Sunday 13 September 2015

Holiday in East Devon Part 3


Back again with another holiday post:-


We had a couple of very wet days with almost continuous rain so we were more or less confined indoors but luckily I had a good supply of activities to keep me amused, crochet, reading and colouring - yes, I discovered this adult colouring book when we were shopping in Exmouth, just right for a rainy day.






We did brave the rain to pay a visit to a farm shop that had been recommended by a friend and what a super place it was, we will definitely be revisiting when we are in this part of the world again. Lots of lovely fresh food and a lovely cafeteria which sold the most amazing bacon baps which we enjoyed with a lovely coffee.






We also made another visit to Exmouth beach one afternoon when the rain had eventually stopped, it was more like November than August, cold and very windy, but we had an exhilarating walk on an almost deserted beach. Although not what you expect from a Summer's day we both really enjoyed our walk in these rough conditions with hardly anyone about, it certainly blew the cobwebs away and was good to get out and about after being confined indoors.























When we got back to Brackens you could see the extent of the rain we had had during the day, the little stream that runs down the side of the road which is usually just a trickle was in full spate ....





and you can see the remaining puddles in the courtyard.







After these two wet days it was good to wake up to a sunny and clear day so we drove to Colyford to visit the Axe bird reserve, somewhere we have passed a few times on the Seaton tramway but never sought out before. We plan to come back in the Winter where there will be many more birdlife to be seen, we did see a kingfisher fly past and there were a few waders about but it was fairly quiet.


We then motored onto Beer where I enjoyed one of my promised holiday treats, fish and chips on the beach. Very anti Slimming World but I so enjoyed it! I think I walked off most of the damage by climbing up to the top of the cliff - a very steep climb but one that is well worth it for the fantastic views. I even managed to persuade my DH to accompany me this year (last year he stayed at the bottom while I made the climb), very proud of him, all the walking we are doing has certainly paid off.




















After our energetic climb we moved onto Pecorama, which is on the hillside above Beer. My DH is very into steam railways and is interested in model railways so this was the main reason why we visit. However, I love the gardens and the scenery there so am always up for a visit. I especially love the Secret Garden which is at the top of a very steep slope so a lot of people leave that out so it is always very quiet and peaceful. We had a ride on the Beer Heights Steam Railway which takes you through parts of the garden unaccessible by foot. We did spot a wild flower area from the train and did return on foot to see it up close - a magnificent sight.



























The following day we caught a train to Teignmouth, there was a steam train hauling an excursion train and my DH wanted to photograph it from the sea wall. The sea wall has only recently reopened after the devastating flooding and damage that took place during 2014. After seeing the train we ambled along the seafront to the back beach where we enjoyed lunch before returning to the station to catch the train back.

















We finished the day by viewing the sun going down from the Exe estuary path, the light was beautiful and it was a truly magical experience.














Thank you for reading. I had hoped to wind up my holiday postings in this post but we crammed so much in to our two weeks away that I still have a few more photos I would like to share with you, if you are not thoroughly bored by now I hope to see you back in my next post.

10 comments:

  1. This is the first time I've seen your blog and as I live in Torbay I shall certainly look in again later today to read through and look at all your photos from your East Devon holiday. I do hope you liked our county! I live in South Devon (Torbay) which is much more crowded than East Devon but it has the advantage of being just marginally warmer, especially when an east wind blows!
    Just off for a cup of tea but will have another look in later on ...
    Margaret P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Margaret, glad you have found my blog and hope you enjoy my posts. The final instalment of my holiday will hopefully be completed tomorrow. Lucky you, living in beautiful Devon, we love your County and are looking forward to our next visit. We certainly had some very changeable weather while we were there but it didn't spoil our enjoyment of staying in such a wonderful place. Looking forward to you visiting my blog again soon. xx

      Delete
    2. Hi, Jan,

      I've not yet managed to read all your posts, so haven't worked out in which part of the country you live, but yes, Devon is a magical place. My parents (with me as a small child) moved from Lancashire to Devon in the early 1950s and I've lived here ever since. Of course, it gets crowded in the summer but then that is only because the county, especially the two moors and the two coasts are so beautiful that others want to come here. I love East Devon, especially Beer. On those cliffs, above the beach, there are allotments - fancy having allotments with such a marvellous view? Some years ago my husband and I visited Beer Quarry Caves and they are truly amazing - many of our great buildings were built of the stone quarried there. And on your next visit to East Devon, might I suggest a visit to the Cadhay, an Elizabethan Manor with lovely gardens - it is only open on a Friday afternoon in summer, but on a lovely summer's day, it is a great garden to visit.
      Margaret P

      Delete
    3. Thanks for the recommendation Margaret. Will definitely put Cadhay on our list of 'must see' places. I would also like to get to know more of Dartmoor as don't really know that part of Devon very well. I love the North Coast and know areas of Exmoor well. I live in Hampshire in the north of the County. We have some lovely scenery around where I live but I love visiting Devon, the pace of life seems slower and I love being close to the sea.
      Jan xx

      Delete
  2. What gorgeous photos! I love the rainbow flower bed and the photos of the sea :) Don't worry about having too many holiday posts - when I go away, I end up writing a whole post (occasionally 2) per day as I have so many photos to share, haha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Louise. I find it really difficult deciding what to include and what to leave out. I wish I could do my blog day by day when I am away from home but cannot get Blogger to work on my IPad, do you use a mobile version of Blogger to make your posts when you are away? xx

      Delete
  3. I'm sure your next posts will be just as delightful as the last few. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. You certainly made the most of your holiday, despite the poor weather at times. I like a walk along a blustery beach too and it's always nice to get back inside all cosy and warm afterwards! I am envious about you seeing a kingfisher - we live beside a river and I have never seen one yet (R has though). I look forward to the rest of your holiday photos. xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely photographs. I particularly like the views from the cliff x

    ReplyDelete
  6. just found your blog & had a look through many of your holiday posts. Commenting on this post as we love Teignmouth and have also walked along the sea wall many times. A highlight for the kids is to get the train drivers to toot their horn. Sometimes they do!

    ReplyDelete