The rather intriguing name of this traditional seaside town derives from the salt pans that lay at the mouth of the River Otter, and that brought considerable prosperity to Budleigh Salterton in the middles ages.  The salt is no longer a feature here, but the River Otter itself is a haven of wildlife, and popular with bird watching enthusiasts.  The two mile beach isn’t the most comfortable to spend time on due to its stony nature, but a lot of satisfaction can be had from delving amongst the colourful pebbles, and it’s also a relatively safe beach to swim from in spite of shelving steeply.

One of the more interesting places to visit in town is the Fairlynch Museum, one of very few thatched museums in the country.  It houses some fascinating collections that tell the story of the town and the wider area.  Nearby East Budleigh, a most attractive village, is notable for the fact that the famous explorer, Sir Walter Raleigh, was born and raised here at Hayes Barton.