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[Martin_1962]

Devon and Cornwall are also excellent places to tour.

Don't start me off - I can suggest loads of routes!

[bob.dent]

Devon and Cornwall are also excellent places to tour.

Don't start me off - I can suggest loads of routes!

Better get your route planner out and make a start then Martin !!

Incidentally, while down in Barnstaple at the weekend, I went with the ex-missus to look at a couple of properties in Woolacombe and Coombe Martin - what lovely places, a really nice part of the country.

[MaxV6]

Coombe Martin etc is lovely, it's where we honeymooned, we go back every other year (we alternate holidays with North Wales) The Dolphin pub by the Beach in Coombe Martin is wonderful...

avoid the Guinness in the pack of Cards pub further up the main road, it's the worst pint I've ever had.

There's a huge number of nice spots around there... and some terrifying ones....

 avoid using the coastal single track road from the "Valley of the rocks"

it's terrifying....    we went down there in a Senator... I kid you not, the driver's side door mirror was over thin air...

no passing places, and it's NOT one way!  

jeeezus.....


(it should be borne in mind that I have Vertigo....   just looking down a cliff on Telly is enough to make me feel ill.....  )


Ilfracombe has some nice bits as well......

And Watermouth Cove is pretty, and the fudge you can get at Watermouth Castle, is, according to my lady wife, the best strawberry fudge on earth....    with real fresh strawberries...  

Lynton and Lynmouth are also definitely worth a visit....  a bit tourist trap ish, but nice nonetheless.  that Cliff Railway thing is horrifying for me, but impressive for "normal" people

(Daft thing , I LOVE mountains and such like geography...   but I'm terrified of heights...  )

The Dinosaur & Wildlife park at the top of Coombe Martin is also very good... and much less tacky than you might think...   although there are some bits that are a bit crap.. most of it is great, and it sure as hell qualifies as a fitness activity...   there's very little level ground !   and make sure your handbrake is damn good before trying to park there !


Further afield, for those with kids, there's an all weather attraction called "the milky way"  over towards Clovelly.,..   which is great value, lots for kids of all ages (ours ranged from 6 to 17 last time we went) and also has one of the finest birds of prey collections and displays i've ever seen....    the chap who runs it is also a very talented painter....  we have a couple of his originals of some of the birds....    damn fine work and worth every penny.  he uses the funds from the sale of his paintings to operate a raptor "hospital"  on a non profit basis.


    

[bob.dent]

Coombe Martin etc is lovely, it's where we honeymooned, we go back every other year (we alternate holidays with North Wales) The Dolphin pub by the Beach in Coombe Martin is wonderful...

avoid the Guinness in the pack of Cards pub further up the main road, it's the worst pint I've ever had.

Yep, we saw the pubs you mentioned above and they look really nice and inviting. Unfortunately, we had already stopped off at The Red Barn in Woolacombe and had a couple so didn't want to risk stopping for more , and I'm not the sort of person that can go in a nice pub and order a coffee or soft drink - it just ain't right!!

[Martin_1962]

The following would take at least a week to do properly


A39 from M5 via Minehead is a nice drive for a solo car.

We stayed two years running at North Morte Farm, lovely site, good views, small shop, near to two pubs, some electric points and I could get digital TV as well.

Woolacombe is a good place, expensive to park though, Red Barn does good food.

If you do this leave M5 and take A39 via Wachet, Minehead, Porlock, Lynton,, A399 to Ilfracombe, from there Woolacombe is nice (go via Morthoe), Croyde Bay is OK, Saunton Sands scenic.

Plenty of nice pubs, plenty of places to visit, two preserved railways, one is long and by seaside, one is very significant historically.

Barnstable is a good shopping town, then A39 towards Cornwall.

Bideford is OK, Atlantic Village shopping thingy, Appledore is OK but quiet and difficult to park. Westward Ho! is very seaside, with big beach and arcades.

Haven't done Clovelly yet

In Cornwall Bude is interesting, I need a visit, so far just passed through. Also has Cornwals only canal!

Wideouth bay - been past - looks nice on internet and maps.

After this Boscastle and Tintagal, Port Isaac, Polzeath, Rock then back to A39 and Wadebridge - which is an OK little town.

Padstow is nice and well worth a half day visit.

The B3276 passes some lovely beaches on the way to Newquay, beautiful scenary.

Newquay is good for drinking and for the beaches

Near A3075 now and lots of touristy things to do including a dairy farm and a longish narrow gauge railway.

If you rejoin A39 here it goes via Truro to Falmouth

The B3275 takes you past Perranporth (Seaside Rescue), St Agnes (nice place with pubs), Porthtowan and Portreath are OK for an hour or so to say you visited, there is a Cornish Goldmine place with a Delorean, just up from an LPG installer!!!! Redruth, Carnbrea are OK

St. Ives is lovely except for the seagulls and driving on the harbour front.

I'll leave off here - next bit Lands End peninsula

[bob.dent]

The following would take at least a week to do properly


A39 from M5 via Minehead is a nice drive for a solo car.

We stayed two years running at North Morte Farm, lovely site, good views, small shop, near to two pubs, some electric points and I could get digital TV as well.

Woolacombe is a good place, expensive to park though, Red Barn does good food.

If you do this leave M5 and take A39 via Wachet, Minehead, Porlock, Lynton,, A399 to Ilfracombe, from there Woolacombe is nice (go via Morthoe), Croyde Bay is OK, Saunton Sands scenic.

Plenty of nice pubs, plenty of places to visit, two preserved railways, one is long and by seaside, one is very significant historically.

Barnstable is a good shopping town, then A39 towards Cornwall.

Bideford is OK, Atlantic Village shopping thingy, Appledore is OK but quiet and difficult to park. Westward Ho! is very seaside, with big beach and arcades.

Haven't done Clovelly yet

In Cornwall Bude is interesting, I need a visit, so far just passed through. Also has Cornwals only canal!

Wideouth bay - been past - looks nice on internet and maps.

After this Boscastle and Tintagal, Port Isaac, Polzeath, Rock then back to A39 and Wadebridge - which is an OK little town.

Padstow is nice and well worth a half day visit.

The B3276 passes some lovely beaches on the way to Newquay, beautiful scenary.

Newquay is good for drinking and for the beaches

Near A3075 now and lots of touristy things to do including a dairy farm and a longish narrow gauge railway.

If you rejoin A39 here it goes via Truro to Falmouth

The B3275 takes you past Perranporth (Seaside Rescue), St Agnes (nice place with pubs), Porthtowan and Portreath are OK for an hour or so to say you visited, there is a Cornish Goldmine place with a Delorean, just up from an LPG installer!!!! Redruth, Carnbrea are OK

St. Ives is lovely except for the seagulls and driving on the harbour front.

I'll leave off here - next bit Lands End peninsula

Great itinerary Martin, might give it a go some time.

[Martin_1962]

I have never managed to follow an itinery - I always seem to change where I am going.

This year I am planning on visiting north Cornwall on the way home - stay at Bude for a couple of days.

We keep thinking we have to go somewhere new but keep going to Cornwall - but we do new places every year from same base (Uncles garden).

This year we will do Eden Project, Gweek Seal Sanctuary, and I want to test my new inflatable boat as well.

Holidays and relatives in Devon & Cornwall mean I know the area quite well.

I like south west Cornwall and North Devon, but there are some nice parts of South Devon.

I'll list out Lands End tonight and a return route another day!