Anna1013

rickmav,

Really enjoying your report and all the lovely details of your trip to London. As others have said, I really appreciate you breaking down how much you spent, and where you spent it.

I was amazed how little you spent on parking in the countryside, but I'm guessing you didn't need to pay for parking most of the time.

Really cute cottage in Devon - was it redone recently? I like the large kitchen and living room areas, and I like that it is slightly modern. Sometimes cottages in Britain can seem a bit worse for wear. I'm not really familiar with the area, but it looked like there was a little beach below your cottage!

Hope everything worked out with the rental agency later!

Anna1013

Forgot to add...how did you like dealing with Toad Hall cottages? Any problems?

I know you mentioned that it wasn't that great of a deal for you, but I did notice it slept up to 5. That's a really good deal for a family...too bad I can't leave now

rickmav

Hi everyone, thanks for your comments and questions. Anna13, I'll have to tell Rick what you said about not spending much on parking. He has the 'George Costanza Syndrome' - he hates to pay for parking - so he thinks anything is a lot and is comparing it to other visits. I told him England is a small country and there are more and more cars - they have to charge for parking everywhere. (One way we saved money was parking in a Morrisons, Sainsbury's etc. lot, and then picking up some groceries before we left and they would refund part of the cost of the parking.) But I'll tell him that you think he got a deal, that will make him feel better.

Yes, the cottage in Strete was done up recently and you're right, for a couple or family it would be a better bargain. We weren't able to go right from the cottage to the beach, there were no sidewalks or even room to walk on the A379, so you had to drive. It was less than a mile.

I forgot to say what my next report will be, <b>Next: An Art Deco Surprise, the Butterwalk in Dartmouth and Jail Ale</b>

semiramis

very much enjoying your report!
I especially like hearing about the cottage rental experiences because on our next trip, we think that we will rent a cottage.

Kavey

Just caught your report, so well written, thank you.

rickmav

Thanks everyone. Anna I forgot to answer your question about Toad Hall Cottages. We did have one problem that was quickly resolved. We dealt exclusively via email which worked fine. My only peeve was that they charged extra for using Visa, plus their booking fee, plus the VAT, etc. so at one time I felt I was being nickled and dimed to death. But the property was exactly as it appears on the website, they answered the emails promptly and they have a lot of very nice cottages on their books.

julia_t

I'm so glad you got home safely and are posting your report so soon after! It is really great reading, thank you for all the detailed information.

I'm so sorry we didn't get to meet up this time, and hope you are feeling much better now. But maybe next time you come to England...

(I still need to get back to Berkeley Castle!)

All the best, Julia

Cholmondley_Warner

(I still need to get back to Berkeley Castle!)&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

As Edward II would never have said.

julia_t

I quite agree CW, but I live less than 20 miles away and yet haven't visited the castle since a school trip sometime in the 70s!

However I've been to the village of Berkeley to an antiques fair, a party or two, one of the pubs, the nuclear power station, the cricket ground (now that was a nice afternoon), and one day back in the 80s I bought a lovely embroidered firescreen (phoenixes no less) in a junk shop for just a few pounds, which I can now see as I type.

So I have some fond memories of Berkeley, unlike poor Edward!

JulieVikmanis

wonderful report. Thanks so much.

rickmav

Hi Julia. One of my great disappointments from this trip is that that we weren't able to meet you. Rick said you sounded like a very nice lady on the telephone. We didn't get to Berkeley at all because of the 'troubles' (less said about that the better). Following CW's comments, I'm sure Edward II was in worse agony, however.

Thank you for your comments, Julie.

********
<b>An Art Deco Surprise, the Butterwalk in Dartmouth and Jail Ale</b>

Have our coffee outside this morning, looking over the ocean and listening to the birds singing. Think it's going to be warm today. We've obviously come at the right time, we've been told by many that we just missed lousy weather.

Our goal today is the National Trust property <b>Coleton Fishacre</b> on the Kingswear side of the Dart and the <b>Food Festival in Dartmouth</b> (http://www.dartmouthfoodfestival.co....1/429215/false).

Dartmouth seems very busy, so we decide to visit Coleton first, then return when the crowds have died down. The tiny <b>car ferry</b> (signposted Lower Ferry in Dartmouth) costs &pound;3 each way and the trip takes about five minutes. It reminds me of the King Harry ferry you take in Cornwall near Philleigh. The salt air smells so good, I think I may have been a sailor in another life.

Can't believe how narrow the roads are, lots of gasps and groans (from me). Rick is stoic and focused. When we finally stop for a moment he says, in that very quiet voice that I dread, that I am not to gasp and grab hold of the dash ever again. An unspoken 'or else' is left hanging in the air. I mumble under my breath, 'aye, aye, Captain'. I can't help it, I come from a family of flaming extroverts.

Coleton Fishacre sits in a gorgeous garden overlooking the ocean. I just have to win the lottery because I deserve a place like this. There is a gurgling brook (is that a rill?) that starts somewhere behind the house, goes all the way through the different levels of gardens and comes out over the ocean. Wonderful.

According to the steward in the first room - the poor dears look as if they are going to burst if they don't tell you something, so I've started asking each one of them a question and they almost kiss me they seem so happy (well, maybe not, they are English after all) – the main reason the house exists is for the garden and the proximity to the sea.

The family, the D'Oyly (pronounced doily) Cartes, didn't much care about the inside of the house. Another steward told me that weekend guests were always put to work weeding in the garden. Some, he said, never accepted a second invitation.

The house was built in the 1920s by the son of the man who was responsible for bringing Gilbert &amp; Sullivan together. Rupert, the son, went on to build the <b>Savoy, Claridges and Berkeley</b> hotels and the house very much represents the modernity of the Jazz Age. None of your moats, squints or Solars here. Rupert was said to be the inspiration for <b>P.G. Wodehouse's</b> character Psmith.

The National Trust bought the house in 1982 as a way of securing part of Devon's coastline and it wasn't until 1999 that the house was opened to the public.

My least favourite part of the house is the preponderance of limed oak for furniture, doorways, baseboards, etc. Looks like whitewashed plywood. My favourite room is the Saloon. You can just imagine Noel Coward or Cole Porter coming into the room at any minute. There's a lime-green rug, original to the room, taking up three-quarters of the floor and the entrance is down three shallow steps, made for a grand gesture. The sofa suite is darker green with splashes of yellow.

Lady D'Oyly-Carte's room has been made up exactly as it looked in a 1930s Country Life article, complete with a 1919 print by <b>Raoul Dufy</b> on the curtains and pillows.

We return by the car ferry to Dartmouth and are able to find parking in a good-sized lot just off the marina by the information centre (&pound;3 for three hours). Throughout the trip we have good luck in following the <i>i</i> signs into a town and usually there is parking nearby.

It's a beautiful day and there are still lots of people but not as much of a crowd at the cooking shacks, where they offer all kinds of food and drinks. We pick up lots of fresh vegetables and fruit at the <b>Farmers Market</b>, there are also cooking demonstrations, and we taste our way through the narrow streets. Lovely nibblers of local sausages, cheeses, I even try cataplana (a Portuguese dish I didn't even try in Portugal), beautiful ham, shrimp, kebabs, crab, etc. It's not only our lunch but our dinner, too.

The harbour is full of yachts and multi-coloured houses spill down hills on either side of the Dart to the water. There is so much to see, all the different sized boats doing all kinds of interesting things, the <b>steam train</b> that goes from Paignton to Kingswear, locals enjoying the sunshine and food.

We watch a number of people getting into little dinghies on their way to their yachts, they wear the most interesting life jackets. Like two, thin squares held together by a whisper of webbing, wouldn't want to trust my life to one of those. One elderly gentleman asks if we are 'Yanks', and when we say no, he talks on as if we said yes, saying that one of our billionaires, a fellow named Baree (that's the way he pronounces it. I later find out from the woman at the information centre that it was Barry Diller) came into town with a yacht that was 300 feet long and cost more than a million pounds. I imagine that would have been a sight.

We pick up a brochure from the information centre that has a self-guided walk of the town and we find all kinds of interesting things. One of the old buildings near the harbour has a very interesting porch-like thing on the front of it and according to the brochure this is called <b>'The Butterwalk'</b>. This was where farmers' wives used to sell their dairy produce, in the shade of the arcade. King Charles II once dined upstairs. More importantly, there's a wonderful bakery, called the <b>Sloping Deck</b>, right there and we buy fudge and shortbread for later. (It's delicious!)

There's also a good bookstore in town called the <b>Harbour Bookshop</b> and it used to belong to the real-life Christopher Robin, A.E. Milne's son. The brochure says that after WWII the Americans volunteered to build a bridge at the entrance to the harbour linking Dartmouth to the other side, but the city turned it down. Nearby Bayard Cove one of the departure points for <b>Utah Beach</b> on D-Day.

Dartmouth was the last stop the Pilgrim Fathers made when they left England in 1620, on their way from Southampton, for the New World, and it's featured in many movies, including the <b>French Lieutenant's Woman</b>. On our way out we stop at the <b>Royal Castle Hotel</b>, built in 1639, for a pint each. Mine is called <b>Jail Ale</b> – I have no idea why – and it's very good. On the way out of town, we pass by the gates of the <b>Royal Britannia Naval College</b>. If I'm not mistaken, I think Prince Philip was a cadet here.

When we get home, we look over our market treasures, drink some wine outside and have an early night.

<b>Next: A Tank in the Sand, Lunch by the Water, and Drowning in the Sunday Times</b>

Anna1013

rickmav,

Thanks for answering all my questions about your cottage - I just like to know as much as I can about companies in case I ever get back Did they charge you extra to pay on your Visa because they wanted payment in cash? Seems a bit odd. Did you have to pay before arrival?

I laughed when you said your husband hates paying for parking. We never have to pay for parking where I live(expect at County/State buildings)and when we went to England last year we were a bit taken back at how often we had to pay to park in different parking lots. Your husband should feel really good - I remember reading someone's report recently and they said they paid 200(pounds!) for parking. My jaw has still not gotten off the floor.

Josser

It's not unusual for companies to make a small charge for credit cards.
It's easier and cheaper for them if you pay by cheque or debit card.

annhig

Hi rickmav,

what a lovely surprise to find your report this am. i love reading &quot;foreigners'&quot; views of england, especially when they talk about places I know or have known like the Temple gardens.

sorry I can't help about the window boxes - i don't remember them being a particular feature when I worked there; however, i have a recollection that they have a new head gardener so perhaps s/he has brought them in.

looking forward to more,

regards, ann

rickmav

Hi Anna - we ended up deciding to use the credit card instead of, as Josser suggests a cheque (it had to be in British pounds which would cost us $37 at the Royal Bank - outrageous), because with our gold card we get cancellation insurance (the cost to use debit or Visa was a 1.75% of the total fee).

Hi Ann - glad you found me, too.

*************

<b>A Tank in the Sand, Lunch by the Water, and Drowning in the Sunday Times</b>

A lovely Sunday. I woke a couple of times during the night thinking, 'what is that sound?', only to realize that it was the ocean. Lovely.

I had put it off for as long as I could but this morning I tackled 'The English Clothes Washing Machine'. We've done battle many times and it always wins. Today is no different.

As soon as we hang our sopping wet clothes on the line, we head off for a day of beaches and sun. Our first stop is <b>Slapton Sands</b>, about ½ a mile from us. You have to pay for parking (only &pound;1). We walk to the water first, it is very cold (although there are about five people swimming), take a quick look at the nude bathers who have set up a little encampment further along the beach ( a bit disconcerting to see a bare, white bottom strolling about) and sit on our blanket and watch the waves. It is called a 'shingle' beach, which I think means a combination of sand and rock. It's kind of like really small pea gravel.

In 1944, the Americans were practicing on Slapton Sands for the D-Day landings (the exercise was called <b>American Tiger</b when they were attacked by German torpedo boats. Over 900 American soldiers died. A lot of accusations of incompetence went back and forth between the Americans and the British and the true story about what really happened has never been told. In 1984, Mr. Small, from Devon, and locals raised a submerged Sherman tank and placed it just down the road at Torcross as a memorial. It's sad to think about all that human waste on such a beautiful day.

There is a pretty little church in <b>Slapton</b> called the <b>Church of St. James</b> from the early 14th c. and a great looking pub called <b>The Tower</b>. We only see if from the outside, as it isn't open yet. Inland, is <b>Slapton Ley</b>, a large, freshwater lake and nature reserve. It looks a bit strange when you are driving up to it on the A379 – on one side of the road is the ocean, on the other a lake. We walk about for a bit, running into what I can only assume is a flock of bird watchers. Armed with walking sticks and binoculars, in sensible boots and anoraks, many with backpacks and a few women in long skirts, they seem serious and a bit suspicious of us. I feel like a gatecrasher at a private party.

It's a tortuous route to the lighthouse at <b>Start Point</b> but the views are worth it. We had intended to go to Prawle Point as well, but we are getting hungry, so back on the A379, then A381 into <b>Salcombe</b>, with frequent pull-outs to let cars pass by. I think these roads are even narrower than the ones in Cornwall. A little while ago, there was a discussion on this site about what place in England would be the equivalent of the Hamptons and there was some suggestion that perhaps it would be Salcombe. It is a very pretty place but our route doesn't take us near any large estates, although there are plenty of yachts in the harbour.

The town is quite busy, it's a beautiful Sunday, and we have a few hair-raising adventures (but no gasps) finding parking (at one point we are backing up a hill). Once we find a spot, we wander about the town, then lunch at the <b>Ferry House Inn</b>. It's so nice being right at the water's edge, the pub is beside the little boat that goes back and forth to a great looking beach at (I think) <b>East Portlemouth</b>. Rick has a fresh crab sandwich, caught locally, and I have local ham. Both are good and we linger over our pint. (Lunch costs &pound;15, parking &pound;2.50.)

As we people-watch, we notice how attached English people seem to be to their dogs. And how well behaved (man and beast) are when it comes to standing in a queue to take a gulp from the water bowl. There is a tap against one wall outside and a large bowl for dogs to refresh themselves and although there are a lot of pets, of all sizes, everyone is polite.

Afterwards, we wander up and down the narrow streets, picking out the houses we will buy when we win the lottery. On the way home, we pick up the Sunday Times and spend the rest of the day reading, debating, snoozing and watching the clothes dry.

<b>Next: A Canadian Link to Compton Castle, Exploring Cockington and a Slight Accident During Rush Hour</b>

SandyBrit

rickmav:

'What is that sound' only to realize it is the sound of the ocean - lovely indeed. I miss that since I now live in the Midwest, USA.

Sorry to hear about your trials with the English washing machine. Your clothes should not have been sopping wet. It sounds like they didn't go thru the spinning cycle.

I didn't think anything of going into the North Sea as a child, thought everyone did and yes it was very cold.

Very much enjoying your writing and look forward to more.

Sandy

janisj

Bringing back so many memories

A couple of times I've rented a place just west of Salcombe/Kingsbridge. I found Slapton Sands very moving and very very sad. Have eaten at the Ferry House a few times.

Mamaw

rickmav Thanks for filling my boring Saturday night with fun and laughter. And I know what you mean about the boozy breath. I smelled it a lot during my first trip to London. But everyone was so nice to me.

rickmav

Hi SandyBrit. Yes, those washing machines are a challenge. I think it's all the options. In Canada, fortunately, I have only two decisions to make; in England it seems I need an engineering degree.

Janisj - Salcombe/Kingsbridge area is beautiful. I could see spending a lot of time there. What parts of England haven't you seen?

Mamaw - Glad to be of service!

********

<b>A Canadian Link to Compton Castle, Exploring Cockington and a Slight Accident During Rush Hour</b>

Visit <b>Compton Castle</b> today, just west of Torquay. One of the cheapest National Trust properties we've been to at &pound;4 each. (Don't think I mentioned the cost for Coleton Fishacre - &pound;12 for the two of us.) So far, we've saved &pound;58, the 15 day Great Heritage Pass cost us &pound;118 for two.

In 1995, some scenes from Jane Austen's novel, <b>Sense and Sensibility</b> were filmed here. I'll have to watch it again to see if I recognize any of it. The Gilbert family still live in part of the castle, so there aren't a lot of rooms on show, but it is a moody, small, atmospheric example of what a 14th c. wealthy family, not royal, would have lived in. The family have been here since 1329, except for 146 years between 1785 and 1931. At that time, the current owner's father bought it back, then gave it to the National Trust.

One of the Gilbert ancestors, Sir Humphrey, colonized <b>Newfoundland</b>, on the east coast of Canada, in 1583 and there are a lot of gifts in the house on display from the people of Newfoundland celebrating different anniversaries. His motto was Quid non – Why not? Great motto. Sir Humphrey's half-brother was <b>Sir Walter Raleigh</b> who, of course, colonized <b>Roanoke</b> in North Carolina.

There are a lot of things here that you see in much larger castles, like a portcullis with the machicolations (isn't that a great word?) – holes through which missiles could be dropped. There are iron bars on some of the windows and high castle walls with loopholes to shoot from. The Old Kitchen is quite amazing, I can't imagine having to cook a meal there. One whole wall is a fireplace with three flues, bread ovens and cast iron kitchenware. The kitchen was kept separate from the house because there was always the danger of fire.

A few strange things: the family has a squirrel on their coat of arms so sprinkled around the property are some modern, small, stuffed squirrels in strange places; and in the room called the Sub-Solar you can see at the back, part of the modern kitchen still used by the family – I think I would have put a screen in front of it. But then I guess it shows how real families try and make these ancient properties work.

There's a connection between this property and <b>Greenway</b>, Agatha Christie's home, which we see later in the week. Sir Humphrey's older brother, John, as Deputy Lieutenant of Devon, took control of the first ship of the Spanish Armada to surrender. He put the Spanish crew to work rebuilding the walls of his estate, Greenway.

After Compton, we make our way to <b>Cockington</b>, just a few miles away. I'm a bit reluctant to go. From what I've read about it, I'm worried it will be a bit 'twee'. It is, but it's a lovely day and there are great walks through the park and we enjoy the pub, called <b>'The Drum Inn'</b>, designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1936. (Parking is &pound;2.)

Cockington is a thatched-cottage village, surrounded by 460 acres of parkland, where people live but the whole place seems stopped in time. There are gift shops, a cricket field, a park, an old church and ten working craft studios and tearoom in the original manor house, Cockington Court. You can also travel by horse-drawn carriage to the seafront.

The church, <b>St. George and St. Mary</b>, dates from 1210 and although, a bit musty smelling, is interesting. Every chair has a needlepoint cushion for kneeling, someone did a lot of work. Apparently, the place is popular for weddings, you have to book four years in advance!

We have lunch at the Drum Inn, which is large and busy. Rick has fish and chips – the fish is the size of a mini-whale – and I have a chicken sandwich with chips. Costs us &pound;15 with ½ a pint each. Just okay.

Wander through the park afterwards, then through the craft centre. Some lovely things. We buy some stained glass items from the <b>Hayward Decorative Stained Glass</b> shop and the artist, Derek Hayward is there, and we have a chat with him about his work and his wife's watercolours also in the store.

We hit rush hour on the way home and coming through a village where a huge moving truck has parked in our lane, we join a queue of cars trying to pass each other in the small space left and ding the driver's side mirror. We still haven't heard back from Europcar how much that is going to cost us, but we do have the CDW through Visa, so hopefully everything goes smoothly. The traffic is crazy on the A380 and A385 near Paignton and we decide to just head home. Stop at Totnes to pick up a few groceries, looks like a nice place.

Enjoying watching British television in the evenings. That's the great thing about renting a cottage, you can kind of settle in and don't have to worry about packing and unpacking every day as you bounce from B&amp;B to B&amp;B, or hotel to hotel. Last night, we watch a special with Jo Brand (Through the Cakehole), hilarious.

<b>Next: Our First Rainy Day, Saltram House and Between the Waves at Bigbury</b>

Anna1013

rickmav,

Lovely post as usual - you're visiting Compton Castle perked up my Jane Austen radar, and when I looked it up, I'm pretty sure it's the house Willougbhy(it still takes me ages to properly spell his stupid name!)is to inherit, and Marianne is looking upon it as she is standing in the rain...it's more toward the end of the movie.

That family has alot of cool links throughout history. I'm interested in hearing your report about Agatha Christie's house.

As much as we enjoyed our B&amp;B's, I really love the idea of renting a cottage next time. How far away were most of your day trips? I'm guessing you tried to pick a cottage that was sort of in-between everything you wanted to see.