Devon and Cornwall
We have some wonderful sites in Devon and Cornwall and there are some amazing things to do and places to go and see and as such we hope to feature the area in April.
We’d love to hear from you about how you travel to this region in the UK. What route do you take and what stop overs do you do along the way? What are your tips for driving to that region?
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What route do I take? I fall out of the front door and there I am.
Sorry, couldn’t help myself.
If travelling way down to mid or west Cornwall, an overnight stop in Somerset can be a good idea. The club site at Cadeside is ideal being only a stones throw from the M5 and having Chelston Motorhomes on the doorstep for the essentials you forgot. There are also numerous CLs around Burnham/Highbridge/Bridgwater, or the Hurn Lane club site. Caravan & MH dealers are to be found in that area too.
Tips for driving to Devon & Cornwall - avoid Saturdays in peak season if at all possible. There’s little to choose between using the A38 or the A30 although you can expect hold ups on the approach to the Tamar Bridge at rush hour if using the A38. The dualling of the A30 across Bodmin Moor should have alleviated the notorious jams in that section. Ultimately, it largely depends on your destination as to which road you use.
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We are going to North Devon in June. We are staying on a CL near Bideford. We will be leaving early in the morning and doing the drive in one journey with stops on route for rest breaks. Our route will be M62, M18, M1, A42, M42, M5.
Whilst in Devon, we intend to cross the border to Cornwall to visit Tintagel Castle, then visit Clovelly, Woolacombe, Ilfracombe and also cycle part of the Tarka Trail.
Really looking forward to it, roll on June (we might also have a new caravan by then).
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I guess it all depends from where you are travelling from as to whether you require a night stop.
I am a regular visitor to the far west. My tips don't drive more than 250 miles without a night stop, chose carefully and it won't be expensive even in peak season. Cadeside has already been mentioned but the one I prefer is Exeter Racecourse especially if you have a dog to exercise.
Lastly avoid peak season if you can, it gets very crowded. April and October are great times to visit.
peedee
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We go down to Devon every couple of years which for us is a 500 mile trip. We take the M74. M6. M5 then follow the A roads to Hillhead near Brixham. We always have a stop over at Chapel Lane CC which is a nice site and handy for the motorway.
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The worst travel times are at weekends during school holidays. Avoid the M5 Bristol to Taunton area between late morning and late afternoon. If this is unavoidable make sure you have drinks and food on board and listen to BBC radio Bristol/Somerset for travel updates. Check your onward journey and plan for delays at peak times.
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Travelling from the far north, the Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Malvern sites are near to the M5 for stop overs. Onward journeys from those sites are relatively easy for Devon and Cornwall. At present Gloucester Services are also good for a non EHU stop over, they have showers available too.
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Well said, DD. The best in the West.
Ideally for me, they should be eaten on the cliffs of Godrevy looking across St Ives Bay.
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If anyone wants an overnight with still 100 miles to go to Philps Pasties then Dartmoor View at Whiddon Down near Okehampton comes well recommended.
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Never tried a Philps but like a St Agnes pasty.
Dont' forget to switch the cream and jam around on your scones when you reach Cornwall.
Further suggestions for weary travellers, after Exeter Services the next one of a reasonable size is Cornwall Services.
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There are some beautiful sights in Cornwall but from where we live it is 100 mile further to Newquay than it is to Dover and France. For the cost of a discounted ferry I know where I would go!
Going to Cornwall we have stopped off at a CL near Weston Super Mare just off the M5
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Plymouth Hoe and the Sound are certainly worth a look but, oh, the traffic you have to put up with to get there!
Two park and rides exist - one just off the A38 to the east of the City near Riverside Caravan Park and the other is to the north adjacent to the A386 Tavistock Road.
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Devon has so many different parts, the rugged north coast and the gentler east and south. If you are travelling with a caravan take the routes as directed, motorhomers can risk a few diversions. There is a good bus service running between Plymouth and Dartmouth, some lovely coastal bits, let the bus take the strain and enjoy the views.
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I agree about Devon and Cornwall. We used to spend one of our caravanning holidays each year Touring Devon Cornwall and Dorset. There's so much to do and see. A nice area of England.
Only one fly in the ointment and that's their exorbitant parking charges at places of interest.
K
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Ha, they're nearly as tasty as the ones as the ones I sell in my shop!
.Personally, this year Hampsons the butchers are on top, but I've only sampled four!!
JK
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I'd say Philps are tastier. Hampsons became very bland a few years back but maybe they’ve improved again.
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We have done Cornwall and SW for thirty plus years, sometimes up to half a dozen times a year! Home is Yorkshire, so first part of trip is always the worst, M1. In early days, we used to do M1, off at Lutterworth, than tootle through Cotswolds via Broadway, Cheltenham, and pick up M5 at Stroud, then down to Exeter, off onto A38, then local routes down to Fowey. Towing van, still at work, we did it in a day, there and back.
Later, with more time on our hands, we decided to take more time. M1 again, but then off at M69, pick up A46 and Fosse Way, down through Barford, Morton in Marsh, Stow, Cirencester, Tetbury, onto M4, head West picking up M5 at Filton, (death alley to those who know that junction, pre managed days!) then usual route, to Fowey. We would often break our journey at a convenient place, stop a few days on a nice CL and take in some NT/EH properties.
When we decided to base ourselves further South in West Penwith, we used A30 route over top of Dartmoor, and would stay at a lovely CL just North of Okehampton, leaving a final 2 hours down to Marazion area. Goss Moor and the single carriageway across Bodmin Moor could be a lottery sometimes in terms of traffic, but avoiding weekends and peak holidays helped greatly. Dual carriageway now so less of a problem.
We now meander down, stopping where we like to see something new. Sometimes we get on M5 at Tewkesbury, sometimes we go over M4 and pick up M5 at Glastonbury or Taunton. So much lovely countryside to see enroute. Dartmoor has become a firm favourite, but we usually book a cottage.
Throw the Sat Nav away in Cornwall, and purchase relevant OS maps. Becoming familiar with local roads and routes can help to avoid peak holiday traffic, but only if in a car. Some of the smaller roads are just not suitable for anything towed or wide Motorhomes. Be aware that Cornish walls are solid granite underneath that greenery, and the granite always wins!
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Devon home truths for holiday makers - Yes Woolacombe beach it great but if, in the school holidays, you want more than 2ft of personal space, avoid it, we have plenty of other brilliant beaches. Slow down on narrow devon lanes, especially the ones with Devon hedge banks, and be prepared to reverse. (Its amazing how many drivers can't seem to drive backwards, even expecting our local bus to be the vehicle to reverse) We get a lot of rain. The North Devon Link Road is really not good. Ok that's all the minus points everything else is great and we wouldn't want to live anywhere else. For our holidays - we head inland, don't need a beach holiday.
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I joined BRNC Dartmouth, 50 years ago and fell in love with the place and have been going back, on and off, ever since. Last four years with the caravan - first time we stayed at Little Cotton commercial site - best site I have ever stayed on, anywhere in the country, but, sadly, it has now closed. We have used the C&CC site at Stoke Fleming, mainly because it is easy to get to with a large TA on the back - and the bus into Dartmouth stops right outside - so avoiding the hassle of trying to find somewhere to park.
We have always broken the journey by stopping off at Broadway Club site - it's exactly half way from home - and I agree with a previous comment that after 200 miles towing - I'm ready for a break!
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We didn't use Club Sites at all for our first 15 years of holidaying in the SW. We found some small private sites that met our needs in a better way. Then we joined friends at Threeways, now know as Marazion. We stayed there 3 years running but it started to get too busy for us, so we now use some of the gorgeous CLs.
Cornwall is almost an island, and the canny visitor learns to weather watch. It can be raining heavily in one place, but uninterrupted sunshine in another. The memorable day Boscastle was flooded, we were on a beach 40 miles further South, and never saw a drop of rain. It was the Chinooks heading North that alerted us to the problem. So, tune into local radio stations (Pirate FM, BBC Radio Cornwall) and think like a local! Local newspapers, Cornishman, Western Morning News(?) have a wealth of information on events, places to visit, things that are happening, and, in the Summer, often have money off vouchers. Four of us sailed to Isles of Scilly for a mere £16 each one Summer.
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