Lynton and Lynmouth

 10/4/26 3 nights 90 miles

So I apologise (why am I apologising? It”s only me that’s going to read this anyway in my old age), so sorry Graham if I’m confusing you, the posts are not in chronological order. You see, I wasn’t going to write these any more but then I thought it might be good to look back so I made notes on paper but didn’t transcribe the paper to the computer in the right order and I can’t figure out how to change them on the blog thing.

So next up is Lynton and Lynmouth. I wanted to go for the Valley of the Rocks. I’m not alone. It is stunning (hope I got a photo). 

We stayed at the Camping and Caravanning Club. you know, the friendly one. It wasn’t good value to be honest. Evidently there was a problem and the shower block burnt down a couple of years ago. Still not fixed but still charging full price….hmmm.

Anyway, we swallowed the rip off and stayed with our good friends from Dorset, Sean and Sandy, and had a lovely, lovely walk.

Head out of the campsite to the left, down to the town and buy a couple of pasties (I remember I was quite insistent on that point), then follow signs through the woods to The Valley of the Rocks. Follow the trail through, down through spectacular rocky scenery (stopping to eat your pastie obv), up past the modern day monastery/retreat and back to the campsite. Lovely walk.

Zoom in on the first photo and tell me that’s not lovely.

Combe Martin

1/10/25 2 nights 100 miles

So this is a try-out really in the spanking new van. Just picked it/her up from Hull of all places (we used to live in Beverley, 12 miles from ‘Ull ) but now live in Mid Devon, so it was a long trip to pick it up. If we’d have bought it a couple of years ago it would have been 15 mins on the train. The attraction was the discount, I won’t lie. I think they made 37 quid on the sale.

Jordans are what we used to call in the IT sector, box shifters. Pile high, sell lots. After sales suppor is not their strong point. Christ. The effort I had to go to get a couple of cheap things replaced which were broken - but then again I did get it cheap, but really, these bits were broken!

Anyway, the van was everything our previous 2013 Vantage was, but more up to date; automatic, Euro 6, lovely wrap round lounge. No more creaky or less well built in my opinion, and with some features which make you stop and think, yes, nice touch. However, I will still soon be embarking on a full soundproofing and rattle suppressing exercise.

So to Combe Martin. The pull was the intriguingly named “Great Hangman” and “Little Hangman” viewspots, or “miradors” in Spanish if you will. Well the walk was very good, challenging for some, as was the campsite (not challenging, good) along with the nice pub in the village, (the Dolphin I think) and the company with our good friends from Sandford, Charlie and Di was excellent.

26 May 26 - Slapton Sands

Slapton Sands

27/5/26 3 nights 105 miles.

Oops. We did what you are forbidden to do: drive through the very narrow village. You are suppose to drive round to the campsite from the sea, we came from inland but got away with it. Very, very narrow and extremely annoying for everyone. Sorry everyone, we are really not bad people.

We had basically a walk along Slapton Sands which is an abandoned road - great for getting your kids on a bike with no traffic, and there is a walk around the lake behind.

We didn’t know what to expect but Slapton Sands should definitely renamed as Slapton Pebbles, THERE IS NO SAND!

What there is, is an old American Sherman tank, left as a memorial to the US soldiers who lost their life on a training exercise for D Day landings in 1943. A very moving experience.

I must mention our dinner at the pub further up the hill, the Tower Inn was superb outdoor cooking. Pass by the others and eat here if you can. (French Chef - meat on the rare side, delicious but maybe not for children).