Synopsis: A trip across Dartmoor with my daughter Helen to visit Buckland Abbey, former home of Sir Francis Drake. A brief walk on a trail in the grounds of Buckland Abbey.
(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)
My daughter Helen had picked up some work in Exmouth. She had travelled to England with 12 students from Germany. She was to be their English teacher for the week, providing lessons each morning. This was a new experience for Helen, and it had worked out really well for her and the students. Helen stayed with me in Exeter, the students with host families in Exmouth. Helen’s work had come to an end, and today the students were travelling to London for a little sightseeing in the capital. Helen and I had today and tomorrow to ourselves.
Helen loves Dartmoor, as do I. We had had an enjoyable walk with the students from Haytor to Hound Tor on the previous Wednesday. Today, I thought we’d drive over Dartmoor to Buckland Abbey (NT), as this would make a nice outing. Dartmoor was looking quite wild and stark still dressed in its winter colours. I actually quite like it in this more rugged appearance. By the time Helen and I arrived at Buckland Abbey we were ready for some lunch, so we sought out the National Trust café. A fairly simple affair, but more than adequate for our needs.
After lunch we entered the abbey. It’s slightly odd to refer to it as such, as it is named, for its not been an abbey since the time of dissolution some 400 years previous. The most striking difference from previous visits of mine was the fact that one comes upon a room dedicated to the recently authenticated Rembrandt painting. This painting, a self portrait, is now considered genuinely by the artist, and has suddenly accrued the value of £30m, and is therefore now appropriately secured. It has become something of a star attraction at the abbey. Photography is not permitted.
Ascending to the first floor, Helen and I entered a room that functions as a museum to the nautical life of Sir Francis Drake. The famous Drake’s Drum is to be found in this room. The room also contains a model of the Golden Hind, but as Helen observed, its masthead was that of a bird.
A National Trust steward came over and asked if we noticed anything odd about the model, and Helen was able to say the masthead didn’t look right. The steward said precisely, this is because the Golden Hind was originally, as sponsored by Queen Elizabeth I, named The Pelican. Her name was changed by Sir Francis Drake in honour of his patron Sir Christopher Hatton, whose crest was a golden hind.
The National Trust steward gave some useful and interesting explanation of the Golden Hind. He said she could hardly be called a galleon, as she wasn’t large. She was really a ‘merchant ship’. The Revenge, upon which Sir Francis sailed at the time of the Spanish Armada, the steward described as a frigate, the next size up. And bigger than a frigate, were the galleons in which the Spanish sailed. Part of the problem the Spanish suffered was that there large galleons were not very manoeuvrable, and thus fell victim to the attacks led by Sir Francis Drake.
Leaving the museum room we returned to the first floor balcony. Here we noticed beautiful engraved windows that commemorate the four hundredth anniversary of the Armada in 1988. The light on the window was rather difficult to capture, but I think this image of mine does convey something of the beauty of this fine intricate window engraving.
On leaving the abbey building Helen and I took a look at the Great Barn, a magnificent example of its kind. We then walked through the garden before picking up a way-marked trail (the red trail) through the grounds of Buckland Abbey. The route and timings for this trail can be seen from the Runtastic link above.
After our visit we returned to our car for tea and biscuits, as we’d brought a flask with us. Then we drove over Dartmoor, this time via Dartmeet, on our journey home. Later that evening we had a family gathering at Mum’s for a Chinese meal. A nice way to spend the day.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 4.0 km / 2.5 miles
Moving Time: 3hrs 20min
Stopped Time: 47min
Total Ascent: 310 metres
Maximum Elevation: 93 metres
Buses: (none)
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