The picture-postcard pretty village of Modbury is nestled between the moors and the coast, but don’t make the mistake of simply driving through. Modbury, with its dignified Georgian townhouses, has an impressive collection of independent shops with quaint windows, slate-hung walls and a warm welcome.
There are art galleries and shops selling work created locally and from further afield. Wild Goose Antiques was established more than half a century ago. For the foodies, there’s a butchers and a deli, not to mention two local pubs. Maybe an old-fashioned store selling everything for the home and garden, with the quaint name of Pickles, takes your fancy?
You are surrounded by lovely countryside and there’s a pretty spot as you enter Modbury from the Plymouth direction which has been in the care of Devon Wildlife Trust since 1986. Follow the footpath through woodland and discover ancient hedge banks and small streams. This area is known for rare species of flower and is home to brown bats, dormice, blue tits and nuthatches.
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As well as an array of independent shops, there’s a supermarket, health centre and Post Office. Modbury is on the A379, so easy access to the coast, Kingsbridge and Plymouth.
Eat out at one of the two pubs in Modbury – The White Hart and The Exeter Inn, which was a 14th century coaching inn – or at the handful of lovely cafes and takeaways.
Modbury Primary School is rated as good by Ofsted and has close links with the pre-school on the same site. Pupils get the chance to visit the forest school to learn about nature and there is a scheme for breakfast, after school and holiday clubs.
LOCALS LOVE
In 2007 Modbury made the national headlines when it decided to go plastic free. A local wildlife filmmaker, horrified by the pollution she had witnessed in waters around the world, encouraged local businesses to ban plastic bags for six months, as an experiment. More than 40 shops and businesses signed up to support it and shoppers would find their goods wrapped in paper, or put into cloth bags. The local charity shop started making and selling reusable bags. It was such a success that the initiative became permanent.
Local website www.visitmodbury.co.uk