The Past Re-visited - N.Devon

As we had use of Dan's car, we all squeezed in and travelled up to the small and charming town of Lynton. Made famous by the travelling curiousity of the Victorians, they would have come by the narrow gauge railway from Barnstaple.

The former splendour of the time can be seen by their majestic Town Hall.



How to get down from Lynton to the sea front?

The Victorians simply built a vertical railway (actually about 45 degrees). Constructed in 1888 and completed in 1890, it drops the 400ft to the sea front at Lynmouth. It runs on the gravity of water from a tank fed by a local stream. Needing 2 drivers via a bell system, the top carriage tank is filled with water. When ready, the lower driver winds off the brake and releases water – when the tanks balance the rail carriages begin to move up to about 12mph when a governor puts on the brake. 400ft in about 4 minutes – all with a renewable source! Not bad for 1888!

Passing round each other …



Arriving at the Lynmouth Station

Lynmouth has special significance for us Woolfords as this is where my Mum and Dad came for their honeymoon in 1947 (I think?). My Dad said they stayed at the rather grand Tors Hotel.

As children we came to visit many times (and we have brought our children here in turn).

The visits always had a poignancy for us as our parents re-called the terrible flood disaster of 1952 when an extremely severe storm caused a flash flood sweeping down the valley at night and 34 people died. A small museum recalls the events of that night and the aftermath.

As it happens, we were there on the 60^th Anniversary of that fateful night 15^th August 1952.

This Rhienes Tower was rebuilt after the floods, as was the harbour.

Cottages that did survive with a holidaymaker

Back to Braunton!

We had planned to meet up with our lad Daniel and our granddaughter near the surfing beach at Croyde, North Devon - and found a delightful Caravan and Camping site just outside Braunton.
We have been coming to this area of north Devon since we first got married and lived in Exeter and then in Tiverton. We have brought our children in turn and now our grandchild!

Evening swingball competition

The main reason for coming back to Braunton was to be close to Croyde surfing beach. Despite variable weather, we managed to get 3 days on the beach – 2 great sunny days and one at times sheltering from the rain!

Even so the beach and sea is magical and the surf improved during the week to be crashing in on our third day.

Future engineer?



The sea was warm enough to go in for a while (at about 16 degrees), so we had 2 good swims/bodyboard surfs each day, although I wore my wetsuit on one of those.

Our granddaughter was great and really enjoyed the surfing on a small board we had got. She was more confidant than the conditions warranted and she took a couple of dunkings!



On one of our beach days, the local RAF Rescue Helicopter was much in evidence.

Flying out from the local RAF Chivenor, it was just offshore, lowering it's winch man. We weren't sure if it was a rescue or an exercise?

Later, it dropped a red flare into the sea to mark a swimmer way out. The beach RNLI jet ski went out and brought a swimmer back in.

Later, a RNLI Lifeguard told me they had made 20 rescues that day, including 2 people who needed to go to hospital. You can see why as the swimming area was packed with bodyboarders and the surf was crashing in. Collisions were inevitable.

More St.Ives

We've come to the end of our 3 weeks camping at St.Ives - rounded off today by a swim at Porthmeor Beach and a bbq. A lovely day even though the easterly wind has not let up all day. It's a windy place here and many caravaners have flag flying on fishing poles.

I have managed to get a couple of walks in along the South West Coast Path, dropping down from our campsite to meet the local Llama.

The coastal path west is quite rugged and has some interesting features including a 'stone circle' called "The Merry Harvesters".

Fable has it that these stones were once 13 old farmers and one beautiful 19 years old virgin from St.Ives. They were all caught dancing an ancient harvest fertility rite Morris Dance on Feast Sunday by the local Magistrate. They were immediately turned to stone forever! They say this was about 1947?

The views along the Coastal Path are wonderful as it passes along the cliff tops.
I needed to cross a delightful granite footbridge - quite recently built though?

Classic coastal path routes - a lot of up and down.

Having arrived at Zennor, I consulted the bus timetable for the 7 mile return to realise, as it was a Sunday, no service buses run and I was fortunate to catch the last 'tour bus', even though it meant a 90 minute wait - in the local pub!

The long road back and a welcome sign!

On a wet day we joined the coach trip to Port Wenn (i.e. Port Issac). A delightful, small fishing village surprisingly unspoilt by it's Doc Martin fame.

We then travelled over to Padstow, by contrast very commercialised and the wet weather had brought us holiday makers off the beaches into town. After the traditional pasty we wandered around the harbour. Let me see, which boat will we get next?

Alert readers will notice the 'crabbing' activity!

On this last Thursday, we finally moved the motorvan (1st time for almost 3 weeks) the grand mileage of 8 miles to St.Erth. The occasion was a beading course that Chris wanted to get to in the shop (her new hobby!) and  happily, this allowed me to take the rail connection to Bodmin Parkway. They still run the old Class 40's, 125 service here into Paddington. So people of a nervous disposition, please look away now as I take to a steamy affair on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway.

Modern? HST set

5552 taking on water

1928 'Small Prairie' Class 4575 - note the sloping water tanks

The even older 1899 T9, No 30120 - a 4-4-0

And in a message to the Men's Group sub Steam Group, what is the significance of the 2 white roundels on the smoke box? Answers gratefully received!

Chris and I finished the day by spending a great later evening with Jan and Paul who we had met on St.Martin's as they live locally.

We arrived back at the campsite so late (gone midnight) that we needed to park up outside and get our heads down after a great day.

Our last day here always is somewhat sad as we pack down ready to move on. However, with glorious weather, we did this in full sun, though again windy and finished the day with a trip down  to the beach for a swim and a bbq to finish.

Onwards to Devon next!

 

Sunny St.Ives

After leaving the Isles of Scilly, we stopped over again on the Penzance Harbour car park before moving over to St.Ives for our stay on the Camping and Caravan Club Temporary Holiday Site at the Rugby Club. After sorting out a suitable pitch at the top of the site (more later?) we have put up the awning tent and off-loaded our camping stuff to give us more room inside!
AND - the sun came out for what has been a superb week, if still windy.

View from our pitch across the Bay

Bucket ready - requirement of the Site

One thing we wanted to be able to do is have enough electricity for our needs, without having to run the van engine. So far we had got a Maplins 13W suitcase solar panel though this has shown to be way inadequate other than to trickle charge. So just as we left Knutsford we bought a 28W solar panel. Together they give enough to charge the battery for our mobiles, and the lights/pump. However, they struggled to charge the laptops.

Our 2 solar panels on the dashboard

As it happened, near us on the campsite was a bloke who runs a motorvan service - we decided to ask him to put a bigger panel on the roof - a 100W. Yes, there's the expense but the result is that there is sufficient charge (even in cloudy conditions) to charge our appliances.

As the weather has been so good, we've been on the beach and into the delightful town.

This is pasty-land and the gulls give you that beady eye look!

"Give us your pasty!"

The picturesque St.Ives Harbour

The diet works! Wetsuit city!

All readers - please note the advice from the citizens of St.Ives.

It's not all beach here - we went to the famous(?) St.Ives Jazz Club to see Mike Westbrook's Big Band. They were absolutely brilliant with a full line-up - the 4 trumpets all taking solos and doing a number with flugels.

We've had a lovely fish restaurant meal and have taken a coach trip to the famous Minnack Theatre to see the comedy play 'The Complete Works of Shakespeare - Abridged' which featured at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival some years ago - an excellent performance against a stunning visual backdrop.

"All the world's a stage ..."

Minnack Magic!

We're now halfway through our time here - seems we've been here for ages.
Pretty distracted by the excellent Olympics!
Well done Bradley Wiggins!

St.Martin's - More photos

With our Camp Managers - thanks for a great time!

We back on the mainland now and have a strong 3G signal - can see the mast from our motorvan!
So here are a few of the photos giving an idea of life on St.Martin's.

Great news – the weather has picked up and although we've had heavy rain overnight or part of the day, overall it's been sunny though feels colder in the wind.

IoS Weather Ratings

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Exotic flowers!

Lovely garden flowers are everywhere

Cromwell's Gun Tower on the Island of Tresco - taken on a great day's walking there!



Gunners' view up the Sound


Window from the Island Church depicting St.Martin dividing his cloak for a needy man





Quiz question - what is this and it's use?

An unusual shot of the bow of the Scillonian III

Ferry across the Atlantic (a bit of it anyway!) - back to Penzance and terra firma

We are now on the mainland and at a Caravan and Camping Holiday Site in St.Ives.

And - the sun is shining - hooray!