The D’Oyly Cartes at Pudcombe Pudcombe Cove, once owned by the D’Oyly Carte family of Coleton Fishacre (now National Trust), had a seawater pool, a bathing hut and a yacht landing stage. This idyllic spot is no longer accessible on foot so Anita Newcombe lands by kayak to explore.
R
upert D’Oyly Carte of Gilbert & Sullivan and Savoy Hotel fame and Lady Dorothy, younger daughter of the Earl of Cranbrook spotted a beautiful valley leading down to the sea while out sailing and decided it was the perfect spot for an elegant country home, which they proceeded to have built in 1925. The wonderful gardens at Coleton Fishacre run down a narrow combe from the house to the sea at Pudcombe Cove. I decide to kayak there on a voyage of discovery. Heading out of Dartmouth in one of Dartmouth Yacht Club’s sea kayaks (available to members who are competent paddlers), my kayaking buddy and I head
downriver. We pass the Lower Car Ferry, the Royal Dart Yacht Club and paddle on towards Kingswear Castle. Mostly hugging the coastline, we continue on our way as the river mouth widens and we head round towards the Mew Stone. From here we can see the NCI Froward Point and we call them up on our handheld for a radio check. We’ve already checked the weather and tides and all is set fair for a favourable trip. On the way, we enjoy pottering in and out of the rocky inlets until, before long we round the final rocky outcrop and find ourselves in sight of Pudcombe Cove. It’s a reasonable sized beach, very pretty and usually quite The sea pool at Pudcombe Cove
30 | April/May 2020
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