33 minute read
Meeting Duncan Schwab
Duncan Schwab
Sharpham Wine has a new home at Sandridge Barton near Stoke Gabriel. Anita Newcombe drops in to chat to CEO Duncan Schwab at their established vineyard, with its new visitor centre and restaurant.
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Ioften cruise along the Stoke Gabriel Road while out jogging so I’ve been watching the new Sandridge Barton Visitor Centre gradually emerge. Well now it’s open and already o ering wine and cheese tastings and tours plus a shop and restaurant. CEO Duncan Schwab tells me that while Sharpham’s original vineyard near Totnes was planted 40 years ago, the owners have grown vines for Sharpham Wine at Sandridge Barton since 2008.
Maurice Ash brought his herd of Jersey cows to the Sharpham Estate 40 years ago and planted a vineyard in an early bid to produce English wine. Since then Sharpham has produced some of England’s nest wines, winning many awards along the way. e new site at Sandridge Barton will enable the business to develop further varieties such as Bacchus, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay as well as the ever-popular Madeleine Angevine white wine grape from the Loire.
Duncan tells me that he had been a wine maker for Sharpham Wine for many years prior to becoming its CEO. Born in Kenya and raised in Lebanon (the family had to escape by driving through Syria and Turkey when war started) he’d later been sent to boarding school in Truro while his family remained abroad. Holidays were spent in Kuwait or Cyprus with his parents or Cornwall with his grandparents.
Retiring in the early 1980s, his father had planted vines in Cornwall at Golant on the River Fowey. Having trained as a land surveyor, Duncan was able to survey the elds for his father’s proposed vineyard. He tells me, “I thought Dad was bonkers – planting vines was a relatively new idea for England.” Nevertheless, Duncan was able to estimate how many vines could be introduced and subsequently helped with the planting. With just three acres, the Schwabs were soon making good wine and their rst-ever white wine won a silver award.
However the vineyard could not sustain two owners and so Duncan applied to Sharpham in 1992, being taken on as a winemaker, loving the beautiful location. e Sharpham Estate famed for its wine and cheese, had become a charitable trust in 1982. is saved the estate following the death of its owner Maurice Ash and Mark Sharman became its CEO.
Duncan explains, “At Sharpham Wine, we became victims of our own success as we were receiving 20,000 visitors a year at a centre which was not really large enough.”
Duncan became CEO in 2018 when Mark Sharman
retired, planning and managing the move as Sharpham Wine moved lock, stock and barrel to its new home. e move to Sandridge Barton, owned by the Moon family, was a perfect t. Sharpham Wine had long been growing vines on the land with 25 acres planted in 2008. Once agreement was reached, Duncan and his team planned and built an eco-friendly winery with solar panels, spring water extraction and rainwater harvesting plus air source heat pumps. e range of buildings o ers plenty of covered spaces, which extends their visitor season, and the rst Sandridge Barton vintage was produced at the new site in 2020.
Viticulture in the UK is now the fastest expanding agricultural sector and demand is brisk. Duncan says, “As a region our red wines are getting better.” Sharpham Wine’s new home o ers a unique opportunity for the development of their red wines. With a total of 33 acres at the new site – the extra acres are found along a limestone ridge the ideal soil for red varieties. It’s a very limited strip of limestone that runs from Berry Head towards Stoke Gabriel and then zzles out. is is brilliant for their Pinot Noir grapes, giving them a huge bene t in growing quality and a great ‘unique selling point’.
Duncan says, “Here in the South West we are able to produce excellent red wines because our climate is milder and we have extra ‘hang time’ where the grapes can stay hanging for longer - Pinot Noir loves this.”
In 2023 they plan to further expand to a total of 41 acres. ey’ve got a good market for their wines with 50% going to trade and 50% sold at the ‘cellar door’ (in the shop). However, their trade is very much local, as they don’t export. eir Dart Valley Reserve is available in local restaurants, often as a house wine.
e new restaurant on the site is Circa at Sandridge Barton with a superb seasonal menu (and delicious wines of course) plus teas, co ees and patisseries on o er. Duncan says, “ eir cooking is amazing, plus they do really good co ee using our wonderful spring water.” e vineyard spans two sides of the Stoke Gabriel road with vines running down to the River Dart and the centre on the landward side. e estate has recently moved to Higher Level Countryside Stewardship, which protects the land, its wild owers and its wildlife so it’s a heavenly place to visit. You can stroll the ancient cider orchards, woodlands and vineyard on a circular walking route. If you’d like to stay over, there’s the beautiful 12-person Sandridge Barton House and the secluded 4-person Boathouse. e four-bedroom Lower Well Farmhouse will be available soon too.
Wine tastings are on o er with either self-guided or guided options, both bookable online. Of course you can buy a range of award-winning handmade Sharpham Dairy cheeses plus a range of gifts and hampers in the shop too. As well as the restaurant, you can relax on their Lower Tasting Terrace to sample the wines, cheeses and bar snacks. If you want to host a small meeting here e Vine Room (where I’m chatting to Duncan today) is quite beautiful. Dogs are welcomed on site as long as they are kept on a lead and there is lots of free parking. Electric charging points will soon become available.
Duncan and his family live on Dartmoor and their back door opens straight onto the wild moors. ey share their home with ponies, ducks, cats, dogs, rabbits and tortoises. His wife Chloe is an osteopath and they have three children, two girls and a boy. ey also love heading to the coast, enjoying paddleboarding, often on the estuary at Mothercombe. Sounds quite idyllic!
For the future, the popular Sharpham name will be retained for many wines (having built up this popular brand for over 40 years). However there will also be some Sandridge Barton estate wines in their new Estate Range. e main grape harvest runs from September to midNovember and people are needed throughout the period to help with picking and a range of other wine harvest duties. Sandridge Barton will be organising Grape Harvest Weekends with drinks and barbeques as well. sandridgebarton.com
Constance Mary Lloyd
Wife of the infamous Oscar Wilde, Constance saw her husband jailed for being a homosexual, explains Ian Handford of Torbay Civic Society.
Constance Mary Lloyd was born in 1858 and grew into a beautiful, shy, gracious talented woman. She inherited aspects of her character from her beloved grandfather Horatio who it is recorded was a cheerful Pickwick-like character. Constance referred to him as “Grandpapa Lloyd”.
Her father, Horace Lloyd, was a barrister who spent much of his time gambling. Admitted to Lincoln’s Inn at much of his time gambling. Admitted to Lincoln’s Inn at age twenty-three, he became a rst rate barrister. However age twenty-three, he became a rst rate barrister. However his interests and air involved things mathematical and this included his gambling. Horace was a favourite of Lady Mount-Temple residing at Torquay, who he found rather “bohemian”. He persuaded Constance to come on rather “bohemian”. He persuaded Constance to come on her rst visit to Aunt Georgiana (Lady Mount Temple) at Babbacombe Cli House. At the time Constance was described as scholarly but shy at school, this being typical described as scholarly but shy at school, this being typical of the era where children were “seen but not heard”. However, her visit to Torquay changed everything.
She discovered that her aunt’s home was a true temple to the Arts and Crafts movement and she adored it. She developed a deep a ection and bonding with her aunt who she referred to as “Mia Madre”. Her ladyship had modernised her property (previously a hotel) having it redesigned by no-lesser persons than John Ruskin, Burne-Jones and William Morris. ey eventually created a “wonderland” house of Pre-Raphaelite art even naming the bedrooms - Da odil, Marigold and Wonderland. Many internal walls were festooned with Rosetti and Burne-Jones masterpieces. William Morris then took time out to instruct Constance on the intricacies of embroidery and needlework. As a competent pianist and in spite of her shyness, she now mixed easily with these aristocrats.
Constance also met the second most important woman of her life, a Miss Margaret de Windt, like her an academic and a lover of music. Margaret had married Sir Charles J Brook (the White Rajah of Sarawak); she would now open the naive seventeen-year-old’s horizons and under her in uence Constance gradually turned into an incurable romantic.
But after Horace died, the nineteen-year-old Constance went to live with Horatio her grandfather. She later paid a further visit to her favourite aunt in Torquay and the two ladies travelled Europe widely together, on what today we call a Grand Tour. Constance was introduced to the cities of Europe by her aunt, taking in Italy and France. By the time they came back to Devon, Constance was able to write and speak in Italian and French.
She returned to London during the era of Lillie Langtry and the Prince of Wales. It was a time when Oscar Wilde was attending all Lillie’s performances having been her private tutor on the “social graces”. He was in love with Lillie and is recorded as even sleeping on occasions on her doorstep. When the Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera Patience went to America its theatregoers demanded an
Riviera Heritage explanation of ‘aestheticism’ and Oscar Wilde was well Babbacombe Cli and within days wrote to his lover placed to explain it. He lectured widely all over America Bosie (Lord Alfred Douglas) to pay him a visit and the and on his return went to his rest as we say - is history. However, it birthplace in Ireland to continue his was one of his letters to Bosie written work. It was there in Dublin that he at Babbacombe that became the met up with the Lloyds; in 1883 he damning evidence at the High Court proposed to Constance and by 1884 used to send Oscar to prison in 1895. they were married. Years after his death another letter
Constance was blinded by surfaced telling us of the romantic love of Oscar. ey married at St feelings he once held for his wife James Church Sussex Gardens in having shifted into a curious mixture Paddington on May 29th 1884. of ardour and indi erence adding, “I ey honeymooned in France but feel your ngers in my hair and your unknown to his wife, Oscar was cheeks brushing mine - the music of already in serious debt. your voice, my soul and body seem eir rst child Cyril was born no longer mine, but mingled in some on June 5th 1885 and by the exquisite ecstasy with yours”. Having following spring Constance was spent two years without him while he pregnant again. eir next child was in jail, his wife was truly unhappy, was Vyvyan Oscar Beresford Wilde. Neither parent registered the child’s birth and today the actual date is still unknown. e mid 1880s saw Constance in denial about her husband’s “closeness” to other men “ Constance died at age 40 on April 7th 1898. She was absolutely abandoned by Cyril, unwell and without money. Constance died at age 40 on April 7th 1898. She was absolutely abandoned by Cyril, Vyvyan and her husband as none of them attended the funeral. It was a year later that Oscar and although warned, it was a long Vyvyan and her found the courage to visit her grave, time before she realised that her husband as none of only to nd the simple marble cross marriage was in trouble. Later she them attended the stating “Constance Mary, daughter organised what she named a “ nal funeral. of Horace Lloyd QC”. All mention throw of the dice at reconciliation”. of Oscar had been omitted and now She arranged for Oscar and the boys grief stricken he laid red roses at her to stay at Babbacombe Cli for the rst time in autumn grave while sobbing bitterly in sorrow and regret. Later, 1892. Meanwhile, she and her aunt set o for a jaunt of he would write ve nal words stating - “Life is a terrible Europe once again. thing.”
In Torquay Oscar was immediately besotted with torbaycivicsociety.co.uk
Oscar, Constance and Cyril
Babbacombe Cli House as it would have looked during the 1800s
South Devon’s Treacle Mines
Torbay and South Devon are reputedly home to some of the nest treacle mines in the country. Kevin Dixon tells us more about this delightful local legend.
“Once upon a time there were three little sisters,’ the Dormouse began in a great hurry; ‘and they lived at the bottom of a well...’ ‘What did they live on?’ said Alice.. ‘ ey lived on treacle,’ said the Dormouse” (Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carol, 1865).
Marldon, Chudleigh and Daccombe are all small communities reputed to be where treacle could be mined. e good folk of Dunchideock on the Haldon Hills have even given a scienti c explanation for their subterranean reservoirs by citing the geological compression of ancient sugarcane forests that now, millions of years later, ooze the treacle.
Treacle is, of course, uncrystallised syrup usually made during the re ning of sugar. Hence those fortunate to live in places where it could be found underground were very healthy, especially the miners themselves. However, as demand for this mined
treacle was so high, the actual sites “had to be kept secret to prevent the goodness from being pillaged. e Treacle Mine has been a joke played on the gullible for over a century. Rural folk would use the myth as a way to mock and test the credulity of urban visitors. In resorts it was a gentle jest aimed at tourists: “You’ve got to visit Aqualand, Paignton Zoo, Kent’s Cavern, and don’t miss our famous treacle mines!”
Similar jokes were also made about snu mills, jam mines, or toothpaste quarries. It was about something nonsensical or impossible and we do like playing pranks on newcomers. It was also a way to warn children that if they misbehaved they could be sent to work in the local treacle mine.
Even today new workers are initiated by being sent out on a fool’s errand, such as to buy black-and-white striped paint or a left-handed screwdriver. is is the old tradition of the Fool’s Errand, an expression that dates back to the 1700s. However, some have suggested that the idea of hidden hypogeal nourishment goes much further back. e Greek derivative ‘thereical” means medicine, so medieval healing wells were called ‘treacle wells’ – note the Dormouse telling of a treacle well in Alice in Some of the mines on Wonderland (1865). the eastern edge of e thing is that we don’t Dartmoor produced really know the origin of treacle micaceous hematite. mines; and there may be more at mineral is a than one genesis as such tales occur in at least twelve counties glistening black and across England. Accordingly, bears some resemblance various myths are peculiar to to black treacle the small villages that claimed a treacle mine. So why is there a reported cluster of treacle mines in our part of Devon? One possibility is that some of the mines on the eastern edge of Dartmoor produced micaceous hematite. at mineral is a glistening black and was used to dust early ink to prevent smearing. It bears some resemblance to black treacle and those excavations are known locally as ‘treacle mines’.
New Cuddly Friends at
Occombe Farm’s hugely popular new Park & Play attraction has expanded with adorable new animals and some fun new play areas.
Occombe’s winning mix of indoor and outdoor play activities and farm animals have just received some wonderful new friends. Two adorable donkeys have arrived at Occombe, adopted from the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth. Black Jack and his best friend, Luna, are super friendly and love meeting people.
Four pygmy goats have also bounded onto the farm. Since their arrival, they have now become rm favourites amongst the team and visitors. ey love to play, are very cheeky and full of character. ere’s a new Occombe Bug Corner. Snuggly heated terrariums are home to an assortment of slimy, sticky and tickly mini beasts and creepy crawlies. Come along and meet African land snails, millipedes, stick insects, crickets and leopard geckos. ere’ll be daily squirmy sessions to hold them too.
New play features include a mini garage, now open for play tractor servicing and imaginary fun. ere’s also a crawling and soft play space for your tots under 2yrs. is little people’s space is open at speci c times during the day. Be sure to check out the Occombe website before planning your visit.
Of course these new features are in addition to the themed indoor Occombe Play Barn and the outdoor Haystack Maze and Messy Kitchen and the other animals like the bunnies, guinea pigs, chickens, cows and Shetland ponies. ere will sometimes be babies like lambs, calves, chicks and ducklings too. ere’s a daily schedule of activities for supervised handling and cuddles, feeding, talks and demonstrations.
Tickets can be bought in advance on the website or on the day at Occombe Farm. For regular visits, purchase an Occombe Annual Pass and enjoy unlimited entry for a whole year. At the heart of the farm is Occombe Farm Café. e scrumptious menu is crammed with delicious homemade dishes, bakes and treats. You can drop by for breakfast, lunch or simply just tea and cake. No visit is complete without a good browse around the delightful Occombe Farm Shop. is large, attractively laid-out store is jampacked with local produce sourced from across Devon and the West Country, with a high quality range of toys and gifts too.
All this fun supports the conservation work of Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust. e registered charity is committed to caring for Torbay’s natural heritage for wildlife and for people. e charity cares for over 1,700 acres of Torbay’s most beautiful natural spaces. ese include places like: Cockington Country Park, Berry Head National Nature Reserve and lots of wildlifefriendly woodlands, meadows, pathways and bridleways around Torbay. occombe.co.uk
Torbay Steam Fair
e hugely popular Torbay Steam Fair is back after two years! Don’t miss this lively and fun day out for the whole family.
The long-standing and hugely popular fair has a brand-new site directly opposite the old one on Kennels Road in Churston Ferrers. Just turn right into the elds instead of left when coming from Brixham or Paignton.
Over the years, this spectacular family entertainment has expanded from a small one-day show to a much larger 3-day fair and is now one of the biggest events in the area, attracting visitors from far and wide. Torbay Steam Fair really brings history alive, helps preserve our heritage and is a brilliant way of passing on knowledge to the next generation.
You’ll be blown away by the extensive collection of full-size working steam engines on display. Although primarily a steam fair, celebrating the traction engine and its varied roles including farming, haulage and road making, there is much more to see here. ere is always a splendid collection of vintage and classic cars, motorbikes, lorries, commercial vehicles and tractors. Fun to browse is the array of demonstrations of traditional skills like threshing corn, wood sawing, steam ploughing and heavy haulage; see how they did things in earlier generations. ere will also be a wide selection of market stalls, models and crafts, fairground rides, children’s entertainment, catering facilities, beer and tea tents and a bar. e fair is run by the Torbay Steam Rally Group. e group was established in the mid 1980s to continue bringing the fair to Churston Ferrers after the Devon Traction Engine Club were unable to continue. e organisers pride themselves on being able to bring a new Steam Engine to the fair every year and the demand to exhibit at this year’s event has been huge after the long break due to Covid lockdowns.
On ursday and Friday evenings (4th and 5th August) the showground will be open with live music in the beer tent. On Saturday 6th August there will be free entry to the Showman’s Evening Light Up. torbaysteamfair.co.uk c @TorbaySteam
Need To Know...
Torbay Steam Fair 2022 5, 6 and 7 August
Gates Open: 9.30am Tickets: On the gate by cash or card. Adults £12; Seniors and Students £10; Under 16s £6; Under 5s free; Family Ticket (2 adults and up to 4 children £30). Well behaved dogs on leads welcome. Free parking on site.
• 460 acre award-winning country park to explore • Meet our Creative Makers at work in their craft studios • Visit our two galleries showing an exciting programme of themed exhibitions by local artists • See James Murch, our artist in residence painting on site • Indulge in delicious food and drink at the Seven Dials Café • Manor House and childrens play area to discover • Browse our craft shop and fi nd that perfect gift COME AND VISIT US FOR A SUMMER OF FUN!
FROM 30th JULY - 30th OCTOBER NIK BURNS NATURE WITH MACHINE EXHIBITION FROM 30th JULY OUR RENOWNED SCULPTURE TRAIL 2022
Explore the trail and hunt for our sculptures
10th & 28th AUG ILLYRIA OUTDOOR THEATRE
10 Aug - A Midsummer Night’s Dream 28 Aug - Peter Pan
1ST SEPTEMBER ILLYRIA OUTDOOR THEATRE
1 Sept - The Pirates of Penzance
For more information visit cockingtoncourt.org
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International Agatha Christie Festival
is year marks the centenary of Agatha Christie’s Grand Tour in 1922 and this year’s festival promises an ‘exotic avour’ to its programme.
As well as book launches, talks, workshops and lms there will be a glamorous and exciting programme of fringe events including wild swimming, roller skating, river cruising, gol ng and literary bar-hopping plus a Christieinspired fashion exhibition at Torre Abbey.
Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, growing up at the family home Ash eld on Barton Road (now demolished but with a blue plaque to mark the spot) staying in the area for a large part of her life. She wrote her rst novel, e Mysterious A air at Styles while working at the dispensary in the temporary war hospital at Torquay Town Hall. Her books have sold over two billion copies worldwide and fans love to visit places around the Bay connected with her life and works, many travelling from far- ung places to connect with the famous crime writer.
In 1938 Agatha Christie bought Greenway House, near Brixham on the beautiful River Dart as a holiday home. She called it, “ e loveliest pace in the world.” e Queen of Crime set three of her novels here: Five Little Pigs, Dead Man’s Folly and Ordeal by Innocence. e National Trust now manages Greenway and it is a wonderful place to explore Agatha’s wonderful collections and enjoy the house and gardens.
Another famous setting for one of her famous novels, this time e ABC Murders, is Elberry Cove in Churston. Agatha spent her early years swimming and sur ng around Tor Bay; Elberry Cove, with its stunning pebble beach and the remains of Lord Churston’s bathhouse, was one of her favourites. She attended nearby Churston Church (St Mary the Virgin) regularly, and donated a stained-glass window using funds from the royalties of Greenshaw’s Folly, a Miss Marple tale. e Imperial Hotel in Torquay featured in Peril at End House, e Body in the Library and Sleeping Murder. Kents Cavern provided the inspiration for e Man in the Brown Suit and Agatha’s father helped to nance the excavations of these prehistoric caves. St Marychurch cli tops were the setting for Why Didn’t ey Ask Evans? Torquay Museum is home to the UK’s only dedicated Agatha Christie Gallery and here you can view rst editions of her novels and, view some of Agatha’s personal e ects and step into Poirot’s study.
As part of the festival, there will be e Agatha Christie Sea Swim on Saturday 10 September in aid of Rowcroft Hospice. It’s a one-mile, ‘sightseeing swim’ from Broadsands via Shell Cove, Armchair Rock and Saltern Cove, nishing at Goodrington Beach; it is suitable for strong swimmers over 18 years old. ere will also be a Princess Pier Roller Dance on Sunday 11 September to celebrate Christie’s love of rolling skating on this historic pier. Wear vintage clothes if you can. ere will be skate hire from Revolution Skate and a DJ spinning tunes from the era.
A fascinating event on Monday 12 September is a talk on Agatha Christie’s Grand Tour with Tony Medawar. e festival marks 100 years since Agatha Christie set o on her 10-month odyssey around the world in 1922. Photos from e Christie Archive will be used to illustrate the talk and the event takes place in the beautiful Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey. To see the full list of events and to book visit
iacf-uk.org
Torbay Royal
Rega a
Torbay Royal Regatta is one of the highlights of the summer sailing scene in Torquay. is year it will be held over the weekend 19-22 August.
Royal Torbay Yacht Club will be welcoming top class sailors from around the country to the Bay’s exciting and highly prestigious annual sailing event.
Torbay Royal Regatta is one of the oldest in the country and was the very earliest to be granted royal patronage. e rst record of yacht racing in Torbay is in an advertisement in the Exeter Flying Post of a sailing race for “…boats of not more than 25 feet in the keel and to carry not more than 60 yards of canvas” to be sailed on Monday 11th September 1811.
In 1875, the Torquay Yacht Club was formed in a room in the Queens Hotel with Sir Lawrence Palk as Commodore. e new Club was granted an Admiralty Warrant to y the defaced Blue Ensign and later in the year, was granted a Royal Warrant, with the Club’s the name being changed to the Royal Torquay Yacht Club.
In 1886, the club held its rst Regatta over three separate days in June, July and August when the prize money ranged from £4 to £25. ereafter, it was the practice to hold a regatta on one day in each year and within two years the prize money had increased substantially to between £40 and £60.
In 1888 the regatta was marred because the rst mark for the large yachts was not in place and the committee launch when required, was found to be “… in charge of two boys, without orders, with no res lit and no coal on board” – this launch subsequently broke down.
Torbay has long since become a world-renowned sailing venue, hosting America’s Cup trials in the 1930s, the sailing events during the 1948 Olympics, the UK stopover for La Solitaire de Figaro in 2015 and numerous World, European and National Championships. is year there will be three days of racing for IRC, Cruiser Classes, J24s and Sportsboats. e IRC eet will be competing for the prestigious Addison Gold Cup. ere will be lots of action around Beacon Quay and of course, on the water.
A large, deeply indented, east-facing, horseshoe shaped bay, Tor Bay is tucked into the western end of the much bigger Lyme Bay and is renowned for having some of the nest sailing waters in the South West. e Bay has its own microclimate with considerable shelter from the prevailing winds although wind does funnel down the valleys. It’s only during strong easterlies that swell builds up and we see large waves running into our normally placid beaches. is makes it a popular anchorage for large ships during heavy seas and storms and for all the cruise ships we’ve seen here in recent years. rtyc.org
Joining Royal Torbay Yacht Club
For anyone who loves the water, whether sailing, powerboating or cruising a yacht club is always a great place to meet liked-minded people and make new friends. The club is a Royal Yachting Association Recognised Training Centre offering a wide range of RYA courses. There’s plenty of après-boating with a bar, restaurant and terraced garden.
Riviera Out & About Port of Dartmouth Royal
Rega a
e annual Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta (24-27 August) will see sailors arriving from far and wide with yachts moored in every available spot on the river and jaunty dress ags being hoisted.
Dartmouth has a real festival feel during Regatta Week. On the water, yacht crews will be preparing for some seriously competitive racing, swapping salty seadog stories and enjoying lots of ice cold Pimms and Prosecco. Ashore on Dartmouth Embankment you’ll nd a real party atmosphere amongst the landlubbers.
Don’t miss Regatta Family Fun Weekend in Royal Avenue Gardens (20 & 21 August). It o ers families a full programme of entertainment, stalls, live music, Morris Dancers, fairground games and even a surf simulator. e traditional Regatta Dog Show takes place on the Saturday with lots of prizes. Just turn up with your four-legged friend. For the brave, there will be a chance to try some real re walking on Sunday 21 August at 6pm in Royal Avenue Gardens. e Regatta Opening Ceremony takes place at the Bandstand in Royal Avenue Gardens on Wednesday 24 August. Following the Opening Ceremony, Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Band usually perform the Ceremonial Sunset and Beat the Retreat on the South Embankment. e Royal Dart Yacht Club, Dartmouth Yacht Club and Dittisham Sailing Club, organise the sailing events, which are spread over the duration of regatta. e dinghy racing for the junior sailors takes place on the lower reaches of the Dart and for the senior competitors in the waters between Dittisham and Galmpton. e yachting events – of which there are over 50 - take place in Start Bay usually with around 250 boats, ranging from older classics to high-end racing machines providing for some very exciting and competitive racing. A feast of rowing takes centre-stage on the River Dart and the Embankment in the town is a favourite place from which to watch the events and enjoy the commentary. e Jubilee River Parade will take place on Saturday 27 August. Boats of any description can enter but motor or oars must be used, as sails will not be hoisted. Register on the website to join in.
From Wednesday 24 August there will be a Regatta Shopping Parade, including plenty of nautical themed merchandise, all along the Embankment and in a small marquee. ere will also be a Regatta Craft Market on the ursday and Saturday, held in Old Market Square in the town centre. Other events include a Kontiki Raft Race, Steamboat Rally, a spectacular yboarding display and a Junior Crabbing Competition. e hugely popular Regatta Finale Fireworks take place on Regatta Saturday 27 August at 9pm. Viewing is superb from either Dartmouth or Kingswear. dartmouthregatta.co.uk
Getting ere
There is no parking in the town centre of Dartmouth during Regatta Week and there are restrictions in Kingswear as well. Please use Park and Ride services and buses. Additional services will be running on Torbay routes 18, 20 & 120. You can also travel by picturesque steam train from Paignton or Churston. Please check regatta website for latest information before travelling.
Sundowner...
Need to know
Distance: 2.5 miles Exertion: Moderate, some steep slopes Time: Allow 2 hours Dogs: Free to roam Refreshments: The Drum Inn Accessibility: Mainly gravel pathways. Not suitable for pushchairs or mobility scooters Parking: Cockington Public Car Park Start Postcode: TQ2 6XA /// levels.narrating.mild
The Drum Inn at Cockington
Iwalk early every morning and often see the sun rise over the sea but it isn’t very often that I see the sun set over Network. You may nd yourself sharing the way with horses, walkers and cyclists but there’s always plenty of the moors as I did as a child growing up in Edginswell. So room even with summer at its most verdant. on a dusky summer’s evening I set out to walk to Gallows You’ll need time for a breather once you reach Gallows Gate, one of the Bay’s highest points, to watch the day Gate as you’ll have climbed a good 100 metres from come to an end. I choose to walk from Cockington to Cockington. Once the sun sets, it’s all downhill by explore the plethora of ancient bridleways and paths that twilight and before you know it you’ll be at the bar in the criss-cross the hills and valleys. Drum Inn enjoying your favourite tipple. e route takes in sections of the John Musgrave Heritage Trail as well the the more modern Geopark Cycle 1 Park in any of the Cockington public car parks and
make your way past the Drum Inn as if you were leaving the village. 20 metres after the Inn take the gravelled path on the left marked by a cycle trail marker (A18). This is the ancient Bewhay Lane that links the village to Stantor Barton Farm. Ignore the turning right signposted Fruit Copse and carry on uphill until the gravel track turns right. Take in the views of Cockington church and village rooftops nestling in the woods to the left of the path.
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Gallows Gate
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©Crown copyright 2015 Ordnance Survey. Media 059/15
Conqueror Wood, an area of woodland planted in 2005 as part of the Trafalgar 200 celebrations and also home to Torquay’s woodland burial site. 4 Gallows Gate picnic area is at the top of the path and offers views over Kingskerswell and towards the moors. Retrace your steps back to the T-junction and downhill another 100 metres to a junction of four pathways. 5 Take the right turn signposted to Cockington Village and follow the bridleway down to Cockington Lane. 6 The bridleway leads on to Cockington Lane which in turn will return you to the village via the Drum Inn.
2 From here the gravel path follows fi eld boundaries and reveals some panoramic views of the countryside all the way to the coast with London Bridge, the limestone arch at Torquay, prominent in the distance. 3 At this T-junction take the path uphill. After another fall and rise the path enters
