American driving in Dartmoor
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 พ.ย. 2024
- After just a couple of days driving in England for the first time we made our way to Dartmoor. I wanted to show my dad, a driving instructor, what these incredibly narrow two-way roads were like, which little to no signage, blind corners, sometimes cows or sheep in the road. This video really doesn't show it well. This is our drive from our cottage at Chittleford, just south of Widecombe, to the motorway.
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I am impressed that you drove without moaning about how narrow the roads were etc. I have seen quite a few posts from U.S. citizens and have to say that some of them were annoying in the extreme. You on the other hand seemed to accept that these roads were not constructed in the era of the automobile but during a more sedate era. Well done you for being both a considerate driver and an appreciator of the culture of another country.
Wow, thank you very much. It may help that I'm a genealogist and understand how the roads evolved over time.
A genealogist is an individual who studies family history, a specialized form of historian. That is what I do. A geologist is someone who studies rocks, which I haven't the slightest clue about lol
Firstly, it is really nice to see some Americans outside of London experiencing the real England. And Dartmoor is so beautiful! Secondly, the secret of driving these lanes is patience, which they have, and I must say drove them well. I agree with your observations too Hanne. I hope the couple enjoyed Devon, and I hope they got some sunny days! Thank you for the video.
@@mlitsonata Of course . That fact does explain your attitude to a great extent.
At last an American who can drive - congrats!
hahaha, thank you :)
Ray
And without whining 👍🏻 come back soon.
If you can see the moors, it's gonna rain. If you can't see the moors, it's raining.
Old Tavonian proverb.
A calm relaxed mindset on unfamiliar roads and conditions, faultless. Well done.
Thank you!
Wow, I honestly didn't expect anyone to view this video (other than my dad), let alone comment. Thank you all for the kind words :) I really fell in love with England while I was there. After landing in London I drove straight up to Startford for a few nights before heading over to Widecombe for a week. Every day we ventured out to Exeter, or Dartmouth, or Plymouth, etc. Stopped off at Stonehenge on our way back into London for a few more days. I can't wait to come back. Next time I'll drive up Newcastle, St. Andrews, and Cromarty to visit ancestral homes.
Yes, we did! As a descendant of a few of the Mayflower families, that was a bit of a pilgrimage. I even walked down to the seashore under the steps and picked up a few shells and pebbles - now sitting in a glass bowl on my mantle. The museum was not bad but I was a bit mortified by some of the things I heard some locals saying about the pilgrims there, lol. Not terrible things necessarily, although they did refer to them as all being criminals which was odd - I think they were getting their stereotypes confused with Australia - but the general misinformation was a bit scary. But the displays themselves were very well done and I loved how they made it so interactive for the kids.
Cromarty hey? I'm from the black isle myself,which clan's are you descended from?
Ferruzzicati Yes, that was meant to be Stratford-upon-Avon.
Chips and Curry Sauce The Ross family, a terribly difficult line to trace. There are so many!!
If you went to Dartmouth did you ever come to Brixham? That's where I live.
I learned to ride motorbikes on these roads 30 odd years ago, and every year we are flooded with tourists, the majority of which are British, I hasten to add, who have not only no clue how to drive on anything that isn't a high street, but also have no idea of how to behave around other vehicles.
You see them at every blind bend, suddenly you hove into their view and you can see the raw panic on their faces.
Half of them couldn't reverse a car even if they were prepared to (which a lot of the time they aren't) and in general you would think they were in a vehicle four times wider than it actually is.
In short, pathetic.
But, credit to you sir, you kept a steady pace, you gave way when necessary, you kept your nerve in the hedgerows and didn't panic in oncoming traffic, and skid to a halt.
And all that time, your steering wheel was on the correct side, too. Which must have taken some getting used to for you.
Well done, sir. You can come back if you like. Devon welcomes careful drivers.
WOW! You are the fastest Americans I've seen so far, fair play you were absolutely fearless lol.
haha! Thank you :)
You were so lucky with the weather! It started raining on Dartmoor in 125 BC and hasn't stopped since. It's rumoured there are wonderful views but no one's ever seen them. Been there several times and this is the nicest I've ever seen it.
Having lived on Dartmoor for 6 years, I can confirm this is true... Although it stopped raining briefly this winter; but snowed instead!
The first night we came in it was a gushing storm!
My experience being a local, is that it is often dry and sunny in the Summer, and loads of times the moor has suffered from Summer drought and turned brown. Gorse (furze) and woodland fires are quite common. Being elevated, it rains a lot more than the lowlands, e.g. Exeter is in a rain shadow and received about 750mm rain a year, mostly late Autumn and Winter. This year, from early April to September, it has been under serious drought conditions. I have loads of pics taken this Summer at various times, from Kitt Hill (part of the same granite mass as Dartmoor), east Cornwall looking across to Dartmoor, with High Willhays and Yes Tor clearly visible, and down to Plymouth and out into the English channel. I can't remember the last time it rained on Kitt Hill when I have visited with my dogs from Bodmin. Now spend a few years on the West coast of Scotland or NW Ireland like I have, and you'll know what rain is!
I have it's never rained when go there
@TheRenaissanceman65 That's when records began.
The rain is the reason why the country is so gorgeous...
Impressed that you didn't express disbelief that the speed limit became 60mph at 7:15.😄
You did very well in this environment - they are not really 'two way roads' they rely on passing points & good driving technique & 'road craft' - So well done.
Thank you :). I think the "two-way" might be a cultural difference in language. In the states we have several "one-way" roads, in which all drivers are only allowed to drive in a single direction. As anyone can drive either direction on the roads in the video, we refer to them as "two-way". In this case, a single lane two-way road - which don't exist in the states (at least not that I've ever seen).
When the grass grows in the middle of the road you know you are on a narrow road!
Going down a winding narrow road, then the sign ahead says "road narrows". Thank you for allowing us to share your journey.
You handled it like a pro. Very well done. No moaning just got the job done. Well done 👍
I drive Dartmoor regularly. When the sun is shining it is beautiful. However there is always at the back of my mind that if a truck comes up this lane I'm going to have to back up half a mile.
Congrats. You did really well.
Very nicely done, Nancy was in good hands! I do hope you got the chance to do some walking on Dartmoor while you were there.
I'm impressed with how well you seem to deal with it. Not really complaining or overreacting, just taking it in your stride and getting on with it. They are stressful roads, I know (then again, which British roads aren't stressful) but you did well.
Well done ! Driven like a Brit . Hope you enjoyed your stay.
Loved it! Can't wait to get back
Hope you had a wonderful time.Such a shame the sun wasn’t shining you would have had a beautiful view over the English Channel towards Teignmouth. Ps we live in Ashburton only a mile from where you came out onto the Devon expressway.You are very welcome to visit again 😀
Nice to see an American or any other tourists even people from the UK (not Devon) who can drive on UK roads let alone Dartmoor I'm a farmer in the local area and drive small roads daily hope you enjoyed your trip to Devon
It’s great fun driving on Dartmoor, in the middle of winter, in deep snow!
Love Dartmoor, its worth the rain!
I was born and grew up in Exeter, East of Dartmoor. Sometimes on a day off work I would go there, not to visit any place in particular, but just to drive on and around the moor. Driving on some of the lanes around there can be a little scary in Autumn though, when there are wet leaves strewn about the place and not everyone thinks to take things slow.
Then there are the wild ponies and the sheep that walk along/across and lie down on the roads. It's got a certain timeless charm around that neck of the woods, and I'm always pleased for people to visit there, especially from all the way across the Atlantic.
I hope you enjoyed the experience. You seemed to take the narrow and unmarked lanes in your stride, so well done :)
I loved it and we will be going back in Sept or Oct 2019. Can't wait! I learned about the ponies and sheep our first night driving in - with fog - and rain - and high winds that like to overturn road signs. That was quite an experience!
Very well driven, Sir. :-D
One little tip though, driving through those narrow back-lanes don't be afraid to toot your horn once in a while; if you can't see around a long sweeping bend, a quick beep of the horn will let drivers know you are coming and given them a chance to prepare.
It will also ensure any horses lose their shit and throw their rider in the road.
No it won't. Of course you shouldn't use the horn in proximity to horses, but it won't startle them from a distance; most animals in the country are unconcerned by vehicle noise. Using your horn on country lanes during daylight is advised in the UK Highway Code.
Thank you! Very good tip
Good driving there, we British love these country roads, they are unique
Well done folks..another day in paradise!
It's worth remembering that all these sorts of roads were made LONG before the car came along. This road you were on was probably made for sheep or something lol. Us Brits understand when to give way etc etc. Also, Dartmoor is notoriously rainy due to it geographic location. Warm seas meet with cold air and there it goes, same in the Lake district etc. Everyone thinks it's always rainy here but it's interesting to note that it rains way more in Hawaii for e.g. No one would ever say, Oh Hawaii, that rainy miserable place!
5:54 "That's Nancy just complaining about being too close" That cracked me up!
lol, yeah, we name our cars
That's the 'Are we nearly there yet?' country of my childhood holidays.
Countryside driving is great if you're not in a hurry...
I may be wrong, but I think everyone here says "I can see the sea" not "I can see the ocean" - that's probably partly cultural, partly geographical - what you can see from England, Scotland and Wales is mostly the North Sea, The English Channel, The Irish Sea, with some of the Atlantic Ocean in parts... but I always remember the excitement as a child being able to see the 'sea' for the first time when traveling down south on holiday... :)
That makes sense. In California we see the Pacific Ocean of course, so we're used to say "the ocean". Although, fun enough, we will say that someone has "gone to sea" if they go on a ship - even though they are in the ocean and not the sea.
Yes we definitely use the word 'sea'. For instance we are a sea faring nation.
I think the only reason we say sea is because we are surrounded by the Celtic Sea and the North Sea though really we should say Channel I guess! Unlike America which is surrounded by Ocean so in the end we are all using more or less the correct terminology :)
We always say sea whether its the Channel or the Pacific Ocean.Its a more English word.
*reads title*
*takes deep breath*
*watches video*
*minimal complaining from an American on English roads*
*visible confusion*
Have to say you did very well at driving on our narrow country roads. What did your dad think about them when you showed him the video ? I hope it didn't rain all the time for your stay, it's beautiful scenery when the sun shines.
Thank you! I loved Dartmoor. Dad thought it was incredible. Not only how fast I was going lol (I was told by several there to drive fast or else be stuck against other cars more often - "quickly but safely"), but also the narrow streets, the hedges, the miles mile per hour limit in both directions of a one two way single late road! Signs knocked over, cows and ponies in the road (not this video but other times). He thought it was really something else.
+The Wandering Genealogist yes the ponies on Dartmoor are allowed to roam freely. I've driven on many narrow roads over here like that one and I still get nervous on blind corners and with oncoming traffic. like you say in the video a lot of the roads are ancient and wasn't meant to take cars or lorries.
Definitely don't go slow, drive as fast as you can but with the ability to stop in the distance you can see, otherwise you will constantly be meeting other traffic :-)
Slow in the UK is sticking to the speed limit, that's the problem, virtually no-one sticks to drive at a speed you can stop well within the distance you can see to be clear. Speed limits are not targets to be aimed for, they are the very maximum in the best conditions both in weather and sight lines, 99.9999999% of the time motorists do not do this!
The army also train on Dartmoor. About 40 years ago I remember helicopters flying along the sunken lanes with just the rotor blades above the hedgerows so there are potentially more hazards than you imagine!
Welcome - belatedly - to Devon, you have to come back to Dartmoor in the summer, yes you can see the sea and much more from the top of the high tors. There is glorious hiking to be done, horse riding and even swimming in the Dart or the Teign. Your single track road driving was very good; did you learn the four finger lift - to say thanks? Of course the down side of coming in the summer is more cars, more tourists and - oh joy - coaches! Although the worst thing we ever encountered, admittedly back in the 60s when I was a child and my dad was driving, was a tank, it was stuck, with it’s gun barrel embedded in the bank, my dad - ex tank driver - had come choice comments to make as we backed up to find some place to turn around.
I learned to drive on those East Texas red clay backroads
And I mean to tell you my friend
They weren't no easy roads
You had to watch out for all the curves
Down by Kelsey Creek
And detour through the Lindsay's pasture
When the water ran too deep
You did well there, boy. Roads at all the same in UK, once your off the main roads. Some of them date back to the Romans, there usually straight.
What a relief it is why driving down UK country lanes and you eventually come across a road wider than your car. For anyone from another country thinking about doing this and having the thrill of a lifetime, get the lowest , widest car you can , with the least rear view vision, ( coz at some point you'll have to back up alongside a ditch or sheer drop) Set satnav to quickest route , buy some diarrhoea tablets and carry a change of underpants ......and enjoy. Can only be bettered by doing it when it's dark, with dipped headlights.
With roads like these guys now you know why the MX5(miata)
Is so popular in the UK.
With just a passing glance I thought your name was "The Wandering Gynaecologist"
hauhauahuh, yea, no.
I love Dartmoor; tors and wild ponies are bigger than they are on Exmoor nearby (though the sheep are the same size). Best of all is when you come across an ancient cross or prehistoric site.
12:04 - reversing right off the road was extremely courteous, I'm not sure a local would have done that
i hope you found a lane where the mirrors brush the hedges on both sides and there was grass growing down the middle of the road. THose are the truly narrow ones
We did, lol
And the National Speed Limit sign.... 60mph down those roads.. I dare you!
I know this road well. About 5 years ago my family all took a walk with our dogs from the car park you passed near the crossroads. It was December and on our return to the car the light was fading to darkness and it started snowing. Imagine the joyous celebration in realising that I'd dropped the car keys somewhere on the walk, leaving us stranded up on the Moor with two dogs, an 18 month old baby and a very upset wife. I've never done this before, but I had to flag down a car that thankfully stopped, the driver cramming us all into their small car, which drove down to Ashburton. (On the damaged sign would have been pointing to the right). So at about 11pm I found myself cycling up onto the VERY dark
and frosty Moor with a reserve car key. I've never been so relieved to return home . . .
Wow!
I used to live in this part of the country. Challenging driving sometimes. Probably more so if you're used to wide American roads.
I live on Dartmoor, Horrobridge and you did very well driving in the rain..And the roads are only narrow if you drive a tractor..lol well done bruv.. :-)
its horrAbridge dummy.
haha! I will stay away from the tractors :)
@@paulshaddick8325 spellchecker makes even locals look stupid
i''v driven that road at night when the moore was covered in mist and fog, very eery
we locals call it a duel carriageway...put your foot down.
No, do not put your foot down, those are LIMITS not targets to aim for, usual motorist bullshit excuse for speeding.
You know what a joke is,right.
No, you would need your pistol.
The speed limit is 60mph perhaps a little faster would of been more appropriate, glad you had a good time all the same
Loved the hard shoulder
You were lucky, try driving on these roads in rush-hour 😉
Excellent driving and cat a fast pace too! Tthree points: 1 on those narrow lanes ofter just before a bend or if on a straight road you will notice the road widens a little on the passengers side so you can pull in and let the other car pass. If driving and the road widens a little on the drivers side and a car is coming just stop before or opposit where it widens letting the on coming car pull in to let you go? 2. When cuming to a bend and cannot see beyound it or a steep hill on a narrow lane judt press the horn on the car once to let the any other car coming in the oppsit direct to be aware of you and it allows them to slow down or take appropriate action. 3. It is common when another driver gives way for you to thank them. This is done by a wave, a nod of the head (if close enough) a quick flash of you headlights or even turn the emergency indicator lights on and then off again. All show a politness on the road.
Lovely rain
It is driving on Dartmoor, not in Dartmoor, Dartmoor being in Devon. Our Westcountry roads were built for horse and cart, bounded by typical Devon banks in Devon and Cornish banks in Cornwall (the same type of stone faced earthen bank). At higher elevation Devon banks give way to stone walls of granite. Higher up still, stone walls disappear and are replaced with just open road verges and ditches. Driving on the open moor is easy as there are no banks each side of the road. The speed limit now on Dartmoor is 40mph max, it used to be 60mphs but too many serious accidents involving livestock and ponies. Just drive carefully.
Apart from reversing into the wrong 'passing point' as you should have gone to the one on your nearside (left) so you could see ahead easily and be in a straighter line to manoeuvre, the driving was excellent and considered. Speeding, which is not necessarily only defined as being above the posted speed limit is the main reason why people crash/have an incident (we don't call them accidents) and far too many people in the UK do this on narrow lanes often killing and maiming other roads users as well as striking animals and solid objects like trees, fences and hedgerows/banks. Too many people around the world sadly don't get that excessive speed is a problem as a result we have 1.25million road deaths and 50 million serious injuries. I'm glad you seem to have your head screwed on in that dept and your dad should be proud of your standard of driving, well done.
No, he reversed to the first spot where he could let the other cars through -- which is exactly what *I* would have done, and I lived and drove in Devon for years). Which side of the road it happened to be on is immaterial: it could have been miles back to one on the "correct" side!
As a Devonian myself I would be going mad behind saying hurry up this is a 60mph Road lol. We drive fast on these roads especially when getting to work in the morning
But they were marked 40? Didn't become 60 until later
Don’t worry about things like that down here
@@mlitsonata Honestly the on roads like that, the speed limit is very much a maximum not a target (we don't really have minimum speed limits in the UK). On some sections of that road, trying to do 40 is a guaranteed way to end up in the hedge.
If you think thats bad try driving on Exmoor. Especially around Lynmouth! Its TERRIFYING!
Ah! Porlock Hill - steepest main road in England - now that's fun!
your a natural bud
40 is pretty reasonable for that road haha, there are many roads just as narrow or even more so that have a 60 limit!
Yeah, the speed limit is largely irrelevant on that sort of road... it's road conditions and layout that matters. Having said that I thought the guy was going a bit too quick on the approach to some of the bends but it's hard to tell on the YT because of the perspective difference on what is I assume is a phone. Other than that, good stuff :)
It said 40 in the road as a road without street lighting is automatically a 60mph limit, unless there are signs to show otherwise.
I learned to drive on those roads. If you can believe it, the roads in this video are some of the wider ones, with cars able to pass each other. Other parts of the moor, and especially the surrounding countryside has stretches that are narrower and require more care.
So long as you are courteous, and drive to the road conditions, they are pretty easy to drive along.
The weather can be variable, and can certainly catch people out, but there are also times when it's bright, clear and warm.
I can strongly recommend walking up the river dart from Holne: goo.gl/maps/Yr2iNQcsTF72
Also Haytor rocks: goo.gl/maps/7CoFiCoVkW92 and the nearby Granite Tramway. The tramway carried granite from Haytor to London to make the first London bridge that was later sold to an American (londonist.com/2013/04/londonbridge). Thus part of Dartmoor is now in Arizona.
You'll have to visit in summer next time😂😂
Airfare is to expensive, ha! We'll be going again in Sep or Oct 2019
Brave man. :-)
Great video but a little glimpse of Lillian would have been nice for us men. Cheers.
Creepy
Who's Lillian?
That is a bus route double decker buses travel that road
You should of drove through the new forest as well!
Nikki Turnham: The New Forest is nowhere near Dartmoor - and it's not even in the same county!
Which way were you heading? To the Devon Expressway? (A38) It appears you popped out near Ashburton Down near Caton. Correct me if I'm wrong.
By Devon's standards, the roads on Dartmoor are wide!
I would of thought that would be a 60mph road not a 40
Street no is a lane
LOL, is that your Mum that named the car Nancy?
My cousin that I was traveling with, and yes, she named the car lol
Lol the brits in those cars were probably wondering what on earth you were doing reversing into the passing place on the wrong side of the road.
Were else was he supposed to go? I live near enough to here and I thought he did a very good job, those lanes you just have to do what you can, though it wouldn't be advisable if it was any wetter, you'd never get out again!! :D You would be correct in most other driving situations though xxx
resonable human in the passing place on his side of the road.
Well considering that was what he did on every other occasion it certainly isn't because of a lack of ability, no doubt, as he was there to make the decisions at the time he did what was best for the situation., seems like a perfectly competent driver.
resonable human you asked what more he could do. I responded.
Regardless of his competency (of which you're the only one to bring into question here), he most definitely seemed to make an error in judgement that likely led to a bit of "wtf is this guy doing?" from the oncoming traffic. :/
I don't believe that I questioned his competency at all, in fact I said 'seems like a perfectly competent driver', in case that is a translation across the pond thing, I mean his driving is fine. I also wasn't trying to be a dick, which is how I seem to be being taken, my initial sentence was, admittedly, a little more abrupt than I realised or intended so apologies for that. However, I didn't want anyone to think that we would react in a derogatory way to someone who is navigating some very difficult lanes very well.
think these roads are narrow? get to cornwall. the meaning of narrow moves on to a different level.
It's Driving ON Dartmoor not In....sigh..
....keep to the roads.
.....and stay off the moors!
We stayed near Widecombe in the middle of the moors, the place at the start of the video.
I think that may have been a reference to a line in the movie, an American ware wolf in London. Good job, great place to visit, really pleased you enjoyed your visit, weather and all. 'Stick to the path'... 😊
You’re nothing but a walking meatloaf Jack!
theymusthatetesla: They did keep to the roads. What do you think they were driving on?
Now do you understand why we all drive stick shifts?
Why are you driving on this road? Is it because you have set the sat nav to shortest and not fastest?
We actually didn't use sat nav during the trip. The very beginning of this video is pulling out of our parking space at the place we were staying at Shilstone Rocks near Widecombe in the middle of the Dartmoor. This route was the shortest and fastest that we saw on the map to get out of the moors.
+BP almost all the roads on Dartmoor are like this or worse, they drove it like a native.
Sat nav is useless in the Devon countryside, you just end up on goat paths...