About the area

Kingswear is a much sought after area for holidays as it has all the benefits of being close to Dartmouth and Torbay without any of the disadvantages. Up the Creek is on the edge of the village so it is easily accessible from main road without having to drive through the village. This means you can arrive conveniently by car, park and leave it there for the rest of the holiday if you like, as everything else is accessible on foot, by bus, by ferry or by the wonderful steam railway.

 

There is a huge amount to see and do in the area. Kingswear village has a great shop, three pubs, a bistro and the marina. It is also the setting off point for ferries to Dartmouth, boat trips up the river to Totnes, the famous Steam Railway to Paignton and good bus connections to everywhere else.

 

For the Great Outdoors just open the door and go, from simple walks through the village or the National Trust (NT) woodlands at Hoodown, to ambitious hikes along the coast path either east or (via the ferry) west. Sailors will probably already know about how fabulous the Dart Estuary is for them but it is also great fun for small boats and canoes as well as windsurfers and fishing trips. We can park our 16 foot boat on its trailer (mind the garage door please) and park the car on the drive so Up the Creek (UtC) is ideal if you want to bring a similar sized boat on holiday with you. There is a hose in the garage for flushing your outboard motor (bring you own muffs).

There are big, popular beaches in Paignton/Torbay, slightly less crowded beaches in Brixham and more or less deserted beaches at Slapton Sands (over the river to the west). There is also the famous open air sea pool at Shoalstone in Brixham which is free (but you need to pay for car parking if you take the car).

The village is an easy (level), ten minute walk from UtC and from there you can get the ferry to Dartmouth or the steam train to Paignton. Dartmouth is much like Kingswear only bigger, with more shops, pubs and restaurants. Further afield is Totnes, which is a goldmine of charming little shops and cafes at the tidal limit of the estuary – it’s well worth the trip by car, bus or even by boat. Plymouth and Exeter are both within an hour’s drive and have both got big new shopping centres. Both have lots to see and do.