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  • About me
  • Content creation services
    • Brand partnerships and advertising
    • User generated content
    • Social media management
    • Words for your website
  • My travel blogs
  • thoughts on blogging
  • Contact

Hi! I’m Claire Hall, a copywriter and digital content creator ready to help boost your profile online

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My recent travels

tinboxtraveller

Mid-life mum sharing adventures big ✈️ & small 🌱, places I 💚 & unpolished moments
I’m also @omanwanderlustcom @devonwithkids @travinfluence More👇

Solar Eclipse 2026 📍 Slapton Sands, South Devon, w Solar Eclipse 2026 📍 Slapton Sands, South Devon, with the fam and @flip_flops_or_wellies 

Where did you watch?
Every August the sleepy village of Hartland in Nor Every August the sleepy village of Hartland in North Devon comes alive with a tradition that stretches back to the 1920s - Hartland Carnival.

The grand procession of floats, bands, dancers and tableau is the climax of a week of community events. And there’s always themes to impress from entries based on recent films to vintage TV shows and, of course, a good dose of political satire.

We’ve been several times over the years and, after a bit of a break, booked our summer holiday around it. This family-friendly event oozes community spirit and good old-fashioned fun.

Fancy staying a while? There’s plenty of reason to extend your time in the village. Here’s what we got up to during our five night break:

🏄‍♀️ Bodyboarding and swimming at Hartland Quay

🏰 Exploring @hartland.abbey and Blackpool Beach - the location for TV shows like Malory Towers, the Night Manager and Sense and Sensibility. 

🎣 Visiting the beautiful car-free @clovellyvillage - I’ve lost count of the times we’ve been now but it never disappoints.

📆 Hartland Carnival takes place every August with events throughout the week in the run-up to the grand procession, usually on the second Saturday of the month.

🏠 We stayed at @fosfelle Cottages which is a short walk from the village. 

Have you been to a carnival recently?
Our National Trust membership has just renewed and Our National Trust membership has just renewed and it reminded us that we really need to make the most of it over the summer. 

On our way back from a walk and dip on Dartmoor we stopped for lunch and a wander at Buckland Abbey.

This 700-year-old monastery turned country pile on the edge of Dartmoor oozes Plymouth history. It was once the home of Sir Francis Drake - although he never hung around for long. 

You can now see the orchards that were once tended by monks and a museum of maritime treasures on display. 

Outside the Abbey there’s woodland paths which are among some of our favourite easy walks on Dartmoor.

The Abbey is also hosting extra activities as part of the Trust’s Summer of Play. The skittles and flag designing station in the Great Barn were hits with our two.

Here’s what you need to know about visiting Buckland Abbey this summer:

⚔️ Summer of Play activities are on at the Abbey until 6 September 2026. All activities are included with entry

🌳 there’s also a natural adventure playground 

🧺 bring a picnic or pop into the National Trust cafe for pasties, sandwiches and cakes

🐶 dogs are allowed in the grounds but not the kitchen garden or house

📍 Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6EY

🛣️ there’s a few narrow lanes on the approach to the Abbey so be prepared to use passing places. 

🚗 Parking is free

Have you been to a National Trust property this summer? What activities did you find?
📍Bantham beach This Blue Flag surfer’s paradise i 📍Bantham beach

This Blue Flag surfer’s paradise is eye-wateringly beautiful. Grassy dunes roll into a golden sandy beach with cliffs to the East and the River Avon estuary in the West. 

We filled a full day here riding the incoming tide and relaxing on the sand. If you fancy learning to surf you can do that too with @discoverysurfschool.

Here’s what you need to know if you fancy a visit:

📍 Bantham, Kingsbridge TQ7 3AN

🗺️ Be aware that the road into Bantham is very narrow with passing places. On sunny days it will be busy. Look ahead, don’t bunch together with other cars and prepare to reverse!

🚗 Parking costs £12 for the day for cars (vans and motorhomes cost more). Payment is by card/contactless only

⏰ Check the tide times. There’s plenty of sand to lounge on at high tide but there’s a sand bar in the middle of the beach. It’s important to know if the tide is going in or out across this - it would be easy to get stuck. 

👶 bring buckets, spades and sun shades for little ones. The beach is shallow making it great for paddling but be aware the tide comes in fast. 

🏄🏼 For older kids, bring body boards. There’s also rock pools to explore on the east side.

🐶 Dogs aren’t allowed from May and September but can walk around the estuary.

🧺 Bring a picnic or buy hot and cold food and drinks from the Gastrobus in the car park
18 years married, 26 together 🥰 I’ll be forever g 18 years married, 26 together 🥰

I’ll be forever grateful that this man was given my number by an over-enthusiastic bar manager while we were working at the same pub - GDPR was not a thing in 2000 🤣

Data-breaches aside, I can’t imagine my days without him right here beside me. I will be forever grateful that our journeys crossed and aligned 🥰

Can’t wait for our next adventure! It’s going to be 18+ according to him 😳🤣
We found a wadi in Dartmoor! Apologies if you wer We found a wadi in Dartmoor!

Apologies if you weren’t with us for our Oman-era, but wadis - dry or flowing river beds - played a massive part in our weekend adventures in the Middle East. We have missed them.

This is Foggintor Quarry, which is between Princetown and Yelverton in the National Park. This wild swimming spot can be reached during an easy walk recommended to us by @dartmoorpartner.

I’d love to try another wild dipping spot on the moors this summer. Can anyone give us some ideas?

⚠️ We carefully scoped out our entry and exit point, and stayed in the shallows, thankfully avoiding scraping our knees on the rocks.
📍North Sands in Salcombe Fans of 2025 film The Ro 📍North Sands in Salcombe

Fans of 2025 film The Roses might recognise the location for our latest beach day.

North Sands is one of our favourite South Devon beaches for paddle boarding. We hung out here A LOT in 2020.

Here’s what you need to know if you fancy a visit:

⏰ Check the tide times. There is only a thin strip of sand at the top of the beach at high tide. 

🚗 The car park isn’t huge and the mobile phone signal is sketchy, so bring some coins to feed the machines in case you can’t get signal for the Pay By Phone app. 

🆓 There is free parking on the winding road up the hill from the beach BUT be considerate of residents. We prefer to arrive early and use the car park. 

👶 This small sandy bay is shallow making it a fun paddling spot for families with young children. 

🏄🏼 For older kids, bring snorkels, paddle boards and ball games.

🐶 Be aware that this is a dog-friendly beach all year round. Great news for dog-lovers like us, but it might be overwhelming for anyone who is not a fan, especially as the beach shrinks with the tide.

🧺 There’s a picnic area next to the car park or you can visit @thewinkingprawn for take out or to dine in. I recommend the takeaway POBOY Shrimp.

Devon beach fans. Give a shout out to your favourite beaches. We’re off to another today! 

🏖️ Holidaying in Devon this summer? There’s a Highlight in my profile of where we’ve been playing tourist in our backyard
Splashdown Quaywest has been top of our girls’ sum Splashdown Quaywest has been top of our girls’ summer wish list, and with it just under an hour from our South Devon home, we couldn’t say no to a spin around the slides.

We booked to arrive at 9.30am and got round the whole park in the first 45 minutes, before the lines built. The next hour and a half was spent queuing for not unreasonable amounts of time to have more goes on our favourite flumes.

Here’s a few handy things to know for anyone planning a visit:

💷 Sessions run for two, three, four hours or the whole day, starting every 15 minutes between 9.30am and 4.30pm in the school holidays. Prices start from £14 for 5 to 8-year-olds and £17.50 for anyone aged 9 and up.

⏱️ Two hours is the perfect amount of time to make the most of the 11 attractions designed for anyone over 1m. There’s also the really fun Shipwreck Island for under 12s.

🍔 You can add a meal deal to your booking for just under £10, or buy food on the day. We walked across Goodrington Park for a more varied menu at Cantina. There’s also a Brewers Fayre and cafe right outside the park.

🅿️ Quaywest’s car park operates a Ringo app system. Don’t forget to go to the app and stop your session when you leave!! 

🔒 Remember 20p for the lockers — there’s a change machine inside the changing rooms.

☔ This is an all weather attraction so consider rash vests for sunny days and wet suits for colder ones.

👙Ladies: I recommend wearing a secure swimsuit. Shorts would be most comfortable for the two drop slides. I did not wear shorts 😳

Splashdown is very much for families with teens who can whip around the slides on their own while you join in or battle for a sun lounger.

Parents of tweens should stay with them to make sure they don’t lose their place in the lines to overexcited teens. The slightly haphazard queuing systems challenge my brain’s need for order 🤣

📸 we were too busy having fun to take photos. These ones are from a previous visit with the awesome @lauren_loves_the_sw who gave me some of her snaps.
Like so many families, we’ve opted for a summer ho Like so many families, we’ve opted for a summer holiday at home. And when home is Devon, it’s no chore! 

Scroll for my tips for making the most of your break here including when to visit Devon attractions, navigating rural roads and supporting local businesses.

Devon folks: what would you add?
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