I doubt I am in the minority as a city dweller who dreams of relocating to a West County cottage. Until I win the lottery though, I’ll have to be satisfied with taking holidays in Devon.

However, browsing through accommodation sites it seems you need to be loaded to afford a trip to this lush English destination where cottages, especially in some of the most idyllic areas, carry a hefty price tag.

My friends and I decided to live our countryside and coast dreams by sourcing more budget-friendly accommodation options.

One area we wanted to check out was the surfer’s hang out of Croyde. It’s a popular destination, packed with Cath Kidston accessorised families. Prices for holiday cottages, sleeping more than three, in low season start from £500 and in high season can top £1,500. A cheaper option is to book accommodation nearby.

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We stayed in Hidden Valley Park, West Down, which is just 15 minutes from Croyde, so we could enjoy the beaches and be perfectly placed to visit Ilfracombe – home to Damien Hirst’s restaurant, The Quay, and set-off point for boat trips to Lundy Island.

Hidden Valley offers space for camping or touring caravans and has lodge accommodation that sleeps up to five people. The lodge is just like staying at someone’s home - it has a large kitchen and two bathrooms and an area where you can leave wetsuits to dry out.

The décor was more to my mother’s taste than mine - a touch traditional - but it was clean, spacious and warm when you needed it to be. At £350 per week in low season, it was brilliant value for money. Hidden Valley, which recently won gold in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, also has an onsite shop that sells great produce, much of it locally sourced.

Following our stay in Hidden Valley, we picked up a camper van from O' Connors Campers. The delightful chaps at O'Conners even set you off with a basket of good stuff for the road, like English breakfast tea and jam for your toast.

My friend Simon was having trouble driving the 1969 VW van at first as it had a sticky gearshift, although this provided endless entertainment - listening to him shout expletives whenever he tried to get it from fourth to second.

If you're going to hire a camper van, be aware that while it's quirky and has cool, retro curtains, it’s not a smooth ride. But that's half the fun, bobbing around B roads in a vehicle that has served generations before you and with the added bonus that you can stop for a cup of tea anywhere you like.

Simon's wife Liz provided the map reading and I sat in the back waving to fellow motorists and mouthing "sorry" whenever we held them up.

We pulled up at the Lydford Caravan Park, an absolute gem of a place with spotless facilities and friendly staff.

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