Broadhembury, Honiton, Devon
There’s something to be said for exploring the local area wherever you are on holiday in the UK. When you’re staying at Stonehayes Farm in East Devon it’s good to go for a pootle around the lanes and see where you wind up. The chances are it’ll be some sleepy little village where the pace of life slows right down, and all feels well in the world. Such is Broadhembury.
Roughly 1.5 miles off the main road from Honiton to Cullompton, Broadhembury is picture postcard pretty, with old cob built thatched cottages standing peacefully in the main street, just as they have for centuries. Once part of the Drewe estate, most are painted the same mellow hue, with bumpy walls, little windows peeping beneath the thatch, and red brick chimney pots.
Back in medieval times the village was a holding of Dunkeswell Abbey which wasn't far away and where the ruins still stand. In 1595 the manorial estate was purchased by the Drewe family who several generations later, still own a significant part of it.
S that’s why the village pub is called The Drewe Arms; it’s good there, if you have time pop in for a homemade burger or a drink of the local brew, best enjoyed sipped slowly out in the garden in the sunshine, with a view of the 14th century church.
It might pay to have your walking boots in the boot of the car because Broadhembury lies in the Devon part of the Blackdown Hills National Landscape. From the village you can wander deep into the countryside; sun dappled country lanes wind round and about, footpaths entice you to stroll across open fields, there are bridleways for those on horseback. Switch your phones off, enjoy the birdsong and the sound of the breeze whispering in the trees, love the peace and tranquility.
All information correct at the time of writing