This is the sixth route in a series of routes forming a road trip across southern England from Dover to Land's End and back to Dover.
After filling up with fuel, take the road signposted for Compton Castle. You'll see the castle on your right after 2 miles. Compton Castle is a picturesque fortified manor house, bristling with turrets and parapets, in a sheltered valley setting. The castle was built by the Gilbert family, and a descendant of the same family inhabits the house today, though now the property is owned by the National Trust. The roots of Compton Castle go back to the 12th century when a manor house here was owned by Sir Maurice de la Pole. In honour of the Pole family connection, the castle was known as Compton Pole. In the middle of the 14th century, the manor was replaced with a large hall with a solar (family rooms) and service rooms at opposite ends. Around 1520 a fortified facade was added, by John Gilbert. Gilbert's son, also named John, helped command the English resistance to the Spanish Armada. John was followed by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh. Gilbert had much in common with Raleigh; he was a seafaring adventurer, keen on exploiting the New World, and most famously helped to colonise Newfoundland. It is thought that on a visit to Compton Castle after a trip to the New World, Raleigh smoked the first pipe of tobacco in Britain.
From here the route travels to Kingswear where you catch a small ferry across the River Dart to Dartmouth.
The ferry has been transporting vehicles and foot passengers between Dartmouth and Kingswear since the 1700s. The Ferry is operated using a floating platform pushed along by a tug. The crossing offers lovely views of Dartmouth, Kingswear, Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Castle and the open sea. The beautiful town of Dartmouth is one of South Devon’s most popular and enchanting towns. With its charming historic streets, scenic river location and surrounded by South Devon countryside you have to go a long way to find a town as pretty. With a long tradition of strategic importance for sailing ships, Dartmouth has a long association with the Royal Navy, with The Britannia Royal Naval College located on the hill overlooking the town and has been training Officers since 1863. Dartmouth also played a role in the historic sailing of the Mayflower to America in 1620. The Mayflower and The Speedwell depart from Bayards Cove in Dartmouth after repairs to the Speedwell for the New World America. Unfortunately, the Speedwell started taking on water again 300 miles off Lands End and they all returned to Plymouth. The Speedwell was finally declared unfit for the journey. Some of the Pilgrims dropped out. The remainder crowded onto the Mayflower, which required re-provisioning, despite funds running low. They left Plymouth on 16th September 1620, with up to 30 crew and 102 passengers on board. Read more about the Pilgrim Fathers and the Mayflower in the link below.
There is a very nice cafe just 100m from the ferry called Cafe Alf Resco, I recommend finding somewhere to park and sampling their fresh coffee.
The road out of Dartmouth has some stunning views from elevated positions. The first is a view of the harbour and then as you pass through the small hamlet of Stoke Fleming a breathtaking view across Start Bay and along the coast of Slapton Sands.
On top of being an extremely picturesque and popular beach, Slapton Sands plays an important part in the survival of some of the UK’s rarest flora and fauna. Behind the beach is Slapton Ley; the largest natural freshwater lake in the south west, separated from the sea by a shingle beach and ridge. As a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) it was declared a National Nature Reserve (NNR) in 1993. This geographical beauty spot was formed thousands of years ago; some more recent history has a darker side.
On the night of 27th April 1944 during World War Two, a terrible tragedy unfolded just off Slapton Sands on the coast of Devon. 946 American servicemen died during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsals for the D-Day landing on Utah Beach in Normandy, France. A Sherman tank recovered from the seabed in 1984 now acts as a memorial at Torcross at the far end of the beach. Read more about Operation Tiger in the link below this review.
The route now travels inland through South Devon AONB on very scenic roads to Plymouth, Devon's largest city, often referred to as Ocean City because of it's connection with some historical voyages that set sail from here.
The origins of Plymouth can be traced back to Saxon times, more than a thousand years ago, and its history very much reflects its maritime location. In 1572 Sir Francis Drake became the first Englishman to sail into the Pacific, and in 1577 he embarked on the first ever circumnavigation of the globe. Drake also masterminded the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Perhaps the most celebrated expedition to leave Plymouth was that of the previously mentioned Pilgrims. Persecuted for their puritan beliefs in eastern England, they set sail for the New World on board the Mayflower in 1620.
Further explorations that left from Plymouth included three voyages to the southern ocean and the Pacific made by James Cook, the first in 1768. He was the first explorer to set foot on what are now the Hawaiian Islands, where he died in 1779.
In 1831 Charles Darwin left Plymouth for the Galapagos Islands, where he formulated his revolutionary theories of natural selection and the Origins of Species.
You'll catch the second of the 3 ferries used on this route, it won't take you to any undiscovered lands but it will take you across the River Tamar from Devon to Cornwall then onto a delightful coastal road that will take you to Looe, a picturesque fishing harbour that makes an ideal place for a lunch stop.
Looe has a rich history as a trading and fishing port that can be traced to pre-medieval times, but not all history was good. In June 1625, Looe was raided by Barbary Pirates who streamed into the cobbled streets and forced their way into cottages and taverns, the pirates managed to seize eighty mariners and fishermen. These unfortunate individuals were led away in chains to North Africa to be enslaved and the town itself was torched.
Today’s Looe is a little more peaceful and the only thing you need to be wary of are the seagulls that like to steal your fish and chips!
Polperro is not far from Looe and is one of the prettiest and most authentic fishing villages in Cornwall. The tiny cobbled lanes and ancient fishermen’s cottages radiating back from the harbour are a joy to see. It’s an artist’s paradise with buildings draped in greenery and a pretty harbour containing colourful boats and turquoise waters. Investigate Cornwall’s dark history of smuggling and piracy at the Polperro Heritage Museum. It also has information on its long fishing heritage, and you can find out about the origins of the Polperro £5 note and the knitfrock.
From Polperro it's just a 15 minute ride to the final ferry at Bodinnick.
Bodinnick lies on the banks of the Fowey River. There has been a ferry crossing between Fowey and Bodinnick since at least 14th century and it was an important one as it was on the main southerly route through Cornwall. There is free motorcycle parking where you'll disembark with just a short walk into the delightful harbour town of Fowey.
Set in an AONB, the town clings to the west side of the Fowey estuary where the large, deep water harbour is often home to cruise ships and a passageway for the commercial shipping taking china clay from the quays further up river. As you walk the ever narrowing streets of the old town where mediaeval and Georgian buildings cast shadows over each other, a vibrant maritime history comes to life.
From Fowey, it's just a short ride to the end of the route at Charlestown.
Charlestown is an amazingly pristine, unspoiled example of a late Georgian working port. It was constructed between 1791 and 1801 by Charles Rashleigh, entrepreneur and member of the local landowning family, in response to the growth of the local mining industry. Originally built to export copper and import coal, it was soon being used for the export of China Clay. It is from its creator that the port gets its name. To this day the port remains unspoiled and retains much of its Georgian character. This unique combination has lead to Charlestown being a popular location for film and television locations, and to some extent this has probably helped subsidise its existence and prevent modern development. As well as being a harbour location, Charlestown capitalises on its past by being home to a fleet of square riggers ships. There is usually at least one of these magnificent ships in the harbour and they really do transport you into a bygone era.
I have included a link for The Rashleigh Arms for your accommodation but there is a good selection of alternative choices nearby.
Enjoy.