Best of Britain Devon Guide Out
New Crimson Travel Guidebook Covers Beaches, Pubs, Good Food, Hotels
Crimson Publishing is a fairly new name on the guidebook scene, but if their recently published Devon travel guide is typical, they'll be around for a long time to come. It's already been called "the ultimate Devon guidebook" by Britain's Mail on Sunday newspaper, and it is certainly one of the most attractive, well-written and refreshingly different guidebooks around.
For this Best of Britain series the publishers try to find writers who genuinely are local experts, with their own personal take on the region. In addition there are recommendations from other local experts included, and in the case of Devon that means footballer Steve Perryman and musician Seth Lakeman, and there's an introduction by the chef Michael Caines MBE, whose restaurant at Gidleigh Park is one of the reasons some people rate it as the best hotel in Britain.
The author who brings all this together for the Devon guide is no slouch either. Simon Heptinstall's award-winning travel writing has appeared in most of the major British newspapers, including The Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph and Mail on Sunday. He grew up in Devon, was once editor of the Cornish and Devon Post, is a trained cider-maker and is a member of the trust that owns Exeter City FC. Readers wouldn't wish for a better guide.
It isn't that this Devon guide includes much that you wouldn't find in other travel books. After all, guidebooks have to cover the best eating places, the restaurants, pubs, gastropubs, things to do and see, best hotels, best beaches and so on. It's just that the Best of Britain guide has a really fresh feel to it, and is exactly what it says on the cover: "Accessible, contemporary guides by local experts".
Travel in Britain, and certainly in England's West Country, has changed in the last few years, and this guide reflects that. There's an emphasis on local food, gastropubs, good restaurants and boutique hotels, all of which are what many people want these days. Devon has them in abundance. But the guide is far from being just for luxury travelers. There are plenty of campsites, farm stays, self-catering accommodation, bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and good, inexpensive cafés recommended too.
This Devon guide covers everything from clubbing to where to take the kids. You're even told how to avoid children, for those who prefer that option – go to the Plymouth Gin Distillery is one suggestion. It tells you where the local supermarkets are, how to rent a bike or where to phone for a taxi, and you really get the feel the author's gone out of his way to find out what the local people in each area think, and where they can really recommend for visitors.
To pack so much in (and there are maps and colour photos too), the Best of Britain: Devon travel guide is a bit of a bumper package. It's 320 pages, about 9"x6", and is about three-quarters of an inch thick, so it's a hefty chunk of a book. One for the glove compartment and not the back pocket. But within those 320 pages, the character of Devon has certainly been captured – and that's no mean feat for a guidebook.
Practical Information
The Best of Britain: Devon travel guide by Simon Heptinstall is published by Crimson Publishing at £11.99 in the UK and $21.99 in the USA. More details from the Crimson Publishing website.
Best of Britain: Devon travel guide
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