Sports

Click one of the links for information about that particular sport: bowls | canoeing & kayaking | climbing | cycling | fishing | golf | horse riding | sailing | surfing & windsurfing | tennis | walking | other sports

 

Bowls

Visit the Kingsley Indoor Bowls Club in Westward Ho!, where bowls are available for hire and no special shoes are required. For further information ring 01237 472507. See also Barnstaple Bowling, Tennis & Croquet Club.

 

Canoeing & kayaking

Canoes can be hired from Saddles & Paddles 4 Kings Wharf, The Quay, Exeter. Ring 01392 424241 for details. Canoeing is also available from Skern Lodge in Appledore.

Visit the Watersports Centre at Upper Tamar Lake, Kilkampton, near Bude, Cornwall EX23 9SB. Here you can try your hand at dinghy sailing, windsurfing, surf skiing or kayaking in a very safe environment. There is an excellent lakeside tea room at this friendly and picturesque Centre. An official training centre for the Royal Yachting Association and the British Canoe Union, and all instructors are appropriately qualified. Open from Easter to October, 9.30am - 5.30pm. Telephone 01288 321712 for further information.

Roadford Lake, situated between Launceston and Okehampton, is the largest watersports centre (738 acres) in the region. It provides exciting sailing conditions and safe training areas for windsurfing and canoeing. Open Summer 9.30am - 5.30pm and Winter weekends 10.00am - 5.00pm.

British Canoe Union approved training centres in Devon include Bicton College in Budleigh, Grenville House OEC in Brixham, Mountain Water Experience near Kingsbridge, Okehampton Youth Hostel, PGL - Beam House in Torrington, River Dart Centre in Ashburton, Spirit of Adventure (Dartmoor) Ltd in Princetown, and The Adventure Centre in Tavistock.

 

Climbing

The Adventure Centre in Tavistock offers orienteering, tree climbing, abseiling, challenge day as well as many other sporting activities. Okehampton Youth Hostel offers numerous sports including climbing and abseiling.

In Cornwall the sea cliffs offer superb lines and exciting climbing situations, no better place to experience the sheer delight of climbing on granite at it’s best. Routes such as Right Angle, Terriers Tooth and Little Brown Jug could be in your log book at the end of the weekend. Visit the Spirit of Adventure website for details of the many climbing courses on offer.

 

Cycling

The Adventure Centre in Tavistock and Okehampton Youth Hostel both offer mountain biking amongst many other sports.

North Devon is a very popular place for cyclists to visit. There are miles of car free country lanes providing safe routes for cyclists. For further information click here.

 

Fishing

Jennets Fishery, near Bideford, has a national reputation for carp fishing with best fish common 22lb, mirror 23lb. The fishery also produces quality bags of smaller carp, roach and tench to the float and pole. A popular competition venue, it is open all year round, from 6.30am until 10.00pm. Size 8 acres, up to 30' deep; species: carp, bream, tench, roach, rudd, perch, eels; day permits only from agents. Ring 01837 871565 or 01288 321262 for further information.

Melbury Fishery, near Bideford, was opened in 1990. Mirror and common carp are stocked and good mixed bags of roach, rudd, bream to pole, float and feeder. The best mirror caught to date is 27.75lb. British record perch, 5lb 11oz captured in 1996 - Melbury is a fishery well work trying. Open all year 6.30am - 10.00pm. Size 12 acres, up to 33' deep; species: carp, bream, tench, roach, rudd, perch, eels (restocked 2002); permits available from agents, limited season permits available from the SW Lakes Trust - call 01837 871565 or 01288 321262 for further information.

Sea bass and mackerel sea fishing trips are available from The Sea Chest in Appledore. Phone 01237 476191 to make a booking.

Fishing trips are organised on the Betty Louise, from Instow. A days fishing costs £30 per person. Call 01271 860889 or 07966 428189 for details.

Cornwall's largest fishery is situated at Upper Tamar lake near Bude. With good numbers of carp to 28lb, bream, rudd and roach, it is recognised as a major competition water. 50lb+ bags of bream and 30lb bags of rudd can be expected. Size 81 acres; species: carp, bream, tench, roach, rudd, crucian carp, eels; open all year round, 24hrs a day; permits available from self service kiosk and agents - call the SW Lakes Trust on 01837 871565 to obtain a season permit.

Other SW Lakes Trust fishing lakes in Devon include Darracott in Torrington, Lower Slade in Ilfracombe, Wistlandpound Reservoir near South Molton, Fernworthy Reservoir near Chagford, Meldon Reservoir in Okehampton and Roadford Lake near Okehampton. The Trust also provide a Fishing Diary and Fishing News & Reports via their website.

Useful books - Salmon netting in North Devon

 

Visit the 118Golf website

Click here to
buy discount
golf equipment
from 118Golf

  

Golf

There are two golf courses in Bude - the Ivyleaf Golf Course and the Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club. Or visit the Hartland Forest Golf & Leisure Park in Hartland - an 18-hole golf course suitable for beginners. Phone 01237 431442 for information.

The Royal North Devon Golf Club in Westward Ho! is an unusual 18-hole links course. England's oldest course, it was established in 1864. Week days are £28 per round and £34 per day. Weekends £34 per round and £40 per day. There is no club hire and handicap certificates are required. For details phone 01237 473817. For specialist golfing holidays in Bude see The Inn on the Green.


Horse riding

Pony trekking on Dartmoor is organised by Okehampton Youth Hostel.

 

Sailing

Visit the Watersports Centre at Upper Tamar Lake, Kilkampton, near Bude, Cornwall EX23 9SB. Here you can try your hand at dinghy sailing, windsurfing, surf skiing or kayaking in a very safe environment. There is an excellent lakeside tea room at this friendly and picturesque Centre. An official training centre for the Royal Yachting Association and the British Canoe Union, and all instructors are appropriately qualified. Open from Easter to October, 9.30am - 5.30pm. Telephone 01288 321712 for further information.

Roadford Lake, situated between Launceston and Okehampton, is the largest watersports centre (738 acres) in the region. It provides exciting sailing conditions and safe training areas for windsurfing and canoeing. Open Summer 9.30am - 5.30pm and Winter weekends 10.00am - 5.00pm.

Okehampton Youth Hostel offers various watersports, including canoeing, kayaking, sailing, wind surfing, bell boating and raft building.

 

Surfing & windsurfing

The National Trust beach at Sandymouth is a popular surfing area, but be aware that the tide can come in quickly and leave unwary walkers stranded. Bude in Cornwall is a very popular surfing resort, close to Elmscott. The Gold Coast Ocean Fest 2002 took place at Saunston Sands, Croyde Bay and Woolacombe Sands in North Devon on 22/23 June. The Ocean Fest is the UK's cutting edge, multi sports, lifestyle event featuring surfing, mountain biking and many other sports, as part of the North Devon Festival.

  

Gold Coast
Ocean Fest 2002

Visit the Watersports Centre at Upper Tamar Lake, Kilkampton, near Bude, Cornwall EX23 9SB. Here you can try your hand at dinghy sailing, windsurfing, surf skiing or kayaking in a very safe environment. There is an excellent lakeside tea room at this friendly and picturesque Centre. An official training centre for the Royal Yachting Association and the British Canoe Union, and all instructors are appropriately qualified. Open from Easter to October, 9.30am - 5.30pm. Telephone 01288 321712 for further information.

Surfcall 09068 007 007
Updated daily ~ Latest conditions

Roadford Lake, situated between Launceston and Okehampton, is the largest watersports centre (738 acres) in the region. It provides exciting sailing conditions and safe training areas for windsurfing and canoeing. Open Summer 9.30am - 5.30pm and Winter weekends 10.00am - 5.00pm.

Okehampton Youth Hostel offers various watersports, including canoeing, kayaking, sailing, wind surfing, bell boating and raft building.

  • Surf South West - Surf school offering surf tuition and holidays in Croyde Bay, North Devon. For information telephone 01271 890400, send an email or visit the official website.
  • The Little Pink Surf Shop - Offers surf equipment and clothing for hire in Croyde. For details telephone 07000 478734, send an email or visit the website here. View the Croyde Surf Cam here for current surfing conditions.

 

Tennis

Two tennis courts are available for hire in Hartland. Ring Bridget Stowell on 01237 441492 for information.

 

Walking

The Adventure Centre in Tavistock offers orienteering, moorland walking and gorge walking amongst many other sports.

Okehampton Youth Hostel offers a range of guided walks with themes such as industrial archaeology, geology, prehistoric Dartmoor, stone circles and rows, settlements and sacred sites. There are also guided night walks on Dartmoor.

 

Other sports

Okehampton Youth Hostel offers numerous activities including archery, gorge scrambling, orienteering, canoeing, pony trekking on Dartmoor, kayaking, sailing, wind surfing, bell boating and raft building.

The Adventure Centre in Tavistock offers kayaking / canoeing, rafting / UXB, orienteering, tree climbing, Jacob's ladder, mountain biking, trapeze, high ropes course, zip line, mini olympics, moorland walking, river crossing, challenge day, archery, tunnels, abseiling, problem solving, campcraft, gorge walking, tree climb, air rifles, climbing, weir experience and a river trip.

Barnstaple Bowling, Tennis & Croquet Club
News from Devon's cricket scene 2003 - source: BBC - updated 19 July 2003
North Devon Cricket Club

Page last updated: 19 July 2003
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