24 to 27 October 2022Day 3“Cornish Curiosities” (153.3 miles)26 October 2022Photo: gerardbrown.co.ukGraham and Marina Goodwin’s 1925 Bentley SupersportsThe distinctive 1929 Chrysler 75 Roadster of David and Jo RobertsToday we drove the longest day of the rally, enjoyingfour Tests and three Regularities. The route touredBodmin Moor and included not one, but two, tripsto the seaside as we broke out of Devon and set acourse for Cornwall.The Minibeast of Bodmin Regularity followed hard onthe heels of this industrial thrash, bringing a semblanceof calm. Here the cars climbed up onto the moor on thenarrowest of lanes and rolled past herds of miniature wildponies and stylised, wind blasted, hawthorn trees.Lunch was a real treat, finding the crews tucking into somemetaphorical porridge surrounded by the thick walls ofBodmin Jail. This one time penitentiary is now a respectableboutique hotel and restaurant and it was likely the only timeour crews welcomed “doing time”. A well judged lunch offish cakes and seasonal vegetables proved to be just thething to keep them on the straight and narrow.With parole granted for good behaviour, the recentlyreleased inmates made their way to the Cardinham CastleRegularity. Once again a series of impressive sunken lanesand wide open moorland combined into one epic landscapeas we ran into the day’s final Time Control at The Inn onthe Shore in Downderry.We were now on the south coast of Cornwall and a briefcorniche section led us into the last Regularity around StGermans that ran without the customary tulip diagrams just to add a little extra interest to proceedings.Hotel Endsleigh was almost within touching distance so,despite the proximity of the Ginsters Pasty factory on theroute home, everyone was keen to get back to the tranquilityof the walled courtyard, the comfort of the plush interiorsand the promise of another fine dinner on this, the last fullday of the West Country Cloverleaf.Werrington Park was the venue for the first two Tests, theso called Park Life and Park Life Too, which were closedroad sections run over some slippery estate roads. A narrowbridge to crest and a hill climb sprint rounded things off.From here the road turned towards the north coast ofCornwall with a quick Route Check at Crackington Havenbefore the mid morning Time Control in the impressivelysituated Camelot Castle Hotel. Perched high on the cliffs in the mythical realm of King Arthur - the crews sat down toa superb selection of coffee, cakes and home made creamteas served in a beautiful drawing room overlooking adramatic Atlantic Ocean.Next, echoing yesterday’s custard factory flirtation, camea Passage Control in Davidstow, home of one of Britain’sfinest Cheddar cheeses. Although there was no time to stopoff for a tour of the factory, Gill and John Cotton were onmarshal duties with a supply of dairy delights so, with thesmell of curds and whey left hanging in the air, we pressedon to the Royal Cornwall Showground for two Tests. TheShow Rings and Show Stalls tests again allowed those withheavier feet to push the pace just a little.www.rallytheglobe.com
It seems that your browser's pop-up blocker has prevented us from opening a new window/tab. Please click the button below to open the link manually.