Friday, February 22, 2019

Driving to Devon



Our two weeks in the Lake District of England had ended and we were ready to travel down to Devon.  Our stay was wonderful and we sadly said goodbye to the lovely area and headed south to spend two weeks in Devon and Cornwall.  What new adventures await us?  Come along as we travel south continuing to celebrate our Golden Anniversary.

  
The distance between the two areas was 334 miles, but because of traffic on the M6 we knew it would take us some time to get to our destination.  Stopping in Worcester at Croome would break up our trip and we could enjoy a property along the way.  There is also the secret RAF Defford museum on the grounds. 

First things first--We were hungry and decided to have something to eat at the barracks that is now run by the National Trust.  They always have lovely meals.



Grayden enjoyed a local specialty of Hannity Devon Pie.



I had the Pasty Veg, a lovely Cornish Pasty dish full of vegetables that is well known in this part of England.  Both were very good and with our tummies full we were ready to look around the RAF Defford Museum.



This museum is operated by the Defford Airfield Heritage Group in partnership with the National Trust.  In two buildings there are displays explaining how radar defended Britain against German bombing attacks during WWII.  Grayden really enjoyed speaking with the gentleman there as they talked "shop."  



RAF Defford opened in 1941 as a satellite airfield.  In 1942 the Telecommunications Research Establishment operated radar flight trials.  These flight trials along with the Royal Navy tested radar systems that revolutionized the operation of Allied aircraft.  This is why this area had been a secret.





While Grayden was enjoying the technical, I was enjoying the lighter side of this museum.



I'm so impressed that even during war, tea was made available to service members!

We wanted to walk down to the Croome country home and take a look at the beauty from the 18th century.  Croome was the home of the 6th Earl of Coventry, George William.  



The grounds of Croome was designed by Capability Brown, the genius who incorporated endless vistas around this property. 



The Croome Heritage Trust bought Croome Court in 2007 and leased it to the National Trust so it could be open to the public.  They are working on its restoration.  



The vista from the top of the hill shows the beauty and genius of Capability Brown.  It also shows the half mile walk down hill that we decided we should miss as we still had a ways to travel that afternoon.



Keep in mind this is an enormous parkland full of many beautiful points of interest.  This is the newly restored Chinese Bridge. 





There is a lovely church at the top of the hill that could tell a few tales about how life has been here on the Croome estate.





We normally don't rush our days on travel, but we needed to leave this serene spot and travel down into Devon and find our lodging. 



The rolling hills of Devon were so lovely as we traveled down the highway.



After traveling some single track lanes-yikes- we finally reach our destination for the next two weeks.  From our thatched roof home we will be traveling all around Devon and into Cornwall.  Thank you for coming along with us. ♥














34 comments:

  1. Devon is a beautiful county, as is Cornwall next door so I know we will have some more lovely adventures coming our way! So close to Pembrokeshire, why I can almost wave across the Bristol Channel to you!

    ~~~Waving~~~From Across the Pond~~~Deb in Wales xoxo

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    1. Deb, soon I will be waving to you across the Bristol Channel when we visit Dunster Castle in Somerset so please be on the lookout! xoxo ♥

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  2. It was a joy to come along with you, I enjoyed the little tour of the museum.

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    1. The tour of RAF Defford was interesting especially to Grayden. I'm glad you enjoyed it as well. ♥

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  3. I hope you will show us pictures of your "thatched-roof" accommodations! The village looks quaint already!

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    1. Cathy this is not a village, but the hotel we stayed in Devon. I'll reference our place in the future. Quaintness abounds in Devon and Cornwall--well all of Great Britain that we have seen! ♥

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  4. Wow, Martha Ellen.. what a magical trip of a lifetime. I must admit to be green with envy as I've dreamed of seeing all you saw.. and to stay in a thatch-roofed cottage.. I do hope you took lots of photos of it!! Thanks for sharing this. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. Teresa, we stayed in a thatched roof hotel that we thought to be quite charming. I'm so glad you are coming along with us on this journey. It's really taking me forever to record it all. ♥

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  5. Lovely pictures, beautiful part of England, looking forward to seeing more. Have fun!!

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  6. I want to see more of the thatched roof home you stayed in. That vegetable pastry looks so good!
    Do you ever get any of the recipes while there. I wonder how the vegetable pastry was made.
    Love pictures of the country side. Beautiful country!

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    1. Betsy, our thatched roof home is in the last photo. It is now a hotel. I'll be posting more about it later.
      If you visit the National Trust site, they often post recipes from their properties. The countryside is lovely down in Devon and Cornwall. Hopefully I will be posting again soon about our trip. Thank you for visiting. ♥

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  7. Wow - looks like a fabulous trip! I loved hearing your idea about hanging the SB calendars inside your cupboards! What a great idea to brighten up inside the cupboards!!

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    1. It was a wonderful trip, Patti. The idea of putting the calendar pages inside the cupboard came from my friend Vee at A Haven for Vee. Thanks for stopping by today. ♥

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  8. Capability really lived up to the name. Such beautiful countryside and the village is adorable even if the road is a nightmare.

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    1. He certainly did--his capabilities abound in England. I'll be writing more about the roads in my future posts. They are really something! ♥

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  9. Oh! My! What a beautiful place, I would have not wanted to leave at least for a few more days~smile~
    though some places have been restored, it's like going back in time. What a wonderful opportunity to spend this special time in such beauty.
    Thank you for sharing.
    Thank you for visiting and for your very sweet comment.
    Blessings,
    Sue

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    1. Sue, it was very hard to leave the beauty of all the places we visited. We both adore Great Britain. Thank you so much for visiting today. ♥

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  10. What an interesting museum this is, Martha Ellen. Grayden's meal looks so delicious. I love that little bridge, it's charming. The rolling hills are so green and pretty. That church looks so old too. And I love that last photo of the cottages and street.

    Your travels will forever be sketched in your heart, Martha Ellen.

    ~Sheri

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    1. Sheri, it would have been nice if we could have spent longer in Croome. This was a huge estate that would be lovely to linger longer. Our travels are forever sketched in our hearts. Have a nice week. ♥

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  11. It's so relaxing to sit back and read your blog this afternoon! I love immersing myself in your trip...and this country! Thank you so much for coming over to my new blog to support and encourage me. I appreciate your friendship so much! I want my old Lavender Dreams back and it's wonderful that everyone is trying to help me get it restored! Sweet hugs, Diane

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    1. Oh Diane, it's nice to have you visit today, especially. I'm so sorry about your blog being taken. I really can't imagine anyone wanting to take it down with all the beautiful birds, hikes and darlingness in every post! You are a special friend and I'm so glad to know you will continue and hopefully your original posts will be back online! Hugs to you! ♥

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  12. Such a fascinating post and the food looks very yummy. Enjoyed the history too and would have loved browsing through the museum. My sister and her husband lived in a small village called Naunton Beauchamp, not too far from Worcester. I used to shop in the city quite a lot in the old days. I am also exciting about your next post from Devon as that was my part of the world from 1965 to 1975, from the ages of 15 to 25. Thank you Martha Ellen and have a great week.

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    1. Oh Denise, it's so interesting to hear about your life in Devon. We absolutely loved it there. So much history and beauty. I hope I do it justice for you, my friend. I hope to start posting more about Devon soon. It takes time to post photos and history as you know. ♥

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  13. Another cool adventure. Looks like it was a great tour.

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  14. It's many years since I visited Devon … seeing your lovely pictures makes me want to go again - and soon!

    I just love how you are recording and sharing your Golden Anniversary trip with us.

    Enjoy these last few February days.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Jan, it's so lovely to have you visit today. Devon is so pretty as is Cornwall--Of course I think all of Britain is beautiful! Thank you for visiting all of my past posts and leaving such sweet comments.
      Have a lovely evening. ♥

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  15. I got quite caught up in your travel to Devon and look forward to seeing more. I wonder if you got near Dorset? I'm sure you are enjoying reviewing your trip now a year--I think--later. Pictures help us remember, don't they? I love your new header!

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    1. Dotsie, it's so nice to hear from you today. Our trip was in the Fall of 2017 and it's taking me so long to record it here. The photos and my journal are helping us to relive it all over again! We did go through Dorset on our way to Salisbury. ♥

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  16. So many interesting, historical, and charming things to see on every leg of your journey! Speaking of legs . . . it struck me as I looked at the photos in this post how much walking you and Grayden must have done on this trip! I'll bet you returned home as fit as fiddles!

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    1. Cheryl, I do wish I had my smartwatch when we were there! I know we must have walked miles each day. Now, I'm trying to keep up that walking, even though I must admit it's not as exciting. We have been walkers our whole marriage and really find it a way to connect with each other. ♥

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  17. I think I would love this part of your journey very much. (OK, I'd enjoy ALL the journey!). Devon looks like a lovely area. Your photos, as always, are beautiful and really tell the story.

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    1. Jeanie, thank you. Knowing how much you love Britain, I'm sure you would enjoy this part of England. ♥

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