Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
serves rustic treats: goat's cheese sandwiches with onion relish, and salads scattered with
pomegranate seeds. The Garden House is 5 miles south of Tavistock.
Buckland Abbey
MAP
HISTORIC BUILDING
(NT; 01822-853607;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
; near Yelverton; adult/child £9/4; noon-4pm daily mid-Feb to
Oct, Fri-Sun only Nov & Dec; )
There's a tangible sense of history at this honey-coloured,
manor house. It started life in the 13th-century as a Cistercian monastery and abbey
church. After the Dissolution, it was turned into a family residence by Sir Richard Gren-
ville before being bought by his cousin and nautical rival Sir Francis Drake in 1581. A
sumptuous interior includes Tudor plasterwork ceilings in the
Great Hall
and
Drake's Chamber
,
where Drake's Drum is said to beat by itself when Britain is in danger of being invaded.
There's also a monastic barn, a fine Elizabethan garden, extensive woodland walks and a
great program of events - look out for the Tudor archery days or the charcoal-making
weekends. Buckland Abbey is located 7 miles south of Tavistock.
Morwellham Quay
( 01822-832766;
www.morwellham-quay.co.uk
;
Morwellham, near Tavistock; adult/child/family £9/7/26;
10am-5pm Easter-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Easter; )
Morwellham Quay is part of the southwest's Mining
World Heritage Site and offers an intriguing insight into the copper boom that gripped
west Devon in the 1860s. Then, this port beside the River Tamar saw tonnes of ore loaded
onto masted vessels. Recently, the BBC filmed its series
Edwardian Farm
here. You can
explore the cottages, smithy and cooperage of this lost community as well as pan for cop-
per, try on a bonnet or waistcoat and watch potters and farriers in action. Costumed guides
show you around but the highlight is the atmospheric trip into a copper mine on a little un-
derground train (adult/child £3.50/2.50). The last entry is two hours before closing. Mor-
wellham Quay is 5 miles southwest of Tavistock.
HISTORIC SITE
Tavistock Museum
( 01822-612546;
www.tavistockmuseum.co.uk
; Court Gate; 11am-3pm Easter-Oct)
Remnants
from Tavistock's now vanished abbey sit in this traditional but excellent museum along-
side artefacts of the town's copper mining heydays. Look out for clogs, shovels and pho-
tos revealing the harsh conditions masked by the mines' lyrical names: Virtuous Lady,
Queen of the Tamar and Lady Bertha. You'll also see why there's a local place called
Chipshop. A clue: its nothing to do with fried fish.
MUSEUM
