LOCAL AREA & DAYS OUT
Kenton is a small village on the A379 halfway between Exeter and Dawlish. For such a small village it boasts a magnificent church, a castle, a farm shop and post office, a hairdressers, and no fewer than three eating places: the Rodean, the Orangery, and Chi’s. The Rodean is a truly superb restaurant offering Anglo-French dishes of the highest order; the Orangery is attached to the farm shop and nursery and does very good breakfasts and lunches; and Chi’s is an up-market Chinese/Thai establishment offering delicious oriental takeaways.
The best way to reach these restaurants is on foot, and the most pleasant way is via the Parson's Walk. When you walk out of the gates, turn left. Immediately on your left you will see two small paths. The first leads to the new vicarage; take the second, which goes by the side of the church yard. At the bottom, turn left, and you are at the Triangle, which is the heart of the village. The Rodean is on the Triangle; turn right for the other two restaurants.
If you turn right at the main road, it's a ten minute walk to Powderham Castle, which has a lovely tea-room, ideal for morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea.
Note: When you leave the house by car, you must turn left (since the little bit of road leading up to the house is one way.) When you reach the end of the road, turn left again. You come out at the triangle which is the heart of the village. You may go to the left or right of it. At the main road, turn left for Exeter and Topsham, right for Powderham Castle, Starcross, Dawlish, etc.
Leave the house on foot. At the gate, turn right then right again at the main road. Cross the road, walk through the village, and you will find Powderham Castle on your left. You will find there beautiful grounds with deer, a café and a wonderful farm shop. By paying an entrance fee, you can also visit the castle, the seat of the Earl and Countess of Devon, which dates back to the 14th Century
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Leave the house on foot. At the gate, turn right then right again at the main road. Cross the road and turn left onto the public footpath, which is just after the shop. Follow the path through the grounds of Powderham Castle until it comes out on the banks of the River Exe
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Exeter is Devon’s capital. It is a vibrant University city and a surprisingly good shopping centre. But above all Exeter is a city full of historic buildings and an atmosphere that only thousands of years of history can provide. The city is best known for its four leading attractions: the Gothic Cathedral , 14th century underground passageways , historic quay and Roman city walls. But equally fine are St Nicholas Priory , Tuckers Hall and Cricklepit Mill. In the evening, there is lots to do whether you are looking for fine dining such as at Michael Caines Restaurant at Abode Exeter, or music and dancing at clubs such as The Cavern and Timepiece. And if it’s a drink you are after, Exeter’s narrow alleys are crammed full of atmospheric pubs, such as the Ship Inn, said to be the favourite watering-hole of Sir Francis Drake
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A short drive or bus ride south will take you to Dawlish or Teignmouth. Famous for its black swans, the picturesque centre of Dawlish looks like a country village. It is a traditional seaside resort with red sandstone cliffs overlooking a sandy beach. If you get the chance, take a train to or from the town, as the railway runs right alongside the seafront – a particularly dramatic ride especially in the winter. Close to the town centre is the much livelier Dawlish Warren with its assortment of amusements and children’s rides. It also has with miles of sandy beaches and a nature reserve which has a variety of small mammals, birds, reptiles and insects throughout the year.
Teignmouth is a typical Devon seaside resort with lots of atmosphere. It has a fine seafront, an active working harbour, and lots of good pubs. It also has a very vibrant music scene.
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A great day out starts with a short drive, longish walk or short bus ride to Starcross, where the foot passenger ferry leaves to cross the Exe to Exmouth. The trip takes about 20 minutes and the ferries run from Easter to the end of October. The trip costs £5 return and a typical day would be to catch the 10.10 from Starcross and return on th 4.40 from Exmouth (the last ferry for much of the season). Exmouth is a typical active seaside resort, but if you get the chance, a short train ride to nearby Lympstone is well worth the effort. Lympstone is a very picturesque estuary village and harbour
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You no doubt know all about the rugged grandeur of Dartmoor. Its beauty was brought to the attention of an international audience in Spielberg’s recent film of War Horse. The nearest point of Dartmoor is about eight miles as the crow flies to Kenton
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Slightly further afield, but not far, are such towns as Totnes, Dartington and Torbay, which have lots of attractions, including no less than three local steam railways
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You have a choice of at least a dozen courses within a radius of ten miles. My personal favourites are: Woodbury and Teign Valley. The closest are the nine-hole course at Exminster and the links course at Dawlish Warren.
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Whether your relationship with the ocean comes via sailing, windsurfing, surfing or fishing, Devon has much to offer.
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Thanks to the newly built Exe Trail, you can now cycle (or walk) round the whole of the Exe estuary from Dawlish via Exeter to Exmouth. At Exmouth you can put the bike on the ferry (see above) and sail back to Starcross, which is just down the road from Kenton
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