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All the United Kingdom England Westward Ho! Westward Ho!

Westward Ho!

How did this lovely seaside English village come by such an unusual name?

Westward Ho!, England

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
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The sign of the village of Westward Ho!, 2007.   Ronmore/Public Domain
The sign of the village of Westward Ho!, 2007.   Ronmore/Public Domain
The village of Westward Ho! in 1977.   Serendigity/CC BY-SA 2.0
Shingle beach in Westward Ho!   Rosser1954/CC BY-SA 4.0
Holy Trinity Church, Westward Ho!.   Ethan Doyle White/CC BY-SA 4.0
The beach at Westward Ho!   rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Compared to the likes of Saint-Louis-du-Ha!-Ha! and Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, the village of Westward Ho! may not sound that strange. But compared to most of the towns in the world, it is strange indeed; and to (possibly) many people's surprise, despite its Old West-esque name, the village is located in southwest England.

The origin of the Westward Ho! unusual toponymy isn't all that complex. It comes from Charles Kingsley's 1855 novel of the same name, which takes place in the nearby port town of Bideford, Devon. Seeing the book become a national bestseller, local entrepreneurs jumped at the opportunity to invigorate tourism in the area, as seaside holidays were all the rage during the Victorian era. At first there was only a hotel named the Westward Ho! Hotel, but eventually the entire settlement became Westward Ho!. Today, more than 2,000 people reside here.

The name is not the only thing that attracts visitors to this little village. It is one of North Devon's most popular spots for surfing and swimming, famous for its beautiful beachside scenery.

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Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Edited By

rbenn250, Michelle Cassidy

  • rbenn250
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

April 27, 2020

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Westward Ho!
Westward Ho!, England, EX39 1JB
United Kingdom
51.038862, -4.238105

Nearby Places

The Sledges of Clovelly

Clovelly, England

miles away

The Gnome Reserve

West Putford, England

miles away

'Verity'

Devon, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,199
Stories 144

Nearby Places

The Sledges of Clovelly

Clovelly, England

miles away

The Gnome Reserve

West Putford, England

miles away

'Verity'

Devon, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,199
Stories 144

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