| Kingsbridge
& South Hams
Although smaller than Totnes, at the
northern tip of the South Hams, Kingsbridge is generally held
to be the "capital" of the area, serving as it does
a host of villages and hamlets in its hinterland. But which
monarch and why a bridge ? Legend has it that a Saxon king,
possibly Edgar, came to Dodbrooke, which is mentioned in the
Domesday Book of 1086 and is now a part of the town and was
unable to cross the stream to reach the other side of his estates.
A local man carried him over on his back, hence "Cinges
Bricge", which connected the two royal estates of Chillington
and West Alvington and where eventually the modern town developed.
The history of the area is fascinating
and a visit to the local library and the Cookworthy Museum will
afford a good insight. And what better way to glean information
than to chat to local residents in some of the loveliest inns
in the country ? Its beginning as a market town was due to the
Abbot of Buckfast whose monks started an open air market in
1219 selling produce to local people who came in from surrounding
villages to buy honey and cream. The stalls they set up eventually
became the shops which today line Fore Street and continue to
supply the populace with all their daily needs. They must have
done good business because at the top of Fore Street is St Edmund's
church built in the early 15th century by the monks with the
money made from their entrepreneurial activities.
Kingsbridge is situated at the head of
a navigable inlet of the sea, referred to locally as "the
estuary" but, since it is not served by a river, is properly
a ria or drowned valley formed thousands of years ago when the
ice melted and the sea level rose. It is a sight of special
scientific interest with a wonderful natural history. With a
negligible freshwater content, sheltered by surrounding hills
and the high tidal range at Salcombe - almost six metres giving
something like 19 million tonnes of seawater being forced through
the narrow entrance on spring tides - conditions arise which
enable rare species to flourish. There are some sea weeds which
are found only here. You have only to take a walk in the countryside
to notice the amount of lichens thriving on rocks and branches,
a sure sign of unpolluted air.
Walking is indeed a major attraction.
If you spend a fortnight in Kingsbridge you could go on a different
route every day either through the countryside or by the sea.
The South Devon coastal path is on the doorstep and remember,
you don't have to aspire to Olympian standards ! And never mind
the time of year. Spring and autumn are special times to enjoy
the countryside. If you're past serious walking, don't worry.
Take a slow and gentle drive along the maze of narrow country
lanes and you'll find a pleasant spot to park and take in the
glorious views. Whether you walk or drive you will need sustenance
to keep you going and where better than a country pub. The area
abounds with them and you'll find that invariably the produce
is local. The South Hams is well known for its succulent beef
and lamb, cream, locally baked bread, fresh vegetables and,
of course, the sea's harvest, as diverse as you will find anywhere.
If you've a mind you can even gather your own cockles from various
beds on the foreshore; what could be cheaper ?
Most of the country inns are very old,
with low ceilings and lots of dark oak beams; in short just
what a tourist might expect but they are not chintzy. They invariably
offer a good selection of beers and spirits and wholesome, tasty
food but don't expect a choice of 20 cocktails or, for that
matter, local farm workers in smocks chewing a stalk of corn
! You will come across Church House Inns here and there. They
originally housed the builders whilst they constructed the village
church, usually opposite or adjacent, and since the lads themselves
probably supped a few gills after the day's work, the church
houses presumably became pubs almost by accident. Incidentally,
the ceiling of the Church House in Churchstow is reputed to
contain beams which came from the wreck of a hospital ship of
the Spanish Armada. Likewise the Village Inn in Thurlestone
has timber from the Spanish ship "St Peter the Great"
wrecked in nearby Hope Cove in 1588. Of course you don't have
to walk or drive yourself.
Exploration is possible using public
transport. In the high season especially you will avoid parking
problems. For instance you can go by the River Maid, weather
and tides permitting, from Kingsbridge to Salcombe from where
there are ferries to South Sands and East Portlemouth with its
sandy beaches of Mill Bay and Sunny Cove. If it's fishing you're
after, there are regular trips from Salcombe subject to weather
conditions.
The Coast Path Hopper Bus was introduced
in May 1998. It links a 25 mile section of the coastline from
the River Avon to Start Bay enabling walkers to use the coastal
path without doubling back to catch the bus home. It leaves
from Kingsbridge and links in with services from Plymouth and
Totnes, operating daily during the school summer holidays and
on weekends from May to September. Details are available from
local tourist information centres.
The ferry from Dartmouth which operates
year round will take you (and your car if you wish) to Kingswear
and from here you can travel by steam railway along one of the
truly scenic railway lines as far as Paignton. That's not the
only steam railway in the area. Go to Buckfastleigh for a nostalgic
ride along the Dart Valley, one of Britain's first preserved
steam railways, to Totnes
ATTRACTIONS
In a small,cosy environment like the South Hams you can't expect
to find large scale theme parks and millenium domes, but you
will find one of the most modern aquariums in the world in Plymouth
(next door to us,) which graphically illustrates the transition
from mountain stream to shoreline to reef to the ocean depths,
a "sea wall" 15 metres wide and five metres high,
home to a family of sharks and a living coral reef. Expert guides
are there to explain it all. Enjoyable, highly visual and educational
to boot, it is great to visit at any time but where better on
a rainy day - not that we encourage too much of that sort of
weather !
A stone age experience at Kitley Caves
or the Shire Horse Centre, both at Yealmpton, horse riding at
Woodleigh and Malborough, Sorley Tunnel Farm Centre and Woodlands
Leisure Park near Dartmouth have every sort of diversion to
keep the kids happy. Once upon a time most Devon farmers made
their own cider from their own apples. Most orchards have long
since been grubbed out to grow different crops but you can still
see how cider is made in the traditional way, if you visit Stancombe
Cider Press near Sherford. The press used is believed to be
over 200 years old and it comes into its own every October when
the new "brew" is produced.
Dartington Hall, just outside Totnes,
has a great collection of modern ceramics and paintings, beautiful
gardens and shops where you can buy quality craft ware and the
famous Dartington Crystal products. In Buckfastleigh as well
as the steam railway you can take in the Butterfly Farm and
Otter Sanctuary and nearby is Buckfast Abbey. There was an abbey
here before England had a king, though the present building
rose from the ruins only this century built by the efforts and
undiminished faith of a few Benedictine monks. A description
of the abbey alone would take up pages such are the stories
woven into its fabric. Go and see for yourself and whilst you're
there buy some home produced honey and just think of the workers
who made it possible, buzzing over the heathers of Dartmoor,
the wild flowers in the hedgerow and the annuals and perennials
in the pretty cottage gardens of the surroundings. No wonder
it tastes so good ! |