Devon & Cornwall Visit 2007

[Claude]

Hi folks,

next year we plan to do a ride to your wunderfull county. Perhaps we start in Essex and drive down to Devon and Cornwall. You can surely help us to define a route with much to see from the nature, what we must visit (like castles or others) and where we could accommodate.

In Devon and Cornwall, routes nearby the ocean would be super, to see the coast, the cliffs and rocks ...

ps: this will be our first trip over the English Channel with the MG

Thanks for helping,
Claude

Claude, if you are driving to Devon you MUST drive through Dorset. It is a beautiful county. We have the ruins of Corfe Castle, the beautiful countryside made famous by Thomas Hardy's writing, the home of Lawrence of Arabia (T.E. Lawrence) and the most amazing stretch of Jurrassic Coastline you could ever wish to see with geological highlights such as Durdle Door, Golden Cap, Chesil Beach and the famous Cob at Lyme Regis.

Cornwall...well, you'd have to visit the awesome remains of Tintagel Castle (believed to be the seat of King Arthur). This castle is in a precarious position and it is only a matter of time before it disappears into the Atlantic.

Just a few ideas...!

[colintf]

Claude,
when were you thinking of coming over? And how long for in the South West Area??

I'm a Cornishman myself, so not at all biased!! I spent 2 weeks touring the Cornish Coastline when I first got my TF, started on the southcoast and worked my way round (clockwise)

Maybe a group of us can meet up, and give you a bit of a tour? We be good if it was late September!! (28-30th) as I'm in the planning stages of a weekend down in Corwall for about 20 of us!!



p.s. highly recommend you take Andies scenic advise above, on the way down to Cornwall!!

[Nigel H]

Hi Claude,

Andie is quite right about Dorset. Too many English tourists just drive through Dorset on their way to Devon and Cornwall - they don't know what they are missing. Add Dorset to your route - you won't regret it one little bit.

[Adrian Clifford]

Claude, if you are going to Houten on the 7th January, I can meet you there, I am staying with Kasper and hopefully having a beer or two with the mgf.be crew. I arrive on Friday and leave on the Monday.

We can talk about your route, if you are travelling after July I'm sure there will be enough people from the UK at Kempenrit to give you plenty of good local advice.

Make sure I have your mobile number in case you encounter any problems while you are here, you will be more than welcome to call in on any of the members on here I'm sure.

Drop in to Essex on the way to or the return trip, the Essex Roadsters will give you a warm welcome.

[Claude]

nigelh said:

Too many English tourists just drive through Dorset on their way to Devon and Cornwall - they don't know what they are missing.

...hehe, well good that I am not an English tourist ;D ;D

Thanks to all till now for this info, very usefull and super nature like Durdle Door ... Normally we will come end of august to september, depends on holiday, for about 2 weeks.

hmm, when you cross the channel, do you take a ferry or go by train via Eurotunnel?

Ade-Surrey,
do you mean this Hotton www.hotton.be/index.htm ?

-claude-

[colintf]

personally I prefer Eurotunnel - no-one can bang their car door against yours while on the train - so unlike a ferry! Our TF paint is so soft and easily chipped as well!

also as there are a couple every hour, they are more flexible - arrive at terminal early so leave early and arrive early. Less pressure with time deadlines, if your a little late, just catch a later train!

[Adrian Clifford]

No Claude, the annual MG parts day at Houten in Holland.

Bruno, Erik and the mgf.be crew attend with their stall Styling & Performance www.mg-sp.com

It is a great event that attracts all of the Registers from Holland, Brown & Gammons attend from the UK also.

Last year the exhibition centre was packed solid with people and traders.

A few pictures here from last year : rides.webshots.com/album/543235780EWdkOa

Pics mg23 and 24 give you an idea of the size of the event.

[Patrick]

Claude,

Just word of warning! If you are planning a visit to Devon or Cornwall in August or September then I would suggest avoiding the British School holidays as Dorset, Devon and Cornwall are PACKED with tourists and the roads full of old people driving slowly and all the tourist sites will be overflowing. This means avoid August completely as well as early September. The roads in Southern England are far more crowded than those in North Europe. I suspect your route will need to involve the M20, M25, M4 and then the A404. You will need to ensure you are not on he M25 during the morning rush hour (07:00 – 09:30) or the M4 in the evening rush hour (17:00 – 19:30). The A404 is a lovely road if it is not log jammed with others going in the same direction and does take you past Stonehenge.

On the topic of the tunnel vs a Ferry; the tunnel is certainly faster. However if you are on holiday the Ferry is more of an occasion – much better to arrive in a country by sea than crawling out of a hole in the ground! The Ferry is also a nice break after a long drive. I know some people are scared of travelling in a 20,000 ton ship for 22 miles but if you are not in this fearful group then take the ferry!

[Mike H]

I'm sure it's just a typo, but read A303 for Patricks A404

[colintf]

and if you have insider knowledge, the Cornish roads aren't such a problem - just pick the right ones!!

[James Curgenven]

A404 road not found?

Also who cares about finding the right road once you get down to Cornwall, just get lost and enjoy the countryside

[Claude]

Thanks for this info ... hmm, but we plant to come end of august or beginning september ... hmm, let me think about July, what's about the weather (raining) in July, August and September? Would it be better to come in July? Can you tell me the dates for the British School holidays in July, August, September? I would have no fun to drive in a stop and go

On the way to the island we plan to take the ferry and for back to us the tunnel.

-c-

[Nigel H]

Hi Claude. I live in Devon and the school holidays are roughly from the end of the third week of July to about 5th of September. Historically, July tends to be a little wetter than September, but you would have more hours of daylight in July. September can be a lovely month - the children have gone back to school, everywhere is a bit less crowded and the autumn colours are starting to appear in the countryside.

[Claude]

nigelh said:

I live in Devon and the school holidays are roughly from the end of the third week of July to about 5th of September.

Hi Nigel,
5th of September is a Wednesday, ..., if it is possible, could you please ask somebody for the correct date when the school will begin again in September? Because we plan now to come directly after the school start ..... to have the roads for us, hehe

Thanks in advance,
Claude