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...

Exeter galleries, cathedral and tours

In the city of Exeter you can visit galleries, take a guided tour, admire the Cathedral or just relax in a coffee bar.






If you feel the need to return to urban life for a day, Exeter is a good bet for a spot of culture. And if you want to be green you can take the train on the picturesque Tarka Line - Eggesford Station is only about 4 miles away. All the trains have to stop here - a condition imposed when the land for the station was originally sold by the Earl of Portsmouth's estate.

Stay on the train until you get to Exeter Central (not Exeter St David's). Coming out of the station turn left, and almost immediately you'll pass the Royal Albert Memorial Museum's main building. It's closed for redevelopment until March 2010, but much of its offerings have been rehoused in the library and around the city. To get to RAMM in the library, take the 3rd left after the station, walk about 100m until you see the library / council buildings. You won't miss them - they look just like council buildings! Check their website or ring 01392 421252 for more about what's on...

But if you take the second left, just up from the end of Gandy Street you'll come across the Exeter Phoenix gallery.
Entrance to the gallery is free, and there are regular workshops - check their website or ring 01392 667080 to find out what's on. You never know who you might meet....











If you've got kids and it's wet, the gallery may be a welcome distraction, and there should be something to occupy them. The cafe is also family friendly, and does local food.



Coming back out of the gallery, go down the hill and turn left into Gandy Street - lots of boutiques, cafes etc, and if you keep going you'll hit the high street. If you want to see the Cathedral, turn right in the high street, then turn left when you see the signposts.

You can also join a guided tour of historial Exeter. The Exeter City Council run several, covering, ghosts, murder and mayhem, the Cathedral, the custom's house and many more. Check out their website a full list and timetables.






Exeter is about 35 miles from our ecolodges and cottage - but it's perfectly green if you go on the train or bus!

These venues sometimes have events that we list on our diary pages.

Horn's Cross to Westward Ho! on the South West Coast Path

This is a good one way walk through a wooded combe and along a fabulous stretch of the South West Coast Path. Take the bus out and walk back....





You start this day out from either the bus stop at Winkleigh the bus stop on the Quay at Bideford. After a short journey you'll walk along wooded paths, see Lundy Island out to sea, dip down to a beach, and catch cliff top views. The walk is narrow and steep at times. You can't get lost though - just keep going and you'll arrive in Westward Ho! feeling smug about not just lounging around on the beach. I'd allow 2-3 hours.

Getting there

Bus: Get the 09.03 (summer 08 timetable - do check!)bus from Winkleigh to Bideford. Buy a North Devon dayrider ticket so you can get on and off stagecoach buses all day - it's only £3-4. You'll arrive with some time to kill, so enjoy the Quayside, admire the long bridge, or visit the Burton Art Gallery (free entry, interesting history of the bridge upstairs, plus cafe & loos.) It's in the park just beyond the Quay.

Drive: Take the A386 to Bideford and park in the pay & display car park at the far end of the Quay. Then catch the 319 bus to Horn's Cross (see below).

Be back on the Quay (on the river side) to get the 319 stagecoach bus to Horn's Cross (11:25 from the Quay in summer 08). If you stay on the LHS of the lower deck you'll see the sign for Horn's Cross in time to ting the bell. The bus stop is by the pub. Walk through the pub car park, down the lane, then turn right through a gate signed Peppercombe. Follow the path downhill until you reach signs for the coast path, then branch off. From here you can't go wrong!

There are glorious cliff top scenes, wonderful butterflies and flowers in summer, and views of Lundy out to sea. You'll dip down to a beach (good for lunch) before heading up and down quite a few times more...

Eventually you'll reach Cornborough Cliffs, about a mile outside Westward Ho! Follow the coast path signs for a slightly more interesting detour, or just take the wide path into Westward Ho!

You'll come out by the colourful beach huts - this will feel like a different culture after your walk! If you walk along the front, then turn up towards the church, you'll come to Nelson Road where you can catch the First 1 bus back to Bideford Quay. Because this is a different service, you'll have to buy a ticket. The last bus back from Bideford to Winkleigh is at 16:50 (summer 08).

Bideford is about 20 miles from our self catering cottage and eco lodges - or start your day just 1.5 miles away at the Winkleigh bus stop.

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.