Sunday 11th May Mothers Day in Exeter and surrounds

Finally my photos of the little museum loaded, so let me firstly share the amazing items in their collection at Lyme Regis.

Early coat with silk embroidery

Italian lace made in 1600's by men

   

Mix between a crocodile and a porpoise

                                  

An unusual timber fronted
 stone beach house  

Cobb Bay made hundreds of years ago this is sandy

 We planned our day to drive south to Plymouth and then up to Torquay, but ended up with a few variations.
First stop was Thomas The Tank Engine's house, well not really, but it could have been, cause Thomas was there last week.  A place called Buckfastleigh.  They used to sell Lyons Cakes.  Even though it was wet, sunny, windy and anything else you want to add, weather wise, so many people were out riding or enjoying the sun when it shone.  Do you remember the show Heartbeat, well we went past Ashburton, probably a lot like some of the other little towns we found.

Not the best face!

Thomas's mate

While we were in the gift shop, I noticed a painting of a viaduct at Saltash in Cornwall.  We hadn't planned on visiting Cornwall, but took this opportunity.  There is a parking bay before the bridge, and there are three crossings of the Tamar River.  In fact I felt we were back in Tasmania, Tamar River, Westlake, Callington, Devenport, Torquay, all towns with links back here.

Queen Victoria must have built the railway bridge to honour Prince Albert, her husband.  There is a very old viaduct, which I was lucky to be able to capture, and the toll bridge.

Then back across and around to Plymouth, the city looked huge, from where we were standing in Saltash.

And it was.  Our goal was to reach the Plymouth Cathedral, where John's grandfather Zachariah Mudge was in 1759, before we went to Exeter.  But like all these towns, parking is so difficult.  Plymouth, like many coastal towns is having a revival around the docks area.  Lots of shopping centres and restaurants, and most people if they are coming into the towns take public transport.  For us, on a whistle stop tour, that isn't an option.  Eventually we scored a park right outside, after driving around the one way streets for quite a while.

I had to share, here is a ruin of a church and behind it is the walls of a huge shopping centre in the area call Drake Shopping Centre.  Don't think much of the planning approval for this.  Some modern buildings are so out of character with their surroundings, and forget even trying to get there, 6 lanes, and cars going everywhere.

The doors to Plymouth Cathedral were locked, on a Sunday, but the verger saw me try the doors.  He was fascinated to learn our connection, and told us if we waited for the 3.00pm service we could read the inscription on the wall.  By this time we had enough of Plymouth, and took our photos and then left.  Perhaps I can get someone to email me a photo instead.

The Cathedral is next to the Guildhall, and from what I have learnt the Guildhall is the place where the Assizes for the districts were held.

 We found the quick way out and headed for Torquay, but stopped at Totham.  Lovely views over the Devon hills.  

So many places we have been to make you think of nursery rhymes or songs!  Lots of sheep in the meadows. Not so many cows in the corn!

The scuddy showers followed us to Torquay.  Is is reputed to be the Rivera of UK, and it hosts the largest number of beautiful old homes, and in fact in one street, the whole street was B&B.  For me, my great grandaunts, known as the Alphington Ponies used to parade up and down the esplanade each day from 3pm.  They lived in a thatched house at the beginning of the esplanade, and I hope this is the one!

Original old houses all hidden behind roadworks

We were lucky to get our photos before heavy showers.  

Along the scenic route back to Exeter.

 

 

Then the scenic route back to Exeter.  I suggested we have a look at the centre of town today, as we had thought that we would stop off in the morning for a look, as the cathedral shut at 3.30.  This place by far had the worst parking of any other that we have come across.  The roads are one way, they cut off to make paid parking, so there are dead end streets everywhere, and I don't know how many times we went around the wrong way until finally we scored a park a bit close to the Cathedral, and someone gave us his ticket!

The Guildhall, where Edward Westlake, 5th g.grandfather was tried 

The words indicate that many were sent to Australia for stealing a sheep!

The cathedral was almost across the road, and situated on a lot of land, with open space all around, very nice location indeed.  Given that it was 4.40 we took a punt and got inside, to the most wonderful organ playing.  Inside is again an incredible building.  I snagged the vicar, introduced ourselves, and while they had head of Mudge's name, he took us into the Chapel to view the inscriptions.  We learnt that Mudge was not a Deacon, but he was a prebatory and there was no honour board for that, in fact he probably would have been involved in the church for his skills so the vicar told us, and that makes sense from my research.