The Great British Holiday

[BigSilverEstate]

Have spent the week in North Devon with the family. The weather has been glorious and I have got a lot of enjoyment out of the driving. Some nice open sections with lots of linked bends, but also the roads with lots of blind bends, hills, alternating sections of single and dual-track road (e.g. The A382 across Dartmoor).

This sort of driving requires a lot of concentration especially when you are six-up and the MIL is sharing the rear facing child seats with the 3 year old and the key objectives are to get to the seaside before anyone gets hungry without anybody being sick! Lots of discipline about controlling your speed around bends and using the right gear which is almost as much fun as chucking it about.

Always very impressed by how agile and easily manipulated the 5m long bus can be, even when fully loaded with people and holiday junk.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Where did you stay in Devon?

We are considering schlepping down there at the end of August and it'd be nice to hear any recomendations.

 

[guydewdney]

I live in west somerset, which is less than 5 miles from devon, so can help with local jnfo....

 

[BigSilverEstate]

We stayed in this very nice holiday accommodation not far from Okehampton:

http://www.culverhayes.co.uk/

As you are more or less in the middle of the peninsula there is easy access to both the North and South coasts (great days at Putsborough and Bigbury respectively) as well as Dartmoor etc. I have also had some lovely outings on the push bike on the back lanes - I'll post some pics.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Where did you stay in Devon?

We are considering schlepping down there at the end of August and it'd be nice to hear any recomendations.

Don't schlep down there in August. It (and the roads) will be full of Brummie caravans and after 4 hours simply to cross the Avonmouth bridge you'll be thinking next year you'd rather release the pigeons in Lancashire...

 

[BigSilverEstate]

Idyllic evening scenes whilst out on my bike:

 

[BigSilverEstate]

Putsborough sands:

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Where did you stay in Devon?

We are considering schlepping down there at the end of August and it'd be nice to hear any recomendations.

Good choice.

We've just got back from Woolacombe / Ilfracombe and will be there again for a chunk of August. I would suggest this place:

North Devon Hotels, Hotels In Devon, Luxury Hotels In Devon, North Devon Accommodation | Woolacombe Bay Hotel

Don't be tempted to go down to Tiverton @ Junction 27 - instead follow the waterline past Minehead and Lynmouth.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Putsborough sands:

Great beaches in that area.

Further along the same huge beach - a bit busier!

View attachment 36931

 

[bpsorrel]

I've always been a fan of Lynton and Lynmouth - the Glenlyn Gorge is a great walk and the valley of the rocks stunning Once timed it to coincide with a fascinating music festival on the beach!

 

[baxlin]

I'll be driving some of these roads in a couple of weeks' time, I'm acting as support driver for six mates who are doing a LET ( that's Lands End to Tring) cycle ride, so although they don't hang about, I should have some time to explore.

Hats off to Fiat UK, who for the last three times we've done this sort of mad caper, have let us use a new, fully equipped 'event support vehicle' - one of the cyclists is a semi-big cheese within Fiat.......

 

[vealige]

Living in the Devon and Cornwall area we do have some amazing roads it is great to have Dartmoor, bodmin moor and the sea literally on our doorstep. This time of year is great although the roads are clogged with idiots who clearly have never seen hills, single track roads or can contemplate reversing their range rover or equivalent when they meet another car in a country lane. Always funny to see the blind panic if they do have to go backwards. As for caravans they are like the cancer of summer bloody things.

But all in all living here you do take it for granted as you see it everyday its only when visiting places like London, Birmingham etc that it makes you appreciate where you live and the great lifestyle there is down here.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I've always been a fan of Lynton and Lynmouth - the Glenlyn Gorge is a great walk and the valley of the rocks stunning Once timed it to coincide with a fascinating music festival on the beach!

There's a fantastic toll road from the Valley of the Rocks heading West - as you drive down the valley towards the sea, there's a turning circle. Take the narrow lane to the left, and it takes you along a cliff edge, with some stunning views.

Part way along there's what looks like a charity box, into which you drop your toll!

 

[BEJ]

I've just got back from a tour of the more scenic back roads of Mid Wales and the Brecon Beacons.
Get off the A roads and onto the unclassified ones eg. the army road over Epynt. This was used as a special stage on the Welsh Rally years ago when there was one. Also the road around the reservoirs in the Elan Valley and the 3 ply road from Lake Vrnwy to Barmouth. Fantastic!! All done in the last couple of days and never had the roof up once.

 

[BAZZER1]

Slightly off topic but living near Bournemouth and the New Forest its good tom see the Grockles start to arrive from all areas when the sun starts to shine ??
BAZZER1