England (5) – Jurassic Coast -> Dartmouth

at the Jurassic Coast

The next day was grey and rainy, so we decided to stay put and do some washing, cleaning, work on the computer and so on.

We took a walk along the coast to the next village where we found a nice pub for a light lunch. It was a relaxing day but nevertheless, many things got done.

The next morning the sun was shining again and we headed on to Lyme Regis to have a look at the Jurassic Coast.

rock formation at the the Jurassic Coast

We didn’t find any fossiles on the beach, but others did. In the shops you could see impressive finds from this coast.

Our next stop was near Exmouth at the A la Ronde Estate. The street there was a challenge: as wide as our car but with oncoming cars we had to let pass somehow.

again, narrow streets with oncoming traffic!

The sixteen-sided house A la Ronde was built by cousins Jane and Mary Parminter in 1796 and is decorated with shells and feathers – a very special place with a great view over the estuary.

A la Ronde

In the evening we reached Teignmouth where we enjoyed the sunset at the pier and harbour. We had a drink at a bar before we spent the night at the seaside. The next morning, we watched the sunrise while enjoying a cup of tea.

pier @ Teignmouth
Teignmouth harbour
fishing @ sunset

We decided to discover Dartmoor National Park this day. We drove from Ashburton into the center, stopping at the river Dart and other places to enjoy the view.

River Dart
Dartmoor views
sheep @ Dartmoor
and ponys

The navigation took as on a minor road, where we passed a little old bridge. When we reached Totnes, we took a walk through the center, before we ended in Dartmouth, a lovely town at the estuary of the river Dart. A British couple gave us the hint, that a food festival is taking place this weekend.

the navigation system always decides on the widest roads …
Dartmouth sunset
nice historical houses @ Dartmouth
fishing @ Dartmouth

We didn’t find a parking in town, so we decided to go to a National Trust parking at the coast just 3 miles from Dartmouth.

After a very peaceful night, we hiked along the coastal path to the castle at the entrance of the estuary and then into town where the food festival was in full swing and many people enjoyed the stalls and good weather.

food festival @ Dartmouth

In the afternoon, we took a boat up the river to Greenwell, the holiday home of Agatha Christie. It lies just opposite of Dittisham on a green peninsula overlooking the river Dart. It’s easy to imagine spending your holidays at this house, enjoying the scenery, the gardens and the river.

steam train going up the river as well
River Dart
Greenwell – former holiday home of Agatha Christie and her family
Agatha Christie’s bedroom at Greenwell

When the boat brought us back, we toured Dartmouth a little bit more before we made the hike back to our caravan.

hiking back home

It was still a beautiful day so we decided to drive on past Plymouth and finally into Cornwall where we stopped at the parking of Lanhydrock House, which we wanted to visit the next day.

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