DARTMOUTH IN SOUTH DEVON
The ancient town and deepwater port of Dartmouth
has to be one of Devon's main tourist attractions.
Dartmouth is set in a picture book location, on
the picturesque River Dart, with steep wooded hillsides on either side.
Dartmouth's main Embankment runs along the length of the town, from
the New Quay - built on reclaimed land towards the historic Bayard's
Cove.
 The
passenger ferry disembarks from Dartmouth's quay over to Kingswear.
The higher ferry carrys cars to avoid entering Kingswear and the lower
ferry carrys cars and passengers straight to the village.
The Embankment provides visitors with a
pleasant and relaxing promenade to stroll down - admiring the sights
of the busy estuary or to select from the many boat trips that depart
from the waters edge.
The Royal Castle Hotel
 The
Butterwalk, with its timber framed arcade was built in 1635-40.
This impressive façade was damaged by bombs during 1943, but it has
now been fully restored.
The main road never reach down into Dartmouth, protecting
the character of the town and helping to retain the historic atmosphere
of Dartmouth's narrow streets and buildings.
Dartmouth's oldest building, The Cherub Pub (
c1380), in Higher Street, and Agincourt House at Lower Ferry,
are both examples of 14th century buildings that have survived in the
town.
Dartmouth offers the visitor a stunning array of bistros,
restaurants, boutiques and specialist shops. All lining Dartmouth's
narrow streets with their long flights of winding steps and intriguing
medieval buildings.
Historic River Bank and Bayard's Cove
For nearly 1000 years, sailors have set out all over
the world from this ancient harbour. The Norman's used Darmouth as a
trading port with their homeland across the English Channel - and the
Crusaders, led by Richard the Lionheart, set sail from Dartmouth. Both
the second and Third crusades assembled and departed from Dartmouth's
riverside quays.
The Inventor of the Steam Pumping Engine, Thomas Newcomen,
was born in Dartmouth in 1663. A working example of one of his engines
can be seen in the Engine House.
The Cobbled Bayards Cove has changed little since
1539. imparting the best impression of just how a cobbled River Bank
Quay used to look. The Cove featured regularly in the Television series
The Onedin Line. At the southern end of Bayard's Cove
is a small fortification. The artillery fort was built by Dartmouth
Corporation in 1510 to provide additional protection to the harbour.
The Pilgrim Fathers
The Pilgrim Fathers, put into Dartmouth's Bayard's Cove,
en-route from Southampton to the New World. The pilgrims rested for
a time and then set off on their epic journey in the ships - The
Mayflower and The Speedwell, on the 20 August
1620.
Some 300 miles west of Land's End, they realsised that
the Speedwell was unseaworthy and both ships returned
to Plymouth - the Mayflower then departed alone to complete the crossing
to Cape Cod.
Dartmouth Castle
Two impressive Castles have maintained a guard at the
mouth of the River Dart for centuries. Dartmouth Castle, built in 1481,
featured many state-of-the-art defences. It was the first Castle in
the country to be constructed specifically for artillery.
Dartmouth Castle along with Kingswear Castle, on the
opposite bank of the river, afforded this deep water anchorage even
greater protection by having a heavy chain strung between them in times
of war - protecting the ships at anchor and the homes and warehouses
of Dartmouth's merchant community.
The Castle maintained its technological advantage for
nearly five hundred years. By the Victorian era, Dartmouth Castle was
equipped with a Palmerston Gun Battery.
This impressive array of guns, could hit a target at
a distance of two miles - providing total protection for the River Dart
from any enemy shipping.
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DARTMOUTH TIC 
