(9-12-2019) Thursday Day 4 Exeter – Excursion to Plymouth, Polperro, Dartmoor and Buckfast Abbey Averages - 66 high, 50 low, 25% rain. Hotel = Mercure Southgate 4* Southernhay East, Exeter, EX1 1QF UK Phone +44 1392 412 812 Mercure Exeter Southgate Hotel 4* Phone says 12,522 steps, 5.1 miles and 15 flights climbed.
156 rooms. Dates back to 1852. The theater, a castle and cathedral are nearby. Classic units have countryside views. 24-hr restaurant. Gym and fitness center. Make tea in the room. Indoor pool. Shared bathroom??? Pictures of hotel look lovely. Reviews - Breakfast good. Staff polite. Nice pool. Good location if you can walk ten minutes to city center. Buses available on High St. and Exeter Central Train Station is a 10-minute walk away.
156 rooms. Dates back to 1852. The theater, a castle and cathedral are nearby. Classic units have countryside views. 24-hr restaurant. Gym and fitness center. Make tea in the room. Indoor pool. Shared bathroom??? Pictures of hotel look lovely. Reviews - Breakfast good. Staff polite. Nice pool. Good location if you can walk ten minutes to city center. Buses available on High St. and Exeter Central Train Station is a 10-minute walk away.
OPTIONAL TOUR CRUISE COASTLINE YES
(9-12-2019) Thursday Day 4 Exeter – Excursion to Plymouth, Polperro, Dartmoor and Buckfast Abbey Averages - 66 high, 50 low, 25% rain. Hotel = Mercure Southgate 4* Southernhay East, Exeter, EX1 1QF UK Phone +44 1392 412 812 Mercure Exeter Southgate Hotel 4* Phone says 12,522 steps, 5.1 miles and 15 flights climbed.
TOUR INFO "Our first stop today is in the ancient port city of Plymouth, where we'll delve into the history of the brave Pilgrim Fathers who set sail for an unknown New World from its shores. See the Royal Citadel overlooking Plymouth Sound and consider an optional cruise around the dramatic coastline. We take a step back in time at our next stop, the fishing village and artists' retreat of Polperro. Continuing along the brooding moorland of Dartmoor, we arrive at Buckfast Abbey, where we'll 'Dive Into Culture' and gain insights into how Benedictine monks have lived and prayed for over 1,000 years. (Full Breakfast)"
My Info. Plymouth, a port city in Devon. The River Plym flows into Plymouth. The Mayflower Steps are the spot where the Pilgrims set sail in 1620 for the New World. The original steps are underneath a pub as the waterfront was expanded. The early port settlement has 100 historical buildings and the largest assemblage of cobbled streets in Britain. During WWII, over 3,700 houses were completely annihilated and over 1,000 residents were killed as Plymouth was considered a major port.
My Info. Plymouth, a port city in Devon. The River Plym flows into Plymouth. The Mayflower Steps are the spot where the Pilgrims set sail in 1620 for the New World. The original steps are underneath a pub as the waterfront was expanded. The early port settlement has 100 historical buildings and the largest assemblage of cobbled streets in Britain. During WWII, over 3,700 houses were completely annihilated and over 1,000 residents were killed as Plymouth was considered a major port.
Royal Citadel was built in 1666 as a defense post against naval attack. I went on an optional excursion which was a boat ride from Plymouth to another town. We say a lot of Naval vessels and heard about the ships’ capabilities.
Plymouth Sound is a bay on the English Channel. The Royal Navy and ferries to France and Spain use the Sound. A breakwater, that is 1,700 yards long, creates a harbor to protect ships from south-western storms which occur frequently. Pirate Drake defeated the Spanish Armada in one night with a rag tag collection of vessels. Drake saw that a storm was coming. He waited until nightfall and lighted tar-coated dilapidated vessels and floated them into the Spanish Armada. Panic ensued. The large ships of the armada had difficulty navigating away. Drake’s small vessels maneuvered easily and fired on the Spanish ships at the waterline. Then the storm hit and pushed the Spanish Armada south and west. They had no choice but to navigate the treacherous coast. They weren’t motivated to return to Spain as losers and some settled in along the way. This event gave England an excellent naval reputation. Plymouth was haavily bombed in WW II.
Plymouth Sound is a bay on the English Channel. The Royal Navy and ferries to France and Spain use the Sound. A breakwater, that is 1,700 yards long, creates a harbor to protect ships from south-western storms which occur frequently. Pirate Drake defeated the Spanish Armada in one night with a rag tag collection of vessels. Drake saw that a storm was coming. He waited until nightfall and lighted tar-coated dilapidated vessels and floated them into the Spanish Armada. Panic ensued. The large ships of the armada had difficulty navigating away. Drake’s small vessels maneuvered easily and fired on the Spanish ships at the waterline. Then the storm hit and pushed the Spanish Armada south and west. They had no choice but to navigate the treacherous coast. They weren’t motivated to return to Spain as losers and some settled in along the way. This event gave England an excellent naval reputation. Plymouth was haavily bombed in WW II.
The first brown and white building on the left edge of the picture is the building standing on top of the steps the Pilgrims used.
The Citadel.
Polperro is a village and fishing harbor in south Cornwall, England. The River Pol runs through Polperro. In the 18th century, smuggling allowed people to avoid taxation on imported goods. You can visit the Polperro Heritage Museum of Fishing and Smuggling. Cars are not allowed in the village because of the quaint, narrow streets.
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| I quickly found a handful of sea glass on this little beach. |
Another place where the boats sit in the muck at low tide.
They love their flowers in the UK.
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon. It is moorland or moor, a habitat with temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands. Low-growing plants that like acidic soils are found in moorlands. Dartmoor also has the largest area of granite in Britain. Tors are hills topped with an outcropping of bedrock, usually rounded and boulder-like. There are bogs due to the amount of rain the peat absorbs. Vegetation grows in summer and dies and decays continuing to build up the bog. Bogs are beautiful and dangerous due to area of squishy ground. Motivating factor for Hounds of Baskerville. SpecialServices train in the moors. Some die of exposure due to extreme temperature changes or due to the harsh environment. Dartmoor also is a Special Area of Conservation for four habitats. There are many prehistoric menhirs (standing stones), stone circles (a circular alignment of standing stones), kistvaens (box-like burial tombs), cairns (man-made pile of stones), and stone rows (1 to 2-meter tall stones arranged in rows that are placed at intervals) in the moors. The glaciers receding would have left the stones behind.
Prince Charles/Duchy of Cornwall is the landlord for much of the area we were in today. (Exeter to Cornwall). He is benevolent and well-liked. Leases are for 99 years. Charles buys their crops and sells them. He uses the profits the help the farmers. Much of what they produce is organic. Livestock can graze anywhere on common land.
Buckfast Abbey (1018) is a part of the Benedictine monastery which is still active. It has an interesting history and the current order took possession in 1882. The Abbey is self-supporting. The most successful product is Buckfast Tonic Wine. There are fifteen bells in the tower. It is considered one of the finest sets of change ringing bells in the world. The grounds of the Abbey are lovely.
The original Buckfast Abbey was destroyed. Amazingly, the monks rebuilt this Abbey.
Buckfast Abbey (1018) is a part of the Benedictine monastery which is still active. It has an interesting history and the current order took possession in 1882. The Abbey is self-supporting. The most successful product is Buckfast Tonic Wine. There are fifteen bells in the tower. It is considered one of the finest sets of change ringing bells in the world. The grounds of the Abbey are lovely.
The original Buckfast Abbey was destroyed. Amazingly, the monks rebuilt this Abbey.
The ceiling
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