National Trust - Watersmeet — Attraction in North Devon

Beautiful spot at the bottom of a steep path down by the meeting of 2 rivers in a tree filled valley. Very steep dirt and gravel path, there's no easy way down so think on before you want to go here. Very hard with a buggy both down and then back up afterwards, worth it but boy was I puffing. It's a National Trust spot with an immaculate moderately priced cafe with small NT shop attached. The rivers are great and you will see all sorts of birds, the big fat dippers are lovely. One tributary has a beautiful tumbling water fall filled gorge while the other is a rapid shallow river where it's easy to spot the birds. There's a few long walks along the valley that pass through here and they are beautiful, bit muddy, steep and well worth it. Everywhere is dominated by trees and water. Lovely wild old deciduous forest setting, so much better than evergreen plantation. Big car park on the road way above here. Wonderful place that you need to make sure you are fit enough to to get to and from, even the going down is hard going on knees, ankles, hips etc if you're not fully fit. The road itself is not the easiest for the more timid driver as it's all passing places, windy blind bends, big drops and huge...

Walked my dogs at Watersmeet today, lovely, we went behind the tearoom along the river. HOWEVER Came back to find they were covered, literally covered by hundreds of ticks. We got to the vet to find we were not alone. I also have since found out that this happened to a friend back in April at this same place. Didn't get to trial the lovely toasties or tea that had arrived as I always put the dogs first and off to the vet I went, but others should know how awful it was. There was a warning about ticks in the ladies toilet but that's not enough. I've never experienced anything like the quantity. The vets were amazing, showering off the crawlers but giving treatment on top of the cover the dogs already had to kill the rest that have formed in massive clusters, far too difficult due to the quantity to pick off with a tick comb. I will never return again and just pray me or the dogs don't get Limes Disease. DOG OWNERS has this...

Probably best to visit if walking from either end of gorge as car park at main access point limited and not NT car park. And is on side of main road. Path down to watersmeet is steep and not made up.There are benches for return journey. 400 metres from car park to watersmeet. Where two rivers meet is beautifull and view from both bridges worth a lingering stop and photo opportunity. Old hunting lodge and tea gardens look inviting and abundance of Bird life flying around tea garden and collecting scraps is a joy. However the NT tea room is not the best and is small therefore long ques and options limited...who wants on a hot day chickpea curry....spiced pasty..soup..sandwich options limited and expensive. Cake tired. The other problem was abundance of dogs not fully under control and people smoking at tea room tables. Toilets clean and...