Savills Portugal

It was 17 years ago that I first ventured from Oxford to Devon for a long weekend. I had never visited before and was expecting nothing more than a nice family break for me, my husband and our baby daughter. That weekend we fell in love with Devon so completely that we decided we had to live here. Within six weeks, we had relocated to the South Hams.

There is something quite magical about the area and it’s difficult to pinpoint any one thing. From the rolling countryside to the rugged and spectacular coastline with its sandy coves, hidden inlets and breathtaking estuaries, there is something to treasure and enjoy every day.

The social scene is vibrant and varied, with waterside towns such as Totnes, Dartmouth and Salcombe to the south, and Lynton, Croyde and Woolacombe to the north, all providing endless choices for eating, drinking and soaking up coastal life. You can walk the South West Coast Path, which extends for some 630 miles taking in both the north and south coasts, and enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery on offer in the British Isles.

Moving inland, we are lucky enough to have two National Parks: Dartmoor and Exmoor. Here, a rich cultural heritage comes together with incredible landscapes, from wooded valleys to expansive lakes, all ripe for exploring.

Connectively is excellent; you can be in London in less than three hours by train, and if you can’t bear to leave the county, super-fast broadband is widely on offer, enabling many people to work from home.

The housing market in the coastal areas of Devon is always buoyant and lively and I am privileged to be involved with some of the most desirable properties in the region.

I have never once regretted making that spontaneous and life-changing decision to move here. My family and I have embraced the lifestyle and my daughter, now 17, has had an idyllic childhood, spending lazy afternoons on the beach after school, while I have taken up yoga on a paddle board.