Wednesday 20 October 2010

East Devon Adventures

We woke to a beautiful morning of blue skies and just a few white clouds ...

We were off across the River Exe and into East Devon today starting with the Donkey Sanctuary ...

There were plenty of donkeys in the fields and a white one carved into the hillside ...

We had the dogs with us and they were allowed everywhere including the shop which was brilliant. Hamish began to make friends ...

as did Jo ...

The notice was a good guide but all the donkeys were very happy to be fussed ...

There had been some Royal visitors in the past ...

and after a final farewell to a chap in the hospital field ...

and being relieved of a few pounds in the shop, we made our way into Sidmouth. It was a lovely day for a stroll along the prom ...

The sun was glistening on the water ...

We wandered up the main street and topped up with some groceries before returning to the car and following the coast road to Otterton. We'd planned on having lunch at Otterton Mill but after looking at their menu we decided to move on and found the Rolle Arms in East Budleigh. Here we had a great lunch and both the dogs were given a biscuit which they thoroughly enjoyed! It was then a short hop into Budleigh Salterton where we parked up and walked along beside the sea ...

Budleigh has some lovely houses ...

The fishermen sell their fish from the beach ...

and back in the early 1900's my great grandparents had a drapers shop on the High Street. It is now a card shop ...

My dad used to tell me how he remembered travelling from his boarding school in Taunton to visit his grandparents here. Jo and I went into the church ...

It was then time to move on and so we drove through Exmouth ...

on our way to the National Trust property called A La Ronde. We arrived just after 4pm and at first we were told it was too late to go round the house as last entries are at 4pm. However after pleading with the girl on the desk she called through and we were given permission to go ahead. We really wanted to see it and didn't want to have to come all this way back on another day. So over to the house and in through the green doors ...

It looks quite small from outside but it is a tardis! Here are a selection of photos that I took ...

Up above us is the shell gallery which is too fragile to have visitors walk about so they have a webcam room which is situated next to the dining room and people can view it on monitors. Jo and Paul had a go at guiding the cameras ...

We walked all around the outside of this unusual house ...

and then made our way home to the campsite.

1 comment:

Jo Anne said...

One of my favourite days - Loved it!