Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 01392-833128;
www.turfpub.net
; mains £9; meals noon-2.30pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat & Sun Easter-Oct,
winter hrs vary)
The location of this former lock-keeper's house is simply superb: book-end-
ing a slender finger of land that snakes between River Exe mudflats and the Exeter Canal.
The views from the tables on the lawns are stunning, the interior is cosy, the bar food is
better than average, and there's camping (£5 per person) and a rustic-chic B&B. Access is
either by the Sea Dream ferry, or a mile-long footpath from the RSPB's Exminster
Marshes Nature Reserve. It's well worth the journey, either way.
Avocet
(86 Fore St; mains £7; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat)
It's not just the huge homemade cakes that
are top notch in this snug cafe; the light bites are a treat for the taste buds, too. Expect
rareties such as cured trout with onion relish, plus hearty sarnies (try the local crab) and
soups.
CAFE
£
TOP OF CHAPTER
Exmouth
POP 47,950
Exmouth is a curious combination of well-worn Georgian resort and adrenalin frenzy. The
town's exposed position at the mouth of the River Exe draws fleets of wind and kitesur-
fers who whip across the water on gusty days. The area also has a unique pint-sized Na-
tional Trust property and is the beginning, or the end, of the Jurassic Coast.
In the 1800s Exmouth was a fashionable, elegant watering hole with a whiff of scandal.
Mary Ann Clarke, the Duke of York's mistress, lived here; in later life Lady Nelson
resided here (after Horatio ran off with Lady Emma Hamilton); while Lady Byron (whose
husband was quite the Don Juan himself) lived a few doors down.
Sights & Activities
À la Ronde
(NT; 01395-265514;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
; Summer Lane; adult/child £7.50/3.80; 1-5pm Tue-Thu Apr-
Oct, plus Sun Jun-Aug; )
This delightfully quirky 16-sided cottage is a DIY job with a differ-
ence. It was built in 1796 for two spinster cousins to house a mass of curiosities acquired
on a 10-year European grand tour. Its glass alcoves, low lintels and tiny doorways mean
HISTORIC BUILDING
