Deepest Devon

Iddlesleigh was our destination; so named after Des Leigh and his wife – many, many years ago, found a field. The wife said:

‘’Ere Des Leigh, this 'ud be a good place to put our ‘ome.’ And Iddlesleigh was born. (Uncyclopedia)

It’s a beautiful village north of Okehampton and Dartmoor. But first we had to make a detour to the other side of the M 5. An American internet friend of my son had his ancestral home there – had never seen the area and # 2 son (S2) had promised to take some photos of the area and nearby Tiverton.

With the sun shining, everywhere looked beautiful. To my great delight I was the first to spot a memorial to one of the ancestors in the church yard, whilst S2 prowled round the church. Earlier the village post office had said he had never heard of ------ House but seeing our fallen faces he kindly told us there was a ----- Manor. However he said there had been a death there over the week-end so we shouldn’t go to the house itself. We just drove round the periphery of the grounds and called it a day.

I was thankful S 2 is a good driver and unfazed by the exceedingly narrow, high hedged lanes and I enjoyed my first introduction to Sat Nav. By the time we reached ‘The Duke of York’ it was 6pm. I had already gleaned that it was not your normal pub/ hotel from their laid back manner when I phoned to book; no asking for a deposit or card number or confirmation letter. It’s the sort of pub that men fall in love with, as happened to S2 when he and his wife stayed nearby – women take a little longer.

Carrying a bag or two we walked into a bar full of people obviously having a ball, queuing patiently to get drinks and talking nineteen to the dozen. There was no sign of a reception so – in front of a roaring fire which never appears to go out - we stood like tripe at fourpence, until we could speak to the bar-man. When he had checked that we had indeed booked two rooms he told us we were in the cottage over the road – one room at the right of the front door and one room at the right, at the top of the stairs. S 2 asked for the keys and we were told there weren’t any although there was a flimsy little bolt where one could lock one’s self in one’s room.

We decided to take him at his word when he said locking wasn’t necessary here and most of the time the front door was wide open. Being a kind Mum I let the birthday boy have first choice of room so got the upper twin – bedded room with shower whilst S 2 had a large double with roll top bath and two large mirrors – I had to make do with a shaving mirror but it couldn’t have mattered less and at least I had my son and a flight of stairs to protect me from any drunken marauder.

More later…