{"id":687,"date":"2017-07-05T02:51:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-05T02:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochellesroost.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/05\/the-english-riviera-torquay-paignton-brixham-and-babbacombe\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T04:59:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T04:59:48","slug":"the-english-riviera-torquay-paignton-brixham-and-babbacombe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochellesroost.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/05\/the-english-riviera-torquay-paignton-brixham-and-babbacombe\/","title":{"rendered":"The English Riviera: Torquay, Paignton, Brixham and Babbacombe"},"content":{"rendered":"
\nSunday, June 25, 2017<\/span><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\nExploring the English Riviera\u2014Torquay, Paington,
\nBrixham and Babbacombe:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span><\/span><\/b>With the English sun promising to shine down benevolently
\nover Devonshire, it made sense for us to haul ourselves off to the nicest part
\nof the county\u2014what is referred to as the \u2018English Riviera\u2019 on the South Devon
\ncoast. This comprises the three seaside towns of Torquay (the best-known of the
\nthree), Paington and Brixham which are dotted around the perfect bay known as
\nTorbay.  <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>Only since it was Sunday, we had very limited rail
\nservice. This urged us on to the bus station where we hoped to find more
\nfrequent buses to get us to Torquay. We started our day at Melbury House<\/i> with granola bars crumbled up in flavored yogurt with
\ncoffee and apples before setting off on foot for the bus station\u2014about a
\nfifteen minute walk away. When we reached there, we discovered that the
\nearliest Stagecoach bus would leave for Torquay only at 10.05 am.  <\/span>This left us a long while to sit and chat
\ncompanionably with fellow passengers who provided us with a lot of suggestions
\nfor places to go to and things to see. It was amazing how friendly the English
\nwere to us and how pleased we were to get into conversation with them as we
\nwhiled time away.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>When our Stagecoach Hop 2 bus arrived, the driver advised
\nus to buy a Day Ticket which would allow us unlimited use of the buses for the
\nentire day\u2014at 8 pounds this was a steal. 
\n<\/span>Delighted, we climbed up to the top deck and then gave ourselves up to
\nthe sheer delight of taking in charming little villages that time forgot, sleepy
\nvillagers in sleepier hamlets enjoying a Sunday\u2019s lie-in, pastures filled with
\nfarm animals, tea rooms advertising Devonshire cream teas and highways whose
\nhedgerows were filled with blackberry bushes thick with pink blossom and
\npromises of juicy fruit to come. Even had we no particular destination in mind,
\njust these bus drives would have made our travel to and in Devon seem fully
\nworthwhile. We trundled lazily along until we arrived at the town of Teignmouth
\n(pronounced Tinemuth), where a fellow-traveler called Sally advised us to
\nalight and take a connecting bus which would arrive earlier at Torquay. It
\nseemed like a good plan\u2014so we took her advice. At Teignmouth, we bought
\nourselves ice-cream from Jane\u2019s
\nIce-Creams<\/i> (salted caramel and chocolate) that were divine and, five
\nminutes later, were in another bus that took us off to Torquay.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nTorquay, Gem of the English Riviera:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>Torquay is known for two famous residents: the real-life
\nDame Agatha Christie who holidayed every summer in its environs and the
\nfictional Basil Fawlty of Fawlty Towers<\/i>
\nfame played by the inimitable John Cleese. Torquay is also known for its chi-chi
\nsummer residents who bring a seasonable whiff of urbanity to this lovely
\nsea-side resort with its ultra-broad beach, its cliff-perched manors, its
\nrestaurants and souvenir stores. It might be a far cry from Nice or Monte
\nCarlo, but Torquay does have its own share of sophisticated charm that I found
\ncompletely enchanting. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>We began by exploring its lovely maze of narrow streets
\nthat were absolutely filled with elderly visitors. In fact, in much of Devon,
\nwe saw large groups of older travelers\u2014obviously \u2018pensioners\u2019, they are
\nenjoying the thrills of their seaside towns before the schools close for the
\nsummer and sea resorts become mobbed by families who will fill every niche and
\ncrevice of Dorset, Devon and Cornwall with colorful beach gear (as I had seen in
\nDorset last year). Using our map, we set off for lunch and using a
\nrecommendation from Lonely Planet<\/i>, we
\narrived at Pier Pont<\/i>, a sea-front
\neatery where we ordered a quinoa salad with beetroot, oranges, rocket (arugula)
\nand goat cheese as well as a Baked Potato with British beef brisket. We also
\nenjoyed a bottle of beer that we shared. Our lunch was absolutely scrumptious
\nalthough it was spoiled for Shahnaz by the presence of hovering seagulls who
\nwere horribly vicious and greedy and who swooped down on leftovers on diners\u2019 plates.
\nOur vantage point on one of the outside tables provided us with sweeping views
\nof the beach all the way to the little colorful beach huts that are such a
\nregular feature of the British beach resort. We clicked a few pictures and then
\nwalked along the waterfront to the nearest bus stop to get on to a bus that
\nwould take us to Brixham as we had received a suggestion to go there next.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOn the Bus to Brixham:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>The bus ride to Brixham saw Shahnaz soundly asleep as I
\ntook in the splendor of the Devonshire coastline. The sea was incredibly clear
\nand as the waves melted on to the shore their colors were reminiscent of
\nHawai\u2019i with streaks of aquamarine, jade, and even mauve. The jagged coastline
\nwas filled with interesting natural features such as terracotta red rock
\nformations that created gateways in the sea (similar to Durdle Door in Dorset).
\nChic mansions hugged the coast which is clearly the playground of the wealthy.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>Everywhere we went on the Riviera, we saw the flotsam and
\njetsam of the British beach holiday: plastic spades and pails, blow up toys,
\neateries featuring fish and chips, ice-cream kiosks, stalls selling cotton
\ncandy and the inevitable cream tea focusing on scones. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>When we arrived, about an hour later, at Brixham, we
\nfound that we had to climb a hill to get to the harbor.  <\/span>The next bus back in the direction of
\nPaington and Torquay was about an hour later\u2014this left us an hour to explore
\nthe utterly gorgeous harbor town that seemed to be built in tiers. Each building
\nwas painted in a pretty pastel shade\u2014blue, pink, lemon. They seemed to sink
\ngradually down to the sea as we climbed the crest of the hill past souvenir
\nstores.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>When we arrived at the harbor, we found a huge replica of
\nThe Golden Hind<\/i>, the ship in which Sir
\nFrancis Drake sailed around the world in the late 1500s. Indeed, the harbor
\nitself was simply buzzing with Sunday evening crowds\u2014people of every age from
\noctogenarians to infants in prams were out and about enjoying the benign summer
\nsun. We drank it all in, quite fascinated by the beauty of the landscape and
\nthe energy of the visitors. In another week or two, these places will be
\noverwhelmed by the crush of humanity\u2026but for the moment, they are just
\nperfectly stocked with happy people who are far from harassed. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>At this point, I noticed The Rockfish Grill<\/i>, a well-reputed chain of restaurants run by
\nwell-reputed chef Mitch Tonks whose fish and chips have been declared \u2018Best in
\nthe UK\u2019 for the Year 2017.  <\/span>Naturally, we
\ncould not leave Devon without partaking of his offerings. But I was also aware
\nthat his flagship eatery is in Dartmouth\u2014which we\u2019d be visiting on our last day.
\nI, therefore, told Shahnaz to hold out on tucking into this seaside treat until
\nwe got there (much to her disappointment as she said later that she could have
\neaten fish and chips at least five times on this trip). <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\nI
\nalso noticed that the Brixham branch of the chain was offering Salcombe Devon
\ncrab cocktail\u2014a delicacy that is a must-try in these parts and one that is
\nadvertised everywhere. I suggested we get that instead. Shahnaz was game and
\nnext thing we knew, we were at the takeaway counter at The Rockfish Grill<\/i> being presented with little cups filled with
\nfinely cut lettuce and cucumber in a light thousand island dressing with mounds
\nof dressed crab meat clustered on the top. 
\n<\/span>We clutched our treats close to us as we hurried off to the bus stop to
\ncatch our bus. While on the bus, we thoroughly enjoyed our crab cocktails that
\nwere sweet and juicy and incredibly flavorful. 
\n<\/span>How happy we were that we had ticked off one more gastronomic treat that
\nDevon could offer as we sampled its specialties. Next stop? Babbacombe, where
\nat the Angel Tea Room<\/i> (one of the
\nbest-known in the area), we would enjoy a Devonshire Cream Tea!!! I simply
\ncould not wait.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nEnjoying a Devonshire Cream Tea at Babbacombe:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>Sometimes it pays to be greedy! Had I not insisted we get
\nto the Angel Tea Room<\/i> for a cream
\ntea, Shahnaz and I would never have laid eyes on the gorgeous Devonshire
\ncoastline at Babbacombe which is truly breathtaking. As it turned out, we got a
\nbus in Torquay that took us to Babbacombe where we were let off on the high
\nstreet and directed to the road that would take us to The Downs where the famed
\ntea room is located. So, getting there was no problem at all. It was the return
\nto Exeter that would prove far more problematic as the evening wore on and
\nSunday bus services became skeletal.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>But, for the moment, we were focused on Tea! With scones!
\nAnd lashings of Devonshire clotted cream! And strawberry jam! And a cake or two
\nthrown in for good measure! So after we crossed the high street and took the
\nside street to get to The Downs, which are high cliffs that offer astounding
\nviews of the coast, we were thrilled to find ourselves right outside the Angel Tea Room<\/i>! At this point, we were
\ntorn between my need to tuck immediately into one of the creamy treats and
\nShahnaz\u2019s desire to sit on one of the benches and gaze out at the glory of the
\ncoast line from a cliff-top garden filled with wild flowers. I postponed the
\npleasure of my tea and settled down to enjoy the stunning scenery with her. We
\npaused to take pictures and to marvel at the fact that had we not decided to
\nhave a cream tea in one of the places most touted on the internet, we would
\nhave missed the grand spectacle on this portion of the Devonshire coast.  <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>About fifteen minutes later, we were seated in the pretty
\nflower-filled courtyard of the eatery and being presented with menus that were
\nbasically unnecessary as I knew exactly what we were going to eat\u2014scones, of
\ncourse, with the works! I also ordered a slice of fruit cake\u2014because that was
\nall they really had left. The other cakes had gone and the place was taking
\nlast orders in twenty minutes\u2014we had just arrived on time. Any later and we\u2019d
\nhave been turned away. It did not bear thinking about! And, of course, we had
\ntea. Decaff Roiboos for me and Shahnaz as we shared a pot.  <\/span>Service was wonderful, the scones with cream
\nand jam were luxuriantly sinful but it was the view that stole the show as we
\nsat facing the softly setting sun of a perfect day as it disappeared over the
\nhorizon.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nGetting Back to Exeter:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>Getting back to Exeter proved to be far more challenging
\nthan we had imagined as all manner of life seems to come to a standstill on a
\nSunday evening after 5.00 pm.  <\/span>Still,
\nafter some harried moments, we found a bus that took us safely back to Exeter
\nafter a ride that took a little over an hour. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>It had been an amazing introduction to the English
\nRiviera and we could see why crowds flock there for a little bit of R&R.  <\/span>  <\/span>     <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\n           Until tomorrow, cheerio.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sunday, June 25, 2017 Exploring the English Riviera\u2014Torquay, Paington, Brixham and Babbacombe:             With the English sun promising to shine down benevolently over Devonshire, it made sense for us to haul ourselves off to the nicest part of the county\u2014what is referred to as the \u2018English Riviera\u2019 on the South Devon coast. This comprises the… <\/p>\n

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