Last time we had a little taster look at Dartmouth. Let’s go for a walk around town now.
There were lovely buildings and plenty of shops. I tend to apply a sort of practical test to towns – can I buy basic foodstuffs and underwear there. I couldn’t say that Dartmouth, on what I saw, passed either test. If I wanted to live on a diet of chocolate and fudge I was well served for. Had I been a lady, in need of designer priced dresses and lingerie, I’d have been OK too. I am certain the food needs will be met somewhere. There will be supermarkets, but possibly not in the tourist heart of town. But let’s leave that all on one side and see what there is on offer.
There’s a pretty pedestrian street. There’s no doubt in my mind that towns benefit from getting the car out of some parts. I dare say the traders might have hoped for more shoppers, though.
There’s a fine, buxom wench supporting an upper storey. Now there’s a phrase which I didn’t intend as double entendre.
Aha. A real butchers shop. It looked classy. So carnivores were catered for in Dartmouth.
Towns built on hillsides make me think of Dylan Thomas. Not that Dartmouth was his part of the world.
There is interesting art work on some buildings.
But we return to the station with no trains.
We could enjoy the river, which has no bridge lower than Totnes, best part ten miles upstream.
This looked downstream, towards the open sea with Kingswear across the water.
But we zig-zagged back inland where there was a park and a little inner harbour.
We’ll take more of a peek at Dartmouth next time.
