Area History
Westward Ho! was named after the book of the same name written by Charles Kingsley in the mid 1800s. It has two miles of sandy beach known as the Golden Bay, and is protected by the famous pebble ridge and long promenade.
Behind the pebble ridge lies the Northam Burrows Country Park, with nearly 1000 acres of common land to explore. Here you will find the Royal North Devon Golf Course, the oldest 18-hole links golf course in England and a large area of sand dunes home to a rich variety of birds, insects and wild flowers.
Almost on Westward Ho!'s doorstep is Appledore which is full of history with watch towers, look-outs, a smugglers' tunnel, fishermen's cottages, captains' houses and a quay overlooking the meeting point of the two rivers. Away from the quay the narrow streets, hidden lanes and cobbled courtyards preserve the intriguing history and transport the imagination back through the centuries.
Just over 3 miles away is Bideford, both a thriving market town and working port which the Victorian novelist Charles Kingsley described as "The Little White Town which slopes upward from its broad river tide". Indeed, little has changed from when Kingsley lived in the area nearly 150 years ago and much of its architecture and historic associations are still with us.
Amongst the town's many places of interest is the historic covered Pannier Market, dating from 1883, which holds a market every Tuesday and Saturday. And sitting alongside the town's history there are modern shopping amenities, a wide choice of clubs, bars and restaurants, entertainment and a tremendous range of attractions for the young and not so young!