Visiting Dawlish - any things we should not miss?

royandsharont
royandsharont Forum Participant Posts: 735
100 Comments
edited May 2016 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

Towards the end of June we are going to have a two week visit to Dawlish in Devon. The last and only time we have ever been to Devon was in 1987 when we stayed at Brixham. Hopefully the weather
shall be fine and we will be able to get out and about easily. I have checked the access to trains and busses from where we shall be staying and have found it will be easy to get out on our bikes too with the local cycle routes towards Exeter and onwards to
Exmouth as well as the coastal path right on the doorstep. The train will get us easily to Plymouth, Paignton, Exeter & Barnstaple so that is really good for us with no car. Is there anything particular in the area that I should not really miss? Any suggestions
will be most welcome & if anyone will be in that area from 26th June then they will be most welcome for
a chat too. Regards, Roy

Comments

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #2

    Hello Roy, from my readers perch I see no-one has responded to your request for ideas. As a fan of the area you're visiting I'd say dont miss the Round Robin trip with this
    www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk  If you don't want to do the whole trip try going from Paignton to Dartmouth which is a lovely stretch of the railway and if you take the ferry over to Dartmouth it's a very nice
    day out. We often catch the next ferry from Dartmouth just to Greenway, Agatha Christie's old home. This is is in a beautiful setting overlooking the Dart, deck chairs on the lawn to soak up the view and I can recommend the cream teas! Hope you both have a
    good time. we're heading north soon but we'll be back in Devon later no doubt.

  • AnnB
    AnnB Forum Participant Posts: 226
    edited May 2016 #3

    If you can get to The Quay at Exeter the canal runs out of the little harbour there and there are good paths in the parkland that lies between the canal and the river.  Cycle down the The Double Locks pub, this used to be a favourite of ours.

  • royandsharont
    royandsharont Forum Participant Posts: 735
    100 Comments
    edited May 2016 #4

    Thanks AnnB & I hope you enjoy Bridlington.

    Hi Brue, I thought you may have some help to offer, I shall look into that. We want to get the most of the 2 weeks as we cannot be away any longer unfortunately. After the 2 weeks on the west coast in April I think we shall have a good day out and
    a more leisurely one to follow, I was quite tired out with all the sightseeing before! Our son flies out to live in the Caribbean at the weekend hence our not getting to Italy so Devon will be great. If you are around then don't hesitate to visit, you will
    be most welcome. It is a pity Smokee is no longer with us. Regards, Roy

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,083 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #5

    I would suggest going up onto Dartmoor itself if you get the chance. It is a truly magical place, with some lovely villages, such as Bovey Tracey, Moretonhampstead, Chagford etc... Great quirky museums at Princetown, Moretonhampstead. Tavistock is a lovely
    town, with a superb Pannier Market, leisure and Arts Centre, great independent shops. 

    Not it sure how big your MH is, so can't offer advice on getting up there, other than some roads are very narrow, and cycling requires a deal of puff! But good bus services cross the moor, and it has its own heritage railway at Okehampton.

    Topsham is a lovely little place for an afternoon visit as well. Lots of antiques and second hand books! 

    We enjoyed Teignmouth as well, outside of school holidays!

  • royandsharont
    royandsharont Forum Participant Posts: 735
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    edited May 2016 #6

    Thanks TDA, I was hoping someone came along with some info about getting up onto the Moor. We shall not take the van as I think it will be an effort with our size but busses sound good & I have fitted new larger gears on the bikes so we may even attempt
    hillier cycling this holiday Tongue Out Regards, Roy

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,155 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #7

    Roy, get yourself a decent map showing gradients before you attempt biking up there. The more major roads are fine for a MH as farmers wagons, hay lorries, busses etc all use them without problem. 

    The coastal resorts are quite nice in that area. I can't really recommend any place in particular as it's all worth seeing. Take a walk through the gardens in Dawlish and see the black swans and a trip to Dawlish Warren is good.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,083 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #8

    We know the moor quite well. Some roads are very narrow, but with care you might get up via either Bovey or perhaps easier Moretonhampstead. We have seen small coaches at Widecombe, but we have also seen stuck coaches at Widecombe! Another route in might
    be via Okehampton bypass, then off towards Lydford. This is caravanners route, so a bit wider roads. Either way, even the edges of the moor are magical, and you could go exploring by cycle. 

    Exeter Cathedral is stunning, as is the quayside. Nice walk around castle gardens as well. We have just finalised a week in September in a cottage, deep on the moor, miles from anywhere. Fingers crossed now for stunning weather we had last time! However,
    little matter of Cornwall to tackle first!Laughing

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #9

    Thanks TDA, I was hoping someone came along with some info about getting up onto the Moor. We shall not take the van as I think it will be an effort with our size but busses sound good & I have fitted new larger gears on the bikes so we may even attempt hillier cycling this holiday Tongue Out Regards, Roy

    Roy, There are trains on Sundays from Exeter to Okehampton, but Sundays only. It's called the Dartmoor Rover service with about four trains a day. Check it out and whether you can take bikes. The railway currently peters out at Okehampton but the line beyond has been converted to a cycle track called the Granite Way. You would get to the pubs at Lydford and back for the last train home. First train from Exeter is 0908 and last train back from Okey at 1759. Plenty of time. 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,083 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #10

    That's good information ET, useful for us as well. We have ridden Granite Cycleway from Okehampton to Lydford, very interesting, not too challenging, some great picnic spots. Okehampton is a lovely town, with some nice independent shops, good cafes. We use
    Sainsbury's car park, with the public one adjacent. Or you can park in small castle car park and walk back into town centre. 

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #11

    Alternatively you can get to Dartmoor by bike from Plymouth - either by train from Dawlish to Plymouth,  or by moving the motorhome and staying at Riverside Cararavan Park there.

    If you look up Drakes Trail Cycle route it gives detailed maps to get through Plymouth  and up to the moor at Yelverton going via the Plym Valley  - it's another converted railway. 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,083 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #12

    Done that one as well! We will have our MH on moor for a few days early July, but looking forward to taking Jeep Wrangler down in September. Can really explore in that down tiny lanes. There are some fabulous ancient monuments on the moor, more than we anticipated,
    and of course the churches are wonderful. We are going for Tour of Britain finish at Haytor again.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #13

    No need to attempt lugging bikes on the train to Plymouth. Try
    www.cycledevon.info     and look up the Exe Estuary Trail which starts in Dawlish, nice and level along the estuary. You will probably be able to put your bikes on the Starcross/Exmouth ferry and cycle around the Exmouth side as well. The boat trips on the
    Exe are good too.Smile

  • royandsharont
    royandsharont Forum Participant Posts: 735
    100 Comments
    edited May 2016 #14

    Thanks Tinwheeler & TDA once again for the added info and thank you very much Eurotraveller for that very helpful additional information about the trains & getting to Dartmoor. I had the train timetables but had not looked at them in any detail as yet but the Sunday only info is a big help. I think getting the bikes on the trains is a bit of a chance as they only take 2 and at discretion of the train driver and I don't think you can reserve a place on the local ones only the bigger intercity trains, but we shall enquire in any case. Even if we can only get there to have a bimble about on foot it would be good. This thread has given us a lot of quality added help and I shall copy it into my notes to take it away with us, all replies were very much appreciated. Regards, Roy Happy

    Thanks Brue once again too. I had found that one and it looked a good ride with ability to shorten or lengthen it via the ferry.

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