Jane Austen The Dashwood's & Devon
Wild, Rugged North Devon Coast - Hartland Point, Hartland Lighthouse
"Sense and Sensibility" was filmed in one of Britain's prettiest locations - rugged & picturesque, complete with waterfalls, sheer cliffs, lighthouses & historic houses.
The recent television adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic “Sense and Sensability” was filmed in the glorious and windswept North Devon coast in the south of England. This is a heritage coastline and the small town of Hartland is probably its wildest spot.
These rugged cliffs with sheer drops into the raging Atlantic Sea have been the site of many shipwreck and smuggling tales over the centuries, and today you’ll find some of the most breathtaking scenery of the entire 630 mile South West Coast Path.
For a breathtaking stroll try the three mile walk between Hartland Point and Hartland Quay, there is a car park at both locations. Allow about two hours for the walk, as the awesomely dramatic views will have you stopping and inhaling the magic and majestic views.
Hartland Point with its lighthouse on a perch gives the best view of Lundy Island in Britain. For a small area it has lots to offer apart from its stunning scenery. Hartland village has several good potteries and craft shops.
Between Hartland Abbey and Hartland Quay lies the scenic Church of St Nectans in Stoke which is also known as the “Cathedral of North Devon”.
If you’re looking for good beaches in the area you won’t be disappointed, head for Shipload Bay, east of Hartland Point or Speke's Mill Mouth with its waterfall and sandy beach (when the tide is out).
Another good beach is Welcombe Mouth near Welcombe Village or a little further south Marsland Beach. Being almost into Cornwall this a great area as a base for North Cornwall and surfing too.
For garden lovers there’s Docton Mill Gardens in Spekes Valley with a pretty restored water mill, orchard, lawns or the gardens of Hartland Abbey.
Hartland Abbey, which was built in 1157, is still belongs to the Stucley family. It was a monastery for 400 years being the last monastery in the country to be dissolved by Henry VIII. The Abbey still bear the hallmarks of the Augustinian canons who lived there between 1157 and 1539, although the gardens and woodland walks weren’t created until the late 1700s.
In the old cloisters which later became the servants halls there’s a set of historical documents dating back to 1160 and recently a military model collection of the British County Yeomanry made by a local craftsman has been added.
In Hartland Quay there’s a small but fascinating Shipwreck Museum also called Hartland Quay museum, with photographs and historical details of shipwrecks found off this treacherous stretch of coast.
To make your walk more interesting, guides are available from the museum that list and plot the shipwrecks so you can earmark the exact rocky spot where many a ship went down.
If you’re looking to base yourself in Hartland the Abbey Estate rents out two holiday cottages - the 16th century Bear Cottage or the 15th century Blackpool Mill Cottage. If like the Dashwood sisters you like roaming the wilds - then North Devon’s rocky coast is for you.
