Those naval boffins of old were not that stupid. They didn't set up their training college at Grimsby or Hartlepool, but on the idyllic south coast of Devon at Dartmouth. There the commanders, if not the busy young officers, could luxuriate above a picturesque little harbour and a wide estuary that carves through the gentle rolling hills of the South Hams.
Dartmouth has always been a cosy haven for seafaring folk. It remains the home of the last naval training college in the country; just up the river, at Totnes, Pete Goss has constructed his elegant monster of a catamaran and it is still the base for Britain's largest fleet of crab fishermen. And of course it is a magnet for the increasing band of well-to-dos for whom yachting is serious fun.
Not surprising, then, that the best way to view Dartmouth is from a boat, which was my intention, but it was wet and windy so the chance to take to a dinghy was spurned.
I soon realised that there was plenty of scope for sailing without going out on a stony-grey sea. The estuary opens out three miles up the river at Dittisham, a wonderful rich man's playground with moorings for hundreds of yachts. They are overlooked by lush woodland, some of which hides the old home of Agatha Christie, Greenway Mansions. But this is more Swallows and Amazons territory than An Appointment with Death . There I could pretend to be a yachtie while waiting on the pontoon to be put-putted out to a 30-footer for a sundowner.
For landlubbers, Dartmouth still has something. For walkers there is easy access to coastal paths. From Dartmouth Castle, which stands proudly at the head of the estuary, there is a simple circular walk out to Blackstone Point (no more than four or five miles). Within a couple of minutes you are among grazing sheep, down leafy, overgrown, trouser-drenching lanes with access to a secluded little beach. For an even gentler stroll there are the gardens of Coleton Fishacre , which is across the river beyond Kingswear. The house was built by the D'Oyly Carte family in the Twenties and is now a National Trust property. Its garden doubles as a maze, so high are the rhododendrons that separate the pathways.
Dartmouth still craves the well-off seeking respite from the cities. There are many upmarket shops with inevitable names such as D'art Gallery, shops selling fashionable sailing gear that few actually sail in, another dealing exclusively in Simon Drew greetings cards, plus many craft and pot shops. A good base is The Little Admiral Hotel, tucked away and recently refurbished.
There are plenty of good restaurants. Hooked is one of them and the only dedicated fish restaurant in the town. It is excellent and the proprietor, Mark Coxon, admits: 'Oh yes, we welcome the Dinkies [Double Income, No Kids] here.' But the visitors are not all Dinkies. Many strolled around the little harbour enjoying pasties.
Overlooking the town is the naval college, still a major source of work. It gives guided tours and hosts conferences. The grandiose 1905 red-brick building is an eye-opener to non-public school visitors, with its high chapel, quarter deck (a great hall) and Senior Gunroom (a dining room). There is also a good museum.
The guide reveals the lawn where Prince Philip first met his future bride, who was then 14. More interesting to me was the fact that the college was open to tourists, as well as to officers from almost every navy in the world. They all pay, you see. It isn't only farmers who have had to diversify in the West Country.
Fact file
The Little Admiral Hotel, (01803 832572).
Single room £45-£60, double £80-£120.
Hooked , Higher Street (01803 832022).
Royal Naval College tours from 6 August (01803 834 224).
Coleton Fishacre (01803 752 466). Open daily. Entry £4.70
