| Day 17 - South Devon |
 |
| Copyright Famocon Tours 2001 |
| This was going to be a long drive to the south of Devon and back so we got away to a very early start. Our route took us through Molland, Oakfordbridge, Tiverton, Bickleigh, Stoke Canon and then to Exeter. There are a great many places to see in Exeter but with limited time, we had to make a choice. We opted for the Cathedral, the Quay and the Customs House but you could also visit the Maritime Museum, Mols Coffee Shop, the House that Moved, St Mary Arches, Rougemont Gardens and the Underground Passages. On to Shillingford Abbot and Kennford and our first sight of the southern coast of England. The area between Torquay, Paignton and Brixham is called the English Riviera and it certainly has stunning scenery with miles of coastline, cliffs, sheltered coves and sandy beaches. We stopped at Torquay and drove around nearby headlands and beaches. It was too cold to swim but we could see how good the swimming would be in warmer weather. Torquay is quite a large town and it is easy to get lost here because there is very little helpful signposting. If you can find them, Torre Abbey and the Torquay Museum are worth a visit. Also, at either end of the town are Babbacombe Model Village and full size Cockington Court and Village, both popular tourist attractions. We passed through Collaton St Mary on our way to Totnes on the river Dart. Here there is a very good Norman Castle and an Elizabethan Museum. We then headed into the moors - Dartmoor to be precise. Buckfast Abbey and Buckland-in-the-Moor are good places to stop as was Widecombe-in-the-Moor. Picturesque villages and countryside are everywhere in this area. Widecombe village is very attractive and has a surprisingly large church and tower - more like a cathedral. The well known folk song "Widecombe Fair" is probably still hummed around here. Passing through Bellever we reached Postbridge in the middle of Dartmoor to investigate the ancient Clapper Bridge. We drove around the moor at leisure generally heading north east through Moreton Hampstead, where Drogo Castle is to be found. This castle is quite modern and well preserved and we enjoyed our tour through its rooms. Once we reached the northern end of Dartmoor we travelled through Whiddon Down, Bow, Copplestone, Eggesford, Clapworthy and South Molton until we returned to our cottage at Twitchen. |
| to go to Home and each of the other days in this itinerary |