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Dartmouth not surprisingly as
the
name suggests lies at the mouth of the River Dart South Devon. Its
origin are again pre-roman. Dartmouth has always been a busy
port. And as early as 1147, and 1190, Crusaders sailed
from Dartmouth, to the Holy Land. Because Dartmouth was strategically
important, it has been traditionally
the home of the
British Navy since the reign of Edward III. The fleet
anchored in a nearby creek that earned it the name of Warfleet Creek.
Twice the town was sacked by the French during the Hundred
Years War. After these hostile incursions; a huge chain boom
was strung across the mouth of the estuary. By 1338, the local
merchants
fearing invasion by the French, requested that a John Hawley construct
a
castle to guard the town against such a threat. Not one, but two
castles
were indeed built, one on either side of the estuary. The first
one Dartmouth
Castle was built in 1481, and featured many
state-of- the-art defenses.
The other
Kingswear Castle was built between 1491-1502, these
Castles, along
with the boom-chain,
made access to Dartmouth virtually impossible from the sea. During the
English
Civil War Kingswear Castle ,was taken by Royalist
forces. It was held by Sir Henry Cary, for the king. After being held
by
them for 3 years, it was finally attacked by the
parliamentarian army, commanded by
Sir Thomas Fairfax. Sir
Henry Cary
found the castle difficult to defend: the reason being, the castle had
been
primarily built to repel a
seaward assault. An attack from the land had not been visualized, Sir
Henry found he needed to throw up additional
defenses on the brow of the
hill, at what is now called Mount
Ridley, a defense which remains a
good example
of a Civil War redoubt.
The castle was captured along with the town by
Sir Thomas
Fairfax on 19 January 1646.
The Pilgrim
Fathers,
put in to Dartmouth to re-provision, and to try and repair one of the
ships the Speedwell,
which was found to be un-sea-worthy, for their epic
voyage to the New World. And it was in Dartmouth that the
pilgrim fathers were visited by the famous
writer of Canterbury
Tales Geoffrey Chaucer. Indeed it is said that the
visit he made inspired him to write the famous works. The
inventor of the steam pumping engine Thomas Newcomen was
born in
Dartmouth in 1663. And in 1671, King
Charles 2nd held court here in Dartmouth
while sheltering from a storm.The room where he held court in is now
part of
the Dartford Museum
What of modern day Dartmouth. The town has narrow, winding street with
beautiful half timbered building's including two of Dartmouth's oldest
buildings The Cherub
Public House ( circa 1380, ) and Agincort House which
are both beautiful examples of 14th century, architecture. And today
Dartmouth is still the traditional home to the British Navy, with the
Naval college,
being the major employer in the town. However today its reliance on
the Navy is not so important as Dartmouth, is a very busy,
vibrant, holiday resort: with a thriving array of events
including, offering everything from the
Annual Royal Regatta, to aerobatics, rowing
events and races, to fireworks displays. And New Years Eve is
on a par with Bideford North Devon, with thousands of revelers wearing
fancy dress, to welcome in the New Year. And on a balmy
summer
evening
one can stroll along the embankment and see the various yatch's, and
boat's, in the modern marina, or sit and listen to the band playing in
the
bandstand. For holiday-makers who like to shop till they
drop there are plenty of boutiques, and
specialist-shops to peruse. And also many cafés, bistros,
and
restaurants, to replenish ones-self in. Surrounding Dartmouth are many
pretty villages, such as Salcombe, Dittisham, and Kingswear to name a
few, all are deserving of a visit to soak up the history and atmosphere
of the region. The angler is well catered for with a plethora of
lakes, and reservoirs, for the coarse angler, plus plenty of
boats available to hire for the sea angler.
Yes all in all with its wide and varied history, beautiful location,
and rage of attractions,
Dartmouth has something to offer all holiday makers. It is indeed the
perfect holiday resort!
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