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You could, it would add a lot of extra time to your journey as you would have to go back from Watchet to say Taunton and then get back on the M5 there, Taunton to junct 27 is about 20/25 minutes, then you would have to go junct 27 on the link road to Tiverton then the north Devon link road to Barnstaple...another approx 30 minutes.

just asking hubby and he suggested another route - he said you could go from Watchet to Dunster, then back to Tiverton that way (you would pass Bampton etc) but not necessarily through them.  Dunster itself is pretty tight, but we have seen lorries go through there,....roads back to Tiverton follow the exe valley, and the river exe which is lovely and pretty/scenic but quite windy.

In our opinion with the van me and hubby are in agreement even though it adds time and mileage we would come back to the M5 and do the route you suggested to have a more relaxing and un-twisty route!

I do assume that you wont be towing the van!!

Nope a much better route is over the what is known locally as the high road, which is up over the Brendon Hills then over Exmoor. A beautiful drive and can work out a lot quicker than the main drag especially if there's been an off..

Come out of Watchet over the railway bridge by Watchet Station  and turn right to come out to the main A39 junction by the transmitter. Go straight across and up to Raleigh's Cross which is a tip-top pub/restaurant btw. Turn right there and follow that road which I believe is the B3224 at that point but it changes as you go further along it.

Go as far as Simonsbath then hang a left heading through High Bray and Brayford and on into Barnstaple. A beautiful drive indeed.

that looks like a nice pub Rumple! passed it many times!

We are novice's so thats why we'd stick to motorway with our van!

Oh I wouldn't recommend towing a van up over the high road unless it was just a 2-berth jobbie, as there are quite a few tight corners as you get up across Exmoor especially after Simonsbath. 

I know you don't know me and my tastes chelsea girl but trust me it is an excellent pub with possibly a better carvery, very cheap too. I have a pal who lives in Watchet and he often takes the family up there. I'm almost too embarrassed to tell you what he does but I'm going to!!

They take their own kids crockery and cutlery and go up for their meal and load an absolute mountain onto their plates and when they get back to their seats share it up onto their kids plates too! 

If the 4 of us go, we all sit together. If the kids go too, Mrs Rumple and me sit on our own!!!  

Quote: Originally posted by Rumple on 24/7/2006

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Oh I wouldn't recommend towing a van up over the high road unless it was just a 2-berth jobbie, as there are quite a few tight corners as you get up across Exmoor especially after Simonsbath. 

I know you don't know me and my tastes chelsea girl but trust me it is an excellent pub with possibly a better carvery, very cheap too. I have a pal who lives in Watchet and he often takes the family up there. I'm almost too embarrassed to tell you what he does but I'm going to!!

They take their own kids crockery and cutlery and go up for their meal and load an absolute mountain onto their plates and when they get back to their seats share it up onto their kids plates too! 

If the 4 of us go, we all sit together. If the kids go too, Mrs Rumple and me sit on our own!!!  

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