Sailing out of Plymouth ( again) end September , Sunday @ 16:45. 335 miles from home so I normally drive down to Devon or Somerset the day before, and on the day of sailing explore a new area.
I’ve only passed through on the train so Exeter is potentially my overnight B & B this time. Any thoughts or alternatives please ?
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Exeter's a pleasant place to spend a bit of time exploring.
The Quay is a good place to relax (and have a pint at Topsham Brewery).
Daughter used to live there. (Not the Topsham Brewery! - oh, just a minute....).
For somewhere a bit smaller, but with an interesting "vibe", Totnes might suit you.
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Not a huge fan of Exeter, the Quay just staggers into Ok, Cathedral Square is nice, the rest? Nah
Yes I know it well, ex girlfriend territory, and work time at the Met office.
Edit, oh and exeter central station was fab to watch steam charters struggle up the hill from Exter St Davids.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 28 Jun 26 at 12:13
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>> ... to watch steam charters struggle up the hill from Exeter St Davids. <<
That was a notorious climb to St.Thomas station in steam days, 1 in 36 IIRC ?
Last time I was there (2018) was to collect a 306 Garros from a relentless collector of Peugeots, mostly 205s and 306s. Just now he is selling several 306 Garros autos, a special edition from 1994.
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The great climbs for steam tours down south are
Martin Mill (Deal to Dover through a forest with very poor grip levels) Hemerdon (Plymouth to Ivybridge), Exeter St Davids to Exeter Central*. and the little known climb Branksome - Poole to Bornemouth.
Many a steam loco come to grief on all of them.
*Vicious vicous that one, has a speed limit at the bottom so no run up, and a sharpe curve to cause maximum drag on the consist.
Plenty on the Settle to Carlisle of course, but good run-ups and minimum congestion means little trouble.
The Infamous Daddy of them all is of course is "The Lickey". Bromsgrove to Birmingham. Used to have banker locos in steam at the bottom, not been a steam tour up there for a few years. Finest sound I ever heard was a Deltic hauling 12 mk1s unbanked up that.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 28 Jun 26 at 13:03
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They used to have a banking loco to help the steamers on the climb out of Fishguard Harbour back in the day. Fishguard used to be a busy port with services direct to Paddington, twin lines and multiple sidings and goods yards. Now just a single track with DMU's running no further than Cardiff.
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>> The Infamous Daddy of them all is of course is "The Lickey". Bromsgrove to Birmingham.
>> Used to have banker locos in steam at the bottom, not been a steam tour
>> up there for a few years. Finest sound I ever heard was a Deltic hauling
>> 12 mk1s unbanked up that.
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>>
>> .....and don't forget Big Bertha, the unique Midland Railway ten coupled tender loco. She spent her whole life pushing trains up the Lickey from Bromsgrove from 1919 to 1956. apart from a few experimental runs from Toton to Brent with coal trains and visits to Derby for maintenance. A clear case for preservation in our more enlightened times but her cylinders have been preserved. Photos and even film on-line.
Ted
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>> Last time I was there (2018) was to collect a 306 Garros from a relentless
>> collector of Peugeots, mostly 205s and 306s. Just now he is selling several 306 Garros
>> autos, a special edition from 1994.
I would love to get my hands on a Renault Fuego GTx
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Last time I was there was I believe 1965 when I attended a Cadet Corp summer camp at Okehampton camp (is it still there?). The station was I believe St David’s. The train was hauled by a steam loco. I’m sure Zero can tell what model that would have been :-)
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>> Last time I was there (2018) was to collect a 306 Garros from a relentless collector of Peugeots, mostly 205s and 306s. >>
Correction - I just realised that was from Taunton, not Exeter. Exeter was in 2013, when I collected a 205 Garros soft-top from a place near Crediton. Another nice car.
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>> Not a huge fan of Exeter, the Quay just staggers into Ok, Cathedral Square is
>> nice, the rest? Nah
Good selection of 'spoons.
tinyurl.com/h6pavx4x
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>>Good selection of 'spoons.
One of them's got a wonderful orangery IIRC.
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Cathedral Square - potentially nice, but like many cathedral towns gets more than its fair share of dogs looking after plastic bags and owners. Maybe this only a winter phenomenon?
Lived there in 1970 and often used the old quay area. Not sure the re-invented version is an improvement.
Totnes would get my vote. Still traces of the 1960s hippy revival (2nd and 3rd generation) movement.
Last edited by: sherlock47 on Tue 30 Jun 26 at 07:40
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Totnes…sounds interesting but unfortunately it’s a Saturday night for a Sunday afternoon sailing, and after being stationary on the M5 for 2 hours last month I’m not risking driving down the same day as I sail.
Cheapest B & B on Booking.com in Totnes is £103 , solo occupancy. Thats 3x what I pay for my hotel B & B in the Picos (€40pn).
I shall widen the search, but Torquay doesn’t appeal.
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I remember being at the ticket office at Waterloo some years ago and standing in front of me was a Dalek. When he got to the window, the clerk asked him where he wanted to go and he said "Exeter mate, Exeter mate"
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You live like a monk, so why not try: www.buckfast.org.uk/northgate-hotel/
And have a glass of Buckfast 'tonic' wine while you're at it.
:)
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>> And have a glass of Buckfast 'tonic' wine while you're at it.
Coatbridge table wine......
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:) £130 cheapest with a continental breakfast, although i much prefer a continental brekkie these days.
How times change.
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Sorted now with Booking.com & free cancellations.
Tavistock on the way out, Totnes on return.
Both 45 minutes from BFerries @ Plymouth, and I have visited neither town.
After several weeks overseas and arriving 15:00 into Plymouth, time to clear Border Control, then a short drive to my accommodation, a few beers in Totnes ( sunset 17:00) food and a good nights sleep before the delights of the A38, M5 & M6 the following day.
Thanks for the suggestions
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Trying to understand 'sunset 17:00' ? Not round here just now ! Is it a brand of beer ? :-)
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Funeral in Camborne last week, stayed in Falmouth. Decided not to risk the M4, M5, A30 and took the train. GWR delayed so late at Truro, Falmouth train missed, next one cancelled, had to wait an hour for the next.
Return. Paddington train delayed, missed connection, had to wait for next available around an hour later.
Probably would've spent much more time in queues on the road.
Expensive, but delay-repay should refund at least half the cost and maybe all, if my calculations are correct.
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>> Trying to understand 'sunset 17:00' ? Not round here just now ! Is it a
>> brand of beer ? :-)
I think LL's travels, or at least return, will not be until later in the summer.
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>> >> Trying to understand 'sunset 17:00' ? Not round here just now ! Is it a brand of beer ? :-)
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>> I think LL's travels, or at least return, will not be until later in the summer. >>
Ah OK. Pretty late summer tho, sun setting at 5pm !
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>> Trying to understand 'sunset 17:00' ? Not round here just now ! Is it a
>> brand of beer ? :-)
>>
Early November upon my return to this overcrowded island.
Orf to Iberian Peninsula late September, returning several weeks later.
Last edited by: legacylad on Thu 16 Jul 26 at 22:01
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Exeter - tyrednemotional
