Phyllis and John's West Country Adventure

Bossington Hill, Emoor

We recently set up a 'tailor-made' walking itinerary in the West Country for Phyllis and John from Texas. Their bases were Dunster on Exmoor, Boscastle in north Cornwall, Mousehole in west Cornwall and Dartmouth in south Devon.

 Their accommodation bases were the Luttrell Arms in Dunster, The Wellington in Boscastle, the Old Coastguard in Mousehole and Cladda House in Dartmouth. Here's what they had to say;

Thank you so much for planning such a wonderful, detailed itinerary for our hiking trip. We can't say enough good things about the great package of maps and books you had waiting for us on our arrival in Dunster, the places where we stayed, the areas in which we hiked, and the terrific transport people. Everywhere we went, people were very friendly and more than willing to help in any way they could to make our holiday a very special one for us. In addition to that, the weather was perfect every day.

I'll start with the Luttrell Arms in Dunster. Check in went very well. After we got settled in our room with the beautiful view out the window, we set about exploring the hotel. It was neat to see the many, many different architectural features that have been preserved over the years. Of course, we stopped to have a pint in the bar and enjoyed visiting with locals and other guests in the hotel. Dinner was fabulous! The young ladies serving food and beverages were friendly and most accommodating. On to Exmoor. The moorland, woodland, streams and farmlands were so full of the very best views and we loved hiking there. On our day off from hiking, we went on the Historic Dunster tour - absolutely fabulous - we took lots of pictures. John said that I didn't leave anything out on that tour!

Boscastle. The Wellington Hotel was another wonderful place to stay. Once again, we had a very nice room with a view. The people were so nice - from the receptionists at the desk, to all of the other hotel employees. More delicious food to enjoy in the bar and the dining room. Boscastle is so beautiful! Breathtaking views everywhere we went. Our hikes were fabulous. The coastline views just kept getting better and better as we hiked. Another city tour that we thoroughly enjoyed. We finally learned how to pronounce Tintagel by the time we left. What a great place that was to explore.

Mousehole stole our hearts! We loved the quaintness of the village and the legend of the "Mousehole Cat". The Old Coastguard Hotel is the best! It was like staying in a lodge. How we enjoyed the hotel employees, the sitting area and dining room, along with the beautiful grounds and patio areas behind the hotel. EATDRINKSLEEP is their slogan and we did it all while there. We enjoyed another wonderful hike out and around the coast from Lamora Beach and then back down the hill into Mousehole. Once again, John said I left no stone unturned!

Now to Dartmounth/Penzance. We arrived in Dartmouth via a tour boat and got caught up in all of the excitement of The Tour of Britain cycling race. It was a lot of fun, as people of all ages, along with many of their cute dogs, were having a good time all around the downtown area. Justine and Roger were waiting for our arrival at the Cladda House. What delightful people they are and their B&B is in a great location and is a wonderful place to stay. We spent one day hiking and touring around Dartmouth and another day in Penzance doing the same thing.

Each of the taxi drivers were absolutely wonderful! All were very pleasant, helpful and on time. Each one has their own personality and had much to offer us while describing the areas where we were. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting with them.