West Country Adventure, 16 July

We were very near the West Somerset Railway 

and I couldn't help but hope we would be able to spare some time to go on it. I didn't think it would be possible, but nevertheless sent the Swan Whisperer to pick up a leaflet when he went for his walk last night.

Imagine, then, my joy when the leaflet suggested that, if you were starting your journey at Washford Station,

you should probably park at Cleeve Abbey, which was only 10 minutes walk away. And as it was to visit Cleeve that we had come to that part of Somerset....

We worked out that we could take the first train to Washford, and would have just over 90 minutes there before the train back. There is a path to the Abbey that is signposted - the direct way is too dangerous on a very busy road with no pavement - and it took us 13 minutes to get there - there was quite a steep downhill so we agreed to allow a little more time to get back.

I had the EJO Society's leaflet about the place (it those to whom that means nothing, I should explain that the novelist Elsie J Oxenham wrote a series of novels set in and around a former Cistercian Abbey, based on Cleeve but transplanted, for the books, to the Buckinghamshire /Oxfordshire borders) and we spent a very happy 45 minutes or so wandering round looking at things.

We could have allowed ourselves another 5 minutes, in the end, as we had plenty of time at the station, but it would have been such a nuisance if we'd missed the train! 

However, we didn't, and arrived back at Blue Anchor on a preserved Diesel in good time to get as far as Bridgwater, where we parked up in an Aldi car park and had lunch.

Then on to Wells, and the cathedral  there, immortalised as Torminster in Elizabeth Gouge's City of Bells. I had been there before, many years ago, but had forgotten the scissor arches, which make it seem to scowl!

The Quire is nice, though,

and there is a beautiful window. 

When we had had enough, we went next door to the Bishop's Palace

where I wanted to see the bell that the swans ring when they want fed. It was there, but the string pulled up so they couldn't!

By this stage, I was gagging for a cup of tea, so we had one in the café there, and then walked back to the car park via the market square. I wondered which one had been Jocelyn's bookshop - perhaps where Waterstones is now?

And so on down to this campsite near Ilminster, where we remain for the last two nights of our holiday! 

West Country Adventure, 15 July

Well, St Swithun has certainly done his thing here in the West Country, as it has been a lovely day!

Our first port of call was thanks to Mrsrev, who recommended the very nice Fremington Quay Heritage Centre and café. Fremington Quay is now a pleasant pitstop on the Tarka Trail, 

But back in the day it was a working port where trains brought clay from local mines and loaded it on to ships for onward transport. Some clay was also used locally, and the centre had examples of local plates, etc. Then we had a cup of coffee and a cake in the very nice café before heading on. 

We have not been lucky with museums this trip - I don't count heritage centres - as we were to date for the one in Wimborne Minster, the one in Blandford Forum was closed on Wednesdays and the one in Okehampton yesterday! And we will never know whether the one in Barnstaple was open, as there was nowhere to park. The museum car park was being resurfaced and what was left was employees only, and the other one we could see had a height restriction! So we called it a bust and headed on to Lynton where we had lunch, bemused by the appearance of a German Rotel Tours  bus in the car park - they are more at home in African deserts, we thought.

Anyway, after lunch we headed for the Cliff Railway, which is water powered - the carriage at the top fills its tank with water while the one at the bottom empties its, so the heavier one goes down and the lighter one comes up! 

When we arrived in Lynmouth we wandered about and went to an exhibition about the Lynmouth Disaster in 1952. Then back up the railway in nice time to have an ice cream before driving across Exmoor (one word: don't!) to here, outside Minehead. The Swan Whisperer has gone for a walk while I recover from the drive, and then we are going to eat in the pub in whose back yard we are parked for the night.

UPDATE: No, we aren't. They laughed at the Swan Whisperer when he went in to book - no need to book on a Monday, duh! And when we went over to eat, they were fully booked and all, "Oh, you should have booked!" Well, bugger that for a game of soldiers! 

West Country Adventure, 14 July

So the first thing today was to retrace our steps slightly, towards Okehampton, as we had not had time to visit the town yesterday. The actual town centre is very small, so it didn't take long. The main square is dominated by St James Chapel,

which is actually very small; it is what's called a "Chapel of Ease" as the Parish Church is away up the hill. It was open, but no services are held on Sundays, which struck me as a bit odd. So we sat quietly for a bit, and then wandered back to where we had parked the van, which was by a Lidl and a Waitrose. I went into Waitrose because why not, but came out again sharpish when I saw they were selling doughnut peaches and nectarines for £1.00 each. In Lidl, they were 5 for £1.99.

Then we found we had a leak, but it turned out to be not a valve problem, which we had thought, but that the shower had was coming adrift. Easily fixed, but a very wet floor. However, as we forgot the shower curtain and both find showering better without it - it is possible not to splash if you are careful and no clammy plastic on your back - we are going to just have a bathmat in there, no carpet. 

Next stop was Bideford, to be precise the Heritage Railway Centre, which is in the old station overlooking the town.

There was an exhibition about the history of railways in the area, and an old signal-box and a tea-rooms, FFs that was about it, but I imagine it is a welcome stop on the Tarka trail. 

Oh, and there were also the inevitable milk churns! 

And a blue plaque:

After this, we drive on to look at the sea at Westward Ho! - no sign now of Kipling's "Twelve bleak houses by the shore" - and Ingstone, and so to our camp site for the night. And listened to the Swan Whisperer telling me what was happening in the cricket - I am not particularly a fan of the game, but it does have its moments! I feel very, very sorry for New Zealand! 

West Country Adventure, 13 July

I really don't seem to have done very much today. We had a horrible drive over Dartmoor, tiny little sick-making road, and you had to stop every time you met a car coming in the other direction.  Our first stop was Bovey Tracey, where I went to a tiny Tesco and to a chemist for some arnica for my arm. It doesn't really hurt unless I touch it, so I try not to touch it!

Then we had this horrible  drive to somewhere called Drogo Castle, and the Swan Whisperer went for a walk while I recovered, and then we drive in to this camp site in the middle of nowhere. I thought it would be nearer Okehampton, but by the time the SW had had his second walk (he is not running at the moment as he is nursing an injury to his Achilles, which means, he says, he can walk but not run) it was to late to go in and look round and visit the Museum of Rural Life, and so on. Maybe tomorrow. So no photos today, either. Have this one of Marmite-flavoured peanut butter (delicious, but I don't quite see the point when one can spread them both separately on one's toast), instead. 

West Country Adventure, 12 July

I am relieved to report that, although I do have a painful bruise at the top of my left arm, it is not in a place where I lie on it, so I was able to sleep well last night.

We had to get up early this morning and have breakfast quickly so, needless to say, it was the morning (there is usually one each holiday) when I spilt the coffee and the grounds went everywhere and on my t-shirt, necessitating much mopping up and, of course, I had to change. At least at the campsite there was plenty of hot water!

Once breakfast was over I washed up and finished mopping up coffee grounds while the Swan Whisperer emptied the loo and topped us up with fresh water. Unfortunately, we forgot to to up our drinking water which is running a little low. Still, we have enough for night and will be able to get some tomorrow.

We set off, slightly later than we intended, to Exeter, but made up time on the road and were punctual at our friend's. We were able to use the Cathedral car park, which leads into their back garden, such a lovely view of the Cathedral! 

After coffee, our friend, newly qualified as a licenced Cathedral guide, took us all over the Cathedral and pointed out all sorts of things we might have missed, like the minstrels gallery (used once a year at Christmas, apparently) 

and the astronomical clock 

  The choir is Gilbert Scott, which is lovely and the gates into it a more ornate version of the one he did for Clapham Church, and a different set of saints on the pulpit (couldn't photo that, too many people).

After that, time was getting on and she had other visitors coming, so we put said goodbye and drove down to the nearest Aldi, where we had lunch, and I found their famous gun and tonic ice lollies, which I didn't buy as we already had some ice cream and the icebox of our fridge is tiny (next time, perhaps).

Then we drive down to Dawlish and I fell asleep, and then to a pub near Newton Abbott where we are spending the night - the third Britstop of the holiday and the only one where we have another motor home. We decided to eat in the pub, but a slight failure as I ordered Hunters Chicken which was covered in barbecue sauce, which I don't like.

Pudding was nice though, and Amstel beer, which I like. 

West Country Adventure, 11 July

A lovely, lazy morning doing not very much except going for a walk, short in my case, longer in the Swan Whisperer's - and reading the new Jodi Taylor which came out overnight. We are on the East Fleet, behind the Chesil Ridge, and some lovely views. 

We decided to drive to Portland Bill after lunch, but just as we were setting off, disaster struck. A miscommunication between the Swan Whisperer and me meant that he moved the van off the levelling ramp just as I crouched down to close the hab door safety tab (which you have to do or it rattles!) with the result that I was thrown violently into the side of the wardrobe and hit my upper arm so hard that it was quite some time before we could determine that it was no worse than bruised. So I didn't enjoy the drive as much as I otherwise would have done, and painkillers and ice, although they have helped a bit, haven't quite done the trick.

But it is a very pretty area, with two lighthouses

and there was a helicopter. We think it was a SAR chopper practising. 

That was the best picture I could get of it. 

Once back at the site we had a cup of tea, and the SW web for a short walk, and now he has gone to get fish and chips for us both. 

West Country Adventure, 10 July

Today we went to Blandford Forum, which means I have been earwormed all day by Flanders and Swann's "The Slow Train"!

However, even if one can no longer go there by the Slow Train, it is still a lovely town. There was, apparently, a huge fire in 1731 that burnt down most of the town, and it was rebuilt by two brothers called Bastard, although they weren't, as far as I know.

We visited the Church, which seemed to call itself the Parish Church, although Wikipedia tells me it is dedicated to Ss Peter and Paul. Rather lovely, with doors on the pews. 

After that, we went back to the van and had lunch, and then drove to Lulworth Cove, so the Swan Whisperer could walk to Durdle Door. I had a nap, and then we both had a cup of tea and drove to our final destination of the day which is a large, but not unpleasant, campsite just by Chesil Beach.