Dear Mummy, while we were holidaying in South Devon we visited a lovely beach called Dawlish Warren. It is a small seaside resort near the town of Dawlish in Teignbridge on the south coast of England. The town is made up of holiday accommodation and facilities for holiday-makers especially caravan and camping sites. The beach has a Blue Flag for the quality of the bathing waters and soft sand.
Despite Dawlish Warren’s popularity you don’t have to worry about it being busy as the beach is one and a half miles long. The area is watched by RNLI lifeguards so if you like to swim or paddle then you can, just be aware that the tide comes in pretty quick! We had to move our picnic blanket a couple of times up the beach. But the beach was empty when we visited!
Dawlish Warren is located 20 minutes from the M5 Exeter junction and its ideal for family holidays. Its part of the Exe Estuary, an important nature reserve for wildfowl and wading birds in the country. There are some excellent walking trails around and a nearby visitor’s centre offers information about the wildlife reserve.
Facilities
Dawlish Warren beach has excellent facilities and we were really impressed. The beach was quick and easy to walk to.
- Shower facilities
- Close to railway station
- On site parking
- Tourist Information Centre
- Amusements
- On-Site café/restaurants
- Toilets
- Lifeguards in summer months
- First Aid
- Deckchair hire
- Disabled access to the beach
- Toilets for disabled visitors
Weather
We were really lucky with the weather on the day we visited having had thundered storms and heavy rain either side of our day trip. The tide was low when we arrived but came in quite quickly and cut our trip to the beach shorter than we wanted. The water was lovely and clear and the sand clean and soft.
Treasure hunting
My mummy spent some time hunting for shells using my crabbing bucket and used seaweed to make a necklace chain. It was a lovely relaxing activity and I love watching her make my magical mermaid necklace.
Playing with mermaids
They were the theme of our trip to the beach and I brought my mermaids again to the coast where we enjoyed building sand castles with a moat for them and washed their hair in the buckets.
Flying a kite
My daddy purchased a kite bought at one of the many shops on the promenade and we had great fun launching it on the beach and watching it soar! It was pretty windy and perfect conditions for my little owl kite!
Playing with Daddy
We needed to run with the kite to get it into the air and I concentrated holding the string while daddy kept it in control.
Fun of the fair
Dawlish Warren also has its own mini fun park with trampolines, crazy golf and a mini roller coaster as well as crazy golf. We weren’t expecting this and it really added to the day. At weekends there are even donkey rides!
Rides and pricing
We picked up tokens from the main hut at the fair and rides were roughly £2 each. The trampolines were the best value for money and I bounced around quite happily for a good 15 minutes.
The mini fun fair and shops are located before you reach the promenade and near the car park so make a great way to finish or start the day. Car parking was around £5 for half a day and was more than enough for our trip.
The Boathouse
At lunch time we took a walk back up the beach to The Boat House. It is accessible by buggies and wheelchairs both downstairs and upstairs and offers amazing views across Lyme Bay and Exmouth. The walls are covered in sailing ephemera, bits and bobs, knickknacks and lots of nautical stuff. Brass fittings, dark woods and a soft play area upstairs built like a pirate ship added to the theme of the Boathouse!
The menu is standard pub stuff. Burgers, hot dogs, pub classics. There is a range of draught beers as well as the usual bottles behind the bar. My folks enjoyed a bit of quiet time while I played in the play area within view of the table and it was a relaxed and enjoyable experience. The service throughout our meal was swift and friendly. We finished off our meal with an ice cream from the stand outside which is connected to the kitchens of the restaurant indoors.
If you’re looking for a decent beach holiday or day trip with plenty of activities to do then Dawlish Warren is your perfect destination. With its long beach, clean waters and amusements it offers a traditional British seaside holiday experience.
Love Bella x
