Castle Drogo

Castle Drogo was originally built for self-made retail millionaire Julius Drewe.
Designed between 1910 and 1913, it took 20 years to build. Sadly, Drewe died, aged 76, a year after it was completed. The family gifted the house and grounds to the National Trust in 1974. It was the first 20th Century property they took on.
Drogo was special because the Edwardian building was designed by Edwin Lutyens.



Lutyens was arguably Britain's greatest 20th century architect. It’s a thoroughly modern castle he designed here – no dungeons! Yet it’s an awe-inspiring piece of design, with touches like interior courtyards to give natural light and internal windows build to suggest an older rambling building that has been built onto. I think my favourite room was the switch room, with all the old fashioned wiring. The wooden fittings in the kitchen, in use up to the 1960s, reminded me of my grandmothers’ house, though hers was somewhat less grand...






The formal garden is one of the highest in England - Drogo is so high that although a fig tree cloaks one of the castle walls, its fruits don't ripen.





But there are plenty of flowers in the borders,and you can play croquet on the enormous circular croquet lawn (hire equipment from the visitor centre - June to September)



But if other people’s grand houses are not your thing, exploring the grounds may be. Drogo is perched high up on the northern fringe of Dartmoor, overlooking the Teign Valley. You can hike down to the river, maybe even walk to popular Fingle Bridge if you’re feeling energetic. The visitor centre sells leaflets with details of walks if you don't trust our own nose. You can't take your dog into the house or the formal gardens, but elsewhere dogs on leads are welcome.




The Trust, of course, has a cafe as well as a shop on site. There are often optional extras such as tours of the roof or boiler rooms (and an explanation of how Castle Drogo is hoping to go carbon neutral) or seasonal trails for children. The house sometimes has a cast of actors explaining what life was like in this Dartmoor mansion.


Winter opening: Castle Drogo grounds and tea room(but not the house) are open at weekends in January and February, and on extra days (sometimes including the house) around the Christmas break

Summer opening: from mid March to the beginning of November Castle Drogo is open most days - check the National Trust website (see below) for details.

Castle Drogo is about 17 miles from our Devon eco lodges and cottage. For more information about events there, see our diary pages.

Castle Drogo
Drewsteignton,
nr Exeter,
Devon EX6 6PB
Telephone: 01647 433306

Find out more, check opening times etc...

Torrington 1646

Re-live the last major battle of the civil war in the Cavalier town of Torrington...
At Torrington 1646 you'll be guided through a reconstruction of the town on the night of 16 Feb 1646, when the roundheads marched from Exeter and started a night-time battle against the cavaliers, loyal to the King. It ended with the destruction of the church when 80 barrels of gunpowder (Guy Fawkes only had 36) and 200 prisoners went up in flames.

There's a chance to try on 17th Century armour,and find out about how the women and camp followers dressed, how to bow without showing people your lice.... And find out many many uses for urine...



Your kids will love it, and the best bit, if the weather allows, will be joining in with the pike drill and watching the musket being fired (don't worry, it's only tissue paper).





Torrington 1646 is about 13 miles from our Devon eco lodges and cottage - in the town of Torrington. And while you're there, there's the glass factory (which does tours), lots of good walks, and of course the Plough Arts Centre.





Opening times (2009):

Jul and Aug, Mon-Sat, first tour 10:00, last tour 15:00.
Sep, week days only
Oct - Mar closed
half terms - ring for opening times.

Getting there:
Take the A386 to Torrington and park in the South Street car park (well signed). You'll find the entrance to Torrington 1646 in the building that houses the Tourist Information and the Library.

Without the car, take the 315 bus from Winkleigh and get off at the church in Torrington. Walk through the churchyard into the High Street, heading for the Pannier Market, then turn up the hill (South Street) and you'll find the car park and Torington 1646 at the top on your left. Make sure you leave enough time (approx 2 hours) to do the tour before the last bus back!

Torrington 1646
Castle Hill
South Street
Great Torrington
EX38 8AA
01805 626146
Find out more, check opening times etc...

A dose of history at Cobbaton Combat collection

Not just war toys for boys, this collection of military equipment, some of which is still used in films today, focusses on the second world war and is dedicated to the memory of those who fought in it. The collection ranges from military surplus tanks, guns, helmets, artillery, grenades, and bombs, to Home Front ration books, gas masks, ARP and Home Guard uniforms, and blackout lamps.

This is real equipment that people used - the sherman tank in the car park has genuine shell holes in it - all food for thought. The main collection is housed in 2 large hangers, so it's good for a rainy day. Best to ring ahead (01769 540740) to check opening hours. In the winter the collection opens on some weekends. In the summer opening hours are broader.


Costs: Adults £6, senior citizens £5, schoolchildren £4, under fives go free.
Check out their website for up to date information.

Chittlehampton is about 15 miles from our cottage and ecolodges.

Cobbaton Combat Collection, Chittlehampton, Umberleigh, North Devon, EX37 9RZ,
Phone 01769 540740

Beaches and a canal at Bude

Bude offers some of the closest beaches to us. You can enjoy the sand, go surfing or pick up the South West Coast path for a lovely walk. It's just over the border in Cornwall, but they won't ask for your passport...






If you drive to Bude you'll probably end up at Summerleaze Beach, the closest to the town. There's level access from Summerleaze car park. At low tide you can also get here from the Canal. There's lots of sand when the tide is out, but take care swimming near the sailing channels into the Canal. You might prefer the sea-washed swimming pool near the cliffs. Crooklets is the other town beach, also popular with surfers. (No dogs allowed on Crooklets beach between Easter and 1st October).




At Widemouth Bay, (turning off the A39 a mile or two south of Bude) there is a large beach with over 2 miles of sand at low tide. Good for families and surfers - plenty of room for all. Dogs are allowed on the southern part all year.

Bude Canal
A canal joins the sea at Bude. It was built to transport sea sand, rich in lime, to farms inland. The lock gates near the sea suffered storm damage in 1997 but have now been repaired (and if you wonder whether rebuilding the gates in such fabulous-looking hardwood was really sustainable, it's because the gates are 'listed', and English Heritage insisted they be replaced by green oak). You can walk or ride along the tow path to Helebridge, passing a nature reserve on the way. Just across the A39 at Helebridge you can see the old wharf area and restored barge workshop. There's also a picnic site here. There's more information about the canal here.

Cliff top walks
Alternatively, walk along the cliffs from Bude for spectacular views on the South West Coast Path. You're standing on 300 million years of geological history!

Bude is about 30 miles from our cottage and ecolodges.

If you want to see more, check out the Bude webcams.

Finch Foundry

The National Trust's Finch Foundry is the last working water-powered forge in the country. On one of their regular guided tours you can find out what it really means to have your nose to the grind stone or to be pole axed ...



Finch Foundry is in the village of Sticklepath, on the edge of Dartmoor. When it's raining, this will show you what all that water was used for! The leat would originally have driven up to 10 water mills.
The forge made argricultural tools right up until the 1960s and is a sight to behold. They say the vibrations were powerful enough to shake glasses off the shelves in the next door pub. If you catch one of the guided tours you'll see one of the hammers in action.




This is a small National Trust property, but well worth a visit. There's a tea room in the grounds, and also Thomas Pearse's summer house. That's the Tom Pearse from the Widdecombe Fair song (plus Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all). He was a local serge maker, making the red material used to dress the British army.



There are also lovely woodland walks from the Forge. One takes you to Okehampton, where you can visit the Museum of Dartmoor Life. Or you can follow the river valley along to the village of Belstone (where there's a pub that does food).



Every November the Forge hosts the Sticklepath Fire show - a performance on a huge set which is burnt at the end of a fabulous fireworks display.

The Foundry is usually open from mid-March until early November between 11:00 and 17:00 every day except Tuesday. There are tours about once an hour.

Finch Foundry is about 13 miles from our cottage and lodges. This National Trust property sometimes puts on events - check out our diary pages for details...

Finch Foundry
Sticklepath, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2NW
Telephone: 01837 840046
Find out more, check opening times etc...

Barnstaple to Fremington on the Tarka Trail

Walk or cycle from Barnstaple to Fremington Quay on the Tarka Trail, and enjoy an ice cream at the cafe and museum. You get fabulous views out over the mouth of the Taw River, see beautiful butterflies and flowers in summer, enjoy easy walking and a lovely cafe at the end.



You can hire bikes at Barnstaple Station or at Fremington, and this level tarmac path is ideal for children. The down side is that nobody seems to do one way cycle hire so you'll have to retrace your steps. The alternative is to walk and get the bus back home from Fremington or even Instow.

I recommend getting there by bus (train or car also possible). Tickets are really reasonable and you get a unique view of the North Devon countryside from the top of a double decker. Catch the 315 from Winkleigh and get off at Sticklepath Hill just before you come down to the roundabout at the edge of Barnstaple (ask the driver). Get an all day ticket if you plan to come back from Fremington (approx £3 per adult in summer 08) . Cross over the road, head down the hill and down a side street to footpaths under the main road. Follow the signs for the Tarka Trail and enjoy the scenery. You're following the path of the old railway line that served Fremington Quay.

Fremington Quay was once the busiest port between Bristol and Lands End. Now it's a cafe and has fascinating displays and photographs from times gone by, incluidng pennyfarthing and other early bicycles (suspended from the ceiling).



The cafe is open most days in the summer, most weekends in the winter, and closed most Mondays. Ring them on 01271 378783 to be sure.








You have to walk up to the main road to get the bus back - ask us and we'll show you on the map and describe the bus stop.

But why stop there? Why not go on and walk around Home Marsh Farm, or follow the South West Coast Path for a stretch before rejoining the Tarka Trail in Instow (also on the 315 bus route)?

Barnstaple is about 25 miles from us, and Fremington about 22. The last bus back is usually about 16:20 - but please check. There should be an up to date timetable in your accommodation.