Hi there,

At is say. Going to South Devon for a holiday and was trying to work out whether there were any good trails around the coast in this area. All I know is that there are some steep hills.

Cheers

Not much in the South Hams. Dartmoor has some some great stuff but that is a drive away, there isn’t much elsewhere. A bit of cheeky here and there but that’s not a good idea during the holidays. Go and play in the water 🙂

Yes – Dartmoor is awesome. Someone more local than I can help. Alternatively, ask the guy that runs Alf Resco’s in Dartmouth town – he’s a keen rider.

I’m near Dartmouth camping at the moment. My meanderings have not come up with anything either. 🙂

Go and play in the water

^^This^^

More “on” than “in”, though!

ask the guy that runs Alf Resco’s in Dartmouth town – he’s a keen rider.

He’s left there now and set up an adventure sports company Dart Adventures

I live locally and can find plenty of trails to keep me occupied but often get the feeling that visitors are expecting miles of smooth, sweeping, trail-centre type trails. If you want a good day’s riding without too many tarmac interludes then Dartmoor’s the place to head for.

But, as others have said, get out on the water. That’s where it’s at. 🙂

I took my bike and didn’t ride it once – more fun playing in and on the sea for a nice change, Dartmoor is ace though if you know where to go.

Slugwash – where did you take that seal pic? In the Hams? Great work!

Slugwash – where did you take that seal pic? In the Hams? Great work!

It was here…….

… at the Mewstone. Paddle out of the entrance to the River Dart, turn left and you can’t miss it 🙂

Got home from 3 weeks in Salcombe yesterday, there really is very little riding, other than the 136 steps on the East Portlemouth side that have to be ridden because they’re there, and it’s a bridleway 😀 Dartmoor is worth a trip though, the stuff around Lustleigh Cleave is incredible. Boats really are the way forward down there though, and the water is slightly warmer than when I first got there.

on the East Portlemouth side

That would be the right side of the estuary, of course.

Haldon forest just off the a38 is pretty good if your willing to drive.

Thanks for the tips. Will pack wetsuit instead!

Hire/beg/borrow a paddleboard and head around the bay to Bigbury..

Paddle out of the entrance to the River Dart, turn left and you can’t miss it

And that’d explain why I’ve never seen them 🙂 Last time I was anywhere near there I was on the cliffs and lugging my camping gear along the SWCP. Lovely part of the world you got there.

You get seals in the river as far at Ditisham, you have to be a little lucky to spot them.

@Peak1 when are you there, it would be worth checking the schedule of the regatta, there are daily flying displays usually around 6pm including the Red Arrows, truly spectacular. Also during regatta week the town is mobbed.

You get seals in the river as far at Ditisham, you have to be a little lucky to spot them.

You get them as far upriver as the tidal limit at the weir between Totnes & Dartington. If you’re rowing/paddling or walking along the river then you’ve got a good chance of seeing one.

Is Spot the Bloomer still running during Regatta Week?

Ah….happy days!

Oh, and Salcombe Dairy ice cream FTW!

Red Arrows are on Fri 31st at 18:00 hrs, well worth a look.
I’ve seen them there loads of times and I find the best place to watch is on Jawbones Hill.

Of course Flashy. The house across the path from Arran has been bulldozed, now a MASSIVE build. Was much quieter in Salcombe than previous years, more empty moorings too, and now no waiting list for getting a mooring.

The house across the path from Arran has been bulldozed

😯 🙁

We were somewhat further down the road. On a rather lovely beach with a stream……

Salcombe’s changed beyond all recognition. It used to be about sailing, shrimping, crabbing off Whitestrand, and then when older getting ratted in the Fightescue and the Ferry before heading home across the harbour*. Got a little unpleasant some years after we sold up and left, IMO.

*0045hrs ish. Self, utterly pished, at the helm of a Dell Quay sporting a Mercury 75. Full chat, throttle nailed down, only a torch to guide my way. Harbour master comes out of nowhere! Oops. A brief chat ensued, and I was let off with no more than a wagged finger…! The joys of knowing the right people in a small waterside community! 🙂

Kept our boats on Mill Bay for the 3 weeks we were there, perfect for us. The Harbour Master people seemed fairly understanding, but they all appeared to be about 14 this year… The top of East Portlemouth seems to have escaped fairly well so far, I imagine it’s due to the plots not being big enough to build mansions on.

Kept our boats on Mill Bay for the 3 weeks we were there

Two questions, if you don’t mind…
1 – What boats?
2 – Do they still collect for the RNLI when getting a boat pass on the beach?

GP14 and a Laser, and yes they do, recommended donation of £10 per boat per week.

Awesome! Great to hear they still ask for a donation, a worthy cause!

Also, good to see that you have one ace boat! And a GP14! 😉

Laser’s broken, some fool sat on it whilst it was on the trolley and the trolley punched through the underside of the deck. Sailable, but needs bringing back to the beach every half hour when windy to empty it. Dad managed 18.3 knots in it a couple of years back, he was very proud of himself… GP14 is almost solely used as a beach hut, and for trips to the Millbrook and Kingsbridge.

From Salcombe, take a ride around the cliff footpath (yes I know….) ti hope cove. Decent 15mile out and return, killer climbs and fun descents with a bit of exposure thrown in. Good cake at Hope Cove cafe, and the cliff path ends in Salcombe right by the house we get to borrow a few times a year (complete with a private beach and swimming pool on the rocks!!)

… at the Mewstone. Paddle out of the entrance to the River Dart, turn left and you can’t miss it

… I tend to try and avoid it. 😀

Incidentally, is the dolphin still around in the Dart? My dad used to see it pretty regularly when he was lifting his lobster pots in the morning.

Is that the one with the chunk missing from it’s dorsal fin? If so then yes, I saw it a few months ago by the castles. Dartmouth, 7000 drunks clinging to a river bank!