With staycations part of the new normal during last summer’s lockdown, we decided to take a week to explore some of the Southwest of England in August 2020. It was our first proper camping trip and to make it more fun, we brought our puppy, Maple. We had no idea how she would do in a tent, in the rain, at the beach, and/or with others at the campsite. While some people (including the people on the pitch next to us) enjoy sitting at their campsite all day while admiring the view, I prefer to stay moving and active. Devon seemed the perfect place to allow for all sorts of options- paddleboarding for me, cycling for James, walks in the woods for all of us, and hopefully restful nights of sleep.
James made an extra effort to find a campsite with somewhere close for me to paddle. Our trip started in Bristol at my in-laws and then we stopped in Seaton on the way to our campsite in Slapton. It was my first time paddling in the sea and it was so different from paddling in the London Royal Docks (a protected quay). The water was much more active and the wind was intense. I also struggled with the large pebbles that were wedged into my sandals as I walked from the land to the water’s edge. It was a similar issue when I paddling at the beach by our camping site but the rocks were a little bit smaller. I don’t know much about paddleboarding kit, so my board might not be best suited for the open ocean. This is something to consider if I want to keep traveling with my board. Many other people enjoyed the beaches too with swimming, surfing, body boarding and walks along the beach.
Dorset has numerous sites to visit courtesy of the National Trust. We would have loved to have visited one the properties but didn’t manage to find the time. You don’t need to be a member to explore the grounds but may have to pay a fee to park or enter premises. I know many people have joined the National Trust this year as international travel doesn’t seem likely in the foreseeable future and many families enjoy planning days out with the kids with a National Trust destination as the highlight.
One thing I always do when I am near water is look for fish (blame my degree in marine biology). Not that I can usually tell what they are as they dart around, but it makes me happy to spot them. If I am ever walking by someone who is fishing, I will probably ask what they are aiming to catch. In Devon, I was surprised to see lots of families with strings on the edge of the harbour walls when we were in Dartmouth. Turns out crabbing is a summer activity that visitors try. In all the tourist shops, you can buy a plastic contraption to catch crabs. Of course, you need to find your own bait (raw chicken seemed to be a popular choice), but the people I saw were having great success. One family had an literal bucket full of crabs. I asked what they were going to do with their catch and they replied 1throw them back’. I would imagine fishing from the shore and by boat are very popular activities for people living in and visiting Devon too.
We didn’t plan too many structured activities as the weather could change at any moment. Plus, Maple’s behaviour was (and still is) a bit unpredictable as we were in a place she was unfamiliar with. While I love that the majority of the UK is dog friendly, we were worried about what we could do with her if it rained. Cinemas and museums do not allow dogs and there is only so much time you can spend in a pub, so before we left home, we researched indoor activities we could do if it rained all day. On the Wednesday, it was already pouring when we woke up. We ended up booking a steam train and harbour cruise excursion with Dartmouth Steam Railway. The biggest selling point was that they allow dogs. We had to drive to Paignton, where we caught a steam train to Kingwear. From there it was a quick ferry ride to Dartmouth. We had some time to kill in Dartmouth before our harbour cruise. Unfortunately, with the downpour, everyone was seeking shelter from the rain, making it impossible to find a place to grab some food and drink with our dog. Long story short, Maple wouldn’t nap which made her uncontrollable. We had to take the ferry back to Kingsmear and then a taxi to our car. Of course, she instantly fell asleep in the taxi once she couldn’t see any of her surroundings. The weather was pretty terrible so I am not sure the harbour cruise would have been as much fun as if it were sunny out. Even now, I don’t think Maple would nap when out so this is something we need to keep in mind if we ever planning a rainy day activity again.
With marathon training, I had a few nice runs during our week away while the sun was out. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a good paved path along the seafront near our campsite. My options were either the car park or sandy paths. I tried running along the shoulder of the road but it just wasn’t wide enough to have an even surface for both feet. The local woods had a few trails which I explored but trail running sometimes irritates my Achilles tendinopathy so I was cautious. A few portions of these trails were also shifting sand, which brought back memories from my week of running in the Jordan desert. Maple and I retraced my steps later in the day. She loved all the different smells but was afraid of the water. This fear is a little frustrating as we would love to take her paddleboarding some day (I even have a life jacket for her in our shed). Recently, she has started walking through puddles so maybe by this summer she will be up for a swim.
Cycling seemed to be the most popular activity if you counted the amount of bikes in our campsite. The gated paved site was a small loop, allowing all the children to cycle around while Mom and Dad cleaned up after meals or packed the car for the day. James packed his cyclocross bike and took it off-road, finding some muddy gravel paths (probably due to all of the rain we got). These paths are also good for hiking or walking, with or without a dog, of course. If you prefer road cycling, the area around Slapton is hilly so the area might be better suited for adults rather than kids if you wanted to take the bikes off of the campsite.
Of course, you can’t go to the British coast without sampling the fish and chips. Our campsite was a nice 20 minute walk to a few seaside shops and pubs. While I don’t eat seafood (I have worked with fish for too long to eat them), James was happy to have his traditional holiday food on the beach while sitting in the sun with a beer by his side. It is funny how good weather can have such an impact on your trip. Good weather means great memories. Wet weather can bring funny stories to share later. Unfortunately, we ended up packing up camp a day early as more rain was forecasted. We didn’t have the patience to sit in a tent with an eight month old deaf puppy while cold and soaking wet. On the days it was dry, there was loads to do outdoors in and around Slapton. However, with Maple, it limited what we could do indoors. If you don’t have a dog or perhaps a better camp set up to deal with rainy weather, I would highly recommend exploring Slapton. With the UK lockdown restrictions easing, I imagine there is even more things to do there this summer.
Have you ever camped with a dog? Leave a comment below with your tips on how to make it more fun for everyone. We definitely need some advice!
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