Saturday 9th October 1999
| Location | Arrived | Duration | Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | 08:30 | ||
| M27 services – Rownhams | 10:08 | 41m | 10:49 |
| Keyhaven (for Hurst castle) | 11:40 | 2h 17m | 13:57 |
| New Forest | 14:28 | 1h 58m | 16:26 |
| Little Chef – Winterbourne Abbas | 17:39 | 1h 1m | 18:40 |
| B&B Eyre Court, Seaton, Devon | 19:27 |
I chose to start my adventure on a Saturday morning. The first stop for breakfast was the services on the M27. Then onwards, towards Keyhaven.
Keyhaven is a small fishing village which hosts a ferry service to Hurst Castle. The alternative route is a longish walk along Hurst spit. Hurst Castle is an English Heritage property, an artillery fort established by Henry VIII and later repurposed during World War II.
There was a short drive to the following location, Puttles Bridge car park in the New Forest. I did a little bit of birdwatching and general wandering around the woods.
I stopped at the Little Chef at Winterbourne Abbas for dinner and then onwards to Seaton, Devon, for my night stop at the Eyre Court Hotel. Rather than driving around, I parked in a car park nearby and found the hotel on foot.
Sunday 10th October 1999
| Location | Arrived | Duration | Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| B&B Seaton, Devon | 10:13 | ||
| Plymouth, Devon | 11:34 | 3h 42m | 15:16 |
| Penzance, Cornwall | 17:36 | 54m | 18:30 |
| B&B, Lamorna, Cornwall | 18:55 |
After breakfast, I spent a little time wandering around the seaside town of Seaton before I finally set on my way towards Plymouth.
I found a handy car park at Plymouth, discovering that I was in Sutton Harbour. A surprise because Sutton Harbour was one of the jobs I was handling at work, and I never realised it was in Plymouth.
I am writing this too long after the visit to remember specifics, but I know I was at Plymouth Hoe and saw Smeatons Tower.
After a day in Plymouth, I set off towards my next overnight destination, briefly stopping in Penzance for a Fish & Chip dinner. Although being the off-peak season, I had to wander for ages before I found an open fish and chip shop.
I particularly remember the B&B had a very steep slope for a driveway.
2022 update: I note I went the wrong way at Truro and had to turn back. This was before in car navigation, all I had was a direction and distance to the next waypoint, where I knew I had to change roads.
Monday 11th October 1999
| Location | Arrived | Duration | Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| B&B Lamorna, Cornwall | 09:44 | ||
| RSPB Marazion | 10:14 | 2h 25m | 12:39 |
| St Ives, Cornwall | 13:04 | 2h | 15:04 |
| Tintagel, Cornwall | 16:40 | 16m | 16:56 |
| Little Chef, Sourton | 17:42 | 1h 6m | 18:48 |
| B&B, Little Torrington, Devon | 19:26 |
The first location today was the RSPB reserve, Marazion Marsh. After a bird of bird watching, I headed to St Ive’s.
The St Ives visit just consisted of general wandering around, hoping to remember places I had seen during a school trip back in 1975. I believe I had an ice cream overlooking the harbour before I set off again.
I pulled into Tintagel, expecting the castle to be more convenient, but quickly moved on. Dinner was at another Little Chef, and finally, onto the B&B at Little Torrington.
2022 update: While in St Ives, I stumbled across the Tate gallery. A fact that later helped me in a quiz "Where is the Tate Gallery?"
Tuesday 12th October 1999
| Location | Arrived | Duration | Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| B&B, Little Torrington, Devon | 09:25 | ||
| Torrington, Devon | 09:35 | 10m | 09:45 |
| Tarka Trail, Devon | 09:52 | 2h 56m | 12:48 |
| M27 services – Rownhams | 17:09 | 54m | 18:03 |
| Eastbourne | 19:49 |
The plan today was to get a close-up view of the River Yeo, essentially the origin of my surname.
I chose to walk a short section of the Traka Trail, a 180-mile cycle path. Unfortunately, the section I chose was originally an old railway, and I found myself walking in a railway cutting for an hour. All I saw were the sides of the cutting.
2022 update: At some point during my visit to Torrington, I read an information sign about the Battle of Torrington 1646. An important, but little known battle during the English civil war. But remembering this sign has helped me remember the date of the English Civil war.