31/05/2026
day 3
Yesterday was a meandering around narrow lanes day. Mr TLC took us via a circuitus route to Stoke Gabriel. The lanes were typically Devon, narrow and winding with tall hedges. Lots of stopping for oncoming cars to pass us, sometimes creeping, sometimes not!
At one point we came across a brown cow with its head right through one of the roadside thick hedges watching the traffic on the road go by. Mr TLC, long time dairy farmer, got out of the car to push the animal back through, but he said the gap was 'well established' and there was a group of cows behind the miscreant waiting their turn!
We left them to their perusal of humans in their four wheeled tin cans and motored on.
Stoke Gabriel is lovely, full of old cottages jumbled together on narrow streets necessitating careful negotiating around parked cars, chatting residents and the twisting and steep turns in the lanes.
We went to The River Shack Cafe for coffee and a smackerel of something (to quote Winnie the Pooh!). This amazing place is right by a lake fed by a river where you can kayak, watch the birds (mostly gulls looking for food scraps), fish for crabs or just enjoy the view.
The food is wonderful. I had a cheese scone which came not only with the usual butter, in a little pot, but was joined by chunks of tasty cheddar and some chutney. The others had a flapjack with yoghurt topping and a slice of tiffin. The tables around us had equally tasty platefuls of yummy food. We shall definitely go back although we shall probably choose the easier, and wider, route from Totnes next time!
From there we drove to Totnes which seemed to be a town with its own contented identity. That's not really describing it, but there's a very long High Street filled with independent shops and heaving with people. At first I took these to be tourists like us, but standing on the street by the market waiting for Mr TLC to park the car and return, I was struck by the fact that there were a lot of people greeting people and stopping to chat and that the crowd was an equal mix of residents and tourists.
Lots of colourful neckerchiefs and waistcoats sported by the men, floaty long white and coloured dresses and baggy shirts and trousers for the women. Also the market stalls were full of these items too.
It was a vibrant, noisy and cheerful hubbub, full of energy and contentment.
On our way home Mr TLC found another gem for a cuppa and cake on The Dartington Estate. The café is reached by driving through the beautiful estate countryside (although the architecture of the Gym building is very much not to my taste!) and looks over a pretty garden. I had a delicious slice of apple and raspberry with red elderflower spelt cake. Mr TLC had a slice of black forest. Both were gorgeous.
Today we're visiting Dartmouth Castle and are then off to a mid-afternoon Sunday lunch.
