Local Towns and Villages
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.
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