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.