Go West - The End

As I'm now ensconced in a hotel for a few days this will be the last Dai post of the trip. The day didn't start very well. A bad night's sleep meant I was a bit later than planned, I snapped a shoelace and the water ran out. Nothing major!

As a result I decided to spend a couple of hours in Totnes instead of going for a walk on Dartmoor (which wouldn't have happened anyway due to thick mist). It's a nice, if somewhat hilly, town. Having procured a couple of pairs of laces I visited the town museum. As usual with such places the people were very friendly and enthusiastic.

A bonus for me was a room dedicated to Charles Babbage who came from the town. The display is probably overdue for an update but no less informative for that.

After that I still headed up onto the Moor but couldn't see much! I will admit that the Devon lanes have become a bit wearing after a few days, especially when you're stuck behind a tractor for several miles.

Overall it's been a good few days away. There's only been one, very minor, fault with the campervan (the waste pipe fitting has broken but the pipe stays on on). Slightly better planning would have seen me stop at Steamer Quay in Totnes, it would have saved me two day's driving and some parking fees.

There was a car/campervan dealer up the road from the site who had a couple of Mercedes Vito conversions in stock. They were R reg and showing their age a bit but if I'd seen them a could of years ago before I bought Dai I might have been tempted.

Anybody remember which day this is?

Here goes an attempt at text and photos on one go!

Today was all about trains, no boats, buses or much walking involved. I've visited the South Devon Railway before, but I wanted to spend a bit more time there. I was, as usual, reasonably early (frequently a good way of being to talk to the people involved). There's a small museum at Buckfastleigh, which includes gems such as the only original broad gauge loco still in existence (the others are replicas).



The running engine was one of the ubiquitous GWR Pannier Tanks, albeit in BR black livery.



One of the major reasons for the visit was to stop at Staverton station which is the prototype for the model on my coffee table layout. I was able to get a good few pictures which will help with the scenery setting. I also had a chat with some of the "staff". It's their model and miniatures show in a few weeks, having discussed what I'm doing it was suggested I may like to take the model when it's finished. I did point out that may be in several years' time! They had a small bookstall which has to be raided. I picked up a couple of books and didn't even accept the change from the fiver.



I caught the next train to Totnes (again) and back to the start so I did most of the line twice in each direction. Back at Buckfastleigh I had lunch and visited their model shop before getting a few more pics around the site, mainly for reference in the future. They've got two static Pecketts which I photographed as it may help with the model I'm working on.



From the station I drove up into the town to visit the Ratio Models factory shop. They're part of Peco these days and have quite a good range. I bought some coal! It's been on my shopping list for a while as nothing else looks quite right. The one thing I can't get is a Tin Tabernacle, you can get them in OO Gauge but not N.

I was tiring by this stage (the bottle of beer I had on the train probably wasn't helping) so I headed back to site calling in at the Riverford farm shop for tea - scotch egg and salad leaves washed down with local beer.

Test Post

This is just a test of some other software to see if it can get images onto the blog.

Go West - Day 5

If yesterday was trains and boats and buses (or would have been if I'd remembered to tell anyone I'd blogged) today was walking and trains. I really couldn't come to this part of Devon and not have a look at the infamous Dawlish Sea Wall. I was ready for a bit of a walk anyway so I parked at Teignmouth (pronounced Tinmuth or they think you mean somewhere near Newcastle). I then took the South West Coast Path along the sea wall. Unfortunately with the state of the tide I had to take Smugglers Lane up to Holcombe as there was no way of continuing round the coast. I followed the road but then missed a turn back onto the path. I did finally descend back through a park at Dawlish.

It's a mix of local stopping trains and HSTs along this line so there's a little bit of variety. I did stop at Dawlish itself for a coffee and carrot cake before continuing the walk. It was getting fairly warm so by the time I got round to Dawlish Warren I settled for an ice cream and wait for a train back to the start. I was considering walking on to Starcross, another couple of miles, but the next stretch of path is away from the coast itself.

I had a particular reason to go to Starcross so drove there anyway. One of the last remaining bits of Brunel's Atmospheric Railway is there, the original vacuum pumping station. The style has been described as somewhat Italianate, which I suppose it is.

You can get the ferry from there to Exmouth and back which I'd have considered doing, but one again the tide was an issue. Low water levels had forced the cancellation of a couple of trips. There was little left to do but return to site, which I did by hugging the coast through Torquay back to Paignton, rather than just blasting along the new stretch of A380 (so new the sat nav doesn't know about it).

It's Fish & Chip van night so dinner is sorted, there's a couple of beers in the coolbox chilling away and all is well. Tomorrow it's more trains, a return visit to the South Devon railway. 

Go West - Day 4

There should have been photos for this, but the site WiFi isn't being very cooperative on uploading from the tablet so I've reverted to text only from the phone.

Today was Trains and Boats and Buses, and not necessarily in that order! I'd pre-booked a Round Robin ticket with the Dartmouth Steam Railway. The first leg was by boat from Totnes to Dartmouth. I had a bit of shopping to do so had a wander round the town first. It's a nice place, if a little hilly, I'd have liked a bit more time, somewhere for another day.

After a quick coffee back at the Steamer Quay (just getting my order in ahead of a coach party) it was time to board the boat. Unfortunately the paddle steamer doesn't do the routine river trips so it was the usual diesel job. The chap going the commentary was very good, giving enough information, with a dry touch of humour, without being boring.

At Dartmouth I had time for another wander and lunch in what was Dartmouth Station. Unusually this never actually has trains, or even track, running to it! The story is that Brunel built the station but then didn't get permission (or it was too difficult and expensive depending who you believe) to build a bridge over the river so they brought the line down the opposite bank to Kingswear and added a ferry. I'm not convinced myself, and in fact the "station" did a lot of business due to the naval presence in the town.

One sign of that presence, and appropriate given the date, is the D Day memorial in the town. It's only a short ferry ride over the river, on the other side is a very different war memorial, a blue plaque commemorating Lt Col H Jones VC OBE who was a resident of Kingswear and served in the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment before the paras.

For the train ride to Paignton I paid the extra £2 to travel in the Pullman Observation Car, one of only 2 still in existence. It's an interesting line, climbing from the Dart Valley with the river views and then the sea views on the other side. You can leave the train and either walk or get a bus ride to Greenaway, Agatha Christie's last country retreat. We'd seen some of the estate on the way down river.

I just managed to catch the first bus back to Totnes but slightly regretted it - the driver was taking no prisoners on some fairly narrow roads! Other passengers mentioned much the same thing. Having got back fairly early early I contemplated a walk down to the pub but couldn't be bothered.

Go West - Day 3

Well I've finally arrived in Devon via Somerset, or to be more accurate the East Somerset Railway. It made an interesting diversion on the drive. No photos I'm afraid as they're on the camera (see below). 

It was a smooth enough drive and I was on site shortly after 3, did the water and waste and got pitched with the aid of an I've cream! It's certainly warm.

Rather than sit around I decided a walk down to Stoke Gabriel was in order. It's about a mile downhill, the difficulty week be walking back up! In writing this sat in The Castle Inn, making use of their WiFi as mobile reception in the area is poor. The photo is looking back up towards the village from the River Dart.

I'm not sure how visible this is but it's the plaque on the war memorial. Interestingly the WW2 plaque shows a slight majority of RAF to RN with just one other who was with the Durham Light Infantry. It would be interesting to know how someone from a south coast village ended up in the DLI.

Go West - Day 2

There's not really a lot to report today. I finally got up later than normal so only had a short walk along the Gloucester and Sharpness canal. You do see quite a variety of boats on there.

After that it was drinkies and lunch in the pub with friends, a half doze and a read back at the camper then back to the pub for dinner. It's been a good day though largely just chatting with friends, most of whom I've known for years but one new friend as well.

Tomorrow I head off further south and west to Devon.

Go West - Day 1

Not really a day even. I left work at lunchtime and had a surprisingly good run down to Slimbridge. I did stop briefly in Chipping Norton for lunch but otherwise let the sat nav (set to Avoid Motorways) get on with it.

Once I'd booked in and found my pitch I got set up and headed to the pub for a quick drink or two. It was a bit warm! Quite literally I'd left Northampton with the heater on and arrived with the air con running

Friends arrived later than anticipated but kindly invited me to join them for BBQ. The evening was spent eating, drinking and chatting. All in all a decent day. Tomorrow we carry on, hopefully with some more friends.