The UK is famous for its eccentric place names.
There are charming towns and villages across the country with unique titles, and even more rude sounds.
However, there is only one reconciliation with an exclamation point at the name. Westward Ho! This is a Victorian coastal village resort in Devon.
The Tourism Bureau says the region has a “charm” because it has a historic character along with “reinvestment and modernization.”
The village is named after a 1855 novel of the same name by Charles Kingsley.
It was extremely popular and led to a tourism boom in the Bideford area.
Local businessmen built a west ho! Hotels and villas to accommodate visitors, and the wider community, got the same name to reflect the book's title.
The village is surrounded by cliffs, holes, beaches, estuaries and open fields.
It has proven to be popular with visitors.
A 2023 TripAdvisor review said: “The lovely beach is lovely and sandy, perfect for paddleboarding and bodyboarding, allowing you to relax, walk and enjoy the views.
“We spend the day there and have some lovely food and drinks.”
A visitor last year wrote: “The beach is so vast, I don't feel like there are a lot of people there.
“Because it is the North Coast, we expected it to be very choppy, but this was run by a surf school that boarded a great body or offered lessons.
“We found a place by the rock – another bonus for rock pooling.”
It was a great day for the younger members of the family.
They added: “There was a large small pool that formed when the tide was off and the four kids were completely warmed to enjoy over an hour despite the cold weather of the wind, despite the lovely and warm water.
“Nearby there are several convenient shops, including Tesco Extras and many arcades and pubs/restaurants.
“I'm so happy to have a really lovely Family Beach destination!”
