As we have only been here a couple of days it didn’t take long to pack up, so after doing that we set off for breakfast which was a lot busier today than it has been for a few days. After breakfast we set off for Cornwall via the couple of stops we had planned. The first stop was Castle Drogo which we decided to get to via the A roads rather than the M5 which may have been a mistake, or it could just be that the castle is in the middle of nowhere we saw one sign which said ‘alternate route for light vehicles’ but we never actually saw the route for non light however after a few attempts we eventually found it and drove up to the car park. I am not sure either of us think it was worth the effort but it was a nice break. Castle Drogo is near Exeter which overlooks the River Teign which was built between 1910 – 1930 for Julias Drewe who was a self made millionaire, he established the Home and Colonial Stores which made him a millionaire by the age of 33. I have to say he may have been a fantastic entrepreneur but neither Chris or I really appreciated his design style. The ‘castle’ looked more like a folly than a real castle but inside it was quite nice. It took a long while to build, delayed as it was by the First World War and then the Great Depression, which meant that it wasn’t completed until 1930 and unfortunately Drewe passed away the following year. It was then inherited by his second son as the first son was killed during the war, and handed to the National Trust in 1974. We walked round the bits of the castle that were open then round the grounds before stopping for our first cream tea of the holiday which we had for lunch! We jumped back in the car and finally arrived in Cornwall, our next stop was Trelissick park which is a country estate on the River Fal, unfortunately the house isn’t open at the moment (due to staff shortages) but the grounds were lovely. The house was built in the 1750s by the Lawrance family, later occupants include mining adventurers and bankers, a United States Army Unit and even a ceramics manufacturer until it was finally gifted to the National Trust in 1955 by Ida Copeland, the family moved from the main part of the house in 2013 and it was opened to visitors the following year. The house is in a fantastic position overlooking the river and the grounds overlook different creaks on each side plus the King Henry Ferry. We walked round the garden looking at the views then got back into the car for the drive to our accommodation. We stopped to get some supplies and fuel before heading down to Penzance. The apartment is fantastic, we got quite a workout as it is on the 2nd floor and there isn’t a lift, but this means that you have a great view out over the harbour and can see St Michaels Mount from the french doors. We unloaded the car then unpacked everything before pouring ourselves a drink and sitting taking in the view and making something to eat while we settled down to watch the US Open tennis.
