Leaving Exeter we travel to the peaceful little town of Moretonhampstead, perched on the edge of Dartmoor. Moretonhampstead contains an old market cross and several 17th century colonnaded alms houses.
The much visited Dartmoor village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor is only 7 miles from Moretonhampstead. The fame of the village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor steams from an old folk song about Tom Pearce and his gray mare, listing the men who were supposed to be on their way to Widecombe Fair when they met with disaster. Widecombe also has a parish church worth visiting. Called the Cathedral of the Moor, with a roster of vicars beginning in 1253, the house of worship in a green valley is surrounded by legends.
We continue to the market town of Okehampton which owes its existence to the Norman castle built by Baldwin de Bryonis, sheriff of Devon, under orders from his uncle, William the Conqueror, in 1068, just 2 years after the Conquest. The Museum of Dartmoor Life is housed in an old mill with a water wheel and is part of the Dartmoor Centre, a group of attractions around an old courtyard. The museum displays all aspects of Dartmoor's history from prehistoric times, including industry, living conditions, crafts, farm tools and machinery, and some old vehicles.
Later we arrive in the historic seaport of Plymouth. We will walk along the quay in the footsteps of Sir Francis Drake (once the mayor of Plymouth) and other Elizabethan seafarers, such as Sir John Hawkins, English naval commander and slave trader. It was from here in 1577 that Drake set sail on his around-the-world voyage. An even more famous sailing took place in 1620, when the Pilgrims left their final port in England for the New World.
Of special interest to visitors from the New World is the final departure point of the Pilgrims in 1620, the already-mentioned Barbican. The two ships, Mayflower and Speedwell, that sailed from Southampton in August of that year put into Plymouth after they suffered storm damage. Here the Speedwell was abandoned as unseaworthy, and the Mayflower made the trip to the New World alone. The Memorial Gateway to the Waterside on the Barbican marks the place, tradition says, whence the Pilgrims' ship sailed.
We continue to this north-coast fishing village of St Ives with its sandy beaches, which is England's most famous artists' colony. It's a village of narrow streets and well-kept cottages. The artists settled in many years ago and have integrated with the fishers and their families.
Overnight in St Ives.
 
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner