Day 23 – County Devon
 April
26, 2005. A day to explore the quaint villages of
southern England. We’re staying with the Stanley’s in the village of Fordton,
which is located 8 miles from Exeter. After a leisurely breakfast we set off for
the coast which is about 15 miles away.
For the first half hour we
were driving down narrow twisting lanes with high hedges on each side. The roads
are so narrow that a car can’t pass. Every 100 yards or so there is a lay-bye
which allows cars to pass. It takes a bit of courage to drive these lanes when
you never know what’s ahead of you. Several times we had to stop and back up to
allow an on coming car to pass.
On the way we stopped at the
old church in the hamlet of Posbury (3 houses) where Nicki, the Stanley’s
daughter was married. This church is one and a half miles from Fordton but it’s
so far off the beaten path that they had to post signs to get people to the
church. The church seats 107 and was built over 400 years ago.
Shortly after we left the
church we got back on a motorway for the drive to Paignton, on the seashore.
This is a very popular summer destination. One of the fascinating features of
the beach were the beach huts. These are small wooden buildings (10’ x 6’) that
people own. They are used to store beach chairs, barbeques, etc. They are
actually owned by individuals and the price of one today is in the range of
$2,500 to $25,000 US dollars, depending on location. Paignton is located on the
English Channel, southwest of London.
 Our
stay in Paignton was less than 10 minutes as we rushed to catch the 12:15 steam
train to Kingsmere. The line was built in the 1860’s and the steam engine that
pulled the coaches was over 100 years old. It was fascinating to watch the
scenery, listen to the whistle see the smoke as we make the half hour trip to
Kingswear.
Kingswear is a small town
located on the east bank of the Dart Estuary. From the station we took a small
ferry across the Estuary to the town of Dartmouth on the west bank. Dartmouth
has a number of claims to fame. High on the hill above the town is the British
Naval College where Prince Charles was trained. The river side of the town is
still quaint shops, just as they were 100s of years ago.
After a traditional British
lunch of fish and chips we walked down to the wharf to see the site where the
Mayflower finally set sail for the New World. The history books talk about
Plymouth as being the starting point, but in reality, the Mayflower stopped in
Dartmouth after leaving Plymouth, because it was damaged in a storm.
After a delightful time in
Dartmouth we retraced our steps via the ferry, steam drove and Bob’s great
driving to the village of Fordton. It was time for dinner so out we went again
for the short drive to Coleford. This is a totally thatched village. The homes
were built hundreds of years ago. The construction is cob walls (mud and straw)
and thatched roofs. Dinner was at the so called “New Inn” which opened in the 13th
century. It is in remarkably good shape for a building that is over 800 years
old. Dinner was sausages, chicken and pork. Washed down with an excellent bottle
of French claret.
The pictures today show the
steam train arriving at Kingswear and the outside of the “New Inn”.
Tomorrow, our last day in
England, we’ve going to explore the ancient city of Exeter.
Stay tuned for Day 24 in my
“Around the World in 30 Days” saga.
Alan Salmon
eClub One
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