Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: Summer Holiday

We had originally intended to go to Illfracombe and Woolacombe on our last day in Somerset but I thought that, after our days in Lynmouth and Minehead, we needed a quieted day. Sal agreed and so we went for a drive in to the Brendon Hills which gave us the chance to tick off the final two on her wish list.

Every day should start with a good coffee so I took her back to the cider farm I visited the day before. On the cake front, we were spoilt for choice but we plumped to share a slice of cider cake. I think that basically it was the Somerset name for a fruit cake but it it still tasted delicious.

After buying a selection of bottled ciders we continued on our way to a small town called Bampton which lies just over the border in Devon. It had a lovely 12th century church standing at its highest point which doubled up as a visitor centre. We watched a short video of the town's history and I think we were both a bit surprised on how important it had been to the surrounding area. It had a busy railway running through it which served the many quarries in the area. It also has quite a history from the Romans to its early Saxon origins, a Norman Castle and a thriving wool and pony trade.

We then crossed back over the border to Dulverton which has the oldest medieval bridge on Exmoor spanning the River Barle. It was another beautifully laid out Medieval town crammed with shops, cafes and hotels and quite busy. We escaped in to The Bridge Inn (which is surprisingly situated next to the ancient bridge) for refreshments and then went down to the river to sit and eat of lunchtime sandwiches.

The last place on Sal's wish list was another thatched village called Winsford and this may have been the prettiest of the holiday, setting aside Selworthy which was essentially a model village. The only downer with Winsford was that the local inn, The Royal Oak, was closed, which was a shame as it looked so beautiful from the outside.

Winsford was also the home to Labour statesman and politician Ernest Bevin who Sal got mixed up with Aneurin Bevan, the founder of the NHS. Sal being Sal meant that we had to go in search of a blue plaque but we couldn't spot one anywhere. However on the drive out of the village I spotted a plaque on a wall and screeched the car to a halt, narrowly missing a wall. It was only then that Sal realised her mistake but she was still thrilled at the outcome. It reminded me of the hilarious time she got Sir Robert Peel, the founder of the police force, mixed up with John Peel the famous fox hunter whilst we were Caldbeck.

Our journey back to base was uneventful in comparison and, even though this was our last day, we were both still in high spirits as we reflected back on a very enjoyable day.