Dawlish on the coast of South Devon is a relaxing place centred around The Lawn, which is bisected by The Brook or Dawlish Waters.
We decided to take the short bus ride from Teignmouth to spend a relaxing afternoon after rather overdoing the sightseeing the day before. So a No,2 bus came along with Exeter on the front. We asked the driver if it went to Dawlish. The surly female driver said, “No, we don’t go to Dawlish”. The driver of the next No.2 bus was exactly the opposite. With a friendly smile he said, “Hop on!”. After ten minutes we were at our destination in the centre of Dawlish.
We had a gentle stroll beside The Brook with its weirs and little bridges, looking at the famous black swans and other waterfowl. We admired the floral displays while the locals were having a game of bowls. Then we took a short walk to the sandy beach with a view of the beautiful cliffs. My daughter paddled in the waves while we sat and watched. There are regular steam-hauled Royal Duchy trains which travel between Slough and Par in the summer months. You can see them streaming through Dawlish.
Being a hot day it was time for an ice cream and what better place than The Local Swoop in Piermont Place. A great choice of ice cream flavours from this artisan shop. Yummy!
Dawlish really is a pleasant place to visit.