History - Hartland Peninsula

experienceDevon’s customized holiday itinerary planning can introduce you to the beautiful and rugged Hartland Peninsular, named descriptively 1800 years ago, by the Greek geographer Ptolemy as Hercules Promontory. The peninsula includes quaint and authentic Hartland Village, Hartland Quay, Hartland Point and Hartland Abbey.

The Hartland Heritage Coast is sublime with miles of spectacular unspoilt coastline, often considered the best hiking experience of the whole South West Coast Path. There are hidden beaches, awesome waterfalls, secluded coves, a lighthouse and strata rich 300/400 feet vertical cliffs which protrude into the Atlantic Ocean’s rough surf. This cruel, rugged and remote coast is littered with ship wrecks with over ten shipwrecks for every mile.

Until North Devon’s trunk road, the Atlantic Highway opened in 1988, Hartland was considered one of the most remote regions in England, having a long claim as being the furthest place from a railway station. It is still a place to find peace and tranquillity on it’s numerous footpaths and green lanes. Inland Hartland Village still preserves an individual character, an active year long community historically living off the land and the sea with a more recent influx of artists and crafts people. Close by, towards the quay, is the village of Stoke whose church, St Nectan’s, considered the ‘cathedral of North Devon’ dates back to 1360 with a font believed to date from 1170. The original Abbey of the church dated from 1160 and was a monastery until 1539; little remains of the original architecture but the Hartland Abbey seen today was built on its site in the 1700’s.