Of Narrow Lanes and Big Bank Accounts

Today we jumped in our hideous bright orange rental car and went in search of Castle Drogo, ancestral family home for Julius Drewe, the founder of 'The Home and Colonial Stores' who retired a millionaire, aged just 33. 

I must say it's a very impressive pile of granite, designed relatively recently (in English historical terms) -- just 100 years ago by famed architect Edwin Lutyens, but despite its incredible views over the Teign Gorge, it felt more like either a prison or possibly a huge, impersonal corporate headquarters to me!  Oddly, when you are in the house looking out the windows, most of what you see is granite walls, and rarely the beautiful surroundings.

The gardens on the other hand were lovely, and what a day to visit them!  Bright blue skies, plenty of sunshine, and real summertime temperatures.

In order to get to Castle Drogo from our luxurious and lovely hotel, we were sent down some of the narrowest lanes I've ever been on in a motor vehicle -- quite nerve-wracking, and we had to pull in our side mirrors on more than one occasion to avoid tearing them off on stone walls or impervious hedgerows!  The first two (small) pictures show how narrow the lanes were.

Tomorrow we're off to Somerset and the Cotswolds, very much looking forward to a reunion with fellow blipper TBay, who we haven't seen for about four years!