UNITED KINGDOM - England

Location - Western Europe; Capital - England - London; Population - England - 50.5 million; Currency - Pound Sterling MORE UK - ENGLAND

After a thorough dose of isolation, and between getting furloughed (surely not a real word pre-2020?!) and returning to work, I made sure I did something worthwhile, heading to Devon for a week - July 2020.

20 Pounds Sterling

A distant view of Dartmouth from above the riverside resort, with the village of Kingswear on the opposite side

Making my way down the hillside. St Saviour's Church comes into view, and again you can see Kingswear on the far side - Dartmouth

There's some steep slopes to negotiate if staying in upper Dartmouth - Dartmouth

International flags adorn a pedestrian shopping street - Dartmouth

Steps, steps and more steps - Dartmouth

Several timber framed buildings can be seen in town, this being the 17th century Butterwalk on Duke Street - Dartmouth

A sign next to The Cherub Inn says this is the oldest, and the sole surviving, medieval house in Dartmouth, built in 1380

Next to the Kingswear ferry and overlooking the River Dart is Lower Street, comprising a collection of 18th century houses - Dartmouth

Peering through the 16th century Bayard's Cove Fort to Dartmouth Castle - Dartmouth

A warm summer's day next to the River Dart - Dartmouth

The harbour lies next to Platform 1 bar & restaurant - Dartmouth

Shops, hotels and restaurants surround the harbour - Dartmouth

Taking in the riverfront while waiting for the cruise to set off - Dartmouth

I was lucky that this was the first Dart River cruise since the March lockdown - Dartmouth

Leaving Dartmouth behind and heading upriver towards Greenway

What looks like a sailing ship - Dartmouth

It's a relaxing 1hr cruise through the countryside - Dartmouth

The boat turns around shortly after passing Greenway (hidden by trees out of picture), a holiday home of author Agatha Christie - Dartmouth

Dartmouth is a highlight of Devon, perfect on a sunny day

The guide pointed out this quirky statue standing in the garden of someone's home - Dartmouth

The attractive Dartmouth riverside comes back into view

The boat continues past the town centre and on to Dartmouth Castle at the river mouth - Dartmouth

The 15th century Dartmouth Castle was built at the point where the River Dart flows into the English Channel - Dartmouth

Overlooking the river is the huge Britannia Royal Naval College - Dartmouth

Seagulls like hanging around anyone eating food on the riverfront - Dartmouth

The easiest way to get to Torquay and head east is via the quick car & pedestrian ferry across the river to Kingswear - Dartmouth

Before doing that I checked out a couple of fantastic beaches west of Dartmouth, this long stretch of sand being Slapton Sands

The lagoon forms part of Slapton Ley nature reserve - Slapton Sands

Slapton Sands was used during World War II as a training ground for the D-Day landings

A sparkling English Channel at Slapton Sands

The beach was also where 639 US servicemen were killed in 1944 following an attack by German E-boats. A memorial stands at the southern end - Slapton Sands

A hillside walking trail, part of the SW Coast Path, leads from Slapton Sands to beaches closer to Dartmouth

A brilliant view of Slapton Sands and the inland lagoon

A glimpse of another beach on the way to Blackpool Sands

Blackpool Sands comes into view along the Devon coast

It's another great location and a very picturesque beach - Blackpool Sands

There's a cafe, shop and toilet facilities here - Blackpool Sands

The first place I arrived at was actually Plymouth, this photo being the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash

Crossing the River Tamar at the western end of Plymouth

It was a windswept, rain-soaked day in Plymouth, pretty miserable around Smeaton's Tower!

From Hoe Park next to the Royal Citadel, there's views of Drake's Island and the mainland peninsula - Plymouth

Guessing this is a naval ship passing in front of the Tin Lido, a vintage saltwater lido on the seafront - Plymouth

Sutton Harbour is a focal point of bars and restaurants - Plymouth

A cool piece of street art in a side-street - Plymouth

Not so cool graffiti, but a lot more familiar - Plymouth

A 15-20min walk west of Hoe Park is the Royal William Yard complex - Plymouth

Originally a Royal Navy depot, the complex is now home to bars, restaurants, boutique shops and galleries - Plymouth

A short bus ride from Dartmouth heading north & inland is Totnes

The towering 15th century St Mary's Church - Totnes

The High Street is popular with locals and tourists - Totnes

The River Dart comes back to say hello at the bottom of the High Street - Totnes

A very wicked looking dragon - Totnes

Website and content Copyright © 2008-2020 Mark Wilkinson. All rights reserved.

LINKS

https://discoverdartmouth.com - Official Dartmouth tourist info

www.enjoyengland.com - England tourist board

www.visitbritain.com - Britain's official website

www.britainexpress.com

www.visitdevon.co.uk - visit Devon

www.thetrainline.com - train information across Britain

www.nationalexpress.com - National Express coaches cover Britain

I am not responsible for the content of external websites.