I’m 32 – a phase of life when wedding invitations land in my inbox as often as I now feel my back twinge.
Don’t get me wrong, I am delighted to be swept up into the whirlwind of romantic declarations, canapés and dancing. But once I factor in hen dos (sometimes two for one bride – one local, one abroad) and a night or two away from home in a characterless chain hotel, the cost starts to rack up. And with a Friday off for travel here, a Monday to recover there, it also makes a considerable dent in my annual leave balance.
So when my best friend announced she was getting married in south Devon, I decided to approach these nuptials differently. I’d turn the event into a solo minibreak and make my money work harder. The weekend would still revolve around the wedding couple, but be about me, too.
I arrived in Totnes station early on a Friday afternoon and immediately hit a snag. The taxi rank was filled with pre-booked cars. Undeterred, I rang every number on the flyers pinned to the station noticeboard and on my seventh call, I got a “you’re lucky, I’ve just had a cancellation”. Before too long I was flying down country lanes towards Salcombe.
I’d booked into the Harbour Hotel on the edge of the Salcombe estuary, which was just minutes from the wedding venue and therefore felt safe for returning solo. The rooms looked quietly luxurious and there was a spa, making it easy to incorporate R&R into my mini-break.
Rather than going straight to the hotel, I decided to get into celebratory spirit by detouring via the Salcombe Gin distillery in the town’s historic boat building quarter.
After determinedly dragging my suitcase up the stairs, I ordered a limoncello spritz from the bar and headed to the waterside terrace where I watched the fishing boats gently rock in the harbour, and sheep grazing the rolling South Devon National Landscape. I already wanted to extend my two-night trip.
Back inside, one of the chief gin-makers explained that friends and former sailing instructors Angus and Howard decided to set up the business more than a decade ago, inspired by the ritual of a post-sailing gin and tonic. They now sell around 70,000 products each year. A gin flight of four flavours included a rosé variation with a tiny strawberry – delicious.
Dragging my bag through the narrow streets of the pretty harbour town – one of the country’s most expensive for property prices – I arrived at the waterside Harbour Hotel. Greeted warmly by the receptionist, I felt I’d found my home in Salcombe, if only for a few nights.
My double room was subtly nautical, with blue and white striped linen and black and white photos of people frolicking in the sea. The real focal point was the balcony with sunloungers overlooking the water, where I read my book with a cup of tea in the morning.
Then, I’d head to the Jetty restaurant – where floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the estuary and its tempting coves – for breakfast. As well as indulging in the continental spread, I went for smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast one day, pancakes with bacon and maple syrup the next.
In the evenings, fresh fish is the star, with more than a dozen options to choose from. My seabass with seasonal greens and potatoes tossed in truffle and parmesan was the best thing I ate all month.
But it had been the spa that had drawn me to this hotel. There’s an indoor heated pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. Sipping lemon water between gentle laps and a snooze in the cabanas was the ultimate hangover remedy.
Between the busy wedding schedule, I made the most of exploring the town – wandering past pastel-coloured houses lining the rolling streets, and window shopping at independent boutiques selling everything from fudge to fish vases.
I also powered down towards the Grade II-listed ruins of Fort Charles that were built at a time of tension between England and France in the 1530s. Just inland is The Winking Prawn, which was used as a filming location in The Roses, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman as warring spouses. The restaurant, called We’ve Got Crabs in the film, has become a bit of a set-jetting pilgrimage site, with plenty of photos on the walls.
I ordered a drink and looked out to the horizon, pleased to be leaving Salcombe with happy memories of the wedding, but also fulfilled for having prioritised myself on my solo seaside break, too.
Harbour Hotel Salcombe has doubles from £160 including breakfast and spa access. Salcombe Gin Distillery & Bar