Colourful buildings on the Kingswear side
I had the opportunity to visit Dartmouth. I had never been there and only knew it by name. It is an absolutely beautiful and quaint place.
Houses nestled in the slopes approaching Dartmouth
This cute little English town, in Devon, is a tourist destination set on the banks of the River Dart. The town has always been important in the role it has played for sailing vessels and the River is filled with vessels of many kinds. Ferries regularly cross the River from Dartmouth to Kingswear throughout the day. One has to be quite vigilant if they are commandeering a vessel.
Many sailboats against the backdrop of lush green fields
It was a home of the Royal Navy from the reign of Edward III and was twice surprised and sacked during the Hundred Years’ War, after which the mouth of the estuary was closed every night with a great chain. The narrow mouth of the Dart is protected by two fortified castles, Dartmouth Castle and Kingswear Castle.
The castle on the Dartmouth side
The castle on the Kingswear side
The town contains many medieval and Elizabethan streetscapes and is a patchwork of narrow lanes and stone stairways. A significant number of the historic buildings are listed. One of the most obvious is the Butterwalk, built 1635 to 1640.
The Butterwalk building
Another really neat old building that I encountered was the Cherub Inn. This is Dartmouth’s oldest building and dates from around 1380. Somehow the Inn has continued to stay intact avoiding fires and bombings that have taken place around it.
Authentic ...
In 1958, the Inn was derelict and ripe for demolition but was rescued by a Mr. Cresswell Mullett. Where timbers needed renewing they were replaced by beams from old buildings and ships thereby achieving as best as possible an authentic restoration.
Please come in ...
The picturesque countryside adorns the area and the colours of fields and fallow create idyllic landscapes. I wish I had had more time there but it was just a brief stop. It is definitely a place I would come to again.
The idyllic setting, homes nestled in the slopes, fields caress them like a shawl
Loving the history lesson and your pictures, esp. of the two castles. I really like the architecture of the medieval buildings and that Butterwalk (what a funny name) building is definitely worth a visit.
Did you have time to enter the Cherub Inn for a pint?
Absolutely had to go into the Cherub. It was so dear …
while you were sailing on the yacht I kept thinking about you as there is a commercial for Grey Goose Vodka taken on a yacht at sea.
Yes, you told me about that … I will have to see it one day.
meant to say that it made me wish I was on a yacht at sea. However have been driving for just over a week as I went out to Halifax and back. Loved it and made me feel as though I would like to go somewhere else. My little Honda behaved so well – ran like a bomb.
Your road trip sounds great Mum. Just remember to let people know where you are going.