Devon and Cornwall

[Corneel]

This summer I will be visiting Devon and Cornwall together with my wife. It's long since we have been in England! My daughter was 2 last time, and now she lives on her own. Only a short visit to London in the mean time.

Anyway. We will be visiting the usual stuff. Dartmoor is high on the list. Exeter and the cathedral. Stuff on the various costs of course. But what is there woodworking wise that is an absolute must see? I am intrueged by the 17th century Englsih Renaissance stuff these days, and Medieval ain't too bad either. Is Devon a good place to find more along those lines?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The Exeter Guildhall and the museum are worth a look.

 

[sunnybob]

Axminster tools is in (funnily enough) Axminster in Devon.
A modern 2 story shop that will drive your wife crazy while waiting in the car for you. Best to drop her off in town and tell her to window shop for a few hours because if you get round that in under two hours then you just are not a tool person.

If you're driving across the bottom of England then use the A 303 and call in at Yandles, in Martock, Somerset. They have a HUGE selection of hardwoods, and a very large tool shop selling record and Trend (among others).

In fact closer to London but on the M3 just before it becomes the A303 is the basingstoke branch of axminster.

Old wooden buildings? yeah, farsands of 'em in devon rodney. But cornwall is mostly stone and beaches.
Truro cathedral is stone on the front, but they ran out of money and the rest of it is tatty bricks of all descriptions.

Maybe too high for your adventure, but Axbridge in North somerset has one of King John's hunting lodges, and thats pretty old and well kept.

Tell us your route and maybe there will be more gems to discover.

 

[Racers]

The A39 between Porlock and Lynmouth would be a good drive, coming from the low country's it should fun for you!

Pete

 

[Corneel]

We take the boat to Harwich and will travel in one day to the camping which is on the edge of Dartmoor. That'll be the M4 and the M5. On the way back we have an extra night and I thought about visiting Oxford.

 

[sunnybob]

I sincerely hope you are NOT going west on the M4 or south on the M5 at Bristol on a friday.
Or, going north and east on a monday.
If either, allow an extra days travel and take a porta potty and toilet paper with you.

I have driven that route literally thousands of times, and on those days, Its 50 miles of traffic thats worse than any major city rush hour.
If its a bank holiday, start at midnight. It will still be busy, but should keep moving.

In that case, Axbridge just might be worth a side trip.

Just looked that up. its 320 miles. Ignore what the rout maps say about timings. If you do that journey in less than 8 hours i will be astounded. Much of the M4 has average speed restrictions on it and there are cameras on every pole. Gone are the days you could do a 100 miles an hour down that road.
On a friday I would expect 10 or more hours even if there isnt an accident on the M5.
I seriously suggest you consider an overnight stop.

 

[Corneel]

Thanks for the warning! We will travel westwards on a sunday. And back on a saterday, that's end of July.

 

[Beau]

Dartmoor is great (I live there). For woody things you cant beat Wistmans wood but maybe not what your after https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wistman%27s_Wood

For modern furniture the Devon Guild of Craftsman has some quality exhibitions from time to time http://www.crafts.org.uk/Exhibitions.aspx

Some good info on Dartmoor history here http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/

The house just up the road dates back a 1000 years! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... wn-in.html

Enjoy your time on Dartmoor but bring your raincoats :lol:

 

[sunnybob]

you have the best timings for weekend travel. but honestly, the M4 and M5 around bristol has the worst summer traffic in the whole of the Uk.
I spent many a half day trying to get past bristol, in both directions. If I wasnt being paid to do it, I would definitley not have.

 

[Corneel]

Axbridge looks like an exelent detour around Bristol! We leave Cornwall on friday, while the boat is leaving sunday morning. So plenty of time for some detours on the way back home.


And it looks like we timed our hollidays perfectly, the real summer hollidays only start in earnest in August. Pure luck on my side, my wife's hollidays start half july.

On Dartmoor we will be walking, scrambling and doing a lot. I'll have a look into Wistmans wood too. It looks nice on the pictures.

 

[Beau]

On Dartmoor we will be walking, scrambling and doing a lot. I'll have a look into Wistmans wood too. It looks nice on the pictures.

If you like walking and scrambling you might be better going to this wood. http://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/lookingafter ... katorcopse
It's like Wistmans wood but not quite as atmospheric but the other walking is more interesting. You can walk up past Meldon reservoir to the copse but then go up the highest tor in the south of the England which is High Willhays. Not really scrambling but then there isn't much on Dartmoor as it's just not that steep.

 

[Lignum]

We take the boat to Harwich and will travel in one day to the camping which is on the edge of Dartmoor. That'll be the M4 and the M5. On the way back we have an extra night and I thought about visiting Oxford.

Oxford's nice (I live thereabouts) and almost any of the college chapels or halls will be laden with interesting wood stuff provided the college in question isn't one of the newer ones. You'll want to pack a lunch though, as for merely the price of a kidney in Oxford you'll get a small sandwich served on an artisan shovel.

Christ Church in particular has a lovely beamed ceiling - might be hammerbeam? Part of it fell down last summer, but I'm pretty certain it's been restored. Christ Church will also relieve you of a fiver for entry though.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Truro has a wonderful museum. If you get far enough down, The Minack and Porthcurno are stunning, as is Sennen. Forget Land's End it's all tourist, but The Lizard is beautiful. Porthcurno on a beautiful day has to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I spent thousands of hours in the sea when I was younger, but my 16 y.o. son doesn't set foot on a beach from one end of the year to the next. We're within half an hour of some of the world's most beautiful beaches, and he's far rather sit in the dark with a computer.

 

[Corneel]

Yeah kids, sometimes (rolleyes).

Thanks for the tips. Very usefull. I did allready book a camping for the second week in that area.

 

[sunnybob]

Phil, what do you mean, "the lizard is all tourist"?

Thats me in the white T shirt.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The Lizard isn't overdeveloped like Land's End. What did you think you were? :lol:

 

[sunnybob]

oh botheration. Of course I meant to write "lands end" not " the lizard". Sorry for the confusion.
We rode down on a weekends camping. when we got to the lands end gate the we all lined up on the bikes to pay the entry. The ticket collector said "are you on a charity ride?" We said "why?" he said "charity rides get in free". We said, of course we're a charity ride".

Thats how come we got the group pic on the pointy bit.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

The National Trust has a number of properties in Devon and Cornwall, and two that might be of interest are Finch's Foundry near Okehampton - a family firm that made tools for the local agricultural and mining industries during the 19th century ( https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/finch-foundry ), and Trerice, an Elizabethan manor house (so late 16th century) near Newquay ( https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/trerice ).

Can anybody more local suggest others that might fit?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Blue Hills near St Agnes is worth a visit if you have any interest in mining and metals. They still process tin ore with old stamps and vanning tables.

 

[G S Haydon]

Hi Kees

The most interesting stuff I've seen here in the South West have been in the possession of clients. There are some nice pieces about that are open to the public but it's a bit thin on the ground. The museum in Tiverton has a good vernacular feel to it with a great deal of wheelwright works. Some good furniture too but not loads.

South Molton has an interesting early 18th century fire engine and a good cider press, but interesting furniture is thin on the ground.

Barnstaple has some interesting architectural joinery from 1659, the church also has some interesting pieces but again, thin on the ground.

If you're passing through you'd be welcome to call into our workshop, there wont be much 17th century work going on