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UK Tourist & Leisure Attractions

Belinda and Mike - follow our tourist travels in the UK

Devon Holiday July 2003 - page 1

For our 2003 holiday we rented a cottage in south Devon and toured the area, this page sees us riding the South Devon Railway from Buckfastleigh to Totnes and walking the South West Coast Path from the beach at Wembury to Heybrook Bay.  We also visited areas that Mike remembered from his childhood family holidays in the 20s, er sorry, 70s.
This is page one of three.
page 1 | page 2 | page 3
 

Buckfastleigh station, the start of the  South Devon Railway
This is the station at Buckfastleigh, where we caught the steam train on the South Devon Railway.  Notice the old cars outside to add to the 60s feel.
 

Mike not looking like a tourist, much, camera in hand
Mike here on the platform at Buckfastleigh, video camera in hand, ready to film the South Devon Railway train as it arrives at the station.  It's behind you!

Inside the train carriage on the South Devon Railway
A shot inside the old carriage showing the back of Belinda's head which is buried in the guide leaflet we picked up.  Mike went to the buffet car and came back with cold tea as he got chatting to the enthusiastic South Devon Railway steam buffs there!
 

The steam train stops at the old fashioned signals
The train stopped at signals quite frequently on its journey to Totnes, Mike found out from the enthusiastic buffs that a newly delivered diesel loco was coming up the other way and our train had to wait at a passing point on the single track line.

The engine at Totnes
A view of the engine on arrival at Totnes.  We watched as the staff shunted it onto the front for the return journey, which we were doing later after visiting the town.  Belinda thought the train driver looked like David from 'Heartbeat'.  See our UK tourist links page for The South Devon Railway website.

Mike still not looking like a tourist!
Dodgy man just jumped out of the bushes!  Oh, it's OK, it's only Mike looking like a tourist.  This was on the path from Totnes station into town.
 

Belinda phones home
Belinda just can't leave her mobile alone, even on holiday!  We found a nice pub in Totnes for lunch as well as a large gift shop before moving on to visit Totnes castle.

Mike looks out over Totnes castle wall
At Totnes castle, and Mike looks out at the view.  Entrance cost the best part of a fiver and we have to say it wasn't the most exciting castle we've ever visited, poor value here then.
 

Belinda on the way down Totnes castle steps
Leaving the castle by the narrow stone stairs we wondered why they built stairways so narrow in castles when all the soldiers would be dressed in cumbersome armour.
 

Mike quaffs an ice cream at Totnes quayside
Slurp, suup, slop, yes, it's Mike eating an ice cream down on the quayside at Totnes where we next went to see about the River Dart cruises.  We were too late, but their website is on our tourist links page.

Mike and Belinda at the cafe at Wembury beach
The next day, and after a fruitless search for Kitley Caves which are no longer in business, we went to Wembury and lunched in a lovely little beach café right on the beach.

Belinda takes a breather on the walk to Heybrook Bay
We walked round the South West Coast Path from Wembury to Heybrook Bay, stopping frequently to admire the view and top up on sunscreen.  Here you can see a lovely view and Belinda's not bad either!
 

Mike at the Eddystone Inn in Heybrook Bay
We found 'The Eddystone Inn' at Heybrook Bay and stopped for a well earned drink.  Mike last visited here in '72 on a family holiday and was pleased to see little had changed.

Mike walking along the South West Coast Path to Wembury
Back on the return walk to Wembury, we re-applied the sunscreen and re-traced our footsteps.  More Wembury on Devon page 2.

Earlier in the day we found the farm that Mike stayed in two years running in the seventies, now disused.

See our Devon holiday video clips too!
 

We've also holidayed in Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset and visited the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.