Ilfracombe - a tour of the town - on foot!

 After a lie in and breakfast at the Dilkhusa - I wandered around the town, visited a few art galleries, sat aimlessly on a few benches and now having coffee in a new High Street gallery coffee shop with good wifi. - In the Swiss Cottage Cafe they seemed almost offended I wanted wifi - "no we don't have that here - our customers talk to each other" they said only half jokingly.  

Ilfracombe is a funny old place - it sort of needs bringing up to date - and getting more 'connected economically' - with more visitors.  I think it has great potential for this - as it has so many positives - with the sea, the scenery/ Victorian heritage etc etc. 

 There have been some really great initiatives over the years - and Ilfracombe seems to be getting quite 'arty' I reckon, which is great - but the town could still do with that extra boost - maybe when my book set in Ilfracombe is published that might (in a very small way) help!

Anyway, some pictures from my wander round the town: 

Seafront

Verity

Hillsborough 

Lantern Hill

The (Royal) Britannia 

Claims to fame - incl Nelson

High Street 

Ilfracombe seems pretty idyllic on a sunny day like this if you point in the camera in the right direction - but there are some bits that are not so good. The town suffered during covid. and for that and other reasons too, some hotels are closing or boarded up.

Inside the Osborne Hotel - some of it being converted to flats apparently. My folks hired this out for a wedding anniversary 'do' once - not so long ago .... looks different now ....

For the evening I cycled over to James's place in Braunton - via a quick stop at Marlborough Rd Cemetery to visit my dad.

........ action photos of my arrival in Braunton!

Good chat over a large meal to stoke up- then early to bed in preparation for tomorrow when the objective is to get to Camelford in Cornwall.