Dorset and Devon Coast Trip, Day 13 (Thu 20th May 2021)
I was raining and blowing a gale this morning, but before leaving the site at Bigbury, I went to have a look at the sheep shearing across the road in a large barn. The shearing is done by visiting contractors who complete each one, remarkably quickly.
The process means that the ewes are temporarily separated from their lambs, so there is much baa-ing. The sheep seem to be relieved to shed their fleeces as they seem to jump for joy when they re-join the others, but I am not sure they will appreciate it when they are let back into the field on a day like today without a warm fleece.
Mount Batten:
We drove down towards Plymouth, but rather than visit the town, we decided to visit Mount Batten, which is the bit that sticks out to the south of Plymouth harbour, protecting it from the worst of the weather.
It looked very interesting with a breakwater at the end and a tower on top of the small hill, but the weather meant that there was a degree of reluctance to leave the warmth and shelter of the motorhome which was rocking in the wind. The rain did manage to stop for a while, so we ventured to the top of the “Mount” which certainly blew away any cobwebs.
The rain returned with a vengeance before we could get back to Fufu, so we managed to get a bit wet again. After some lunch, the rain had stopped again, so we walked along the quayside through to where many large yachts are stored and moored.
Calstock:
We were due to stay overnight near Tavistock, but before heading to the campsite, we decided to visit Calstock, where there is a high Victorian viaduct which carries a single trainline on the Tamar Valley Line.
On the way there, we crossed the Taymar Bridge into Cornwall, a suspension bridge opened in 1964 alongside the Brunel railway bridge.
The Cornish village of Calstock is built on the steep banks of the river Taymar. It is an old village, pretty, with two pubs and a quayside onto the river.
Our friend Jeeves bought one of these fire extinguishers in France and has made a similar lamp.
Here, we encountered several Muscovy ducks, who have settled there and have become very tame. They are large ducks that are originally from Mexico and Central and South America.
When we arrived at the campsite, it was raining heavily and blowing a gale again. Ah well. It still beats being at home.
"See-u-Later" 