Dartmoor to Clevedon, England


Dartmoor to Clevedon, UK		Week 40 23rd - 29th January 2012

		Leaving Dartmoor we found the old bridge which had featured in the pictures at the info center. It wasn't lost at all. Just beside the road. Each of those slabs is a single piece of granite. A far cry from cardboard replicas of prisons which surely must have sunk before getting anywhere near the channel.

		Clear skies and an open road.

		Except for a few narrow streets in the villages. We took a detour over the edge of Exmoor and headed towards Clevedon.

		Clevedon is mostly Victorian. Part of the general interest in living beside the seaside.

		Its on the south bank of the Severn estuary. These are a couple of ro-ro (roll on roll off) car ferries. Viewed from Brenda and Chris' house.

		Clevedon Pier was built in 1867. Vaguely elegant victorian railway inspired engineering of wrought iron.

		We perambulated to the end of the pier (as one does). Brenda and Ali, either smiling or gritting teeth against the fresh, bracing, seaside, breeze.

		But the pier, one of only a few seaside piers still operating, looks the part in the sunshine. The tide rises 49ft and the current can be up to 7 knots. One day no doubt someone will wonder about tidal energy.

		We walked south from the pier. Along the Poets Walk. Memories of Tennyson again and others. We are looking down at the mud of a river entry from the Iron Age fort on Wain's Hill. We also missed the pillow mound that was at one time used as a rabbit farm.

		We sauntered down to the Moon and Sixpence for some Old Speckled Hen. Translated - went to the pub for a pint! We also had fish and chips (and normal peas) with Brenda and Chris. The Moon and Sixpence is a Somerset-Maugham book. The connection with the pub is unknown to us. The origin of the beer name will remain a mystery, but hopefully is not too literal.

		And, sadly, time to leave friends again having occupied the driveway and enjoyed the hospitality for a few days.

Rhossili and Porth Cleis, Wales		Week 41 30th January - 1st February 2012

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