Monday 4 November 2013

AUTUMN TO ODE

We went to Shaldon last week.  It was surprisingly glorious weather.  I have posted on Shaldon before, so I won't go through all the town again.  We went there on the ferry of course, Britain's oldest ferry, which has run continuously since at least the 13th century.  I think I've posted on that before too.

But Shaldon is becoming an organic foody heaven.  Most places now offer locally sourced or home-grown ingredients, often wild or organic.  The last time we went there it was to visit a tea shop which had just been voted the best teashop in England, or some such.  This time we sought out a new cafe on the Ness which has been voted the most sustainable restaurant in Britain.  And it has its own microbrewery.  Here it is in its Halloween glory. 

It has a sister restaurant in town which has already received AA stars for its sustainable fine dining menu.  But this is the view from the cafe

  

The tide was out while we were there, as you may be able to see along the beach.  At this time, the distance between Teignmouth and Shaldon looks short enough to jump across.  You can see the beach on the right and the famous backbeach on the left.

 

At low tide, you can almost walk across the Teign in fact at its widest point.


Shaldon is also the only place I have seen a milestone marked in miles, furlongs and poles.


On our way home we stopped as usual at the roadhouse just past Dorchester on the A35.  Even here, they offer only locally sourced products, including local venison burgers and locally roasted coffee.  But I'd watch out for the barleysugar.


4 comments:

  1. Great views from the Ode teashop :-))

    That little roadhouse looks fun and their venison-burgers sound great. Where exactly is this place? Is it to the West or East of Dorchester? I'm familiar with that stretch of road, as I use it to travel to see my parents and also an online friend who lives down that way, but I don't recall seeing this place.

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    1. It's on the north side, MItch, in a layby (so only enterable when travelling from Dorchester) just before Higher Kingston Farm. You can see the little layby on Google maps and see the roadhouse on Streetview.

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  2. It was pondering about travel in years gone by. The marker stone has made a giant step to the GPS systems. I will go look up to see what a Ness is. The only time I hear that word is in Loch Ness Monster. Why should we watch out for the barley sugar?

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    1. Yes. There are still quite a few milestones left around here, but only used nostalgically. I think 'Ness' comes from the French 'Nez', as in Cap Gris Nez. I thought the roadhouse looked like the cottage in Hansel and Gretel.

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