I wish it would just rain at night and then be sunny all day!
I wish it would just rain at night and then be sunny all day!
Member since:31.07.2005
Reviews:12
Members who trust:9
I always wanted to go to Devon when I was little. I had seen pictures of thatched cottages with hay wagons passing along dusty country lanes. I had seen golden sands lapped by crystal clear water and fringed by palm trees. It seemed an awful long way to go though so it was some years before we ventured to pack our car with all required for a week's camping. Sure enough, it was a long way to go and the trip wasn't made any easier by roadworks on the M5, already heaving with caravans. But hey ho, we Brits are used to this kind of travel and we carried on.
We were staying at a campsite just outside Brixham in South Devon. The view over the River Dart was little short of stunning and we never tired of it all the time we were there.However, we only spent evenings on site as there were so many places to go.
Brixham was closest
to us so we started there. While we were there some of the tall ships were there also making the already quaint harbour area look even more ancient. The houses are built up from the harbour and are all painted in pastel shades. Very pretty. Everybody is very friendly but the town is spoilt by too many fish and chip shops and general sea side tat. The main street has plenty of proper shops so you don't necessarily have to go further for a superrmarket shop. The two greengrocers sell excellent local produce.
In the harbour area there is a replica of the 'Golden Hind' which shows you how life was aboard in Sir Francis Drake's day. There is also an aquarium which is worth a look. The best thing we found in Brixham is the Shoalstone seawater outdoor pool. Not only was it very clean with plenty of space, but free which is unusual in such a busy holiday area.
In total contrast to Brixham is Dartmouth. To get there you have to take the ferry from Kingswear across the Dart. The Royal Naval College is in dartmouth and often, visiting warships from foreign navies moor in the river and disgorge their crews for a sightseeing trip. We saw the oversized hats of the Russian navy everywhere taking in the sights. Although the town is very pretty and worth a look round, most things seem to happen on the water. We went along to Dartmouth Castle by a little launch that collects you when you have finished. The views from the castle are glorious and worth the entry fee. You can also take a ferry trip up to Totnes and listen to a witty commentary from a crew member who seems to really enjoy his job. I mean that too. Everyone is friendly and genuinely helpful in Devon.
Back over to Kingswear you can jump on a steam train and puff along to Torquay, the capital of the English Riviera. This is where the palm trees line the promenade and crystal clear water lap the golden sand. There are many attractions worth a visit including ' Living Coasts' where you can even walk along the paths with the company of penguins. Very informative and the gift shop was really good without being overpriced. Babbacombe is part of Torquay and is where you will find the best model village I have ever seen. It's even open in the evening so you can see all the houses with the lights on. Not far from there is 'Bygones'. A museum full of stuff you thought had gone forever. What your grandmother had for breakfast and the toys she played with along with a full sized steam engine and a first world war trench. So many things to see that you would see something different if you went back several times.
A drive via Slapton Sands, where there is a memorial to the American troops who died when a D Day rehearsal was ambushed by u boats, took us through country lanes peppered with little thatched cottages and lo and behopld if we didn't get stuck behind a hay wagon. Arriving at Plymouth was not such fun as we went round and round the one way system and eventually found the Ho and old town. Windey narrow streets full of galleries and craft shops lead down to the Mayflower steps where the Pilgrim Fathers left for their new life in America. We went on a boat trip along the Tamar and Devonport naval base where ships and submarines await dispatch, repair and decommissioning. We found ourselves followed back up the river by a German U boat.
An unusual tourist attraction in Devon is Dartmoor Prison. Actually it's a heritage centre a bit further up the road but was crammed full of the history of the jail. It showed some of the drugs and home made weapons found by officers over the years. There was a huge selection of goods made by the prisoners and for sale to anyone who wanted a different garden ornament. A good talking point with friends at your annual barbie. The scenery over Dartmoor is spectacular. Ponies and sheep dot the whole area and rivers tinkle through, what must be a very bleak place in Winter. Craggy tors outline themselves over the windy horizons and the quiet is...very quiet.
Buckfast Abbey covers quite a big area. The abbey itself is majestic and beautiful. The gardens are well kept and smell nice, especially the lavendar which is colourful and very English. Everything is neat and tidy and so calming to the mind. It was busy but quiet, nobody seemed to be in a hurry and there were no queues. There is free entry and no charge for parking. This is something of a bonus as parking in Devon is very expensive.
There is no shortage of eateries in Devon whether you want a snack or a four course meal. No holiday to Devon would be complete without a cream tea (or two) and there is no trouble to find it. You may put on a few pounds with all the good food but you'll soon shift the weight with all the hills to walk up. Devon doesn't do flat!
Pictures of Devon (England)
Brixham Harbour
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Jul 27th, 2006
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