The Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company

Steam train and beach huts, Torbay. Photo: The Dartmouth Steam Railway & Riverboat CompanyThe glistening bay of Tor, otherwise known as Torbay in South Devon, may have been a coach trip destination for years, but it was traditionally a train lovers’ location. It was the steam train which first brought visitors to what were the elegant Victorian seaside resorts of Torquay, Paignton, Goodrington Sands and Brixham. In 2010, The Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company  is keeping this railway heritage on the map, and this is one steam railway that is really worth blowing its loud, nostalgic whistle about.

Geoffrey, a railway guard in his 80's slams the heavy doors shut with a satisfying thud, thud,  thud echoing around Paignton station. Whistles blow, smoke pours out, and we pull away with a significant weight, and history, trailing behind us. 4227 Hercules, to be precise, was built in 1920 in Swindon and was withdrawn from British Rail service in 1964, having been mostly used for coal transportation. Today, as  the children and I hang our heads out three different carriage windows, waving to each other like a scene out of The Railway Children, we can feel the warm steam in the air, and celebrate the fact that Hercules, one of five stunning engines running on this line, is still going strong.

Having come to Torbay for a bucket and spade break, albeit a green one, by train from London’s Paddington station, The Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company offers us all the transport and sight seeing that we were hoping for. This steam train journey from Paignton to Kingswear, just 7.5 miles by road, is a glorious half an hour of panoramic views and nostalgia. After taking in the gentle curve of this expansive Bay, from South Devon's famous red sandstone cliffs stretching eastwards to the wilder, grassy slopes of Berry Head to the west, we can see why this area gained Unesco Geopark status in 2007.

After traversing the three viaducts of Broadsands, Hookhills and Greenway, all boasting Brunel's stamp of engineering achievements, we emerge into the softer light of the Dartmouth Estuary, a haven of both marine and natural history. The train's terminus is Kingswear, directly across the river from Dartmouth town, where our ticket allows us to takePassenger ferry from Kingswear to Dartmouththe five minute passenger ferry across to the main town.

The first purchase to make in Dartmouth is a crabbing kit. Line, bait and a bucket, all of which are omnipresent in the local shops. You can either battle for a place along the scarily high promenade in Dartmouth, or take another short boat journey down to Dittisham on the eponymous ferry, also run by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company which takes us to what is locally known as one of the best crabbing spots around. Dittisham village has everything you need. A riverfront cafe with great cappuchino, The Ferryboat Inn with local ale, top fresh fish and chips which you can eat on the quay. Both overlook a jetty crawling with children and crabs, the latter practically jumping out of the water to the screeching delight of the former. Hours of crabbing, catching them, studying them, racing them, counting them and, of course, learning to hold them, passed all too quickly.

We took the ferry back to Dartmouth in time to catch the steam train back to Paignton. However, an alternative route back to thesteam train is to call the ferryman, by ringing a large bell ouside the Ferryboat Inn which summons the ferryman across the river from the Greenways Estate (home to Agatha Christie until she died in 1976, and is now owned by the National Trust). You can walk for about an hour through the magnificent luscious woodland of this estate, following the Greenways Walk  to Churston, where you can meet the train. But only a mean mother would insist on shattering the Blyton-esque crabbing tableau with an enforced hiking expedition. So, the last boat back to Dartmouth it was, with crabs carefully returned to the Fish and chips at The Ferryboat Inn, Dittishamriverbeds, and children rewarded with cream tea at the charming Belle Bistro on Kingswear platform, where all the food is home made and locally sourced, when possible. 

We explore the River Dart in more depth the next day on board the River Boat from Totnes, which we reach by open top bus from Paignton, all part of the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company's Round Robin  excursion. We arrive in Totnes three quarters of an hour before the river trip begins, and take advantage of the new Rickshaws on offer, which take us on a tour of this medieval town and its hilly environs. Run by the Totnes Rickshaw Company, a Community Interest Company (CIC) which returns all profits to community-led projects, they have two rickshaws which seated myself and the two boys comfortably, driven by Jackie who gave us an excellent town tour, and told us all about the rickshaws which were imported from India, run on local waste chip fat, and used to bring riverboat visitors into the hillier parts of town, when they don't have a lot of time to spare. With local produce markets on Fridays, and a crafts market and Elizabethan market on Tuesdays between May and September, as well as wonderful scenery, it is worth timing a boat journey whichTotnes Rickshaw Company meets the Dartmouth Riverboat bus in Totnes. Photo: Catherine Mack allows you plenty of time here. Although just having a jaunt in the rickshaw is fun in itself, and a wonderful example of Totnes' sustainable enterprises, for which the town is famous. Totnes was the first town in England, for example, to have its own currency, the Totnes Pound. There is no fixed charge for the rickshaws, with visitors being asked to simply make a voluntary donation for a sustainable service with a big smile.

On board the Cardiff Castle River boat, we head down the River Dart from Totnes at a leisurely pace, with a running live commentary on local flora and fauna, mooring in Dartmouth an hour later. Passing a varying selection of sites from the Sharpham Vineyard, with vines tumbling down the hill to the rivers' edge to the imposing Britannia Royal Naval College further down river, this is a valley teaming with cultural and natural heritage. It was all a bit sleepy for my kids however, who didn't really engage with the on board commentary, which was a little 'off pat' rather  than feeling like it was genuinely informed. More emphasis on flippant and fun than flora and fauna really. . My Mother would have loved it though, which suggests that this excursion is aimed at people over 60, really. Be warned, this trip gets very busy and people queue for up to an hour to get on board. But the management assures me that they don't overbook, and everyone gets on board. You just might not get the perfect outside seat on board, but you can enjoy your riverside coffee or rickshaw trip before you go, instead of joining the hundreds of slightly anxious tourists in line.

Dartmouth River Boat on River Dart. Photo: Catherine MackOur final Devon trip, was, however, a bit more up my young boys' street compared to the river trip. “This boat is a much faster, Mum. it's cool”, they shouted from the bough, beaming with excitement, as we headed out into the waves of Torbay in search of smugglers' coves and dolphins, on board The Dart Venturer. There was just enough seaspray to shake off any sense of sleepy tourism from the day before, and keep the squeals of delight coming on a regular basis (there are also interior seats for a warmer, drier experience). They listened intently to the captain's informed and lively commentary, compared to the scripted show on board the river boat the day before. This trip is called the Sea Train , starting on an early morning bus from Paignton again, heading to nearby Torquay, then right out onto the Bay for an hour long tour which makes you truly appreciate the magnitude of this coastline, its geology and demography changing from the busy, red sandstone beaches to rich limestone sheep-filled farmland There was a French couple beside us who, when we were waiting to board, were saying how disappointed they were in Torquay with its pound shops and arcades, as they had been expecting what they knew as a 'Riviera'. Indeed, it was hard to argue with that one. However, out here on the waves, looking back at the endless fields, hills and cliffs around Berry Head and on towards Dartmouth again, their eyes lit up, and they snapped away on their cameras, with words like 'formidable' and 'merveilleux' being bandied around.

So don't come to Torbay looking for Nice or Monte Carlo, because you won't find it. It is still a bucket and spade holiday, with crabbing over casinos, and rickshaws over limousines. Take it in by train or boat, however, and you see it for its true natural beauty, with land and seascapes which should keep visitors coming back for more, year after year. Because this is the stuff that money can't buy. 

Take a couple of minutes to see a  video of Catherine's discovery of South Devon by steam train, boat and rickshaw