Holiday Season Part 2: Devon

A couple of weeks ago we were in Devon, one of my favourite places and not just because of the cream teas (although that is a factor!). The scenery is great and there are loads of things to do, even with small children, including of course the beach. This is the beach at Goodrington:














Conveniently there is a good view of the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway, which runs from Paignton to Kingswear (where you can get a ferry across the river to Dartmouth). However between Goodrington and Kingswear is a large rocky hill, and as you can see the climb out of the station is quite severe. Makes the beach more interesting...

Of course we took a trip on the train (my wife is getting suspicious that potential holiday locations are being selected on the basis of nearby steam railways, I can't imagine where that idea comes from!). Close-up it is clear how such a long train was pulled up that bank by what appeared to be just a Prairie tank - it is not a Prairie, but a 2-8-0 originally built to haul coal out of the Welsh valleys!

The steep climbs, viaducts and a tunnel, along with impressive sea and river views, made for a very enjoyable trip. Let's face it, many of the preserved lines are not so privileged with their surroundings. The Dartmouth ferry made for a day out too, and we popped in to see the Newcomen steam engine at the tourist information office. I was rather proud of this shot of the train leaving Kingswear, taken on full zoom from my compact camera, across the river Dart.

A completely different railway journey took us down the cliffs at Babbacombe to the beach!