Road trip suggestions, please.

[Meldrew2]

OH has expressed a desire to explore Cornwall & Devon. We have a week's cruise leaving Southampton June next year, so we have an opportunity to take another 10 days or so travelling down from home (Lancashire).

I like to drive around 2 hours at a time between stops, so I was thinking of the following route:

Southport (home)
1 night at Telford (we have a regular hotel and favourite curry house here)
Weston Super Mare (we've never been here)
Ilfracombe or Barnstaple (never been)
St Austell (never been)
Lyme Regis (never been)
1 night at Southampton (we have a regular hotel here for an overnight stay and we can leave car at the hotel during the cruise)

It's the bits in bold type that I'd love to hear suggestions about. Suggestions for things to see/do at those towns. Maybe I've missed out a town that is really worth visiting. Thinking of 2 nights in each of the places.

Hotels too - we like the smaller independent places - clean, comfortable, characterful and friendly are our "likes" - so again suggestions welcomed.

I know that my "go to" forum curry expert is less active here nowadays (Flango, I mean you) but I would also appreciate dining recommendations from any other lovers of the tikka and tandoor !

 

[moonloops]

Weston Super Mare

There's a reason it's called Weston Super Nightmare I'd guess...

 

[A250 Bennyboy]

Boscastle and tintagle are well worth a visit I really enjoyed Eden project and the lost gardens of helagon are a bit expensive but if you've never been then worth a visit especially if the weathers not very nice.
Port isaac st Ives are lovely but can be difficult to find a parking space at times.

 

[Howard]

Ilfracombe is nice , if you've got a day to kill you can get the boat to Lundy Island for the day from there. It's well worth doing , and you could do Clovelly too which is nice. Walk down the steep steps to the little Harbour and then get the Land Rover back up.

 

[Adrian5405]

I'd cross WSM off the list, I live 20 miles from there but hardly ever visit.
ok for a bracing cold walk along the front looking at the mud if that's your thing.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Port Isaac rather than WSM

I'd cross WSM off the list, I live 20 miles from there but hardly ever visit.
ok for a bracing cold walk along the front looking at the mud if that's your thing.

I carefully visited WSM last year - home of John Cleese and Jeffrey Archer - definitely not worth the journey. Substitute Port Isaac - the background to Martin Clunes "Doc Martin" series - charming, characterful, with some lovely scenery in and around.

On the TV theme, you might want to think about adding West Beach at Bridport, home of the Broadchuch series. Stunning Jurassic cliffs, great walking, interesting fishing harbour, and some great "street food" from the sellers around the bay - from the humble fish and chips to really quite good stuff. Bridport itself is a charming Georgian Dorset town. Best lunch locally: the Hive Beach cafe - but you'll have to look for it.

 

[Satch]

Weston Super Mare. As stated, don't bother. In fact best thing to be done is take off and nuke it from orbit. Harsh, but fair.

If you can take in the Tank Museum in Bovington.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Hive beach cafe, Burton Bradstock

Hive Beach Café

 

[DITTRICH]

Clovelly is nice.
Lyme Regis is nice.

 

[CLSMark]

Slough is a lovely spot..

 

[automaniaman]

Slough is a lovely spot..

There's an ointment for treating that....

 

[400ixl]

Cheddar Gorge is well worth a visit on your way through as a replacement for Weston Super Mare.

 

[Meldrew2]

So - following recommendations to avoid WSM and visit Port Isaac, here is an amended plan...

Southport (home)
1 night at Telford (we have a regular hotel and favourite curry house here)
1 night at Taunton
visit Lynton & Lynmouth en route to
2 nights at Ilfracombe (or Barnstaple)
visit Clovelly en route to
1 night at Port Isaac
2 nights at St Austell
2 nights at Lyme Regis
1 night at Southampton (we also have a regular hotel and favourite curry house here)

Curry house recommendations for Taunton, Ilfracombe/Barnstaple, St Austell & Lyme Regis welcomed.

Any other suggestions of places that we mustn't miss?

Thanks!

 

[Howard]

Just to clarify ...

Ilfracombe still has that lovely village feel about it , the shops are centred around the little harbour and gardens , Barnstaple is a big town centred around a muddy river and a huge flyover.

 

[rusty55]

We are doing a road trip to lands end trip stopping of for 2 nights at Plymouth next stopping at Eden project on to Truro 1 night 2 nights in porthcurno booked minick theatre then 2 nights at port Isaac then one floating night. Possibly mortehoe between woolacombe and ilficomb and home in Wiltshire. This trip is June so hope it's good sunshine as was our last two June road trips

Have a look on YouTube in areas of interest to you that can also help in your choice of locations and the route planners on the web
Good luck.
Barnstable is nice as Howard said but it doesn't have the coastline views I like north Devon and have taken my family to mortehoe for meany years at Easter time great coastal walks.

 

[rusty55]

Lundy island is a very good trip as Howard suggests and climb the light house is a must if the weather is kind .
valley of the rocks is good after driving down its hill side road to the bottom which will make the other half fidget in her seat if you have a large 4x4.

The minack is best to pre book

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

So - following recommendations to avoid WSM and visit Port Isaac, here is an amended plan...

Southport (home)
1 night at Telford (we have a regular hotel and favourite curry house here)
1 night at Taunton
visit Lynton & Lynmouth en route to
2 nights at Ilfracombe (or Barnstaple)
visit Clovelly en route to
1 night at Port Isaac
2 nights at St Austell
2 nights at Lyme Regis
1 night at Southampton (we also have a regular hotel and favourite curry house here)

Curry house recommendations for Taunton, Ilfracombe/Barnstaple, St Austell & Lyme Regis welcomed.

Any other suggestions of places that we mustn't miss?

Thanks!

We spend a lot of time Ilfracombe and Barnstaple. In Ilfracombe, stick to the harbour and the sea, avoid the high street as it's not very pleasant, and I say that as someone who really loves the place.

To eat, try The Rock, which is a short drive from Woolacombe. A village pub and restaurant with great food, and excellent service. Worth calling to book though if you plan to visit at the weekend.

Barnstaple is a really lovely town. It is surrounded by mud, but as far as town's go it's one of my favourites, and a nice place to wander around. The pannier market is popular with the female of the species.

Whilst in Barnstaple, if you like good quality burgers then go to the Custom House, they're really fantastic, and the service is really good too. Worth going to Barnstaple for th burgers alone!

Port Isaac is really lovely, and a great place to spend a couple of hours, but a couple of days may be a little too long there. You could head straight from Port Isaac to St Austell, not so far in the grand scheme of things, freeing up a night to spend elsewhere.

Truro is a lovely place to visit, and whilst I've not stayed there for a while, The Royal hotel is nice, right in the centre of the city. Their apartments were great. Their restaurant, Mannings, used to be excellent too.

Dartmouth would be another nice place to visit. Alf's (or Alf Frescos) do an amazing breakfast, my favourite anywhere in the world, and they have accommodation too, only a few rooms but a great place to stay or eat.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

http://www.manningshotels.co.uk/restaurant

http://www.cafealfresco.co.uk

http://www.customhouseonline.com

http://therockinn.biz

 

[rusty55]

We chose the manning for b&b on our stop over
Squires chip shop is our eating stop off point in brounton after passing Barnstable

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

We chose the manning for b&b on our stop over
Squires chip shop is our eating stop off point in brounton after passing Barnstable

Squires is excellent in Braunton, the queues are huge at the weekend in Summer. Excellent value too. They have a bistro style restaurant opposite too.

There must be something in the name Squires, because there's a chip shop by the same name (but unconnected) in Churston (between Paignton and Brisbane in South Devon) which are also well worth a visit, but Braunton has the edge).