Motor Tours in the West Country

In Short

This book is a early twentieth-century travel memoir and practical motoring guide through Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. Narrated from behind the wheel of an early automobile, the journey traverses steep hills, narrow hedge-lined lanes, and seaside cliffs. The text weaves real-time road conditions and distance summaries with rich local history, regional folklore, and literary associations. It has lasted as a vivid portrait of the English countryside at the dawn of the motoring era, capturing the transitional moment when centuries-old roads were first explored by car.

The Story

The journey begins in the historic county of Somerset, moving past the ancient cathedral city of Wells with its fortified bishop’s palace, water-filled moat, and sacred springs. Driving through the countryside over Kingsdon Hill, the route follows the ancient Fosse Way past Ilchester and Crewkerne, invoking the parliamentary armies of Fairfax and Cromwell and the doomed rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth. Crossing into Devon, the narrative follows the road to Exeter, tracing the city's long history as the "Gate of the West" and recalling the grand entry of William of Orange.

Leaving Exeter, the car climbs the steep roads toward Dartmoor, crossing stone bridges over the River Teign and navigating wooded hills to reach Moretonhampstead and Tavistock. The tour turns south along the Devonshire coast, bypassing popular seaside resort towns in favor of high sweeps of land like Great Haldon and Telegraph Hill. From the crooked, historic quays of Dartmouth, the route continues past historic harbors to Plymouth Hoe, where the narrator summons visions of England’s maritime history—from Hawkins, Drake, and Blake to the lonely exile of the Duchesse d’Angoulême.

Crossing the River Tamar on a steep gradient, the tour enters Cornwall. Traversing narrow, stony lanes, the journey reaches Fowey, detailing its history of medieval pirate raids and fortified town defenses. The car travels onward to Falmouth, the coastal stretches of the Lizard, and Gweek, where legendary tales of Hereward the Wake intersect with local trade. Heading north from Land's End, the narrative follows rugged, open roads through St. Just, Morvah, and Zennor, stopping at ancient sites like the Plân-an-Guare amphitheatre and the Atlantic vantage point of Gurnard’s Head.

Moving inland across the moors, the journey passes through Bodmin and Launceston, exploring Celtic crosses, parish churches, and earthworks tied to King Arthur. After visiting the remote coastal parish of Morwenstow, high above the Atlantic, the car crosses back into North Devon. The final leg tackles the formidable gradients of Clovelly and the coastal cliffs of Ilfracombe and Combe Martin, before turning inland toward Dunster Castle and concluding amidst the quiet landscapes of Somerset.

How It Unfolds

The palace at Wells The tour opens near the fortified gatehouse, moat, and quiet gardens of the bishop's palace. Historical figures like Thomas Ken and Protector Somerset are recalled alongside the simple sight of a swan ringing a bell for its dinner.

Following Monmouth’s trail Driving along the unkempt fringes of the old Roman road, the narrative revisits the towns of Ilchester and Exeter. The text depicts the joyous crowds and innocent marches that once welcomed the young Duke of Monmouth.

Ascending Dartmoor’s borders The car climbs steep gradients out of Exeter, crossing the River Teign via an old stone bridge amidst hazels and larches. High vantage points offer sweeping views of deep valleys and distant wooded hills before dropping into Moretonhampstead.

Coastal havens and historic ports Navigating narrow roads to Dartmouth and Plymouth, the narrative focuses on crooked gables, timbered houses, and naval history. Ghostly pageants of historical fleets, from Tudor explorers to the Mayflower, are summoned above the blue harbors.

** Cornish lanes and pirate strongholds** Creeping down steep hills into Fowey, the journey highlights fortified manor houses and medieval town battles. Narrow, rough by-ways lead onward through Falmouth and tiny stone villages to the high, granite-strewn cliffs of the north coast.

Arthurian moors and remote glens The route turns across wild moors marked by granite Celtic crosses and ancient encampments linked to King Arthur. At Morwenstow, the narrative pauses at a solitary church overlooking the ocean, recalling its eccentric vicar and historical shipwrecks.

Devon cliffs and final heights The tour encounters its steepest gradients along the North Devon coast, winding along cliffside roads near Combe Martin and Dunster Castle. The journey ends quietly on the smooth roads of Somerset as memories of the road linger.

The People

The Motorist-Narrator Seeking scenic beauty, historic depth, and the open road, the narrator guides the car across challenging terrain. She desires to connect landscapes with their historical human stories, overcoming rough surfaces and steep inclines to preserve a fading past.

The Duke of Monmouth Representing tragic ambition, his historical presence haunts the roads of Somerset and Devon. He seeks popular support and a crown, met by cheering crowds in his youth, but his path leads ultimately to defeat and political ruin.

Robert Blake The parliamentary general and admiral embodies uncompromising duty and military resolve. He defends Parliament's cause on land at Dunster Castle and at sea, finally dying at the entrance of Plymouth harbor after years of service.

Robert Stephen Hawker The eccentric vicar of Morwenstow seeks to protect his isolated parish and give shelter to the poor. Surrounded by his many cats and the sound of the sea, he stands firm against local wreckers, leaving behind a legacy of poetry and heroism.

Thomas Treffry A medieval defender of Fowey, he fights to protect his home from invading French raiders. Supported by his formidable wife Elizabeth, he successfully holds his fortified house and subsequently builds the town's defensive stone towers.

In Its Own Voice

"It is only at certain hours, of course, that strangers may walk in the palace garden; but the moat that circles it and the towers that guard it are visible to everyone."

The narrator observes the peaceful, accessible beauty surrounding the historic bishop's palace at Wells.

"Whether we are climbing slowly to the summit of a ridge, with valleys dipping deeply on each side and beyond the valleys fold on fold of wooded hills, or gliding down past Culver into the shade, or running softly through a little green glen, there is nothing but content in our hearts."

Driving through the Devonshire countryside, the joy of open-air motoring takes precedence over steep hills.

"He must have heard the voices of a good many animals; for even when he went to church he was followed by nine or ten cats, they say, which wandered, while he was preaching, about this beautiful building..."

The text captures local folklore regarding the unique daily habits of Morwenstow's famous vicar.

What It's Really About

Beneath its role as a practical guidebook, the book explores how modern technology transforms our relationship with history and landscape. The automobile is not merely a tool for rapid transit, but a device for unlocking forgotten corners of the countryside. By traveling independently of rail lines and fixed itineraries, the motorist encounters physical remnants of the past—Roman roads, medieval gatehouses, Civil War battlefields—embedded in the daily life of small villages.

The narrative meditates on the layering of time, demonstrating how legends of King Arthur, Tudor privateers, and Victorian poets inhabit the same geographic space. It argues that true travel requires both an eye for natural beauty and an appreciation for historical continuity.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers will appreciate this book for its sensory immediacy, quiet humor, and graceful prose. It offers a nostalgic yet clear-eyed snapshot of early twentieth-century travel, back when driving required real physical effort, spatial awareness, and mechanical patience. The narrative captures the raw texture of the landscape—the scent of pine needles, the color of red granite rocks, and the sound of an engine singing softly on a well-paved straightaway.

While readers should anticipate period detail, intricate local geography, and frequent historical digressions, these features enrich the texture of the journey rather than slow it down. It is ideal for lovers of regional English history, vintage travel literature, and quiet coastal journeys. What remains with the reader is a renewed sense of wonder at how deeply human history is woven into the contours of the earth.

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