UNITED KINGDOM - England

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

A two minute ferry across the River Dart from Dartmouth lands you at Kingswear, where buses go to Brixham and on to Torquay - July 2020.

20 Pounds Sterling

Looking down on the River Dart and Dartmouth on the opposite side - Kingswear

Probably the best view of the Britannia Royal Naval College you can get. The college trains Royal Navy officers, including the Prince of Wales (Charlie) - Kingswear

Apparently Kingswear property is more expensive than Dartmouth, as it gets more of the sun. No idea if that's true..

Hopefully the steam train returns to normal post-COVID, taking passengers from Kingswear to Paignton via Greenway

Don't think this is an original Banksy, otherwise it'd covered with perspex - Kingswear

Boats moored at Waterhead Creek - Kingswear

A tourist pirate ship welcomes visitors to the harbour in Brixham

Brixham's Angel is dedicated to the fishermen who died in a great storm in 1866, and their wives who burnt furniture to guide boats to shore - Brixham

Lobster cages piled high in the harbour - Brixham

A few kms before reaching Torquay is the seaside resort of Paignton

Colourful beach huts in Paignton

If you're walking from Paignton you'll go past the beach huts of Corbyn beach - Torquay

The walkway overlooking Torquay's marina

Trying to find my boat in the marina. Couldn't find it, mainly 'cos I can't afford one.. - Torquay

Paddleboarding across the bay - Torquay

The Old Harbour is a focal point on the waterfront - Torquay

Bars, cafes and restaurants line the Old Harbour - Torquay

The most central stretch of sand in Torquay is Torre Abbey Sands

Behind the beach are the historic buildings of Torre Abbey and Spanish Barn (pictured), which housed prisoners of war from the Spanish Armada in 1588 - Torquay

Close by is the turn off to a walking trail that leads to the quaint village of Cockington - Torquay

Cockington is a museum village of thatched houses - Torquay

Some of these cottages are home to galleries, others to cafes and shops - Torquay

The landscaped gardens of Cockington Country Park - Torquay

It feels a world away from Torquay but attracts a hefty number of visitors - Torquay

Next up was a day's walk around the peninsula, along the beautiful coastline between Torquay and Babbacombe - Torquay

Guys gone fishing - Torquay

The SW Coast Path leads to the very narrow stretch of sand at Meadfoot beach - Torquay

Keep following the peninsula and eventually you'll come to Thatcher Rock - Torquay

Thatcher Rock as seen from Thatcher Point, which is dotted with benches so you can relax and admire the scenery - Torquay

The tip of the peninsula at Hope's Nose, where around 30-40 Chinese were out fishing - Torquay

What's known as the English Riviera is a gorgeous stretch of coastline - Torquay

Looking back at Hope's Nose as the trail continues on the northern side of the peninsula - Torquay

I don't know if it's usually the case but there were several cruise ships just off the coast, and I wondered if it was COVID-related, being stranded in open waters - Torquay

Next stop was Anstey's Cove, a rocky cove with a cafe serving food and drinks - Torquay

Paddleboarding on very calm waters - Torquay

Returning to the South West Coast Path, there's brilliant views of Anstey's Cove and Redgate Beach from Long Quarry Point - Torquay

Redgate Beach lies next door to Anstey's Cove, which is hidden behind the rock - Torquay

Drink in beaches, coves and bays - Torquay

Somebody's nicked my speedboat! - Torquay

Though the sand (read pebbles) is nothing special, Babbacombe Beach has a lovely setting - Torquay

Surrounded by woodland and nestled in a bay, Babbacombe Beach looks the part - Torquay

A short walk away, Oddicombe Beach has a wider expanse of 'sand' - Torquay

Babbacombe Cliff Railway lifts passengers from Oddicombe Beach to the Babbacombe clifftop. In 2020 social distancing and the height of summer meant queues were around 30min - Torquay

The Babbacombe clifftop area affords a great panoramic view of the English Riviera, and there's several pubs from which to soak it all up - Torquay

The train ride eastbound to Exeter passes through Teignmouth

The Grand Pier dates back to the 19th century - Teignmouth

Paddleboarding seems to be pretty popular in Devon - Teignmouth

The resort stands where the Teign River flows into the English Channel; the water pictured here belongs to the river, edged by Back Beach in the foreground, and the town of Shaldon on the opposite bank - Teignmouth

The riverside harbour at Back Beach, busy with boats - Teignmouth

The distant peninsula belongs to Babbacombe and Torquay - Teignmouth

The trainline skirts the main beach - Teignmouth

As the train heads inland to Exeter it follows the River Exe and the port town of Exmouth

I'm guessing the tower above the skyline is that of the Holy Trinity Church - Exmouth

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

LINKS

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.