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Bank account of “National Trust Belgium” (NTAB)
BE17 0016 2443 2021
The English Riviera: Cornwall and Devon
UK Trip
June 2021
Devon and Cornwall are probably two of the sunniest counties in England and certainly experience some of the highest temperatures in summer. They are typified by golden beaches, rocky coastlines, interesting wooded river estuaries, quaint fishing ports, high moors and tors. It is here that you find eerie abandoned structures of disused tin and copper mines or slate quarries while a few kilometres away in some sheltered valley stands a splendid mansion built from the wealth the rock yielded a long time ago, or from the fruits of some naval battle.
Our trip will visit a number of mansions and fine gardens including Lanhydrock House, Cotehele, Prideaux Place, Saltram, and Knightshayes, as well as more modern properties such as Lutyen’s Castle Drogo, the last castle built in England, Greenway, Agatha Christie’s home, and Coleton Fishacre. Castle Drogo has a very strong Belgian connection as the wooden cross that marked Adrian Drew’s grave in Vlamertinge New Military Cemetery, near Ypres, is housed in the chapel. He was killed in action in 1917.
Terraced gardens at Cotehele on the river Tamar
Of course, we will be sampling some of the region’s best produce that includes fantastic local fish and dairy products not forgetting the Devonshire or Cornish quintessential cream tea (depending on which county you are in and in what order you like the cream and the strawberry jam!).
Another ‘must’ on our trips are the behind-the-scenes moments and there are several of these exceptional events in the planning stage at the moment. Some involve National Trust properties, such as at Greenway and Coleton Fishacre. We are trying to include in our programme elements of the 125th anniversary of the National Trust and the 400th Mayflower anniversary both of which occur in 2020. At least one other ‘special’ involves a restaurant where all the profits go to a charity set up by the famous British chef-owner to train and help under-privileged, unemployed youth from the region.
Travel this year is by Brussels Airlines flight from Brussels International Airport to Bristol Airport and we already have booked 35 airline tickets. A very comfortable local coach will drive us around the region as Tynedale’s vehicles are too large and too high for the narrow country lanes. At times we will transfer to minibuses and even a ferry. Our hotel is the beautifully modernized and well-placed 3* New Continental Hotel in Plymouth.
Please address any queries to Carole Ducastel, carole.ducastel@gmail.com