Exciting Excursion on the River Dart Round Robin
Find out how a local family got on at the popular Round robin Devon day out at Dartmouth Steam Railway.
A steam train, river boat cruise and a ride on a bus all in one day!! The Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company’s Round Robin trip offers the opportunity to experience all three of these. All set in the beautiful Devon countryside, next to the River Dart making it a great day out in Devon.
Steam Train Ride; As soon as we arrived at Paignton Station the excitement began, we was greeted by a steam train and it felt like we were heading onto the Hogwarts Express! Before we boarded the train there was the quick opportunity to refresh in the Café with a coffee which overlooked the platform. The train journey was amazing! Our children absolutely loved looking out the window at the beautiful coastal scenery, we were able to spot the golden beach of Goodrington Sands and Brixham Harbour. We then turned in land but the absence of the coast did not phase the children as soon enough we had the excitement of going through Greenway Tunnel, and then on the other side we were met by the extensive views of the River Dart. Just after the tunnel there was the opportunity to step off the train at Greenway Halt to visit Agatha Christie’s famous home of Greenway.
Visit to Dartmouth; We arrived at Kingswear Station where there was an easy change at the end of the platform onto the quick passenger ferry that would take us to Dartmouth. On the day we discover that we would be arriving in Dartmouth during their annual Regatta Week at the end of August, this made it definitely a great day out in Devon with kids. It felt like an amazing opportunity to be able to visit this event without the worry of car parking as we had left the car parked at the start of our journey in Paignton. When we arrived in Dartmouth the town was buzzing with things to do. There were many food stalls, activities throughout the day, and when we arrived in the Victoria Gardens there was even an ice cream eating competition!
River Dart Cruise; The next part of our Round Robin trip began with us boarding the boat that was going to take us to Totnes, the Cardiff Castle. The facilities on board were fantastic with a variety of seating positions; indoor, outdoor and covered seating. There was also an on board bar, which sold a variety of hot and cold drinks including some alcoholic beverages. The cruise up the River Dart was guided by an on board live commentary, which was extremely informative and humorous at times. Not only was the cruise child friendly, it was also a dog friendly Devon attraction. The cruise was made extra special for the children with the abundance of wildlife along the river and spotting a mummy and baby seal near Dittisham.
Visit to Totnes; The cruise ended with going past Sharphams Estates, which boasts the opportunity to visit for tours around the vineyards. As we moved around the bend in the river that houses this estate, the historical town of Totnes came into view with its iconic Norman castle. Totnes is a great place to explore with it quirky cafés and shops, an excellent place to lose a few hours! This is a town that we particularly love as we hold history dear to our hearts along with Totnes Castle there is the Brutus Stone, the medieval town walls and the East Gate Arch. This town is definitely one of the best days out in Devon for any history lover!
Bus back to Paignton; Lastly and by no means least, our daughters favourite part of the day, the bus journey. We were able to ride on a double decker bus through the Devon countryside, which was very exciting. Along the way we passed Berry Pomeroy Castle and Paignton Zoo, other great attractions in Devon. Once again the journey was complemented by a humorous commentary along the way. Finally, we arrived back in Paignton, where we began our exciting day on the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company’s Round Robin trip.
Overall, we ended the day with two very tired children, but we were all filled with the happiest memories of one of Devon’s top attractions. We felt that it is such a fantastic day as you get to explore some of the most beautiful parts of South Devon.
To find out more and to book tickets click here
There are so many things to do in Devon and the Dartmouth Steam Railway’s Round Robin offers a complete family day out, plus, they have a wide variety of Devon events held there throughout https://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/the year, check out the Dartmouth Steam Railway website.
