Sidmouth; Saturday, 01 June, 2019

The hotel was very nice, but did have some strange rules over breakfast – served 08:15-09:15 only, which meant that I needed to get up early on a Saturday morning to be able to get breakfast. However it did mean that I was up and out of the hotel early to get a bus out towards Seaton and the Tramway, arriving just as the site opened and able to pick up the first service of the day.

The Tramway houses a collection of historic trams from around the country that run on a 3.5 mile track up the former trackbed of the Seaton Railway line. Most of the trams are double deck and of their original designs without roofs, so up on the top-deck you are able to take in the stunning views of the Axe esturary, wetlands and the surrounding countryside with the wind, and sun, in your face.

I did a couple of round trips, taking in the three stops on the line and having a look round the main terminals at both Colyton and Seaton. Back in Seaton I went for a wander through town down to the seafront to have a look along the prom before stopping for lunch. After lunch I had a look at the local bus map and decided to go for a little ride along with coast towards Exmouth. I was able to pick up a little local bus that ran through the small town of Beer and back to Sidmouth where I made the quick change onto the bus towards Exmouth, via the picturesque Budleigh Salterton.

In Exmouth I was in time to take the open-top bus along the esplanade and up into the hills behind the town to the holiday camp and Sandy Bay. I stayed on the bus as it turned round and headed back to Exmouth.

From Exmouth I had nearly an hour to wait for the bus back via Budleigh Salterton, so instead I caught the bus back into Exeter and changed there onto the direct bus to Sidmouth, arriving right behind the bus that I would have been on if I’d waited in Exmouth, but having seen much more of the East Devon countryside.

Back in Sidmouth I went for a much longer wander along the seafront, this time heading West towards the small cliff that has the towns formal gardens perched on top of it. There was a walkway at the base of the cliff, and with the tide starting to go out it was a pleasant place to wander round and to see the geology and make up of the cliffs.

At the end of the cliff walk there was a set of steps leading up into the Connaught Gardens on the top of the cliff, so I climbed up them and had a long walk through the gardens before heading back down into town in search of somewhere for dinner and then my bed.