3 day trip to Devon - Saturday 23 Jul 2016, Ashprington, Dartmouth & Paington

Ashprington, Totnes, Devon - a place I was taken by in late August 1963 by Nancy & Frank Litton to show me a typical English Village. This was part of a circular loop from Paington to Dartmouth (and the Castle) and up through Asprington to Stoke Gabriel, then back to Paington. This was during the week Contingent members had time to visit relatives and friends

Having chosen to try find Asprington, I hadn't anticipated this would put us on those narrow hedge row lined roads that don't offer much of view and where you have to recall the last passing bay should you meet an oncoming vehicle - to work out who should reverse back to let the other vehicle get past you.

A close up of the memorial with Ashprington's Church of St. David in the background







The church of St David is fifteenth century, although the font is Norman. There are many carvings within. The communion chalice is pre-Reformation (13th century). The west tower is earlier than the rest of the church; it is tall and of four stages. The south aisle, south porch and the north side of the church are all battlemented. (Wikipedia)

Looking at the hills beyond and thinking maybe it is just the roads that are hedgerow lined. The views are to be had off-road.

I'm thinking later, why did I not go talk to these locals before heading off to Dartmouth Castle, my next 'retracing my steps' destination. And looking at Google maps now, such a roundabout way of going from A to B. Something I couldn't tell from following the Sat Nav instructions and concentrating on the narrow roads.)

Thank goodness Jeantine was acting as navigator, monitoring and interpreting the Sat Nav for me and taking this photo to illustrate the roads we seemed to be stuck on.

We had left Ashprington around 3:20 and this photo is at 3:55pm, looking down at the Dart river as we walk to the Castle, where parking was at a premium on a narrow lane up around the slopes above the Castle.

Looking down to the shore near the entrance to the Castle. We just looked in the shop and around the top without choosing to pay an entrance fee and go down below. Walking back to the car around 4:20 - planning to drive down to the car ferry.

We managed to extricate ourselves out of our tight parking spot up the side of the hill above the Castle and started heading downhill toward what I thought would be the road to the car ferry, until, our Sat Nav said take a sharp left and climb back up. This didn't seem right but, not knowing the area I thought we should follow the instructions. However when we got back up onto the high ground above the river valley, I stopped just past an intersection, not liking where the Sat Nav seemed to be taking us.
I had the feeling we were heading back on an inland route. I see now on Google maps we have two options; 1/ via A379 and B3205 - Best route - This route includes a ferry. 2/ via A385. Both options taking 45 minutes, Best Route at 9 miles and the other option at 19.7 miles.
Then a local pulled up and asked if we needed help. They pointed us back along the way we had just come and to take a certain left turn - and sure enough that lead us down to the car ferry. Once around the block to sort out where the end of the queue was for the ferry, we were moving forward toward the boat.

Closing the gap with the other side. The ferry is guided across by cable across the river.

The gap is closed, we've made it to the other side - and look there is a train going through. The Steam Train from Paignton.

My photo of the Dartmouth Ferry as it was in 1963









Now I was happier with the Sat Nav taking us around the coast toward Paignton but, we didn't stop at Brixham, as I hadn't done my research ahead of time to realise that was where this photo from 1963 was taken ...

Boat repair yard near Paignton & Brixham Place where MTB's were built during World War II [Agfacolor]
We got to Paignton without my having any real clear idea of where Nancy and Jack Litton might have lived. I had a vague memory of how the train journey from London to Torquay was on time all the way - most unusual for the times of a run down rail network. This meant Jack wasn't expecting the train to be on time and so wasn't there to meet me at the platfrom so I caught a bus to Windy Corner and walked to the Litton's street. Back in NZ I found a 1999 post card from Nancy acknowledging my news of my mother's death and saying how she had moved from Langdon Lane after Jack and Frank had died. It was somewhat later when I can across my scan of a page from my photo notebook and reference to 'For bus to Glampton, ask for Windy Corner'

Thanks to an 'Inheritance Letter' relating to the Estate of Henry William Harding Date of Death 15th March 1979 - with a typed address for No 3, Mrs Nancy Litton, 22 Langdon Lane, Glampton, Brixham, Devon - I had a hand written (Ray Mankelow hand) note stating N Litton, 4 Broadsands Court, Broadsands, Paignton Devon, England TQ4 6LD
Doing a Google Map search I came up with this link https://goo.gl/maps/Vu15MFwvfbcyNtTp6 Does this look like the place I photographed in 1963?
Nancy & Jack Littons' 'Attaboy' bed and breakfast where I stayed in one of the guest bedrooms

My recall is this photo is just down from Nancy and Jack Litton's place. Looking at the map of Glampton in 2018, against my expectations, the hills in the distance don't appear to be filled with housing.

Notes made at the time

One memory from being taken to Torquay in 1963 was seeing a poster for some artist called Cliff Richard. I can't say I knew much about him in those days - as a 15 year old. In 2016 not being able to identify where abouts in Paignton I might have been back in 1963, we continued on to Torquay.

After a couple of circuits of busy Torquay we parked in a car park building and made our way down to the harbour and went for a walk on the breakwater.

6:10pm. A boat coming back into the marina, through the sea wall gap. Torquay hosts the big observation wheel during the summer months - that wheel is based at Hyde Park in London for the annual Winter Wonderland attraction.

6:50pm Saturday evening at Torquay with our Cod and Chips from Sea Banks Cafe, 2 Abbey Crescent. — in Torquay. While I was up placing our food order, Barb and Jeantine watched another table vacate and in very short order, the seagulls swooped in and devoured what was left on the table in very short order. Never let a chance go by.