Four go slow in Devon

My wife Jacks and I enjoy getting away from it all. Although we have travelled greatly - all over the world -we always seem to gravitate back to England. Some of our most enjoyable and memorable holidays have been spent in remote self-catering cottages during spring and autumn. Out of season is best for us! This gives us chance to explore the countryside at a time of year that most holiday makers haven’t experienced. Many know the hot, packed, beach in mid summer but do they know the empty, windswept, wave dashed beach in November? Have they collected mussels or shore clams to take back for a mouth-watering meal to be enjoyed in front of the fire?

On the 1st April 2006 we loaded up our 1972 Austin Maxi, Yvonne, with all the paraphernalia needed for a week in Devon. Vicky - our tricycle Victorian tandem - was dutifully strapped to the back. April can be one of those months that can be either bad weather or good so we packed for both. We don’t care what the weather’s like - just enjoy it as it comes.

We set of down the M5 on a day that looked promising but turned out to contain isolated heavy downpours. Most of them on us (Just flippin’ polished the car!) We turned off the motorway and made along the A38 which appeared to be a training track for the motorcycle GP with riders weaving themselves in and out of the law abiding traffic as though they were traffic cones. A few sharp intakes of breath were heard inside Yvonne as someone performed hair-raising moronic feats of idiocy. You can tell we weren’t impressed!

On the way we stopped off at the Puriton Inn at Puriton for a rather poor excuse for a ploughman’s lunch and uninspiring pint of bitter. The Inn is now under new management, so the link says, and much improved. We sat in the bay window in view of Yvonne and Vicky. Interesting to see the reactions of punters as they walked past.

We continued onto Buckfastleigh where we turned left onto the A384 and followed the Dart valley and the South Devon Railway. At Totness we took the A381 south then A3122 to Dartmouth. Just before Dartmouth we took a right turn towards Blackawton and onto our digs at Hillfield Cottages. We were met by the owners who were very pleasant people who made us feel welcome. We were shown our new apartment in the Keeper’s Cottages and given instructions on all the mod cons. Good job really because we’re not too well up on DVDs, surround sound, touch top cooker etc. The apartments were very new and just a short walk down the valley were the older, wooden chalets that were earmarked for development. Shame really because they harked back to on older era reminiscent of my childhood holidays spent at Aberystwyth. I suppose people don’t want the “Hi-di-hi” feel to their holidays these days.

Outside there was a wee piece of decking and a table with four chairs. The weather was unseasonably warm and much time was spent sat here drinking home made blush wine and reading books.

We had some good walks as well as one cycle ride (South Devon proved too hilly for the gearing we had on the tandem). We parked at the car park mid way along Slapton sands and pedalled manfully off southwards the car park at Torcross. There is a Sherman tank that had been dredged up from the sea just off shore. The sands were used by the Americans for their D Day rehearsals and a tank was lost. Turning right along the A379 then right again into Stokenham out the other side and round to Slapton. Not far but we walked most of it pushing the tandem! The hills were that steep we walked down them as well! There’s a beautiful nature reserve with a viewing platform behind the road running along the beach. If you’re interested in this route then may I suggest you walk it? Click here for the route.

Loads more later when I get the time! But if you want to do a couple of short walks around this area then click HERE.

But here’s the photos.