[I’ve walked into pubs on August bank holidays in Cornwall, famished and willing to pay top dollar for a ploughman’s lunch, only to be told the kitchen closed at 2pm and won’t be open ‘til 6!]

Back up the hill, we spotted the “Tea & Tittle Tattle Tea Shop” WAS open and satisfied our pangs by sharing a traditional Devon cream tea.

Washed down with a steaming hot cup of char, the scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam meant we had to unfortunately pass on the broccoli soup waiting for us back at my Dad’s.

Note to self: Cream teas are best eaten at about 4pm……………NOT 11.30am!