DEVON
June 2005
Thursday
Left home 9ish straight onto the motorway, M55/M6 and stopped at Stafford services for a drink. This is the best motorway service station I've been to - new, lot of glass, outside furnishing with fountain drowning out traffic noise, also a Costa Coffee which we like. Then onto Ross-on-Wye Premier Travel Inn, good, well sized room. Walk into town, not a lot doing quite pleasant churchyard overlooking the river but with modern by-pass bridge carrying lots of lorries spoiling the view. Pint in old pub near the Tourist Info - staff there very friendly. Then walk back along unpleasant lorry infested dual carriageway. Beefeater meal nice, lot of babies in restaurant for some reason, must be baby day. 180 miles travelled and made good progress.
Friday
Drive down Wye valley nice wooded winding river, find Tintern Abbey, beautiful destroyed Abbey, very big and graceful. Sunny day helps. Then onto the attractive Severn Bridge and to the M5. Easy driving so go to Killerton House NT. Fairly good, large grounds, nice pork/apple and pototoes.
Drive to Drewsteignton to our thatched NT cottage. Village is very small, thatched cottages, pub across road, wander round church. First impressions should never be believed after a journey but the village looks very pretty and rustic. The square is quite unusual in that it is sort of tucked away off the road with thatched cottages on one side, a church at the end and a pub and some other cottages including store on the other side. The final side being the road. The access roads are all single lane. The village is fairly high as there is a steep drop to the river along a narrow lane. There are a lot of marked paths for walking.130 miles travelled, easy driving.
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Saturday
Quiet night, sunny day. Walk, start at 9am no-one about, along very, very narrow leafy and steep lane to Fingle Bridge then along river through a wood and back out of the steep deep valley to Castle Drogo NT, about 5 miles. Castle Drogo built by a chain store (Home & Colonial Stores) owner around 1900 is a granite block which I don't find attractive. However inside it has a surprisingly warm feel, although it is a sunny day. Interesting wander round it. Most touching is the room dedicated to the former owners eldest son whose progress through life is photographed, including sport achievements at Eton, then rudely stopped at Yppres in 1915. Similar theme at Lanhydrock House later in the week. Tragic loss of well educated lives. Nice garden. Walk back to cottage along upper valley path to Fingle Bridge Arms, nice pint or 3, quite busy.
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Sunday
Drive to Princetown across Dartmoor (NT). Visit well presented information centre. Walk about half a mile to Dartmoor Prison Heritage Centre passing the prison. Fairly interesting stock of items of old; cat o'nine tails, weapons made by prisoners, old prison clothing etc. Was built for French prisoners in the wars of 1800 ish, then for murderers and nowadays for car thieves and burglars. Walk back and have a decent tea-cake and coffee in a local cafe. There was a railway from Plymouth to Princetown but now it is a walking track, we managed about 5 miles round trip to a tor and some quarries. Lot of ponies wandering about. Good.
Next drove to the House Garden. This was well worth visiting. The house is very attractive although you can only go into the cafe room. The garden is long and well stocked with the wide range of plants that the mild climate of Devon allows. There is also a walled garden with a medi-eval tower ruin in the middle and a modern area with an attractive circular undulating wall. Good visit.
We then went to the home of Francis Drake at Buckland Abbey (NT). This was a monastery before Henry VIII but was converted to a home. It contains Francis Drakes drum which is the theme of a naval legend. The barn must be one of the biggest in Europe.
Decided on a meal at the Drewe Arms, very good and reasonably priced.
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Monday
Another sunny day. Travelled to the coast to visit Overbecks House (NT) and Salcombe. Overbecks was a scientist who collected things and made a rejuvinator. The house is ideally positioned overlooking the estuary. It also has attractive gardens with exotic plants including banana trees planted outside. The house is up a very steep and narrow drive. We walked along the coast path and it was beautiful with the rock formations, flowers and blue and green water in the sun.
We took a walk to Salcombe which was just over a mile away. Nice yachting centre with good hotels, apartments, cafes etc. Caught the ferry back to South Sands beach which is close to Overbecks and the car. Salcombe in the sunshine was one of the best days. May return although its a bit cut-off.
Drewe Arms food.
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Tuesday
Tuesday was the day put aside for the 70 mile drive to the Eden Project in Cornwall. We didn't think it would be too busy - off-peak, mid-week etc - how wrong. We joined a convoy of buses and cars a couple of miles away and that was early, lots of car parks and pretty full. Didn't know it was in a disused China Clay quarry. You can't see it until you are in. The domes are called biomes and you pass through the outside area into either a tropical or temperate biome. They are much bigger than they look with full size trees inside. The tropical one is tropical - hot and steamy. Interesting visit took about 3 hours.
Drove to Lanhydrock House (NT) on way back. Nice house with nice garden. Another Eton educated son killed in the great war.
Fingle Bridge Arms food.
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Wednesday
Drove to Totnes and Coleton Fishacre (NT). Totnes is a town of different architectural styles including wooden houses. Lot of alternative art, organic food, some expensive cafes.
Next drove to Coleton Fishacre a house overlooking a cove built by the D'Oyly Carte family in Art Deco / Arts & Craft style. Inside it is beautiful with lots of unusual features such as curved ceilings, nice marble fireplaces, attractive furniture. The gardens are attractive and extensive and are linked to the coast path.
We then drove a mile to Kingswear on the River Dart and watched the steam train leave before getting a ferry to Dartmouth. Wandered around then ferried back and drove off. Hit the rush hour around Torquay which was difficult.
Drewe Arms food.
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Thursday
Weather looking ominous. Drove north and hit rain. Visited Rosemoor Garden RHS. Very nice and large garden with lots of different areas, spoiled a bit by the rain although it was warm. Decided to head back to Drewsteignton where it hadn't rained. More Drewe Arms food.
Friday
Left Drewsteignton at 7.45am for 300 mile drive home. Temperature soaring 26 deg C. Detoured to Ryton Gardens (HDRA) at Coventry for our umpteenth visit to see how it's developing and for organic gardening tips. It is certainly a lot more developed and shiny than when we first went. Also the restaurant is very good. We always have a full meal.
After the great drive from Devon to Coventry on the M5/A46 we hit trouble on the M6 - averaged about 40 mph for the 140 miles remaining. Nose to tail fast, slow, stop, slow, fast, stop, pathetic.
Conclusion
We havn't had an English holiday of a week for a long time. In good weather its as good or better than anywhere. There is a lot to do in Devon and some beautiful scenery, houses and gardens. We never entered any towns, Totnes doesn't count, which was good. The roads on Dartmoor are very difficult and I hope they remain so. The Drewe Arms was an excellent pub the food and beer was top class and not expensive.