Mary & Robert from Waco in Texas visited us in July 2005. It transpired that they are travel writers and the following is an extract from an article they wrote about North Devon in "Waconan", - Waco's City magazine:-

"..we hit the jackpot in Devon - Berry Park, just across the Cornish border in Welcombe. While Mike was our genial host, Val crafted the evening meals,....... with foodstuffs from the immediate area, including her garden. One night it was an Escalope of Salmon, poached in white wine and served with a lovely Sorrel Sauce. Another night it was lean pork cooked in the rough cider (scrumpy) of the region, served in a stew of fresh herbs and creme fraiche. Other nights it was whatever Mike caught off Lundy. We ate many of our meals in our second floor apartment overlooking the sea and the Jenner's flower and vegetable gardens.

Welcombe itself is barely a hamlet, mainly a pub (The Old Smithy, itself a foodie's delight) and the ancient St Nectan's Church, with it's strangely disturbing Norman altar screen. In Spring the church is surrounded by foxgloves. In fact every village was festooned with hundreds of the most glorious flowers......

Welcombe is the center of the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A steep 30 minute walk takes you from Berry Park to Marsland Beach, deserted save for the odd otter and red deer. Mike & Val thoughtfully post the daily tide schedule because at high tide, it's all wild rocks and crashing waves. At low tide, however, it's a half mile sandy beach, with innumerable tide pools in the rugged boulders that dominate the terrain. At low tide you can walk around the house-sized tumulus to Welcombe Beach, Marsland's better known cousin - bigger, wilder and busier, complete with a 15-foot waterfall trickling down from the valley."