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/exmoo...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