Explore England's south-west coast for change of scenery Published Aug. 1, 2006 By Maggie Cotner 100th Air Refueling Wing community relations advisor RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Anyone standing on Britain’s longest national trail, the spectacular 630-mile South West Coast Path high on granite cliffs towering above the restless Atlantic, is left in no doubt of the sea’s role in shaping this area’s landscape and heritage. England’s far south-western counties of Cornwall and Devon boast a seafaring tradition of adventurers, explorers, pirates and emigrants, reinforced by the salty flavour of novels by Daphne du Maurier and Rosamunde Pilcher. Add to this the fine cuisine, stylish hotels, national parks and one of Europe’s favourite surfing resorts, picturesque harbours and gardens blessed by warm Gulf Stream currents, and you have the recipe for a perfect all-year holiday destination. The 8:35 a.m. train from London’s Paddington station to Plymouth in Devon bears a ship’s name — ‘The Mayflower’ — after the little ship that carried emigrants to the New World. That story is brought to life in the city of Plymouth’s Mayflower exhibition, situated in The Barbican, opposite the historic harbour steps from which the Pilgrim Fathers set off nearly four centuries ago. The city is full of seaside atmosphere, particularly around the old harbour with its fish market and customs house and the waterfront park, the Hoe. It was here Sir Francis Drake spotted the invading Spanish Armada sailing up the Channel in 1588, and stayed to finish his game of bowls before assembling the English fleet with which he destroyed it. Also here is the National Marine Aquarium which, among its many fishy delights, boasts the world’s largest collection of sea-horses. Britain’s biggest aquarium, its attractions include a coral reef teeming with brightly-coloured fish and the deepest tank in Europe –– three storeys high –– containing a wide variety of sharks which you can view close-up from inside a walk-through transparent tunnel. To see marine life of a warm-blooded variety, head east to the popular seaside resort of Torquay (pronounced torkey). Coastal creatures from puffins and penguins to fur seals are all at home in an environment of reconstructed beaches, cliff-faces and an estuary. Living Coasts, Paignton Zoo’s marine aviary, opened in July 2004 to rave reviews. The birds fly freely over your head and acrylic tunnels also allow unobstructed underwater views for visitors. Going west from Plymouth, visitors cross the wide River Tamar on one of two high bridges, and leave Devon to enter Cornwall. The UK has more coastline than any other country in Europe, with no-one living more than 75 miles from the sea, but it is only in Cornwall that you feel the sea is ever-present. On a spit of land jutting precariously into the Atlantic, its two coasts are only four miles apart at the narrowest point. Cornwall was the obvious choice as location for the new National Maritime Museum, which opened in late 2002. The stylish, modern building, clad in English oak, rises beside the water in the harbour-town of Falmouth, on the edge of the world’s third largest natural harbour, with Rio and Sydney taking the top slots. Falmouth has always been a sleepy place, despite once being the British Empire’s second busiest port. Its main occupations after tourism are luxury yacht-building, ship repair and oyster fishing (oyster sail-boats can still be seen working the River Fal), but the museum has brought new life and ‘buzz’ to the town. The entrance is through Events Square, surrounded by shops and dining places, and the focal point for open-air entertainment, particularly during the town’s Oyster Festival, held every October. The galleries include historic small vessels from the national collection. They range from a 70-foot rowing boat used by Eton schoolboys in the late 1800s, through Olympic medal-winning boats, canoes, yachts, power-boats and working craft, to the ketch used by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to make the first solo, non-stop global circumnavigation. The Tidal Zone gallery has windows thicker than a man’s fist and is five metres in depth, looking directly out under the waters of Falmouth Harbour. It’s like an aquarium in reverse where you can watch cormorants dive into the sea to grab their fishy lunch. Then climb the museum’s 30-metre tower for an aerial view of the harbour. For more information on where to go, what to see, and where to stay in this beautiful region, visit www.visitbritain.com. Other useful Web sites are: South West Coast Path National Trail: www.southwestcoastpath.com Plymouth attractions and events: http://www.visitplymouth.co.uk Living Coasts, Beacon Quay, Torquay: www.livingcoasts.org.uk National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Discovery Quay, Falmouth: www.nmmc.co. uk The Eden Project, Bodelva, St. Austell: www.edenproject.com Bovey Castle, North Bovey: www.bovey castle.com (NOTE: The U.S. Air Force does not imply endorsement of non military sites listed in this story. The Web links are provided for educational purposes only, and 100th ARW/PA does not guarantee the accuracy or propriety of the information contained therein.)