We live in the northern half of the County of Devon which lies towards the bottom, south-western corner of the United Kingdom. Devon is situated in the centre of a large peninsula which extends outwards into the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered to the east by the county of Somerset, and to the west by Cornwall, and covers an area which contains some of the most spectacular coastline in Britain. To the north is found the Bristol Channel and to the south, the English Channel and France. Because this land mass is largely surrounded by water, as well as being favoured by the warming influence of the Gulf Stream, it benefits from a very mild and temperate climate, among the mildest in Britain .During the winter occasional periods of frost and snow are largely confined to the higher ground of Dartmoor and Exmoor, leaving the coastal strip to benefit from the warmer temperatures that permit the growth of sub-tropical species. Spring comes early and with it we see the arrival in January of snowdrops and the blossoming of camellias, soon to be followed by primroses and wild daffodils. In summer these are replaced by hedgrows of fuschia. It rarely gets too hot because the coastal regions are constantly cooled by the fresh, sea breezes.

Below you can see a map of Northern Devon and the catchment area for the North Devon Coast Branch of the U3A which includes:

  Woolacombe

 Morthoe

Ilfracombe

 Combe Martin

Lynton and Lynmouth