Our three flights from Melbourne to England all ran on time and were very comfortable. Qantas to Singapore then Finnair to Heathrow. We set a record getting through immigration and customs at Heathrow. It took no more than 15 minutes including picking up our luggage which was first off the plane. A 5 minute wait for the Hertz bus to pick up our hire car and before we knew it we were on the road.
It was pouring with rain on leaving Heathrow and the M3 motorway was not much fun. We turned off the M3 and headed through the New Forest area, the rain eased, and we arrived in Southampton in reasonable weather.
An overnight stop, a good sleep and we were on the road again, this time to the seaside town of Weymouth. A night in a delightful B&B, explored the town and we were back on the road again this time to Exeter via the coast visiting a number of the seaside towns like Lyme Regis, Beer, Brandscombe and Budleigh Salterton.
An overnight stop in Exeter then we headed to Looe via the Dartmoor National Park. Roaming sheep, wild horses and amazing scenery made the drive to Looe a real highlight. Dartmoor is a wonderful landscape, full of varied habitats, from wooded valleys and hay meadows to magnificent mires and the wild open moor.
Looe… We arrived in Looe and booked into our lovely apartment overlooking the estuary where fishing boats and pleasure craft are moored and sit on the muddy riverbed at low tide. Our first day was spent exploring Looe, it’s winding streets and many tourist shops, eateries and bakeries. It is a beautiful town with a nice beach.
Port Isaac (Port Wenn for Doc Martin Fans)…
The following day we headed for the west coast and visited Port Isaac (Port Wenn to Doc Martin fans). They were filming for a new series of Doc Martin and we were lucky enough to see some of the action. The first was Al Large (Jo Absolom) running into the local pub followed by Policeman PC Penhale driving up to the pub in his Landrover and running into the same pub. All very exciting. Maybe you will see us in the next Doc Martin series.
From Port Isaac we then went on to Trebarwith, a tiny little village with a lifesaving club but no beach. We had a delightful, very late morning tea here sitting on the beach which are only rocks. How strange.
Boscastle …. From Trebarwith we headed to Boscastle. This is one of the few remaining unspoilt harbour villages in Cornwall. Designated an area of outstanding beauty, the National Trust own and care for the beautiful medieval harbour and surrounding coastline. From Boscastle we headed back to our comfortable apartment in Looe.
Less driving the next day exploring the area around Looe taking the Bodonnik Car Ferry to Fowey then on to Mevagissy for a nice lunch in a traditional English pub overlooking the harbour.
To The End…. Our next excursion involved a long drive and included an overnight stop just out of Penzance in a quant little cottage. The following day we visited the Minack Theatre at Porthcurno. This theatre is just amazing. A dream of Rowena Cade, she built this theatre into the side of the cliffs over many years with the help of her gardener. Rowena Cade, who lived in Minack House, decided that the cliffs below her garden would be the perfect setting, and over the winter of 1931 and into 1932 she and her gardener, Billy Rawlings, moved endless granite boulders and earth, creating the lower terraces of the theatre.
Concerts are held almost weekly in this theatre from May through to September. After exploring the theatre and taking in the magnificent views we enjoyed a coffee in the Tea Rooms.
St Ives By Train…. Back in the car and on to St Ives. Like all English villages parking is very restricted and the easiest way to get into St Ives is by train from Lelant Saltings. The train hugs the coast with spectacular views out to St Ives Bay and beautiful white sandy beaches.
A walk around St Ives, a beer in The Sloop Inn and then back on the train. We then took the B3306 coast road around to Land’s End. This is a very scenic drive with views over the ocean, old tin mines, farmhouses and small villages. Certainly better than the main highways.
We made it. Land’s End…. This is the most South Westerly point in England and a major tourist attraction. Huge car parks for cars and buses but because we arrived later in the afternoon and it was only mid May it was relatively quiet. We took the compulsory photo next to the Land’s End sign but refused to pay £10 (A$20.00) for a professional photo.
The views are spectacular out over the ocean and to the Longships Lighthouse. There are a number of tourist activities at Land’s End many aimed at children, along with tourist shops and cafes. It was then a 75 mile drive back to Looe.
Garden Of Eden…. On Thursday we visited “The Eden Project”, about 22 miles from Looe. This facility is nestled in a huge crater which was originally a clay mine. It is now a massive garden with two huge domes (called Biomes) which house a Rainforest in one dome and a Mediterranean landscape in the other featuring stunning plants, crop displays, art installations and exhibitions.
Our Final Day in Looe…. Our final day in Looe we found there is a local train which travels up to Liskeard along the East Looe River. This is not a tourist train but a regular service and the views along the river are scenic. A quick walk around Liskeard, then back on the train for the return journey.
Since leaving Heathrow we have travelled 750 miles (1200 km) and mostly in Cornwall. Who said the United Kingdom was small. Many times, you are travelling on narrow single lane roads with passing bays or narrow two way roads with no opportunities to pass. Our observation is that English drivers are much better than most in Australia, they are courteous but they do tend to tailgate.
Tomorrow we head to Wales to stay in a Coach House on a farm inside the Brecon National Park.