2025

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