To explore any region in depth takes time, to know an area with any real intimacy, is like marriage - it takes a lifetime (and you still get surprised!) With that in mind, my tours can only be the tip of an iceberg, with the greater mass submerged waiting to be discovered, perhaps by you.

A tour of Devon and Cornwall has to start somewhere, so, for the many urban dwellers dreaming of getting away from it all, may I suggest that we leave London behind, and join the M25.

At junction 10. Go west taking the A3, by-passing Guildford, then take the A31, and continue past Farnham, towards Alton. Just past Alton on the left hand side of the road is a sign post for the village of Chawton - Where a visit to the unassuming eighteenth century cottage belonging to Jane Austin (now a museum) is a good excuse for a coffee break!

Continue along the A31 to Winchester, - Cathedral (built 1079, but a cathedral has been sited here since 642 AD) The City Cross - built 15th.C Adjacent to which, is the Prentice, a row of shops where stood William the Conqueror's Palace (1066-1087). The Ancient High Street clock dates from 1713, and the curfew bell is still rung every evening at 8 pm. Godbegot House- belonged to Queen Emma, mother of Edward the Confessor and wife of King Canute. Look out also for: The Eclipse Inn, The Westgate, Castle Hall, The Deanery, Cheney Court, St Swithun upon Kingsgate, Jane Austen's House (where she died after moving from Chawton), Winchester College, Wolvesley Castle and the City Bridge and Mill. A good variety of eating places are available for lunch.

From Winchester take the A34 to Andover, joining the A303 westward. Continue along the A303 for Bulford/Amesbury. Stonehenge is only two miles west of Amesbury, but a short diversion to see the Bulford Kiwi, is not too time consuming.(A303 Bulford - Tidworth ) The' Kiwi' was carved into the hillside in 1918 by a New Zealand soldier after the First World War. Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain, is a wonder to behold, and still virtually nothing is known about this, possibly most famous, of all prehistoric megalithic monuments. Originally Stonehenge was a ditch and bank that was developed from the stone age, into circles of sarsen stones around a horseshoe of trilithons, which enclosed the bluestones, now believed to of come from the Preseli hills in Wales! One mile north of Salisbury is Old Sarum; this is the original site of Salisbury Cathedral and dates back to the Iron Age. It's demolishment started in 1220 and the building materials were used in the new cathedral in Salisbury. Salisbury Cathedral i s the only medieval Cathedral in England (1220-1258) that retains the early English style throughout, and has a spire of over four hundred feet, making it the tallest in the country. The Chapterhouse, contains one of the four surviving originals of the Magna Carta. Leaving Salisbury, head west along the A30, passing through Shaftesbury, towards Sherbourne, head south A352 ( towards Dorchester). Ten to Twelve miles from Dorchester is the village of Cerne Abbas, which derives its name from a Benedictine Abbey founded in 987. On a hill outside the village is a 180 foot long carving known as the 'Cerne Giant'. Carved in the chalk, it is believed to date from before Roman times, and is associated with fertility rites. It can be seen from the road. If time and inclination permits, on entering Dorchester take the A35 east for the villages of Stinsford (a couple of miles) - where Thomas Hardy's heart is interred in the village churchyard, and Higher Bockhampton (2 miles) - where Hardy was born! Dorchester. Built by the Romans as Durnovaria in 43AD, still has some remains of the foundations of a Roman villa in Colliton Park. Town was used by the notorious Judge Jeffries who held his bloody assize at the Antelope Inn in 1685, after the Monmouth rebellion. 74 men were hanged and then their heads were impaled on the railings of St. Peter's church, to deter treason. More than two hundred others were metered various degrees of punishment!

Stop for the night in or around town.

DAY 2.

From Dorchester to Buckfast.

A35 from Dorchester heading west via Bridport on towards Lyme Regis. The Cob (a breakwater) in Lyme, was made famous by Meryl Streep, in the film The French Lieutenant's Woman.

Axeminster, a few miles past Lyme, is famous for its carpets, and the factory is open to visitors during week days . Continue journey on for lunch in Exeter, by leaving the A35 at Honiton, and Joining the A30. Exeter has had to rebuild itself since heavy bombing in the second world war, (in 1942 half the city centre was flattened) but retains its medieval Cathedral. Within the Cathedral Close and Yard, among a multitude of historical and interesting buildings, is the Royal Clarence, which was the very first English inn to adopt the French title 'hotel!' A wide selection of pubs, café's and other eating establishments are available in Exeter, and the cathedral's refectory does lunches. Continue along the A30. (towards Whiddon Down) You are soon on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. (approx 18km) Look out for signs for Castle Drogo, a National Trust property, on the moor land roads near the village of Drewesteignton. Castle Drogo and its gardens, built between 1910 and 1930 , was designed by Sir E dwin Lutyens, for the eccentric tea merchant, Julius Drew, who claimed to be a direct descendent of a Norman knight. The house and grounds offer spectacular views of Teign gorge and the moor, with long walks along Hunter's footpath to the Fingle bridge, a local beauty spot. The river Teign marks out the eastern boundary of the national park, and the gorge, apart from its delightful natural beauty, is an abundant habitat to a host of wildlife and fauna among its wooded slopes. Drewsteignton village has an attractive central square with pub, church and thatched granite cottages.

From Castle Drogo, look out for the A382 and head south for the A38 then head westward for Buckfast, and Buckfast Abbey. On the southern moor, Buckfast Abbey is sited on a medieval Cistercian monastery, being rebuilt by the Benedictine monks in the early part of the twentieth century. Part of the monastic buildings are not open to the public, but the abbey church and shop are worth a wander. Honey, wax , mead and tonic wines are produced and sold by the monks from their own apiaries.

Suggest this area for a two night stop. A good base to explore the Dartmoor National Park from.

COMING NEXT - Day 3.

Buckfast - Torbay - Buckfast, following the coast.

A384. A385 east, and A3022, for a leisurely day exploring the beautiful coastal region of Tor Bay, taking in Torquay, Cockington and Paignton.

Meurig Jones