Kingswear

Kingswear sits on the steeply rising east bank of the River Dart, looking across to the picturesque panorama of Dartmouth stretched across the hillside on the opposite bank. The town is the terminus for the Paignton and Kingswear steam railway and passengers then join the ferry for the
10-minute crossing to Dartmouth. There’s also a vehicle ferry. Above the town stand the impressive remains of Kingswear Castle, which is now owned by the Landmark Trust and has been converted to holiday flats. Together with its twin across the river, Dartmouth Castle, the fortresses guarded the wide estuary of the Dart. If an invasion seemed imminent, a huge chain was strung across the river from Dartmouth as an additional deterrent.

About three miles to the east of Kingswear, Coleton Fishacre (National Trust) has a delightful coastal garden basking in a mild climate that is ideal for growing exotic trees and shrubs. The garden was created between 1925 and 1940 by Lady Dorothy D’Oyly Carte whose grandfather had produced the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. Lady Dorothy introduced a wonderfully imaginative variety of plants. The 20-acre site, protected by a deep combe, contains formal gardens, wooded areas with wild flowers, tranquil pools and secret paths weaving in and out of glades. The house itself was built in the elegant Arts and Crafts style of the 1920s. Music plays, echoing the family’s Gilbert and Sullivan connections and those able to do so can play the Blüthner piano in the saloon.