Being a University student generally means you might be living on quite a tight budget, leaving little money for well-deserved but expensive days out. However, having been a student in Plymouth for nearly 4 years, I've found that often the cheapest outings I've been on have been the best memories I have made! Now that the weather is gradually getting better (hopefully), I wanted to share my ideas with any outdoorsy students living on a budget who still want to make the most of the time they have living in Devon.
1. Mount Batten
Mount Batten is accessible via bus, but the much more fun Mount Batten Ferry operates year round from the Barbican and costs only £2.50 per person. Jennycliff Beach and the beautiful surrounding area is a much quieter alternative to the Hoe during busy summer days for swimming or picnics and has multiple water sports and activity centres. Mount Batten also has amazing walks along the sea, one of which is the South West Coastal path that takes you all the way to Bovisand Beach and further along the coast.
2. Mount Edgcumbe
Mount Edgcumbe in Cornwall is my favourite place to go on my days off that is accessible via bus, but again I would highly recommend taking the Cremyll Ferry for only £2.50 from Royal William Yard. The boat trip gives you amazing views of the sea, Drake's Island and the Cornish Coast. There is so much to do at Edgcumbe, like taking a look around the enormous gardens of Edgcumbe house that are free to explore, Edgcumbe House itself and it's deer park, viewing the country's largest collection of Camellias and hiking along its countless coastal paths. Me and my housemates have spent days over at Edgcumbe and there's still so much we haven't been able to do yet!
3. Saltram
I have only recently managed to visit National Trust - Saltram this past week but it was absolutely beautiful (but very cold). Only a £2.00 bus journey from the city and a scenic 20 minute walk away, Saltram is another stately house that has beautiful grounds and walks giving beautiful views of the city and Devon that make for a lovely sunny day out. There is an £8 charge to explore the House's gardens, £13 if you'd want to explore the house itself also, but again this is completely optional as the surrounding grounds are beautiful enough. There is a lovely Cafe onsite, and if you're a bookworm like me, there is a library filled with a tonne of amazing books that are only £1 for paperbacks and £2 for Hardbacks regardless of size! I may or may not have gone a bit overboard and had my bag nearly break from the amount of books I brought but it was worth the bargain.
Best,
Elisabeth Montague
BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing and Printmaking