Towns & Villages of Interest

SALCOMBE (about 20 minutes) www.salcombeinformation.co.uk

Salcombe has rather a unique form of charm and beauty. It`s harbour is always full of all sorts and sizes of marine craft, and yachtsmen throughout the world make for the shelter of this wonderful estuary. The harbour entrance has the ruined wall of a medieval castle which guarded shipping 450 years ago and stood for King Charles against Cromwell. It is said that Tennyson adored it.

Salcombe is also renowned as the original home of Salcombe Dairies where the nationally acclaimed ice-cream was produced. When the owner, Peter Howard, first started making this fabulous ice-cream he had to charge almost three times as much as any other ice-cream producer. The reason being that he was not prepared to cut corners. Rum and Raisin, for example, was made not by using a rum essence, but by soaking the raisins in genuine Lamb`s Navy Rum overnight.

KINGSBRIDGE (about 15 minutes)  www.kingsbridgeinfo.co.uk

Kingsbridge rises steeply from the Salcombe estuary. The tower of the church stands on massive 13th century arches and much of the rest of the church is anything from the 15th century to the nave and aisles of the 20th century.

For a small town it has produced a variety of famous people, amongst whom was William Cookworthy who founded a way of using Cornish china clay to make English porcelain. He is remembered in the Cookworthy Museum of Rural Life in Fore Street. Housed in a 17th century school building, it has period costumes, porcelain, old local photographs, a complete Victorian pharmacy and a magic world of dolls houses and toys which delight children of all ages.

TOTNES (about 20 minutes) www.totnesweb.com

Totnes is historically one of the finest towns in the country. First mentioned in the reign of Edgar (about 959), it was then probably a small settlement. Since then many tales are told of this busy little town, which is really one long street climbing up a hill by the River Dart.

The old Butterwalk, with it`s pillars supporting the projecting houses, was mostly built in the 16th century. Today it houses a number of busy small shops

TAVISTOCK (about 40 minutes)

Tavistock is possibly one of the nicest small market towns in the country, and is probably one of the oldest parts of Devon to be inhabited. Its most important son was sailor, buccaneer, and favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Drake.

Many small villages surround Tavistock, including Mary Tavy, Peter Tavy, Okehampton, all of which are worth a visit. And, of course, Princetown, home of the notorious Dartmoor Prison is only a short drive away.

PLYMOUTH (about 10 minutes)  www.visitplymouth.co.uk

Plymouth is a large modern city by the sea. Famous for it`s Plymouth Hoe and quaint old world Barbican area that saw the departure of the Pilgrim Fathers on the Mayflower for America. It has a good selection of shops which can easily be visited thanks to the pedestrianisation of the shopping centre. Sir Francis Drake, once Mayor of Plymouth played his famous game of bowls (while waiting for the tide to turn) on Plymouth Hoe, before defeating the Spanish Armada out to sea.

EXETER (about 40 minutes) www.touruk.co.uk/devon/exeter.htm

The historic city of Exeter is Roman, Saxon and Norman. It has walls and a tower built by Athelstan, the first King of England, but most of all it is medieval. There are still miles of quaint streets and passageways, rambling walls and of course the Cathedral, bequeathed by many generations of the finest builders, apart from it`s Norman walls and tower. The 20th century has crept in and much has had to be changed, but this has been done with the greatest of care.