historytraveler

When I started this trip report, I assumed most people knew about Rabbies. Obviously, I was wrong (with references to Rabbis and Rabbits . I thought I should make a few more comments about the company before I begin on our itinerary of Devon and Cornwall. With headquarters in Edinburgh, they have tours departing form either Glasgow or Edinburgh. Rabbies also do tours departing from London and Dublin. They do a great many one day trips but offer 3, 5, and even 7 day tours. There are a couple of tours that you can link up with and make your trip even longer.

Rabbies is noted for their small group tours with no more than 16 passengers. There were 13 on this particular tour, 5 couples which included a 16 year old Austrian girl (probably the most mature 16 year old I've met ) and her aunt who I'm guessing was in her late thirties. There was a delightful couple in their 80's from New Zealand who took pleasure in everything and who were a joy to be with. They never stopped smiling and were well aware of their capabilities. We never had to wait on them. A couple from France...got to practice my French and a young Japanese girl in her 20's. The rest of our group ranged in age from mid 50's to early 70's. We all got along famously . A very congenial group. I like traveling solo, but it was nice spending some time with other people and sharing our travel experiences.

The website for Rabbies is www.rabbies.com

Let me know if you have any further questions. Next up will be an itinerary assuming I can remember it all and a note about my accommodations.

Saraho

Thanks, sounds like a very interesting tour.

latedaytraveler

Still on board...

historytraveler

Rabbies: Cornwall and Devon A Magical Land of Legends

Day 1 London to Exeter with stops at Winchester, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door.

We departed from the Victoria Station Coach Terminal at 9:00 a.m. Rabbies provided excellent directions and our mini coach was there by 9:00 and we departed a few minutes later. Dave our driver pointed out a number of sights en route to Winchester including the fact that we crossed the Thames three times. I've spent a lot of time in Winchester on various visits. It is one of my favorite places, so I had a pretty good idea as to what places I wanted to see and how to maximize my two hours. Dave did go over the most important places and they just happen to match my itinerary. Clever man! He dropped us at the Westgate and gave everyone a map and told us to meet him at Alfred's ( the Great ) statue at the opposite end of High Street in two hours. Yea for the independent travel part. Loved being on my own.

I gave the Great Hall a quick look and l then literally ran up the stone steps on the Westgate Tower. Dave had commented on the view. Well, this was probably the only case in which Dave was overly enthusiastic. Not much of a view but I like going up old stone stairs and hadn't been up Westgate before. I then headed down High Street noting that little had changed since my last visit some 7 years ago. I knew I needed to keep at a steady pace to fit everything in, so next on my list was the cathedral.

Winchester happens to be one of my favorite cathedrals, and I was hoping to visit the crypt and the 12 th century wall paintings. Unfortunately, the crypt closed just as I got my ticket. Drat! The wall paintings, however, never fail to enchant me. They're lovely. The 13th. century medieval tiles are also a favorite. No matter how many times I visit a cathedral, I always find something new, something beautiful. Last time at was in the cathedral I was lucky to see its cathedral cat. However, no cat this time. I don't think they care much for tourists.

I had very quick bite in the cathedral cafe and walked their gift shop determined not to be tempted into any more purchases. Then I walked around the south side near Jane Austen's house and the Wykeham Arms. The Wykeham Arms is one of my favorite pubs but it's much more than a pub. Highly recommend a stop for lunch, dinner or drink. Excellent and quintessentially English. There are a nice few shops in this area, and I couldn't resist a stop in the print shop. Books and prints are my great weakness. I have been looking for old map of England and/ or Scotland. Unfortunately or fortunately ( I have prints I haven't framed yet ) the owner was on the phone, and I didn't have time to wait. Still looking. I passed Wolvesey Castle and, although, I've been there several times, I couldn't resist a short visit. No one else about, so I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what it would have been like in the 12 th century.

Now I was next to the River Itchen which I think makes for the loveliest spot in Winchester although Keats Walk through the water meadows to St. Cross is also very nice. My walk along the Itchen was the perfect ending to my tour of Winchester. Beautiful, quiet, absolutely the best.

susan001

Hi historytraveler -- a good beginning to your TR. The author Jane Austen is buried in Winchester Cathedral, and wish I could have visited. I've done tours in the past. It does alleviate the stress of getting from A to B. This past summer I drove a rental car all over England, including Cornwall.. It was quite an experience, and I adapted fairly quickly to the driving. I would like to spend 10 days driving around Devon and Cornwall (I was in Fowey just 2 nights), so I look forward to reading more of your report!

vanne

So glad I decided to check in to your trip report -- I love the idea of this tour company combining group touring with independent travel. Exactly what my husband and I need as neither of us want to try driving in the UK.

historytraveler

Day 1 con't. Along the Jurassic Coast: Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door

Shortly after leaving Salisbury we got caught in a traffic jam that would delay our arrival in Exerter by several hours. If I had been driving I would have been absolutely frazzled. Dave seemed unperturbed just passing on local information and giving us a short but lucid lesson on the geology of the Dorset coast. At Lulworth Cove thatched cottages seem to rival with the ubiquitous gift shops but it was a pleasant and very popular spot. I spent about 20 minutes in the small museum and tried to add to Dave's geology lesson. It is one of my many and varied interests. The museum displays were well organized but several million years of geology is a lot to comprehend. We didn't have a lot of time and most had headed straight to the small beach or wandered through the gift shops. The ice cream vendors were popular too. The cove is very pretty with steep cliffs offering shelter from both waves and wind and many were taking advantage of the hot day by swimming. It was tempting and I would have had a go too if there had been more time and I had a swimsuit.

Durdle Door is virtually around the corner. Dave warned us that the main path was very steep going down and even steeper coming back up. I think all of our group chose the shorter path which still gave good views. Not me. Dave, as usual was right. It was steep. It was tempting not to jog down, but I knew if I did I'd probably end up face down on the path. At the bottom, I was so glad I had taken the steeper route. It got me much closer to the ' Door' and views were fabulous. Durdle Door is about 150 million years old, a stone arch that plunges into the sea. There were beaches on both sides but not as many bathers as at Lulworth...too difficult to access. After nearly taking my fill of breathtaking views, I climbed back up and, yes, it seemed considerably steeper. I never had to stop but that was only by sheer determination. I had earned a ice cream, unfortunately no vendors at the top.

It took another hour to get to Exeter. With all the traffic we were delayed several hours, but we did get to see everything on the day's itinerary. A good day.

latedaytraveler

HISTORYTRAVELER,

"If I had been driving I would have been absolutely frazzled. Dave seemed unperturbed just passing on local information and giving us a short but lucid lesson on the geology of the Dorset coast."

Sounds like a beautiful day...

ellenem

Interested in how this turns out . . .

historytraveler

Well, so much for keeping this succinct. I think I'll tighten it up a bit or else it'll take about as long to write this TR as it did to make the trip.

Day 2. If our first day was sunny and very warm, Tuesday started off a tad cooler with the hint of rain in the air. After leaving Exeter, it doesn't take long to enter Dartmoor National Park. Our first stop was at Widecomb- in- the - Moor. A very pleasant village with a number of pretty 15 th century buildings but , perhaps, best known for its Norman church usually referred to as the Cathedral of the Moor. We visited the church and were intrigued by the 17 th century tale of fire and brimstone when the during a storm a pinnacle from the roof fell onto the church killing several parishioners. Of course, the devil was to blame supposedly in search of souls.

Our tour through Dartmoor was replete with stone circles, ponies, sheep and tors ( a hill or Rocky out crop). The moor can be both bleak and beautiful, a wild place conjuring images of Doyle's " The Hound of the Baskervilles" and, yet, at times appear quite tranquil with streams running through green pasture land.

Our next stop was at Postbridge to see it's Clapper Bridge. A Clapper bridge is composed of granite slabs supported by stone piers or sometimes simply laid across a stream. Their purpose was to enable pack horses from the tin mines to more easily carry their cargo across the streams. The one at Postbridge is 13 th century. After photo opportunities and purchasing post cards, hot tea in take away cups at the shop we continued across the moor and onto Tavistock.

Shortly after we left Postbridge, the sun came out and it was once again a glorious day. When we arrived at Tavistock, Dave circled the town letting us know where the interesting sights were as well as places to eat. He highly recommended Devonshire Tea at a nearby hotel, but I've had a number of Devonshire Teas so decided to try one of the cafés he pointed out. The place was not exactly oozing charm but was crowded with locals which is usually a good sign. When I saw Welsh Rarebit ( not rabbit ) on the menu, I was sold. Welsh Rarebit is one of my favorite dishes although it's hard to find a really good one. This one was very good.

Tavistock is an ancient market town at the southwest corner of Dartmoor Park situated next to the River Tavy from which it gets it's name. As usual Dave dropped us off and told us where and when to meet him. After lunch, I visited the Pannier Market. The place was filled with crafts and antiques. I enjoyed wandering around looking at everything. I saw several items I really liked but none would have fit into my suitcase. I did a decent job of exploring the town along with a nice walk along the River. I had hoped to see more of the abbey since it was a major Benedictine Abby during the Middle Ages having been founded in AD 974 but, unfortunately, all that remains of this once great Abbey is just a few stones.

I finally succumbed to my ice cream craving ( the Cornish have excellent ice cream ) and spent my last few moments in Tavistock sitting on a bench with that delicious ice cream cone. We arrived back in Exeter in plenty of time to explore the town and attend evensong. Great day!

annhig

Our first stop was at Widecomb- in- the - Moor. A very pleasant village with a number of pretty 15 th century buildings but , perhaps, best known for its Norman church usually referred to as the Cathedral of the Moor. >>

i think that it's even more famous because of the song, HT -

Tom Pearce, Tom Pearce, lend me your grey mare.
All along, down along, out along lea.
For I want for to go to Widecombe Fair,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

And when shall I see again my grey mare?
All along, down along, out along lea.
By Friday soon, or Saturday noon,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

So they harnessed and bridled the old grey mare.
All along, down along, out along lea.
And off they drove to Widecombe fair,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

Then Friday came, and Saturday noon.
All along, down along, out along lea.
But Tom Pearce's old mare hath not trotted home,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

So Tom Pearce he got up to the top o' the hill.
All along, down along, out along lea.
And he seed his old mare down a-making her will,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

So Tom Pearce's old mare, her took sick and died.
All along, down along, out along lea.
And Tom he sat down on a stone, and he cried
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

But this isn't the end o' this shocking affair.
All along, down along, out along lea.
Nor, though they be dead, of the horrid career
Of Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

When the wind whistles cold on the moor of the night.
All along, down along, out along lea.
Tom Pearce's old mare doth appear ghastly white,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

And all the long night be heard skirling and groans.
All along, down along, out along lea.
From Tom Pearce's old mare in her rattling bones,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

[if you want the tune, try googling it on You Tube and listening to the Jon Pertwee version]

it's the sort of song that families [used to?] sing in the car on long journeys, before the electronic ear hit us and all they do is nod along to their individual i-things.

we spent a few days in Tavistock last spring and had a lovely time; I ought to remind you though that it's actually in Devon so that lovely ice-cream would not have been Cornish, unless they'd imported it across the border that is.

Roll on Cornwall!

latedaytraveler

Hi again HISTORYTRAVELER,

Wonderful description of Dartmoor. I have always wanted to visit the place - love the setting of "Hound of the Baskervilles" etc.

Did you see or hear mention about the prison at Dartmoor? Just wondering...

annhig

The prison is no longer the foreboding place that it was, late day, since it was downgraded from a max security prison to a local one, though its situation is no less depressing. In fact the nearby village of Princetown is one of the least prepossessing places on the Moor with miserable grey houses and other buildings.

There is a prison museum which is quite interesting about a mile or so away from the prison itself.

My favourite place on the Moor is Belstone, just off the A30 near Okehampton. There is a great pub called The Tors with lovely food and excellent local beer and cider and the view of the Moors is wonderful. Chagford is a very nice little town too as is Moretonhampstead.

LCBoniti

Really enjoying this and looking forward to more.

janisj

I'd not heard of that song -- will look for it on youtoub.

This isn't my photo of Widecombe-inthe-Moor (I have yet to find a photo site that works for me) but I took an almost identical shot a few years ago. There is only one pony in mine and the rock outcroppings are different, but it shows how the "Cathedral" looms over the village at the bottom of the valley.

http://www.traceyelliotreep.com/wp-c...nthe-Moor.jpeg

Your tour obviously traveled over some really narrow/remote roads

http://s3.amazonaws.com/presspublish...mbe_header.jpg

elberko

Also enjoying reading this, and thinking Rabbies sounds like the perfect way for me to return to Scotland.

~Liz

chepar

I'm really glad you decided to do a trip report - based on the many recommendations made on this forum I booked a couple of multi-day tours (back to back) with Rabbie's for next year and reading about how your tour was handled is very informative.

I am primarily an independent traveler, but I hate driving on vacation. From reading the information on the Rabbie's website it seemed pretty much like I would be getting a driver/guide but could be independent for the stops - you've confirmed what I thought and that type of tour sounds perfect for me.

latedaytraveler

Hi ANNHIG,

Thanks for your info on Dartmoor Prison. It must have been foreboding. Supposedly, a Irish kinsman of mine, John Boyle O'Reilly (1844-1990) spent some time there as a result of his Fenian activities. He escaped, went to Australia, finally landing in Boston where he became the editor of the Irish newspaper, THE PILOT. Who knows?

I would really like to return to West Country some day....

historytraveler

annig, you're right, of course, it was Devonshire ice cream, but guess if they do great cream teas, it stands to reason their ice cream is good too. I did have Cornish ice cream in Port Isaac. Excellent! I hadn't heard the song but will check out You Tube. We did pass the prison and, as usual, Dave gave us the details. He also related dome of the myths and legends associated wit the moor. Have you been to Okehampton Castle? Took the bus from Exeter on my first trip to Cornwell just to see the castle. I've not been to Belstone but am familiar with it through Michael Jecks medieval mystery series, but that's 13th century Belstone.

Day 3 Wednesday

Our first stop on yet another sunny, warm day was Boscastle. Some might be familiar wit the town when it was hit by a flash flood in 2004. It made international news. The picturesque village with its natural fishing sheltered by high cliffs has been completely restored. Boscastle with its stone- built cottages is yet another of Cornwall's lovely seaside villages. After a walk up the hill just for the views, I decided to make a quick stop at the museum of Witchcraft. I have an interest in witches ( that sounds a bit strange ) at least in regard to their persecution but not so much in witchcraft itself. It's a small museum, so I thought I would have a quick look but, after paying the small admission fee, I found it very crowded. I politely making my way around the bottleneck as I was only interested in a few exhibits. On trip advisor the museum gets a high rating and the definitive description seems to be ' interesting'. I won't deny that but, personally, I thought it a bit dark in a gloomy, sinister sort of way and a little too disturbing for my tastes.

Next we were off Tintagel Castle. I have wanted to see Tintagel for years so was very excited when I saw it was part on the itinerary. The site is believed to have been occupied since Roman times ( Roman Britain) and thanks to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Tintagel has long been associated with King Arthur. In fact, excavations have revealed traces of a Celtic monastery ( c. 500 to c. 850 ). The present ruins which actually occupy a promontory that is only connected to the mainland by a rocky strip of land date from the 13 th century when the castle was built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall. It is a steep climb ( via stairs) to the ruins but well worth it if just for the views, and if you like crumbling walls as much as I do,then, you won't be disappointed. The town itself tends to be touristy but not in a bad way. Perhaps not charming but it does provide plenty of opportunities for lunch and shopping. The Old Post Office offers a fine example of a 15 c. traditional Cornish longhouse.

Some more criss- crossing of Cornwall and we were in Falmouth where we would spend the next two nights.

For those interested in a Rabbies tours, They are IMO an excellent addition to any independent travel.

Next: The Minack Theatre, not Lands End but a very good substitute, St. Ives and more.

historytraveler

Sorry for the typos. Must remember to edit!