Dartmouth

Britannia Naval College Dartmouth Steeply wooded hills drop down to meet the river where yachts and fishing boats bob at anchor and ferries bustle back and forth. The remains of twin castles guard the harbour entrance and upstream the magnificent Britannia Royal Naval College looks down over the town. On the opposite bank a steam train puffs its way alongside the sparkling river.

Dartmouth Dartmouth's narrow streets and ancient buildings bear witness to a long if not always glorious history, which saw the town develop from a fishing port in the early middle ages, to a base for smugglers and privateers. In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for the Americas from Bayards Cove in Dartmouth, after calling in for repairs to the badly leaking Speedwell, sister ship of the Mayflower. With its cobbled street, Bayards Cove looks much the same today as it did then. More recently the town sheltered every type of naval craft during the Second World War before the invasion and in 1944, 480 vessels sailed for the beaches of Normandy from the town.

Dartmouth Today the pretty town is popular with yachtsmen and visitors exploring its restaurants, inns, art galleries, craft and antique shops. A visit to the town should include a tour of the naval college, a visit to the small museum in the 17th century Butterwalk and a trip down the beautiful River Dart to Totnes.