2019 Holiday Barnstaple

DAY 4 - Reluctantly we drove along the VERY narrow lanes in North Devon, near BARNSTAPLE, feeling they are not even wide enough for one car, not to mention two. It was frightening . . .  but arriving at Rose Barn, Barnstaple, Loxhore to this gorgeous stone cottage, we are more than happy. We are here for three nights intending to explore more of Devon and Cornwall.

 

Our host, Jane gifted us with a freshly baked loaf of bread and permission to gather produce from her productive garden. We harvested raspberries, tomatoes, capsicum and apples which we combined with cheeses and salami for an evening meal. (not inclined to venture back out onto the roads despite being told local Pub was worth the trip!!!)
Then we consumed the hosts delicious berry and coconut cake with fresh raspberries, which we picked from the bushes bordering the garden. The garden, views and accommodation are delightful. Had a great nights sleep in a king size bed under glass window in the ceiling.  Woke to drizzle, but it cleared to be a lovely day.
 

Decided to visit ROSEMORE garden, a large estate run by the Royal Horticultural Society. It was beautiful . . .  Cameron was jealous of all the roses and the orchard.

 

Extremely long Water feature snaking through the gardens is very well constructed and a delightful place to walk along or to sit near.

 Many places to sit and lots of things to photograph.
 

 This scare crow was meant to scare away the birds . .  . not this bird!!

 

 Another water feature. . .  another place to sit.

Back on the narrow roads  . . you really know you are alive as the adrenaline is racing. On more than one occasion we had to back up to let on coming traffic pass and on more than one occasion the distance we were in reverse was hundreds of meters . . .  terrifying! The car-machine continuously keeps beeping, letting us know we are too close to the hedge and rock walls . . . but there is no room to move either side . . .     this land has to accommodate two cars . .

Drove to the coast, but did not stop . . .  landscape gorgeous and green. Animals very well fed.

 

 

Day 6 - Woke to a glorious day, but a bad back . . . decided to take some Votaren and ignore it as much as possible. We ventured out towards the coast.  Visited Lynton and Lynmouth to ride the steepest fully water powered railway. It was a delightful ride.

Would have loved to have been able to go for a walk along the coast and wander the cobbled roads, through all the quaint little gift shops - but was satisfied to sit in a café with a view to the sea eating a Cornwall pastry and Devonshire tea with divine jam and clotted cream . . .

 Then back up the railway before driving along the coast line through Porlock and onto Minehead. The views are spectacular. Stopped at numerous places to admire the views . . .

 Stopped in at the Exeter Inn for a pit stop and almost fell asleep. Almost . . .

Then we drove back through Exmoor national park to Barnstaple. Again impressed by the gorgeous scenery, but exhausted by narrowness of the roads . . . takes ages to drive a short distance.

Picked some more raspberries, watched some Mid Summer Murders, and settled down for our last night in Rose Barn Cottage . . .

Be sad to leave the accommodation, but not the narrow lanes and roads. Night, night XXX