Overbeck’s

We awoke to wall to wall blue skies. It was very hot and sunny and stayed the same all day. After breakfast we set of for Overbeck’s.

Overbeck's Museum and Garden is an Edwardian house and 7 acre garden at Sharpitor, Salcombe, Devon, England. It is named after its last private owner Otto Christop Joseph Gerhardt Ludwig Overbeck (1860–1937).

Until 2014 the house was divided between a museum and a youth hostel. YHA Salcombe closed in 2014 when the agreement between the National Trust and The Youth Hostel Association broke down. The part of the house formerly used as the hostel is currently (2017) unused, and closed to the public.

The museum houses displays of some of Overbeck's inventions and collections of stuffed animals, and exhibitions of model sailing ships and various nautical and shipbuilding tools and effects. There are display photographs of boats and shipwrecks. 

A room in the middle of the house, one of whose entrances is a secret door concealed in the wooden panelling of the room outside, contains a display of dolls' houses, amongst which is placed by staff "Fred the friendly ghost" for child visitors to discover. The museum contains a Polyphon — a large musical box which plays music encoded as holes punched in large sheet-metal discs. There is a collection of discs of popular melodies of the day which are played from time to time during the day when the museum is open. 

There is also a collection of photographs by Edward Chapman who worked in and photographed Salcombe — including the building of the first house on the site — during the early 20th-century. The photographs have been reprinted from the original plates by Chapman's son and his grandson, Chris Chapman, who continues the family photography business in Plymouth. A tea room offers a variety of snacks and delectables, including Devonshire cream teas.

The garden hosts a collection of botanically unusual and unexpected plants from across the globe. The Edwardian villa is the perfect vantage point to view the garden and provide a glimpse into life of a Bygone era.

We drove into Salcombe on the way back and had a nice walk around the harbour and shops, before heading to Ivybridge for Fish and Chips.

We got back to the caravan just before 20:00 hrs.

Greenway and Brixham

Nice and sunny again this morning. After breakfast we headed off to Greenway.

Greenway, also known as Greenway House, is an estate on the River Dart near Galmpton in Devon, England. Once the holiday home of the author Agatha Christie, it is now owned by the National Trust. The estate is served by a steam railway service with trains from Paignton and Kingswear stopping at Greenway Halt station.

This relaxed and atmospheric house is set in the 1950s, when Agatha and her family would spend summers and Christmases here with friends, relaxing by the river, playing croquet and clock golf, and reading her latest mystery to their guests. The family were great collectors, and the house is filled with archaeology, Tunbridgeware, silver, botanical china and books.

In the garden a large and romantic woodland drifts down the hillside towards the Dart estuary. The walled gardens are home to a restored peach house and vinery, as well as an allotment cared for by local school children. A visit to Greenway isn't complete without seeing the Boathouse, scene of the crime in 'Dead Man’s Folly', and the battery complete with cannon. Greenway has been accredited by the International Camellia Society as a 'Garden of Excellence.' It is the first National Trust garden with this accreditation, and one of just seven gardens in the UK to be recognised as a ‘Garden of Excellence’ by the International Camellia Society.

We called in at Brixham on the way back and had a nice walk around the harbour. It turned out to be a very hot day, particularly down by the water. Unfortunately there was a bit of an infestation of flying ants.

Saltram

Grey and overcast this morning. We tried out the shower in the caravan for the first time. It was very good, and we can both shower on less than half a tank full of water. The sun was coming our by the time we headed off to Saltram House. We had a picnic lunch by the car before heading off to tour the gardens and it was a little chilly in the wind. When we started walking the sun came out and it became a lovely sunny day.

Saltram overlooks the River Plym and is set in a rolling landscape park that provides precious green space on the outskirts of Plymouth. Strolling along the riverside or through the woodland, you can almost forget that the city lies so close.

Saltram was home to the Parker family from 1743, when an earlier mansion was remodelled to reflect the family’s increasingly prominent position. It's magnificently decorated, with original contents including Chinese wallpapers and an exceptional collection of paintings (several by Sir Joshua Reynolds). It also has a superb country house library and Robert Adam’s Neo-classical Saloon.

The garden is mostly 19th century, with a working 18th-century orangery and follies, beautiful shrubberies and imposing specimen trees providing year-round interest.

On our way back to the car we a nice ice cream and then headed back to the caravan for what was a very nice warm evening with the sun shining right to 21:00.

Plymouth

A bit brighter this morning. Lots of white clouds and a little blue sky.

After a leisurely breakfast we headed for Coypool Park & Ride for a trip into Plymouth for the day.

It stopped outside Drakes Circus Shopping Centre and we walked to Plymouth Hoe, and a nice walk along the sea front, past Tinside Linda and on to Sutton Harbour.

We popped in to The Gog and Magog, Wetherspoons for lunch before a walk around the shops, as best you can during these social distanced times, before catching the bus back to Coypool, and heading back to the caravan. It just started to rain as we got back.

Modbury Caravan and Motorhome Club Site

Woke up to a warm but not very bright day. After breakfast we needed to get some shopping, so we drove to Newton Abbott to Home Bargains, Boots and Tesco. When we came out of Tesco it was raining.

Diesel fuel was 118p a litre so we drove to Morrisons just outside Teignmouth where it was 115p a litre. Looks like fuel in general is a bit more expensive in Devon.

When we got back to the caravan it started to rain quite heavily for a couple of hours so we ended up staying in for the evening.

Modbury Caravan and Motorhome Club Site

We woke to lovely blue skies. The sun was out and the wind quite light. We had a leisurely breakfast and then started to get the caravan ready for the move on to Modbury. 

We left just before 11:00 and had a nice steady drive to Modbury, arriving just after 13:00. The road to the site is very narrow in both directions, the one from Modbury being slightly better. It is a generally flat site, with 16 amp hook ups and excellent facilities as you would expect from a club site. Only two people were allowed in the toilet block at any one time which sometimes meant there were queues outside. Half the toilets, showers, urinals and wash basins were out of use for social distancing purposes. They used a wristband system, whereby there was a tub filled with sterilising fluid outside the toilet block with 2 wristbands in it. You had to take a wristband when you went in and put it back when you came out. If there were no bands in the tub you had to wait for someone to come out. It worked quite well although I think you could have gotten away with more than 2 as you very rarely came across anyone in there. We got the caravan levelled up and then decided to have some lunch before getting on with setting up the caravan. 

We had some problems erecting the awning and it took quite some time to get it up ok. By the time we finished setting up it was about 17:00 so we had a sit in the sun for a while before having tea outside in the sun. 

We sat outside for a while until it started to get a bit chilly, before heading inside for the evening. 

Newquay

Woke up to clear blue skies and sunshine this morning. 

We chilled out for the morning and after lunch head to Aztec Leisure Camping again to buy a collapsible washing up bowl before heading into Newquay for a while. Mad enjoyed a nice paddle as usual and we had a nice stroll through town. 

We decided to drive to Camborne, to the nearest KFC for tea. We had to queue through the drive in for about 25 minutes to get served and the ate it in the car park.

When we got back to the caravan we decided to take down the windbreak and the awning to save time in the morning, as we needed to be offsite by 10:30. 

By the time we had done it was about 21:00.

Pendennis Castle, Falmouth

Much better day this morning. The sun is out. A mixture of blue and grey skies and a bit windy again.

We headed off to Pendennis Castle in Falmouth. Set on a headland with breathtaking views out to sea, Pendennis Castle is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII near Falmouth, Cornwall, England between 1540 and 1542. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, and defended the Carrick Roads waterway at the mouth of the River Fal. 

The original, circular keep and gun platform was expanded at the end of the century to cope with the increasing Spanish threat, with a ring of extensive stone ramparts and bastions built around the older castle. Pendennis saw service during the English Civil War, when it was held by the Royalists, and was only taken by Parliament after a long siege in 1646. It survived the interregnum and Charles II renovated the fortress after his restoration to the throne in 1660.

Ongoing concerns about a possible French invasion resulted in Pendennis's defences being modernised and upgraded in the 1730s and again during the 1790s; during the Napoleonic Wars, the castle held up to 48 guns. In the 1880s and 1890s an electrically operated minefield was laid across the River Fal, operated from Pendennis and St Mawes, and new, quick-firing guns were installed to support these defences. 

The castle saw service during both the First and Second World Wars, but in 1956, by now obsolete, it was decommissioned. It passed into the control of the Ministry of Works, who cleared away many of the more modern military buildings and opened the site to visitors. In the 21st century, the castle is managed by English Heritage as a tourist attraction, receiving 74,230 visitors in 2011–12. The heritage agency Historic England considers Pendennis to be "one of the finest examples of a post-medieval defensive promontory fort in the country".

We headed back to the caravan for what turned out t be a pleasant evening although still with a cold nip in the wind.

Tollgate Farm Caravan and Camping Park, Perranporth

Very grey and damp again this morning. We had some rain in the night.

We chilled out until after dinner then had a ride to Aztec Leisure Camping again to buy a Milenco Aluminium Caravan Leveller. Afterwards we had a ride up to St Agnes but it was a really tiny place with just a couple of shops. We drove down to the beach but the fairly small car park was full.

On the way back we followed a sign to Blue Tin Mines, down some really narrow lanes, but when we got there it was still closed due to Covid 19, so we headed back to the caravan.

The weather never really improved all day until about 17:30 when the sun came out.

Crantock Beach

We awoke to the campsite bathed in sea fog. It was grey and damp all morning so we chilled at the caravan.

After dinner it started to brighten up a little, we nipped into Morrisons for a bit of shopping and then stopped by Crantock Beach.

We had a nice walk down to the sea, it was a long way out. Maddy had a nice paddle in the sea. It was quite windy on the beach.

We drove back to the caravan via Holywell Bay. The wind got up quite a bit and it turned very overcast and grey again.

Trerice

It started a bit grey but after breakfast it brightened up a little, and was quite warm. The wind had died down a lot.

We headed off to Trerice (pronounced Tre-rice), an historic manor in the parish of Newlyn East near Newquay. The surviving Tudor Manor House, known as Trerice House is located at Kestle Mill, three miles east of Newquay. The house with its surrounding garden has been owned by the National Trust since 1953 and is open to the public. The garden features an orchard with old varieties of fruit trees. 

The house and Cafe are currently closed due to Covid 19 but the gardens are still open. There are areas that are not mown to encourage wildlife. We spent a lovely couple of hours amongst the birds and butterflies.

On the way back, we had a ride to the Park Deans resort we will be staying at next year. By the time we got back to the caravan it had gotten quite windy again.

Perranporth

Fairly bright when we woke this morning and the wind had dropped quite a bit.

We had a quick nip to Aztec Leisure Camping on the other side of Perranporth to buy a wheel arch cover for the awning. 

Then we drove into Perranporth for a look around and had a walk on the beach. There were a lot of people about but they were social distancing quite well.

We had the first ice cream of the holiday whilst walking round Perranporth. It seems a little strange not being able to just go into the shops and have a browse. Most shops have limits on the number of people allowed in and operate a one out one in policy. Still, it is better than being on lockdown.

On the way back to the car park we popped into The Green Parrot, the local J D Wetherspoons for a fruity cider and Gin and Tonic for Mad.

Then we headed back to the Caravan, and had a quick walk around the site. There is a little animal corner with Goats and large aviary with cockatiel’s, quails and budgies. 

Perran Beach

It was a pretty grey day when we woke. Still very windy. We had breakfast and Headed off to Lidl for the shopping we forgot to get yesterday. Still had to nip into Morrisons again as well.

We decided to have a walk to the beach, through Perrin Sands Haven Holiday Park next door. The last stretch down to the beach was really steep.

Maddy had a little paddle and we sat on the rocks at the top of the beach for a while. It was quite a trudge back up the hill and we had to stop for a breather a couple of times. We walked back to our camp site and had a quick walk around the site before heading back to the caravan for tea.

Tollgate Farm Caravan and Camping Park, Perranporth

Well finally lockdown is eased and our retirement adventure can begin.

We left Mirey Lees about 07:15 and arrived about 15:10. We had an easy ride down, the M5 was not as busy as expected. We stopped twice for a wee and a drink. Diesel at home is £1.04 a litre. On the M5 it is £1.29 a litre so I put £20 in enough to get us off the motorway. Needed more petrol later. But it was still £1.14 a litre so I put another £20 in.

The shower blocks were very nice and clean. Every other urinal, shower and wash basin was unusable due to social distancing but the toilets were all in use. 

We set up ok and the awning went up reasonably easily after we realised it it was easier to thread it from the front of the caravan. 

We had a ride to Morrisons, about 6 miles away. Diesel was £1.08 so we filled the car up. After getting some essential groceries we drove back to the van for tea and a relaxing evening.

Allan Bank

We awoke to a very grey rainy day.

We drove to Allan Bank on the banks of Grassmere. Once home to National Trust founder Canon Rawnsley and only partially decorated, this isn’t a typical National Trust experience. Everything is very informal at Allan Bank. You can help yourself to tea, coffee and biscuits for a small donation and drink them anywhere in the house. You can have a read by th fire or try your hand at painting or drawing. We sat by the widow watching the bird and saw a couple of red squirrels. Secret hideaways, such as the Victorian viewing tunnel, create an air of mystery. Unfortunately it was still rainy quite heavily so we didn’t get to explore the gardens.

We then drove to Townend. The Brownes of Townend in the Troutbeck Valley were just an ordinary farming family: but their home and belongings bring to life more than 400 years of extraordinary stories. Beatrix Potter described Troutbeck Valley as her favourite.

Once inside, you are welcomed into the farmhouse kitchen with a real fire -  burning most afternoons -  and a quirky collection of domestic tools. Throughout the house, intricately carved furniture provides a window into the personality of George Browne. The library contains the family’s well-used collection of books, including 45 that are the only remaining copies in the world. Outside, the colourful cottage-style garden is a lovely place to while away some time among the flowers, but unfortunately it was still raining so we headed for Kendal.

We did a bit of shopping before dropping into Wetherspoons for dinner as it was still raining. The Miles Thompson is set in the old council offices, but the building was originally the towns public baths, complete with chimney. By the time we came out it had finally stopped raining and we had some sunny spells. We headed back to he caravan 

Barrow-in-Furness

We had rain and high winds through most of the night but when we awoke the sun was out again. Still a bit windy but bright and warm.

We headed out to Barrow in Furness, calling in at Dalton Castle on the way. The 14th-century tower was formerly the manorial courthouse of Furness Abbey. Here the abbott exercised his right to hold manorial courts and administer justice within the lordship of Furness, as authorised by the abbey's foundation charter of 1127. The building would have contained not only the courtroom and one or two other rooms in which the business of the lordship was transacted, but also a gaol, guardrooms and stores. After the dissolution of the abbey in 1537, the castle continued as a courthouse for over 300 years, owned at first by the Crown and then by the Dukes of Albermarle, the Dukes of Montagu, and finally the Dukes of Buccleuch. Its interior has seen many alterations, the last and most radical being that of 1856 when three upper floors, accessible from a stone spiral staircase, were superseded by a single upper room and an additional stairway. Dalton Castle was given to the National Trust by the 8th Duke of Buccleuch in 1965. Unfortunately it is only open a few days a year and today was not one of them.

We continued on to Barrow and did a bit of shopping before driving ou to The George Hotel at Rampside for Afternoon Tea. We had a quick ride down to the lifeboat station near Piel Island.

We called in at Old Hall farm for an ice cream on the way back to the caravan and settled down for the evening.

Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, Windermere cruise, Ambleside

Fairly overcast this morning but quite bright with the sun coming through every now and again.

We drove to Haverthwaite station and caught the steam train up to Lakeside on the banks of Windermere. It was a rather disappointing train journey of only 17 minutes and the train never really got much above 10 mph.

Lakeside Station is right on the pier so we walked through and boarded The Swan for a cruise to Ambleside. The Swan has three decks and at full capacity can hold 533 passengers. It was built in 1938 by Vickers of Barrow. The sections of boat were transported by rail to Lakeside and assembled. The M.V. Swan is 142ft long weighing 251 tonnes. On board it is manned by a crew of seven and can reach a speed of 10 knots with its 2x 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engines and 2 x auxiliary generators. On the way to Ambleside the boat stops at Bowness.

At Ambleside pier it was a 20 minute walk into the town centre. We had a bite to eat at The Apple Pie Cafe, right beside The Bridge House, before walking back to the pier to catch the last boat back that would connect with the last Train back to Haverthwaite. We sailed back on The Tern, a boat with two levels and at full capacity can hold 350 passengers. The M.V Tern was built by Forrest & Son, Wyvenhoe, Essex in 1891, as a steam-powered yacht. This was converted to diesel power In 1956. The Tern is 145ft in length and weighs 121 tonnes. On board, it is manned by a crew of 4 and can reach a speed of 10 knots with its 2 x 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engines, 2 x auxiliary generators and bow thruster.

On arrival back at Lakeside we got straight on the train back to Haverthwaite station and on to the caravan. 

Hill Top and Wray Castle

It rained most of the night and was still raining when we got up.

We drove to Hill Top, the home of Beatrix Potter. She bought Hill Top in 1905, the first of many houses and farms she would buy in th Lake District. On her death she left 15 farms and over 4000 acres of land to the National Trust, which now form part of the Lake District World Heritage Site.

Entrance to the house was by timed ticket so we had time for a sausage roll and coffee whilst we waited. It finally stopped raining about half 2 and turned into quite a pleasant evening.

We then drove to Wray Castle. Built 180 years ago by the Dawson’s, a surgeon and an heiress from Liverpool who began building a castle that would only ever have to defend itself from the Cumbrian weather. With all the furniture and artwork long gone and the last family moving out in the 1920s, the castle has had mixed uses and only opened to visitors in 2011. The castle has church-like interiors and panoramic Lake District views. It is still a work in progress. Inside the are lot of Beatrix Potter themed activity rooms, fantastic for small children.

We had a game of snooker in the billiard room, unfortunately they threw us out before we finished as it was closing time.

On the way back to the caravan we stopped for Fish and chips in Flookburgh.

Sizergh Castle, Foulshaw Nature Reserve and Grange-Over-Sands

Woke up to a nice sunny morning. After full English breakfast we headed off to Sizergh Castle. 

Sizergh Castle has been the home of the Strickland since 1239 and they still do today. It has some of the nicest gardens we have seen for a long time. 

We called in at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve, a former commercial conifer plantation that has been returned back to a natural acidic peat bog by Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Between April and September a pair of Ospreys return to nest. Although we could see the nest there was no sign of the birds. 

There is an extensive raised boardwalk all around the place and we saw lots of common lizards basking in the sun along its edge. The place is teeming with dragon flies and damsel flies and we could hear crickets as we walked around. One of the most impressive reserves I have ever visited.

On the way back we called in at Grange-Over-Sands and had a nice walk around the ornamental gardens with its ducks which will take food from your hand.

We stopped for dinner at the Lakeside Bay Bar and Restaurant on the park before heading back to the van for the evening.

Haven Lakeland Leisure Park, near Grange-Over-Sands in the Lake District

We left Mirey Lees Farm about 08:40. We drove about 56 miles and called at Wakefield Toby Carvery, about a mile and a half from the M1.

We arrived at Lakeland about Ten to Two. We set the caravan up and had a walk down to the entertainment area for the usual ice cream and cider by the outdoor pool. The sun was out and it was a lovely warm afternoon. 

TV reception is good apart from not having any BBC channels. Toilets are ok, not very luxurious but nice and 
clean and everything you would expect. We were parked literally 50 yards away which was very nice and convenient.

We had tea just after Seven and settled down for the evening.