Did you spot the error in the title of this post? Well done if you did. For in fact today, we broke free of the Cornwall county boundaries, and slipped into neighbouring Devon and spent some hours pootling around the English Riveria in the sunshine.
Torquay marina
Torquay makes up part of the ‘jewel’ on the south coast along with its neighbouring towns of Brixham and Paignton. Choosing which resort to visit was tricky, but in the end, Agatha Christie’s birthplace lured us with its promise of palm trees, grand villas built into the hills, Edwardian splendour, and Victorian glamour. We’re glad it did.
The town became a favourite of the holidaying public in the mid-1800s, when the arrival of Brunel’s Great Western Railway brought Victorian passengers seeking the convalescing and healthy lifestyle which the now-fashionable town promoted. How I would have liked to have seen the beaches lined with beach huts wheeled out to celebrate the sun, giving the town’s residents one of the highest classes of living.
Nine beaches, an international marina, and many shopping outlets still lure day-trippers and fashionistas today. We certainly enjoyed ourselves, whether walking along the stylish pier, eating our lunch under the shady trees on the seafront, or trying to spot the Gleneagles Hotel, which provided inspiration for the BBC series Fawlty Towers. Famed for its watersports (and even host to the water-based events for the 1948 summer Olympics), it really is a pleasant place to spend a few hours.
Victorian elegance on Torquay pier
The pier must be one of the best I’ve ever walked on, its endless Victorian and 1920s glamour conjuring up all sorts of images of ladies walking spinning their parasols, talking to gentleman wearing striped blazers and straw boaters. It really does tell of a Christie-esque period, with its white-painted slender bench rails and domed lanterns all suggesting a Poirot-like scene from one of the ‘Queen of Crime’s’ novels. But, soon enough, we had to move onto our next and final destination of the day.
Set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, Dartmouth has a reputation as ‘the jewel in Devon’s crown’ (just like Torquay, then). I can see why. With rolling countryside overlooking the river, a harbour full of colourful pleasure boats, and the 17th-century Butterwalk shopping area with its impressive restored timber-framed façade and narrow streets, Dartmouth is every bit as scenic and as its name and South Hams location suggests. Famous for the Britannia Royal Naval College, and set in the South Devon area of outstanding natural beauty, a visit is highly recommended.
Dartmouth harbour is a colourful haven for sailors
We arrived at the town via the car ferry, which departs from Kingswear, on the banks opposite, and crosses the Dart to Dartmouth itself. Similar to the old service which used to run from Reedham to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, it brought back many happy memories. And, as we sat on the Embankment enjoying our tea and chocolate, our legs dangling over the edge, like so many other places in this corner of Britain, we could have been in yet another quiet Mediterranean resort, so blue was the water.
Dartmouth High Ferry
With the sun sparkling on the water and the steam train coming into Kingswear station (Dartmouth has a station, built before local opposition moved the proposed line to Kingswear, and is reported to be the only place in the world with a purpose-built railway station which has never seen a train), it really was another idyllic afternoon, and again we left feeling relaxed, and ready for tomorrow’s adventures.