South Devon Coastal History and Scenic Tour

This unique coastal tour starts with pick up at your accommodation. It embraces this stunning diverse, coastline. We travel to one of the most spectaculer views in the South West, that of Burgh Island and the famous Burgh Island Hotel with its beach causeway and unique sea tractor. Onto Slapton Sands and "Slapton Ley" a stretch of water kept immune from the sea by a slim shingle causeway. Learn about its dark secret from World War II and be mesmerised by over 3 x miles of beach. Learn how we are trying to defend our small local communities form ever rising sea levels and how ultimately there will probably be only one winner. We then past Blackpool Sands and onto Dartmouth and the mouth of the Dart estuary with its famous "gun castles" on either side, its Norman Church and then into Dartmouth home of the Brittania Naval College. History, heritage, beautiful views and some fun on the way make this a tour not to be missed, all thats left is to drop you off where we picked you up

What to expect:

Duration: 8 hours

Burgh Island

Burgh Island

The view of the island and its "Art Decco" hotel from the main land will take your breath away and as we descend to the car park (home of an excellent coffee shop) there will be time to view this unique entity or if the tide is out stroll along the causeway to enjoy a close up. The amazing "sea tractor" could be a transport option to the hotel if the tide is in and a walk up to the old church and its amazing views is a must for those feeling healthy enough.

45 minutes

Torcross

Torcross

This small coastal village nestled between Slapton sands and Slapton Ley is home to an emporium of natural history, heritage, dark secrets and a disappearing causeway. Slapton Ley is the largest example of a freshwater ley in the UK, a stretch of fresh water with its only defense from the sea being a shingle causway. Fresh water animals thrive as do reeds and many other fresh water plants. 3 miles of shingle beach lie to the other side of the causway, its beauty hides its once dark secret, home to the biggest American disaster on UK soil in World War II and a local hero called Ken Small who refused to let this secret remain buried under the sand. On to the far end of Slapton Beach past Slapton village with its walled roads and Norman church, this is sometimes, weather dependant, where a spot of lunch can be consumed maybe sat on a bench on the beach?

1 hour

Dartmouth Castle

Castle Road, Dartmouth, TQ6 0JN

Located at the mouth of the Dart Estuary this is more than just a castle its an area of true outstanding natural beauty. The castle itself is a "gun castle" rather than the home to the local squire or lord and its history dates back to Medieval times. Dartmouths' heritage is intrinsically linked to the sea, wether it be trade, fishing , naval and war. Its castle is one of two, with its sister castle located on the other side of the estuary at Kingswear, but why two??
Dartmouth itself is home to the magnificent Britannia Naval College, sitting proudly above the bustling town and there is the option to continue your journey from the castle to the quayside at Dartmouth by ferry, a very different way of viewing this spectacular water way.

1 hour