2025 Coastal Tour

May 29 - July 2: Devon & Cornwall 

Random Highlights as we travel 

No foreign caravan trips this year so our coastal tour is our yearly travelling adventure. But who knows what might happen; we rarely do.

We're spending a month heading to Devon and Cornwall with a long list of things not to be missed thanks to our magic UK Coast book.

Heading off on May 29 we decide to spend two nights in Bristol at the Caravan & Motorhome Club (CAMC) site on Baltic Wharf. This has some fond memories for us as we visited it a number of times when our daughter Alessandra was at Uni here. The site's in a great location, as the name suggests, giving access to the historic docks but, sadly, it's closing soon so this is our last such visit.

We explore the docks again, taking a boat trip with commentary which we haven't done before. It's also good take in the Bristol vibe again, which we love, but it's probably not an Elon Musk or Donald Trump kind of place. Enough said.

The SS Great Britain - Brunel's marvel; the largest ship in the world, the only screw powered ship and the first fully iron hulled ship when it was launched.

Restored here after being abandoned in the Falklands.

May 31 -

We're on the edge of Dartmoor near Newton Abbot at Stover CAMC site.

We're having a look at Dartmoor while also visiting a couple of places on the coast from the book.

We walk down steep paths and steps to some secluded beaches, coastal erosion making some areas hazardous. This is Maidencombe beach.

It's also a reminder that our magic book is now twelve years old. This was described as a beach café at Watcombe.

On Dartmoor:

13C clapper bridge at Postbridge

Castle Drago: the truly wonderful 20th Century 'castle' of the Drewe family, now in the safe hands of the National Trust -  cutting edge design and technology by Edwin Lutyens. 

Cutting edge shower in 1930. I want one.

Exploring around the coast we visit Coombe Cellars on the Templer Way and the attractive village of Shaldon just across the bay from Teignmouth.

A hidden cove on the Ness is accessed by 'smugglers tunnel'.

June 3  -

We're here at Modbury CAMC site. The trip was quite short but more than slightly interesting. Travelling down the narrow roads to access the site we meet a couple of massive agricultural vehicles - inching past without contact thank goodness. We're 13m long with a hinge in the middle, remember.

Still, we manage to get out and see some rather beautiful villages on estuaries to the south of us. Newton Ferrers and the nearby village of Noss Mayo sit on the banks of the Yealm. 

Heading back we stop at isolated Mothercombe on the wide stretch of sands at the mouth of the Erme which we explore as it's fortunately low tide.

Continuing our exploration we first visit the National Trust Overbeck's Garden, a highly unusual collection of tropical plants - wonderful. 

We walk down the steep hill to take in the attractive South Sands ...

....before heading onwards, travelling more narrow lanes with passing places, to Salcombe with its winding streets and busy harbour.

More highlights from our explorations in the area around our Modbury campsite:

Buckfast Abbey - First established in 1018 as a monastery, the site was purchased by French Benedictines in 1882 and continues to be an active order. Their Buckfast Tonic Wine continues to be produced here.

The old market town of Totnes is well worth the visit with its quaint shops, cafes and bars. We really like it! 

The Brutus Stone, while of historic interest of course, is not quite what we imagined..

The Armstrong Sidley seen in the car park was a reminder of the Armstrong family's Bamburgh Castle, previously visited on the Northumberland Coast.

We visit the city of Plymouth with its long naval history. We can't do it justice and vow to spend more time here when we return to the area to complete our coastal investigations. We spend some time in the Hoe area, climbing the famous Smeaton Tower, the relocated lighthouse built by John Smeaton in 1759, originally guarding the Eddystone rocks.

Candles provided the illumination!

The RAF war memorial reminds us how many gave their lives in WW2. The toll on bomber crews is unimaginable.

Saltram House, transformed by the Parker Family in the 1740s, now National Trust, lures us into spending far more time here than we intended.

On the way to see Cotehele House and Gardens we cross the Tamar into Saltash and Cornwall, giving us chance to see another of Brunel's masterpieces - his rail bridge across this estuary.

The medieval Cotehele is a highly unusual estate, the house being decorated with tapestries in almost every room.. There's very little light in most rooms... Oh, and it's haunted....

On our last day at our Modbury site we head south to the coastal village of Bigbury-on-Sea. We here because, at low tide, it's possible to walk across the vast expanse of fine sand revealed by the receding tide to Burgh Island - which, of course we do because it's low tide.

At high tide the hotel on the island provides transport via a tractor on stilts for its guests - which ordinary folk like us can use for a small fee - but only if the guests need it too. 

Back at base we prepare for our move back over the Tamar bridge to the Cornish coast at Whitsand Bay for a few days, where our youngest, Georgina, is staying with her partner Luke and our grandchildren. See you there, all being well.

June 11 -

We're at Whitsand Bay Fort - once a fort, now a sort of holiday village with a few touring pitches. It's a brilliant location on the cliffs above a long sandy beach which is ideal surfing territory. Rather expensive 'huts' sit on the sloping terrain down to the beach and we meet up with G, L and Grandchildren in their family hut. A great place to meet up for a few days.

While we're here we explore:

Kingsand and Cawsand with their whitewashed houses lining narrow winding streets. It used to be smuggling country in days of yore.

Cawsand Beach

Kingsand 

Antony House: Although gifted to the National Trust, the family still live here with their numerous paintings and exquisite furniture.

Mount Edgcumbe Country Park occupies a large area here, formed from rolling grassed areas and woodland around Edgcumbe House.

A walk to the 14th Century St Michael's Chapel on the tip of Rame Head in our last day here. The volunteer Coast Watch now occupy the coastguard station.

Saying goodbye to Family, we head back to base, negotiating a later departure time for the next day so as to avoid arriving at our next site before entry time; it's a lengthy trip of 40 minutes...

Before we head off to do battle with the Cornish lanes we have time to descend the cliff path to our local Whitsand Beach, stopping for vital refreshment at the cliff top cafe after the slog back up.

June 17 -

Hello Looe CAMC site; goodness it's big - full, too. It's sunny and warm at last.

After wrestling with a stubborn sun canopy and resolving a temporary electrical problem, we settle for a natter with our new neighbours. Comparing adventures is always a learning exercise.

We head off on our second day to Seaton at the mouth of the river (Seaton). Smart houses gaze at a family beach. We walk along the seafront path to the nearby village of Downderry, spotting a rather nice Tapas restaurant. Sadly, it's too early for lunch

.....so we head off to the much larger Looe, once a significant fishing port down here.. now busy with tourists like us. No fish market these days.

Back at the 'van it's warm enough for outdoor cooking and eating at last.

We wake to even warmer weather, the temperature is heading towards 23ºC, as we head off to Talland Bay down a single track road. What fun. The bay is has a secluded shingle beach with a cool cafe, though. We walk a couple miles to Hore Point which is on National Trust land.

That's Hore Stone...

After being utterly confused by our phones and watches leaping one hour ahead on a French 4G signal we decide to drive to neighbouring Polperro, parking in the large car park at the top of the village and walk down - which is a great thing to do, giving the opportunity to delve into a couple if art galleries on the way. 

The ancient fishing village itself is an absolute delight and clearly has a sense of community among its residents; we're very fortunate to have arrived at a quiet period so that we can get a sense of this before the hoards of tourists descend. Yin Yang - a curse and a blessing I guess.

It's Friday...The warm weather continues as we head for the coastal paths and hidden coves. My goodness, it's steep cliff paths up and down as we make use of National Trust car parking areas to see:

The pretty, steeply inclined village of Polruan on the River Fowey estuary, gazing at the ancient port of Fowey on the opposite bank. The 15th Century Block Fort, where chains were raised across the estuary to another on the other side is preserved here - and we see the chain marks of times past.

The Block Fort

Walking the cliff paths we descend steeply from Pencarrow Head to Lantic Bay.

The following day we head to the large opulent Lanhydrock House, now National Trust. Time well spent. Here's the history.

Heading to Fowey, with its history, rows of cottages and busy harbour, we eat at a restaurant on the harbour front: quite a wonderful end to the day's travels.

Making the most of the weather, we head out again, stopping of at Par Sands - a large beach, unfortunately clogged with a vast mat of seaweed, butting up against the large china clay processing plant.

Parking at the cliff top, we walk down a steep path to the rather nice Polkerris with its sandy cove and small harbour. The fish cellar is now the Rashleigh Arms and there's also a welcome little cafe serving up a nice coffee.

Pulling on the walking gear we walk around Gribbin Head and up to the Large red and white brick landmark erected as a warning for sailors. We skirt the former house and estate of Daphne Du Maurier, Menabilly, which was the 'Manderley'  in the novel Rebecca. A rewarding, if exhausting day...

Our final day here and we've saved it for a visit to the Eden Project - with its biospheres of Mediterranean and Tropical plants and climates. We're able to ascend to the top of the tropical biosphere for a (very) hot and humid look down onto the 'forest' canopy. With its ever more urgent messages on conservation and climate change, it's more relevant than it ever was, some 20 years ago.

June 24 -

Anyway, it's time to move on to our last stop in Cornwall - so, after adventures having to turn the 'van round to avoid a wrong and potentially disastrous turning, here we are...

So off we go - exploring the 'amazing places' in our coastal book:

It's narrow lanes with passing places again - oh joy! Charlestown with its restaurants and dockside eating places is known for its Grade 2 listed dock, dating from the late eighteenth century when it was used to transport copper, later china clay. The dock now doubles as a film set and was the location for many Poldark episodes (Remember Ross!?).

Almost joined to Charlestown is the market town of St Austel, busy and bustling in times past as the centre for china clay distribution and mining. We spend a really fascinating couple of hours at the Wheal Martyn China Clay Heritage Centre discovering how china clay was (and is now) mined. There are two working clay pits here.

The next day we find the sandy sheltered beach of Porthpean and, nearby, the smart little village of Pentewan at the end of the St Austel river. The combined effects of the river and sea render many cottages liable to flooding and work is taking place to shore up the defences here.

Heading to the rather beautiful fishing and tourist town of Mevagissey we see a harbour full of fishing vessels of all shapes and sizes, vendors selling fish meals to eat around the harbour and many places to eat. An old seal swims in the harbour - fed fish offcuts by fishermen and a stall vendor.

Hunger satisfied, we head off to our final visit of the day, having to detour along numerous narrow roads due to a closure, finally arriving at the very small but unique cove and small village of Portmellon. 

It's very exposed here, harbourside cottages having shutters to protect from north easterly storms. The bartender, who has lived her for her entire life, describes a storm of last year when a wave crashed onto the pub roof. Time to head back to base.

Some highlights of the next two days.....:

Gorran Haven - another former fishing village cove settlement whose beach connects with the neighbouring Perhaver beach at low tide.

Driving along really narrow lanes, we find parking at Penhare, and walk for 20 minutes or so to the massive stone cross at Dodman Point, erected as a warning to shipping, although they might have preferred something a bit brighter methinks. Still, if the worst happens.....

Surprisingly, there's a sign saying these are Dartmoor ponies...?? Anyway, they seem quite friendly.

We also walk to sandy Hemmick Beach from here.

Despite the drizzle and sea frets, we drive to Porthluney Cove where it's possible to see Caerhays Castle. Although closed to the public when we're here, it's an impressive construction, designed by John Nash of Brighton Pavillion fame.

Walking parts of the SW Coastal Path, the scenery is so varied with the high humidity and changing coastline...

Portloe is a another tiny fishing port. Although often lashed by strong storms, it has a pretty good hotel at which we grab a nice pot of tea, overlooking the little harbour.

As we explore, we pass through the village of Vervan, seeing round houses with Christian crosses on the top. They were built this way so that the devil couldn't hide in dark corners; pretty obvious when you think about it.

Towan beach is memorable as a sandy haven but (in our case at any rate) blighted by numerous sand flies. (Towan is Cornish for sand dune - but there aren't any - so is it erosion? Is it that they were removed? It's a mystery.)

Parking at another National Trust car park (free to members and always in a good location) we walk to St Anthony Head, exploring the remains of the St Anthony Battery and, later, looking down on the working lighthouse located here.

St Mawes is a small but quite upmarket town with a busy little harbour with numerous ferries to villages towns on the complex coastal inlets. Fuel stations are like hen's teeth on this peninsula.. and when you find one....

Busy Falmouth is on the opposite side of the estuary and we climb to the excellent English Heritage run St Mawes Castle  to take in the vista. 

The Castle itself was, like many, constructed by order of Henry VIII, in this case to guard the vulnerable inlet.

.. It faces Falmouth's Pendennis Castle, which provided the opportunity for crossfire to deter invaders.

….....   .........

So ...... Our last day here arrives - sad really. We hoped to spend it on a local beach for a change - which we largely do - but in a warmish sea fret, which saved on the sun tan lotion at least. The mist eventually disperses around 5.30pm so we can take our sun canopy down and pack away dry.

We aim to be back in Leigh on Sea by Wednesday afternoon, planning to stop over at a small 5 van site halfway along the M4 tomorrow. Let's see how that goes.

.........       ..........

Well, looks like we're staying a little longer....

Drivetrain alert, Battery alert, Limp Mode - quite a display on the dash.

Volvo recovery have taken it to Volvo Truro. Let's see....

Well, the temporary replacement isn't too shabby - but do we need a top of the range XC90 Recharge? If only it had a tow bar. Let's hope it's only a brief encounter, as good as it is.

Updates: looks like a week as the XC60 needs an expensive bit (hybrid starter/generator control module - they think)  so we'll have a week's holiday here....

So we relax more than usual - grabbing some beach when possible - but also doing a little more exploration:

We head to Trelissick House, built around 1755 by John Lawrance, passing through a number of owners before being donated to the National Trust by Ida Copland, wife of Ronald Copeland of Spode China fame. Ida was MP for Stoke on Trent (1931 - 1935). A North Staffordshire family like mine, then, but slightly more wealthy.

The house is mostly notable for its impressive gardens with many Mediterranean varieties.

Getting here was a mini adventure, crossing the river Fal using the King Harry Ferry, one of only four such devices in the UK. 

Originally steam powered, it's yet another bit of Victorian engineering ingenuity, hauling its load by chain.

I should have been spending Sunday afternoon watching the British Grand Prix at home with daughter Sam. Shame. 

Will tomorrow bring positive news about our car? IF they fit the part, will that solve the problem? 

So we head off to see a few more coastal highlights in the big 7 seater, ideally suited to these narrow lanes of course...

St Clement is the home to a 14th Century church with an unusual two- storey lich gate. A stone, dedicated to Isniocius Vitalis, a 3rd Century Roman sits near the entrance 

Loe Beach sits at the end of a steep road from Feock village. There's a watersports school and a friendly little café where we seek refreshment. The owner is hoisting bunting in readiness for her planned Moroccan evening.

Mylor Bridge is a village of two halves, each side of Mylor Creek. Eating a sandwich lunch on the quieter south side, we get a call from Truro Volvo; the car's ready..

...so we arrange a pickup time before heading to Mylor Bridge northside to see the Norman Church of St Mylor, finding the fine Celtic Cross near the entrance.

Heading toward Truro Volvo, Flushing is on the visit list.  A prosperous port in the 16th Century, elegant houses now line the waterfront.

So on to Truro Volvo...

After a wait while our appointed agent sorts paper and walks about before speaking to us, we swap the XC90 for our faithful XC60. She seems to work OK with her new Hybrid Starter Generator Control Module - thankfully replaced under warranty. No complaints then and hopefully a job well done - but it would be nice if it wasn't dirtier than when we took it in; they've had a week to give it a courtesy clean after all. I didn't authorise the replacement of the wipers we had to pay for either.

Spot the shiny new bit....

It's now Wednesday but we decide to give it a couple more days of use before we depart to be on the safe side, so we drive to the local beach and chill after checking that it will tow the 'van and then filling it with the stuff it usually carries on these trips.

Our 'local' beach complete with lovely little café:

Deciding to drive home in one go, we didn't recon with two major hold ups on the way, both through big accidents, one M4 queue adding an hour. Still, after a total trip of about ten hours here we are. Leigh on Sea never looked so good. Won't do that again.

Cornwall was, in many ways, a beautiful county to see with wonderful sights and really nice people..... but our exploration of the coastal highlights involved much driving along narrow lanes with high hedges, many effectively single track with passing places. So no views and 100% concentration; have to say, the novelty was certainly wearing off towards the end - and I rarely say that about driving. Perhaps we'll give it a bit of a rest.

Where next?