A week in the West Country

Sounds like a very good plan! I'm not sure there is really a central spot to really see the West Country--it sort of breaks down more into counties with North and South Cornwall being fairly large areas requiring much peninsula dipping to enjoy fully.

You might want to, in a week--just settle in Cornwall--perhaps staying where you are most interested in being (sounds like St Ives--a great choice) and enjoying the region nearby.
Devon is also very lovely- with Dartmouth and Dartmoor both excellent destinations depending on your interests. The walking is excellent throughout. May will be hedges full of flowers...

Cheers,
Meg
Up the Ben and Down the Boozer
http://megrobb.typepad.com/britishtravel/

I love the St Ives area. Penzance is a bit far out of the way IMO.

Thanks for your kind replies. Further research has turned up Bodmin as a possibly more central base. Can one do a round trip to Land's End from Bodmin in a day? It looks as though one can reach most other places from there and it is also accessible from London by rail.

What do you think?

I don't think you will manage a day trip to Scilly by sea. You can fly from Lands End or Newquay.

We spent four days in Penzance this past fall. We saw trips to the islands advertised. Also, we made a one-day, round-trip visit to Land's End. A woman we met stopped off on the way and walked the coastal trail to Land's End.

We really enjoyed St. Michael's Mount, easily reached by bus from Penzance or by walking along the bay.

Also, the Minack Theater is well worth a visit. For something out of the usual there is a telegraph museum nearby.

We didn't have time to go, but we were told we could easily reach St. Ives from Penzance.

If you do stay in Penzance or thereabouts, be sure to take a tour with Harry Safari. He's a hoot.

Thanks for your responses

I have discovered that one can do a day trip to The Isles of Scilly from Penzance, going one way by air and the other way by ferry, giving about 6 hours on St Mary's.

I'm trying to work out how far I could reasonably drive from Penzance on a day trip. Does any one know if I could get from Penzance to Polperro and back in a day? How about Tintagel or Bude?

Would it be better to spend say 3 nights in Penzance and 3 nights somewhere like Bideford or Clovelly?

I don't know this area well, so any advice would be greatly appreciated

Hi Yelpir - With a car you can certainly day-trip to Polperro, Bude ... or anywhere else in Cornwall. Personally though I'd possibly choose Falmouth as a base rather than Penzance.

If you want a few days in Devon too I'd suggest Lynmouth (N. Devon) or Dartmouth (S. Devon) to base rather than Clovelly or Bideford.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Hi Steve, thanks for your help

The plan so far:
Arrive Heathrow (from Cape Town, so no real jetlag problems) at about 7:00am on May 6th. Take a 10:00am coach from Heathrow to Taunton in Devon, arriving at about 1:00pm. Pick up a rental car and drive to Lynmouth for the first overnight.

From there I want to spend about 10 days doing a slow circle of Devon and Cornwall, finishing up back at Taunton at about 1:00pm on May 16th. Drop off the rental car and take an afternoon coach back to Heathrow.

This will give me 10 nights for which I will need to find stopover places. I could do 5-5 nights in two places, 3-3-4 nights in three places, 2-3-2-3 nights in 4 places or 2-2-2-2-2 nights in 5 places.

2-3-2-3 in 4 places looks good to me at the moment. If Lynmouth and Falmouth are two of those places, I would still appreciate suggestions for two more nice towns (or farms) to spend a couple of nights in. I am especially looking for beautiful scenery and quaint villages. I will be staying in B&Bs all the way.

Thanks

Yelpir - I think Dartmouth is one of the nicest places in Devon - a good base IMO for South Devon/Dartmoor.

So my 4 would probably be Lynmouth, Fowey, St Ives and Dartmouth.

If you want to see E.Devon/W. Dorset, consider Sidmouth.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Yes, Fowey and St. Ives are interesting.

If you go as far as Fowey and St. Mawes, detour through the beautiful St. Just in Roseland.

Thanks for your advice. With your help, my stopovers are now more or less settled

Now I am wondering if in early May I need to book B&B accommodation or whether I can just wing it. Previously I have always planned down to finest detail and had everything booked way ahead of time. Now the idea of just drifting wherever the wind blows is appealing to me.

Would I be correct in assuming that there is no shortage of good B&B accommodation in Devon and Cornwall and that I would never find myself stuck for a bed?

Just a thought. The area of Devon and Cornwall isnt that big - so why waste so much time uprooting, unpacking and travelling. I would consider just two bases - one of which would be Lynmouth (suggested by some other).

You've had some good advice here. Just a couple of thoughts: I think it makes sense to have a couple of stops because otherwise you'll end up backtracking a lot. Cornwall and Devon might be 'small' by US standards but distances which look short on the map actually take a long time to traverse - those winding country lanes are beautiful but slow. So I think you have the right idea, to move on after a night or two. I'm unclear whether you want to base yourself in beautiful villages/scenic countryside. Those places you've listed are largish towns. And why limit yourself to B&Bs? Have you considered inns/pubs with rooms? There are some great places - Here's a link to a place that was named pub of the year:http://www.cornwall-online.co.uk/gurnards-head/
It offers B+B and great dining. It is in a beautiful spot outside of St. Ives (which is really quite a big town). There are fantastic walks along the headland. Just a thought! And I hate to sound like a disloyal Brit but Clovelly has turned into quite the rip-off - you have to pay to even enter the village! Lands End has long been comletely shameless about being nothing more than an expensive car park - better to look into some of the stunning walks in the area, eg. from Tintagel.Ignore the Arthur/Camelot tourist tat in the town and set off from the ruins for a breathtakingly beautiful walk along the cliffs, looping back to a pub in town. And remember, it may be May but be prepared for any kind of weather!

In 1998 we stayed at the Garrick in St. Ives--don't know what it's like now but the view off their bluff was great.

Tresanton in St. Mawes was one of the loveliest places I've ever stayed--but pricey.

Tor Cottage which is tucked away near the border of Cornwall was a lovely overnight.

I enjoyed the walk down to the ruins at Tintagel. I wasn't aware there was a walk along the clifftops there. If there is, the view rivals the Oregon Coast.

If you're buzzing up and down the dual carriageway, stop off for a drink at Jamaica Inn (especially if you (or passenger) are a Daphne duMaurier fan).

Wow! Thanks folks. Great advice. I will research all those suggestions

My preference is for small villages and country roads as far away from crowds as I can get. Last year I spent three days in the TINY village of Near Sawrey in the Lake District and I loved it. You could step out the front door of the guest house and see sheep grazing in the field across the road. You could walk in any direction through beautiful countryside. Heaven. My time in Scotland was spent exploring the back roads up the north-west. Again, my idea of heaven.

I am not at all keen on big towns. Small country villages or even farms are more my style. I try to avoid larger towns if I can. Early to bed and early to rise. Dew on the grass and birds singing. Sunrises and sunsets. Green fields, streams, woods, cliffs, seascapes, deserted beaches, fishing boats. Definitely my thing.

I would be quite happy to stay in inns and pubs with rooms. I just don't like large, impersonal hotels. I am also on quite a tight budget. I would rather not have to pay more than 50 pounds a night for bed and breakfast. And I do like ensuite as I visit the loo often at night (I get frequent flusher miles )

My plan is to keep as much as possible to the little back roads and to enjoy both the inland and the coastal scenery. The walk along the cliffs at Tintagel sounds divine. I am not a long distance hiker, but I can manage up to a 5km walk to see breath-taking scenery.

All suggestions gratefully received

If you prefer smaller villages, Yelpir, you might want to consider Polperro as one of your bases.

And your original idea of Clovelly fits the bill too - although I think the scenery is nicer and you have more options around Lynmouth.

Unless you're here over Bank Holiday I don't think you'd have a big problem just stopping wherever appeals to you and finding a B&B.

Steve

Check out Portmellon which is a tiny village just past Mevagissey. It can be reached without going through Mevagissey (you will understand why this is a good thing if you go there). Beyond Portmellon is Goran Haven, also quiet.

We rented a house literally hanging over Portmellon cove in 2006. There were smaller places to rent and the pub is also a B&B--it looked well, average. There are some wonderful coastal paths through Portmellon and it's quite close to the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Mevagissey is okay to explore but using its streets as access to Portmellon means going up a very long, steep hill which is single lane with infrequent and difficult pullovers. Sort of good fun once or twice but it was also good to have an alternative route.

Also stayed a week in Polperro--its physical setting is pretty and the coastal paths are great BUT it teems with daytrippers and the pedestrian area shops are for the most part tourist tat.

It might be slightly quieter in May than August when we were there. It does get very quiet again in the evening. I wouldn't use it as a base again.

Before your route is totally planned I want to offer a suggestion for sightseeing: Cornish gardens. Trelissick is very nice, Trebah absolutely great. May should be a good time for garden visits.

We also stayed at the Garrack Hotel in St. Ives; we liked it but it sounds not your thing. St. Ives is fairly large. (Good museums and great beaches though.) But the scenery between Lands End and St. Ives and on north is very good.

I'm afraid my penchant for detailed planning has asserted itself again and I have been busy filling in the details in the itinerary. Here is the latest version:

May 6 (Wed)
- Heathrow to Taunton by National Express coach
- Arrive Taunton 1255. Pick up rental car from Enterprise
- Drive to Lynmouth, arriving mid afternoon
- Local sightseeing
- Overnight in Lynmouth

May 7 (Thu)
- Do the Riversmeet walk
- Ride the cliff railway to Lynton
- Take an Exmoor coast boat cruise
- Explore Exmoor National Park
- Overnight in Lynmouth

May 8 (Fri)
- Drive from Lynmouth to Tintagel
- Route: Ilfracombe, Braunton, Barnstaple, Bideford, Clovelly, Bude, Boscastle, Tintagel
- Overnight in Tintagel

May 9 (Sat)
- Visit Tintagel Castle
- Visit Merlin's Cave
- Take a walk along the cliffs
- Overnight in Tintagel

May 10 (Sun)
- Drive from Tintagel to Penzance
- Route: Padstow, Newquay, Perranport, St Agnes, Portreath, St Ives, St Just, Land's End, Mousehole, Newlyn, Penzance
- Visit St Michael's Mount
- Overnight in Penzance

May 11 (Mon)
- Fly from Land's End to the Isles of Scilly
- Spend the day on St Mary's
- Return to Penzance on the ferry in the evening
- Overnight in Penzance

May 12 (Tue)
- Drive from Penzance to Fowey
- Route: Porthleven, Helston, Mullion, Lizard Point, Gweek, Falmouth, St Mawes, St Just in Roseland, Mevagissey, St Austell, Fowey
Overnight in Fowey

May 13 (Wed)
- Visit Bodmin
- Explore Bodmin moor
- Overnight in Fowey

May 14 (Thu)
- Drive from Fowey to Dartmouth
- Route: Looe, Saltash, Plymouth, Kingsbridge, Salcombe, Dartmouth
- Overnight in Dartmouth

May 15 (Fri)
- Drive through Brixham, Paignton, Torquay, Newton Abbot, Asburton, Two Bridges (Dartmoor), Buckfastleigh, Totnes and return to Dartmouth
- Overnight in Dartmouth

May 16 (Sat)
- Drive from Dartmouth to Taunton
- Drop off rental car
- Return to Heathrow by National Express coach.

I am currently reseaching accommodation in the 5 towns that I have chosen for stopovers (based on the kind advice that I have received from members of the forum).

I would greatly appreciate any comments on the itinerary, especially with regard to the routes and things to see along the way

Hi Yelpir,

well I'm sat here in Cornwall reading your thread and trying to work out the optimum route for you, but I'm sooooo disappointed - with one or two tweaks, you've done it yourself. Darn it!

here are my tweaks:

May 8th -north devon - don't miss Appledore, a beautiful boat-building village on the river Torridge, just outside Bideford. it is a little off the beaten track but a hour wandering its streets [walk north? from the scenic car park along Irsha street] followed by a pint and a pasty or a would be well worth it.

Later in the day, try to pit in a detour to Morwenstow - the clifftop parish of the rev Hawker, who wrote the Cornish anthem "Trelawney", invented harvest Festivals, and rescued many wrecked seagoers. he also married a woman twice his age when he was only 20 or so, and when she died, married a woman half his age. quite a character. there used to be a lovely tea-room there too - don't know if it's still there.

May 10 - don't both with Newquay - the beaches are lovely but the town is just horrible. Instead, head for the area north of Land's end - the pub at gurnard's head is just what you are looking for, and Sennen, about 3 miles along the coast from Land's End is lovely.

May 11th - not sure what ferries/flights are avalable on this day, but IMHO a better plan is to fly on the helicopter from Penzance to Tresco, spend the morning there exploring the island and the sub-tropical gardens, THEN get the boat to st. Mary's [which isn't the most exciting place in the world!] and take the ferry or flight back to PZ.

May 12 - you are cramming a lot into this day. i would suggest driving to Falmouth via Helston [Porthleven is nice but not special] get the ferry over to st. Mawes, and have lunch at the Tresanton - mentioned by another poster - or at a pub, if you pocket is less deep than that requries. you could then explore St. Mawes, perhaps walking up to St. Just, or get the tiny ferry to Piece and walk out to st. Anthony's Head, with its fabulous view over the Carrick Roads. Then carry onto Fowey - it'll take you about 1-1/2 hours to drive from Falmouth to Fowey.

May 13 - DO NOT spend your time going to Bodmin. sorry, but despite the efforts of the local tourist board, it's a dump. and teh moor is nothing special compared with Dartmoor.

instead, spend your day in Fowey. From what you say, I think you would like the "Hall Walk". from Fowey, you take the Boddinnick ferry over to the other side of the estuary, and walk south along the pretty well-marked footpaths to Polruan, where there are a couple of pubs to have lunch and a cafe or two for tea, and then catch another ferry back to Fowey. [that's the best way round to do it, IMHO, as you end up in the place with the greatest number of refreshment options!] there is also a very nice garden there called the Headland, which may be open.

hope this helps,

regards, ann

PS - It just occurred to me that your visit co-incides with the Daphne du Maurier festival in Fowey which is on the week you are there - see http://www.dumaurierfestival.co.uk/

so if you want to stay there, you would need to book your accommodation pretty soon.

Wow! Thanks, Ann, for your comprehensive response. I am going to print it out and hilite all the wonderful suggestions. It is good to know that I am more or less on the right track. I really appreciate all your help. It looks like it's going to be a fantastic trip. I can't wait

Hi Yelpir - What route are you planning from Taunton? I recommend the coastal route via Dunster/Porlock. The approach to Lynmouth on this route is very scenic, with great views on the descent to Lynmouth.

Don't miss Dunster and Selworthy (- National Trust village of thatched cottages) - both worth a stop.

The Watersmeet walk is very pleasant - but if you only have time for one hike in the Lynmouth area I highly recommend the 'Valley of the Rocks' walk from Lynton (- some of the best coastal views in England).

Clovelly makes a nice lunch stop en route to Tintagel, I think.

In Dartmouth don't miss the Dartmouth-Totnes boat ride (- Agatha Christie country). You can return by bus/steam train via Paignton/Kingswear.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

P.S. Are you sure the Scilly Isles is worth the expense just for a day trip?

This isn't my manor.

But you're driving round Cornwall on May 8, and not diverting to see the Helston Furry Dance. Now Annhig might say it's not worth the bother, or that the place is so packed you need to arrive on May 7 to park.

But you should at least consider it. Any event that's inspired Terry Wogan, the McDougalls flour ads and the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band is clearly a major world cultural insitution.

Steve_James: Great stuff, Steve. I have made a note of Dunster, Selworthy and Porlock. Selworthy sounds like just the sort of place I'm looking for. I have a commission from a friend in Australia to take a picture of a lovely cottage that she can frame and hang on her wall. Perhaps I will find just the right thing there.
I have in mind to do both the Watersmeet walk and the Valley of the Rocks walk but, if I can't fit both in, I will be sure to do the Valley of the Rocks one. Do you start the walk straight from Lynton (after taking the cliff rail up from Lynmouth) or do you have to drive and then park somewhere first?
I have also made a note of the Dartmouth-Totnes boat ride. It is just this kind of thing that I am looking for. Thank you so much.
Yes, I am beginning to wonder about the wisdom of the Scilly Isles trip. I think it is just a romantic notion that I have had for more years than I can remember. It has always struck me as somewhere that one has to go once in one's life (like the Shetlands, north of Scotland). I am very worried that the whole thing will be a huge anticlimax and I will be very disappointed. On the other hand, if I don't go I will probably kick myself for not having gone. It is a quandry.

flanneruk: I have never heard of the Helston Furry Dance but you have peeked my curiosity. I will look into it, thanks.

Now you know why I like to be able to edit my posts.
Peeked = piqued
I saw it as soon as I hit the Submit button

The walk starts within a few hundred yards of the top of the funicular if I remember rightly (- we went by car).

But I suggest you go up by car too - then you can drive along the coastal lane from Valley of the Rocks. It's a lovely drive - then you can backtrack and park where you want for your walk.

I'm sure you'll find your thatched cottage photo in Selworthy or nearby

Some views

http://www.pbase.com/moorlands/exmoor_charming_villages_and_rugged_beauty_

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/selworthy/show/

HEEEEELP!!
I am having a huge problem trying to find accommodation in Fowey. Is there anywhere else nearby where I might have better luck?

Steve_James: Thanks for the info, Steve, and for the links

hi yelpir,

dealing with your queries in a random order, sorry you can't find anywhere in fowey. It's that darn festival I warned you about. You might try Lostwithiel, Polperro, or Looe. Otherwise, i would scrub fowey altogether, and spend longer in Falmouth/St. Mawes area.

the Scilies - who said to miss them out? - go and wash your mouth out now! If you've never beento the scilies you have missed a treat, particularly the "off-islands" [ie NOT st. Mary's] which is why I suggest going to Tresco. indeed you could miss st.Mary's out and just do Tresco and St. Agnes [the next-door island] were it not for your desire to get the ferry back to PZ ,for which of course you have to get back to st.Mary's. if you are prepared to get the 'copter both ways, you can cut st. Mary's out altogether.

the only snag is that the islands aren't much fun in wind and rain, but my recollection is that you can cancel the ferry up to an hour in advance with no cancellation fee- or you could last time we went.

the furry Dance - I hadn't twigged the date and of course, May 8th is Flora Day. AS i've never been [DH has, he lived to tell the tale but only just] I can't comment from personal experience, but getting there early would be a GOOD idea. here's a link to s web-site with some helpful details -

http://www.cornishlight.co.uk/may-day-floral-dance.htm

you'll see that the first dance is at 7am!! i bet that tune starts to pall by midday, but no-one cares as they are all drunk on spingo. [ale brewed at local pub called the Blue Anchor, which would be a spit and sawdust pub if they could find the sawdust]. here's another link:

http://www.spingoales.com/

don't say that you don't get an education on Fodors.

finally, I like Steve's ideas, apart from lunch in Clovelly - I have an unreasoning prejudice about a village that charges you to go in. Instead, go a bit further along the coast to Hartland point, where the north coast meets the west coast. the pub food is awful, but the beer's OK and the cliffs are fantastic.

hope this helps,

regards, ann

Hi Ann. Your kind feedback is, as always, extremely helpful

I think I was limiting my search in Fowey too much. I was basically going by TripAdvisor which does not have many listings for Fowey. Having widened the search I have found a lot of possibilities in the area around Fowey (especially Par). Of course, I still may not find any vacancies, but at least I now have a lot of places to ask.

The reason I was winding up on St Mary's was that I found a nice cheap trip that would pick me up in Penzance, take me to Land's End, fly me to St Mary's and let me come back on the ferry to Penzance; no problems with parking/fetching cars. I think I can probably get a local boat from St Mary's to Tresco and/or St Agnes. I will have a look at the logistics of driving to Land's End, parking, taking the helicopter to Tresco, getting local boats to St Agnes and back to St Mary's, getting the ferry back to Penzance and then, somehow, getting my car back from Land's End (maybe there's a bus to Land's End so that I don't have to take my car down there?)

Yes, I guess bad weather would scupper the whole plan. I'm hoping not to have to make plane/helicopter/ferry bookings until the very last minute. That way, if the weather is lousy, I won't go. I don't get seasick, so a rough ferry trip back wouldn't bother me. A helicopter/small plane in a storm is another matter.

Is the Furry/Floral Dance the one mentioned in that grand old song "The Floral Dance"?

Check. Hartland Point has been added to the itinerary. However, I will probably still pop into Clovelly (even though I will have to pay) because, from my 40 year old recollection, it is a pretty little village.

Many thanks

Ann - I washed my mouth out

I think Clovelly's worth the entrance charge - it's unique.

Steve

Hi Yelpir

sorry i wasn't clear - the helicopter goes from PENZANCE!!!

so no need to get to Land's End at all. I'd assumed as you were already talking about it you knew this - silly me.

Here's the link:

http://www.islesofscillyhelicopter.com/page/home.html

the ferry port and helicopter pad are at different ends of town but it's a 20 minute walk or 5 minute drive between the two. if there's a storm or mist the 'copter doesn't fly. they do get booked up so last minute is not a good option if you really want to go - cancelling at last linute with fullrefund would be better IMO but that's up to you.

<<Is the Furry/Floral Dance the one mentioned in that grand old song "The Floral Dance"?>>

yep is sure is. Hence my remark about its palling by midday.

Par as an alternative to Fowey? - possibly, but it's not much to write home about. there a lot of B&Bs in the area, Farmstays, etc. etc.

try www.visitcornwall.com for a comprehensive list of local accommodation.

glad you like the idea of Hartland point,

regards, ann

hi steve,

hope the taste has subsided! what did you use?

Actually Clovelly isn't as unique as you'd think. A little further east along the coast is a place called Buck's Mill that isn't dissimilar - pretty cottages leading down to the sea. the difference is that it wasn't discovered and has therefore faded into obscurity.

But I do agree that clovelly is worth a look. the situation has led to some resourceful ways of dealing with everyday problems - for example, they used to [and still may] collect the rubbish in that same way that they did in Appledore - using mats or sledges. And the donkeys are not just decorative. unlike ours.

regards, ann

Ann - I find alcohol's the best disinfectant
Hey - you have DONKEYS?? Where's that? The curiosity's killing me ...

Yelpir - I second Ann's suggestion - if not Fowey, try Polperro or Looe.

Steve

P.S NB - Porlock Hill is very steep (- 1 in 4 in places) - 1st gear's best from the bottom

Hi Steve,

our donkeys reside with us [actually their stable is the other end of the converted Barn we rent out to tourists, leading me to joke on occasion that they are the only guests with "ensuite" donkeys] near St. Day in darkest west Cornwall. really it's nearest to Redruth, but estate agents tend to describe it as being "equidistant from Truro and Falmouth".

a propos the furry dance in Helston, St. Day has its own Feast Day in June with dancing in and out of the houses, and its own tune played by the village silver band. So far as i know, St. Day and Helston are the only places where this tradition persists, but the Helston one is the only one anyone knows about, St. Day being very "unsexy" as evidenced by the local estate agents.

Where are you?

regards, ann

What do people think of Cockington village which is sort of between Paignton and Torquay? I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet. I think it is worth a visit.

I recently enjoyed exploring Looe, Totnes and Brixham so I can add to the recommendations for those towns. I found the Dartmoor Prison museum in Princetown quite interesting too. We had several lovely meals at the Flagship on the sea front in Paignton (the decor is lovely too). Also had a very nice meal in Totnes at The Royal Seven Stars in Totnes which is beautifully decorated with lovely old furniture. The hotel has an interesting history too. It's in walking distance from the boat dock.
I also visited Torre Abbey in Torquay which I found very interesting.
Your trip sounds wonderful and I am sure you will have great time.

Should I go direct from Ilfracombe to Barnstaple or detour via Braunton?

My road atlas rates the B3230 between Ilfracombe and Barnstaple as 'scenic' while it does not give that rating to the A361 from Ilfracombe to Braunton.

Is it worth driving down to Porlock Weir? My map says there is toll to go down there.

Is it worth driving down to Lizard Point from Helston, or should I give it a miss?

Hi Yelpir,

1. can't help re Porlock weir.

2. Don't bother with Braunton. [i'm not that fussed about Ilfrcombe either, but the road may be pleasant].

3. The Lizard is very weird, IMHO, a world apart. rather than go to Lizard point, the footpath aroung Cape Cornwall is spectacular, as are Cadgewith and Coverack. If you're going anywhere on the Lizard, go there.

regards, ann

AnnAussie: Many thanks. I will look into Cockington and the other places you mentioned.

annhig: Once again, thanks for your help. I don't intend stopping in Ilfracombe. It just happens to be on the road that I am using A town has to be pretty special for me to spend time in it. I am usually more about the countryside between the towns than I am about the towns themselves. Of course, picturesque little villages are a different story. Those I definitely stop and wander through. For example, I will be passing through Plymouth but I will stick to the highway and drive straight on through without stopping.
Thanks for the tip on The Lizard. I will look into Cape Cornwall, Cadgewith and Coverack.

Yelpir - It's been a few years, but I don't remember Porlock Weir being anything special. The toll - if I remember - is for a private lane from Porlock Weir up to the main road (- thus avoiding Porlock Hill).

If you're looking for picturesque, the area around Noss Mayo/ Newton Ferrers is pretty. Also Bolt Head above Salcombe has one of the best coastal views in England.

Ann - I'm in Somerset (- near Bath). En suite donkeys? Lovely thought ...

Steve

Hi All

Sorry, Ann and Steve, I just noticed that my last post got lost somehow. I mentioned there that I was going to skip Lizard peninsular and that I would be checking out Noss Mayo/Newton Ferrers and Bolt Head. Thanks.

Now I have another question: Do I need a full day in the Isles of Scilly or can I come back early to Penzance and do St Michael's Mount the same day? If I do the helicopter trip to Scilly, I can be back in Penzance by 4:00pm. Does that give me enough time to climb St Michael's Mount before nightfall ((11 May)? Do I need to find out about tides in case I get cut off?

hi yelpir,

here's a link to a website which will give you times of hig or low tide up to 28 days ni advance - so too early for 11th May as yet!

http://www.pol.ac.uk/ntslf/tides/?port=0001

you do need to know about tides, but you won't usually be able to climb St. Michaels mount at night - it's usually closed. here's the link:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-stmichaelsmount/

you would be able to walk over to the island if it's low tide - there's a window of about 5 hours when the causeway is clear but there's not a whole load to see. but the mount itself is well worth looking at - you can get some lovely views of it from Penzance and from Marzion. there would be enough time to go and see it [though probably not go round it] if you get back from the Scillies by 4pm. But you could always go and have a look at it the next morning - I wouldn't cut short a trip to the scillies in order to see St. Michael's mount. anyway - you'll see it from the helicopter!

regards, ann

Hi again,

the programme for the festival has now been announced - here's the link.

http://www.dumaurierfestival.co.uk/

booking starts Monday 9th March.

regards, ann

Coises! I lost my post again. That will teach me to start typing when there is a Fodors back-up coming up. Let's try again.

Thanks Ann
I intend trying to get sunrise and sunset photos of St Michael's Mount from various vantage points. I just thought it might be fun to walk out to the island via the causeway if I could catch a low tide. I also thought that I would climb the mount up to the castle without actually going into the castle, just for the experience. I guess a lot would depend on how early it gets dark and how soon the tide comes in.

If I don't actually go out to St Michael's Mount, it would give me more time on Tresco, as I could take a later helicopter back to the mainland. I was surprised to read that they expect you to check in for the helicopter flights 45 minutes before take-off. If one only has cabin luggage, this seems excessive and could put a serious crimp in the amount of time available for exploring Tresco.
Do you have any idea how much of St Michael's Mount one can visit without going into the castle gardens?

hi yelpir,

sadly very little of the Mount is accessible unless the Nat Trust part is open as we discovered about 2 weeks ago when we attempted to show a friend round it, and found it securely SHUT.

so you'd be better off staying on terra firma and taking your pics from there, unless it's open.

I agree that the check-in time for the Tresco flights seems ludicrously long. perhaps they get a lot of no shows and they try to maximise the load by taking others who've turned up early? anyway it's a very small airport - even smaller than the one we took off from for the Westerman islands on Iceland. It is literally just one hut. you could probably cut it to 30 mins, but do you want to run the risk?

as your main interest is in taking sunrise and sunset pics of the Mount, and it'll be May, I'd opt for longer on Tresco [you won't be going there again, will you] and take my chances with the Mount. as well as the gardens [a good 2 hours' worth especially if you like photography] you can walk round the island to the island hotel which has fabulous views over the sea, then round to the "New Inn" and harbour area. to explore properly would take most of a day and longer if you want to go across to St. Agnes and back.

hope this helps,

regards, ann

I think that you should leave out the Isles of Scilly - you won't have time to explore them properly (you need a week for that) and they can get very busy, especially if a rare bird is spotted.

Here are some villages around the Lizard Peninsula that I love visiting: Helford, Mawgan, Cadgwith, The Lizard (Church Cove and along the coast path to Cadgwith, also Kynance Cove) Mullion (including Church Cove and Poldhu beach) St Anthony, Poltesco Beach, Loe Bar (near Helston). I agree that as you arrive at the new part of The Lizard, it looks rather like a frontier town. However, this is where real Cornish people now live. Try a walk down to Church Cove or along the coast to Kynance.

Dartmouth is quite an expensive place to stay and it attracts rather wealthy people. Totnes is cheaper, less touristy and more accessible, while still having plenty of interest (although some of it is rather alternative). Another place to stay is the Tower Inn at Slapton

Thank you for your responses and helpful info

annhig: Ok, I will rush around on the mainland trying to find the best angles for St Michael's Mount at both sunrise and sunset and forget about going out there
Studying the helicopter website, it seems they show a safety video before take off, so I guess that takes up some of the time. I have managed to find a B&B within walking distance of the heliport and arranged early breakfast and parking, so I should be able to arrive at the heliport 45 minutes before the first flight of the day. I will also take the last helicopter back to Penzance, so that should increase my time on Tresco to about 6 hours. I don't think the boats to St Agnes run often enough for me to do both Tresco and St Agnes in one day. If I run out of things to see on Tresco before my time is up, I will look for a boat ride that enables me to at least see some of the other islands from the water. I still need to look into sunrise/sunset times for Cornwall in May.

Londonres: I hear what you are saying. I think it is unlikely that I will ever get another opportunity to visit the Isles of Scilly (I live in South Africa) so, if I'm ever going to do it, I need to do it now. I realise how hopelessly inadequate one day is, but it's all the time that I can spare. If I don't go there now I will probably regret it afterwards.
Thanks for the info on the Lizard Peninsular. I will do some timings to see if I can fit it in.
I am definitely discovering how expensive Dartmouth is. Most of the B&Bs I've looked at are out of my price range. Thanks for the tip on Totnes. I am researching accommodation there at the moment and finding it a bit cheaper than Dartmouth. I will add the Tower Inn to my list of possibles. I have been thinking that a farm stay might be nice so I'll also look for one in the area.

It took me awhile to find a B&B in Fowey but I managed, so that one is now in the bag. Once I find something in the Dartmouth area I am all set

hi yelpir,

I like the Tresco plan and had forgotten about the safety film. there has only been one accident in 40 years if that's a help!

here's a link to a website that gives you sunrise and sunset times -

http://www.britishinformation.com/sunrise-and-sunset-times/

you need to add I hour as they are in GMT.

therefore, on 11th May, sunrise will be at about 05.25 and sunset at 20.47.

regards, ann

BTW, well done on getting your Fowey B&B.

as well as the daily offerings at the festival [Roger McGough and Marcus Brigstock on Tues 12th May i think] there are concerts, river trips and guided walks.

booking opens on Monday and for the most popular offerings, you have to get in quick!

regards, ann

Thanks ann

Wow! Lovely long evenings but I'll have to get up with the sparrows to catch that sunrise

Those offerings at the festival look interesting. I will have to look into them. Thanks.

you may need to allow a few minutes extra for the fact that we are further west than London. so add 5 mins onto each time, I think. A

Thanks Ann.

Well, I now have a choice between a nice B&B in Dartmouth and another nice B&B in Totnes and I have to decide which one to book.

My main consideration at the moment is my journey to Taunton on the final day (Saturday May 16th). I have to reach Taunton by about 11:30am in order to turn in my rental car before they close at midday and allow time for them to drop me off at the bus station to catch my coach back to Heathrow at 1:00pm.

The AA route planner, when programmed for Dartmouth to Taunton, keeps telling me that I should cross the Dart by vehicle ferry and go up the A380 to the M5. It tells me that my total journey time is 1h 23m. I am nervous that it is not taking into account the time spent waiting for the ferry, embarking and then disembarking. My experience of ferries is that they can be very time consuming.

My personal preference was to stay west of the Dart and head for the A38 via Totnes in order to avoid the ferry.

If I leave Dartmouth at 9:30am, that would give me 2 hours to get to Taunton. That looks tight, but doable if nothing goes wrong. If I spend the night at Totnes, I get a headstart in the morning by shaving some time off the journey to Taunton.

I guess my question is: Can I do Dartmouth to Taunton in 2 hours if I take the ferry across the Dart and go the way the AA route planner suggests?

A secondary question would be: Would 2 nights in Dartmouth be nicer than 2 nights in Totnes?

hi yelpir,

i tried to look up the travel time from Dartmouth to Taunton on www.viamichelin.com but it wouldn't co-operate. perhaps you'll have more success. I opted for "quickest" route.

I reckon it should take you about 2 hours, give or take, from dartmouth, and 1 1/2 from totnes. if you left Dartmouth at 9am you'd be pretty safe; leave any earlier, and you'll just hit the rush-hour traffic which around Torquay [the AA route, I think] can be horrendous.

personally I'd much prefer 2 nights in Dartmouth than 2 in Totnes; you could I suppose spend one in Dartmouth and the 2nd in Exeter - it's a nice old town and the cathedral is beautiful, but getting out of it in th emroning might not be fun due to the traffic again. somewhere in northern Dartmoor would get you closer to Taunton too and if it was close to the motorway, cut down on traffic problems.

here's my favourite place on the moor, just 5 mins drive off the M5 - www.thetors.co.uk - not uch to look at but the position is great and the beer and cider [both on draght] are good too.

regards, ann

regards, ann

Hi Ann
You win my AHP (Amazingly Helpful Person) Award

I have tried the AA Route Planner, the viamichelin site and the RAC Route Planner. They ALL seem to think there's a bridge across the Dart at Dartmouth. Even the Google maps show bridges rather than ferries, so I reckon the satnav systems would get it wrong as well. I'm sure it's all a plot to make me miss my coach in Taunton

Researching on the web, I have discovered that the High Ferry is currently closed because they are introducing a new boat and need to widen the quay. It was originally scheduled to come back into service this week but now they are simply saying "in the summer". The Low Ferry takes you into the middle of Kingswear and you then have to find your way out to the north.

I imagine that, with the High Ferry out of commission, the queues for the Low Ferry must be long, so that whole route is fraught with peril. All the Route Planners allow only a couple of minutes to get out of Dartmouth to the north (assuming a bridge). I suspect that it would take a LOT longer relying on the Low Ferry. I think I will play it safe and head for Totnes and the A38.

I think if I can get from Dartmouth to Totnes in 30 mins and from Totnes to Taunton in 90 minutes, it should be safe for me to spend my two nights in Dartmouth and leave at 9:00am on the 16th to drive from there to Taunton.

I looked up The Tors website, but they don't publish their tariff. I think I will take up the offer from The Maitland in Dartmouth for the 2 nights.

Thanks so much for all your help. You're a star

hi yelpir,

oooh, an award. I'd like to than everyone who helped me, my parents, my teachers, my children...I'm so happy. I practised in front of the mirror with the soap...will you be mailing my award to me?

Trying to keep up the good work, I didn't remember this bridge either [albeit we last went to Dartmouth some time ago!] so I got out my copy of "Devon town centre maps" [not the most recent, if I'm honest] and my ordnance survey [pink] map of the area and, guess what? - no bridge.

I don't know what route all these "experts" take you on, but I would be inclined to take the A3122 out of town, then right onto the A381 and then the A385/A384 towards the A38. and I might also be inclined to leave Dartmouth at 8.30, contrary to what I said above. It's mostly lanes and little roads and you only need to get stuck behind a load of cows to get behind! [so to speak].

sorry the Tors don't give any tariff on their web-site. I don't like places that do that [or rather do't do that] either. the maitland looks a good choice - i hope they live up to their blurb. where are you staying in Fowey and PZ? we will be in Fowey on May 12, attending the festival but only in the day - we'll be leaving just as you arrive. Shame!

regards, ann

I enjoyed my brief stay in Marazion. As a bonus you have great views of St. Michael's Mount, it's right there. Easy access to Penzance, Land's End, and so on.

http://www.marazion.net/

Ann's right, Yelpir - definitely no bridge. I too would leave earlier than 09.00 to be on the safe side.

Steve

Hi Ann

Thanks for the advice regarding the route out of Dartmouth. From my map that looked like the best way to go, but I had no clue about the roads. Knowing now that I could get stuck behind a herd of cows, I will take your advice and leave a bit earlier.

I am surprised that Google maps show bridges instead of ferries in Dartmouth. The only reason that I can come up with is that their route making programs get fooled by ferries. For example, if you ask for a route that includes Falmouth and St Mawes, the route they give you takes you round the inland route instead of across the Carrick Roads by ferry.

The Maitland gets good reviews on TripAdvisor, with no bad ones. A big selling point is that they have parking. It was a choice between them and The Great Grubb in Totnes (a LOT cheaper and also with good reviews). I decided to dig deep into the pockets in order to be able to wander around Dartmouth in the evenings. I didn't think that there would be that much to do of an evening in Totnes.

In Penzance I will be staying at the Bay Lodge B&B. I chose them because they have off-street parking and are within walking distance of the heliport for my day on Tresco.

In Fowey I'm staying at Dawns B&B. It has four stars and off-street parking. I don't know a lot about this one.

In Tintagel I have booked at The Avalon Guest House. It has good reviews and off-street parking.

In Lynmouth I will be staying at Riverside Cottage. Downside is that they don't have parking and it's a considerable walk to the nearest car park. Upside is that the rooms have balconies overlooking the river. I sort of fancied the idea of sitting on my balcony with a nice glass of cider, listening to the river gurgling by. Of course, bad weather could put a damper on that little dream but that's life.

Sorry that we will be passing each other like ships in the night at Fowey. I hope that you enjoy the festival

Hi flygirl. From what I've seen, Marazion looks very nice. I was tempted to stay there but Penzance won out because of the proximity to the heliport. I will definitely pop into Marazion to get a good look at St Michael's Mount and walk out onto the causeway if the tide is out.

Ah, sorry Steve. Our posts crossed
Thanks for the advice.

Hi yelpir,

had a look at your B&Bs - all look pretty good - I'll be interested in your feedback as sometimes visitors ask us for B&B recommendations and as we live in cornwall we tend not to have any!

strangely, Totnes is not likely to be a desert at night - it is a centre of "alternative culture" and therefore hopping most of the time, so I gather. but Dartmouth should be lively too.

<<For example, if you ask for a route that includes Falmouth and St Mawes, the route they give you takes you round the inland route instead of across the Carrick Roads by ferry.>>

you are of course referring to the "King Hairy Fairy" as it's known in our house [King Harry Ferry to normal folks] names after King Henry VIII who started the building of the great fortress of Pendennis Castle that overlooks Carrick Roads from the Falmouth side. about 3 years ago the old ferry was replaced with a nice new one that takes twice as many vehicles and has really cut down the queues. it's a bit noisy though - our choir sang at its launch and no-one could hear us for the din!

it's a shame that it doesn't show up on google as it does cut a lot of time off the journey. if you use it, look out for the "folks" who overlook the dock - the old bloke sitting on the bench and the chap on the bridge of the ferry and say Hi to them - they won't answer back!

regards, ann

PS - you might be interested in a choir that is singing at the Fowey festival called the Blagovest ensemble - we saw them last year and they were just terrific.

Hi Ann

I will give you feedback on the B&Bs that I stay in. I'm hoping that they will be good because I researched them pretty thoroughly.

I will be taking the "King Hairy Fairy", as you call it. I actually love ferries. To me they add to the romance of the journey. The fact that we don't have any here might have something to do with it.

I will look out for the Blagovest Ensemble and try to hear them when I am in Fowey.

Thanks

Yelpir, we took the King Harry Ferry in May 2000 and visited the nearby garden, then on to St. Just in Roseland which was a quaint beautiful little place. If you do that, walk through the old churchyard.

hi hoping,

the ferry has been replaced since th one you were on [only the third vessel in 100 years] but the route is stil the same as is St. Just churchyard, which is maintained by volunteers, and full of sub-tropical plants. the gardens you refer to are the National Trust gardens at Trelissik, which are very lovely too.

yelpir - do look out for the "blokes" on the ferry then!

regards, ann

Both the lower ferry and the higher ferry in Dartmouth route you towards the same direction--you just have to drive through Kingswear to head to Torquay. If you're headed to Trelissik Gardens (fabulous)-they are midway between the two ferries. There is a stellar walk actually from or too Dartmouth where you can do a circular walk through Trellisk but it's probably a bit nicer (and more downhill) to be dropped off (hitch a ride from someone on the Higher Ferry up the hill towards the gardens) at the entrance to Trelissick, enjoy the house and grounds (and cafe) and then head down the road towards the sea and the SW Coastal Path which eventually brings you to Kingswear and the Lower Ferry.

Note--The Floating Bridge pub (at Dartmouth side of Higher Ferry) has great panorama seating on its roof--or just sit by the river with a good beer or fine lunch. Especially intriguing when the ambulance is loaded and travels by itself. This has to be one of the most beautiful places in the UK in spring....

hi opus,

I think you've got your ferries and gardens a bit mixed up - Trelissik is in Cornwall, near the King Hary Ferry - see above.

i don't know of the garden you are clearly thinking of in the Dartmouth [Devon] area.

regards, ann

Yup, and thanks Ann--I do apologize--how funny that my head saw where I was but my brain operated very simply on next-to-ferry. Please sub Coleton Fishacres (NT) for Trelissick! These lovely gardens include the gem of an arts and crafts house in summer--the home of the D'oyly Carte theatrical family. There is also a nicely located cafe, good for stocking up on water and sandwiches for the long walk back to Kingswear. There is actually a very Trelissickally (!) feel to the Coleton Fishacres grounds as they wander down to the point--and the sea but they are not nearly as grand as Trelissick.