A Nod To Brent - a friendly thread, filled with frivolity, cream teas and pasties. Longing for the happy days in the South Hams 1947.

[gwrrob]

In that case he needs to organise a holiday break just in the South Hams.

[Captain Kernow]

If you come to Dartmouth from the Totnes direction this applies but I've always used the higher ferry and found a car park space in town, sometimes along the wall by the river if you're lucky.

We used to find that this was the case and we visit the place, at random, at various times of the year, as it's not that far from us. Last summer, when CTMK and I were visiting the proprietor of a popular railway publishing company on holiday in the town, we only just found a parking place in the main car park at 0930 hrs, only to realise that there was a 3 hour limit, so we cut our losses and drove back up to the Park & Ride and got the bus back down the hill into the town.

[gwrrob]

We used to find that this was the case and we visit the place, at random, at various times of the year, as it's not that far from us. Last summer, when CTMK and I were visiting the proprietor of a popular railway publishing company on holiday in the town, we only just found a parking place in the main car park at 0930 hrs, only to realise that there was a 3 hour limit, so we cut our losses and drove back up to the Park & Ride and got the bus back down the hill into the town.

 

Just imagine there being a very well stocked model shop too stocking everything we desired including the 16xx pannier in rtr form.....

[Captain Kernow]

I do hope it's a 16XX, but I've got to go and make the tea now, so further speculation will have to wait.

[gwrrob]

I do hope it's a 16XX, but I've got to go and make the tea now, so further speculation will have to wait.

 

Tea, I'm sure you mean dinner.

[cary hill]

Tea, I'm sure you mean dinner.

 

Perhaps he's having a High Tea sitting in the high chairs at the table and not sitting on the sofa.to eat it

[Siberian Snooper]

From the middle of June through to the first weekend in September, when I was making my monthly trip, usually on a Friday morning, to Worcestershire to visit my parents the South bound carriageway of the M5 was pretty much stop start from Bridgewater to Michaelwood services, I thought it was pretty grim going North, but South bound was worse.

 

Have fun.

[St Enodoc]

I believe that on the several occasions that I have visited Dartmouth, I have arrived by train and ferry. It is part of the experience. 

Most of the times I arrived in Dartmouth were by yacht.

[Clearwater]

Thanks to all for the comments and concerns on my journey planning. Sadly given the amount of luggage we will be obliged to take including push chair, travel cot, travel cot mattress, seaside gear, the kitchen sink and other deemed "essentials", driving is the only practical option to get to Cornwall hence the reason why we're looking to break the journey over two days and stay somewhere else on the way.

 

Unfortunately, we have no choice but to travel on a Friday. We're staying at Center Parcs first whose changeover days are either Monday or Friday. This dictates when we travel to Cornwall. Center Parcs is roughly three hours from our home so we can conveniently stop for lunch on the way. Maybe that nice shopping centre/outlet village in Wiltshire?

 

When we did a similar journey the summer before last, we broke the second leg at Pecorama. "There are some nice gardens to see" I suggested. "And a soft play area for the kids." A successful stop and I brought one of the David Maidment GWR book series in the well stocked Peco shop. "Pure coincidence" I claimed to a sceptical wife. Admittedly, we did the journey in June, not August, but I don't recall the traffic being particularly heavy. However, my benchmark for busy is the North Circular at 8am.

 

On that journey, we avoided the M5 and went along the A303. Checking google maps, the traffic conditions on a damp February evening which *may* not be representative of a summer Friday suggest the A303 route is better:

 

 

Our route home last time had a diversion to the southern end of the WSR but I'm open to other suggestions that are a two hour journey from Longleat. As it happens, I've never been to either Paignton or Dartmouth. Hence why I'm keen on the idea. I've only driven through the South Hams on the A38 or zipped through by train. (I had thought about the sleeper service but the schlep from home to Paddington is prohibitive - perhaps when we no longer need a push chair, four cases and a cot bed, and Crossrail is open, I'll revisit that suggestion...)

 

I'm sure Robin doesn't want me diverting this thread any further off topic (!) with my meanderings but I'll let you know in due course whether we make it to Paignton!

 

Cheers

 

David

[Oldddudders]

The A303 has improved immeasurably since my mother first drove it in 1963 - heading from Surrey to Port Isaac - but still has the occasional bottleneck, with single-carriageway sections that can get very crowded. Caravans don't help. It would still be our natural route from Torbay to Surrey. 

[Captain Kernow]

Tea, I'm sure you mean dinner.

It was our evening meal, consumed somewhat earlier than most folks. A cup of tea each followed.

 

No meat was involved in this meal, but a lot of mushroom produce was.

[brianusa]

It was our evening meal, consumed somewhat earlier than most folks. A cup of tea each followed.

 

No meat was involved in this meal, but a lot of mushroom produce was.

 

No hallucinating hopefully!

 

Brian.

[Limpley Stoker]

From Bath I have always used the A303 to get to Cornwall on Fridays and Saturdays in June or July with few hold ups and I agree it is recently much improved - as is the A30 over Bodmin Moor since the single-carriageway bottleneck was removed last summer.

 

The last time I went by train to Torquay was on the Torbay Express in the mid 1950’s - I don’t remember any car parks though.

 

Surely we’re still on topic as we are imagining going through South Hams?

[Mallard60022]

Best leave Centreparks at an early hour (say 05.00) and get down that M5 before the Midland hoardes get down there if you want services and reasonable speed. Fridays from mid morning, around the Brizzle area on that route are complete shi#e. A303 should be much more fun.

Have fun.

Phil

[The Stationmaster]

Most of the times I arrived in Dartmouth were by yacht.

 

By sea is definitely THE way to arrive - this was our approach last year albeit not exactly a yacht

 

 

A big advantage of this approach is that you also get a good view of 4088 on the way in

 

 

 

and on the way out

 

[St Enodoc]

By sea is definitely THE way to arrive - this was our approach last year albeit not exactly a yacht

 

DSCF9759.jpg

 

A big advantage of this approach is that you also get a good view of 4088 on the way in

 

DSCF9753.jpg

 

DSCF9758.jpg

 

and on the way out

 

DSCF9841.jpg

Better weather than my first arrival in 1975 at about oh-gawd-hundred on a Sunday morning after a very brisk passage from Cherbourg.

 

On a different note, in a previous life I used to stay regularly at the George in Nunney, another very nice place with a castle named after a GWR locomotive.

[Limpley Stoker]

Better weather than my first arrival in 1975 at about oh-gawd-hundred on a Sunday morning after a very brisk passage from Cherbourg.

 

On a different note, in a previous life I used to stay regularly at the George in Nunney, another very nice place with a castle named after a GWR locomotive.

Still in the nautical vein the Captain of the QE2 used to live in Nunney, but he never got his ship anywhere near Dartmouth.

[Tim Dubya]

Got me thinking about Fowey now...

 

in particular climbing up to St Catherine's castle from Readymoney Beach and staring out to sea all afternoon - lovely

Edited February 20, 2018 by Tim Dubya

[gwrrob]

 before the Midland hoardes

 

That's me you're talking about there Quackers.  

 

 

Dai Tripper

[M.I.B]

Orright moite,

 

Av yew gorranny crame ties,

 

Coz oim fair bostin fer un, yam

[The Stationmaster]

Better weather than my first arrival in 1975 at about oh-gawd-hundred on a Sunday morning after a very brisk passage from Cherbourg.

 

On a different note, in a previous life I used to stay regularly at the George in Nunney, another very nice place with a castle named after a GWR locomotive.

 

What a strange coincidence - I used to lodge on a farm a mile or so up the road from Nunney towards Frome.   I also considerably modified the front end of a BR Ford Escort on the A359 just west of Nunney Catch one evening as a result of the road being extremely slippery with frozen cow muck.

[81C]

That's me you're talking about there Quackers.

 

 

Dai Tripper

Pot calling kettle !!! his Duckship lives up north too. 

[St Enodoc]

What a strange coincidence - I used to lodge on a farm a mile or so up the road from Nunney towards Frome.   I also considerably modified the front end of a BR Ford Escort on the A359 just west of Nunney Catch one evening as a result of the road being extremely slippery with frozen cow muck.

My work took me to Merehead, as you might have guessed, and I used to visit about four times a year. As well as the George, other watering holes that I remember were the Strode Arms at Cranmore and the Talbot at Mells. Happy days.

[Mallard60022]

Pot calling kettle !!! his Duckship lives up north too. 

Nah, Rob lives in the real Midlands and I live in 36E wot is not really in the north (north being north of York) or the Midlands or anywhere really. 

Iza Lost

[81C]

Nah, Rob lives in the real Midlands and I live in 36E wot is not really in the north (north being north of York) or the Midlands or anywhere really. 

Iza Lost

You need some maps Quackers.

 

 

Ordin Nancsurvie