Going on holiday by yourself can seem really daunting. What if you’re lonely? What if you hate it? Will everyone see you alone and cast their pitying eyes over you?
A really simple way to dip your toe into the world of solo travelling is to add a day or two on to a trip already organised with other people. You have the comfort of spending time with others for the bulk of your trip and the safety of thinking ‘this is only for a night’ if you really don’t get along with your solo adventuring.
I did exactly that just recently. A friend invited me down to stay at a cottage he was renting in Cornwall and I wanted to make the most of the long journey by extending my trip with a little solo add-on. I use it as an opportunity to explore places I really want to investigate but never seem to get to on my usual holidays.
Choosing a destination
My hit-list included Lyme Regis and Dartmoor, but Lyme was too far east for this journey and I’ve seen some amazing photos from friends wild camping in Dartmoor and wanted to experience a little of the wind whipping wildness for myself. Usually I just sail right on by as I’m focused on reaching the beach, but this was a fantastic opportunity to check it out.
There’s been quite a lot of noise about the reinstatement of the Dartmoor line, which runs between Exeter and Okehampton and provides access for visitors, walkers and campers to the northern side of the national park. So, the idea of a detour into the park had become lodged in my mind since the line’s inaugural ride in 2021. The line opening has been a huge success, not just for visitors, but changing the patterns of where people can live and work, allowing the towns along the route to welcome new residents and become more vibrant communities. I wondered if I should take a look at these revived towns for myself.
In the end, I plumped for Chagford, a thriving market town that promotes itself through a multitude of festivals and events, including Chagstock, Chagfilm and Chagword. In fact, my arrival coincided with an unexpected (to me) food festival, which definitely should have been called Chagfood to keep up the theme.
Activities
The town was buzzing and stalls were crammed into the small market square. The car park at the bottom of the town was overflowing and hungry folk were making their way towards the gaiety, their noses leading them ever closer towards the delicious smells. If only I hadn’t made an early lunch stop at the fabulous Gloucester Services I would have been ready to sample the wares (I can’t help myself, I’m a sucker for a farm shop, even if it is on one of the busiest motorway routes in the country).
Instead, I contented myself with a good mooch and resting awhile by the local musicians, who were serenading the browsers with a wonderful folksy sound, accompanied by a jolly accordion player. A thoroughly British village afternoon out – and a very gentle way of easing into solo travel.
The other activity I often do when flying solo is a good old walk, to get my bearings, see the local sights, feel connected to the surroundings and keep my mood uplifted. I chose two walks: the Fernworthy reservoir circuit and a climb up Meldon Hill.
Fernworthy reservoir is a tranquil nature reserve with bird watching huts and fishing available. There’s also a picnic area and a well stocked coffee and snack van in the car park. A walk around the shoreline is a peaceful way to spend an hour or two, but it didn’t quite have the bite I was looking for; I’d come for wild ponies, autumn heathers and windswept views.
Meldon Hill gave me that. It also gave me, when asking for directions, an elderly lady providing an unwanted competition, by telling me it took 20 minutes straight up to the top. If she could make it in 20 minutes, what time was acceptable for me? Forget leisure or enjoyment, I’d need to summit in considerably less. I was quite relieved when my map took me a different way and I didn’t have to prove my mettle. I arrived at the top from a more circuitous route (but which had the straight down to contend with – I made it in less than twenty, but if I had the choice again, I’d do steep up and gentle down to save my knees).
The view from the top of Meldon Hill was stunning: rugged, endless and with a good outcrop of tors to satisfy the most voracious of landscape photographers. This part of Dartmoor is really just dabbling round the edges – for the real deal, you can visit Fur Tor, which is the furthest point from a road on the moor – but I was content with my slice of untamed beauty, which came with the requisite wild, grazing ponies, plus bracken and heather galore.
Sleeping & Eating
There are a couple of ways you can use accommodation when going solo: either keeping it anonymous, an airbnb or similar rental where you can pick up the key without having to see anyone. This allows you to not have to justify why you are alone. It can be comforting sometimes just to get somewhere, not have to explain and just get on with planning the things you want to do. The alternative is to stay somewhere that allows you a chance to chat to the hosts, gather useful local information and provides the opportunity for micro interactions, which are often welcome when you are tout seule.
In Chagford, to be honest, it was such a late booking, that I wasn’t sure which I was heading towards. It ended up as the latter – and my super friendly hosts at the Folklore Kitchen and Social showed me up to my room, introduced me to their new labrador puppy and gave me some great tips about the local area. I did find myself doing that thing: ‘ I have got friends really’ when chatting to them, with exclamations of ‘just stopping off’ ‘friend in Bude’. Really, I berated myself afterwards, I should be owning my solo trip, but they looked young and hip and I couldn’t help myself from blurting these apologetic explanations out. We’re all fallible, even the ‘mostly’ confident amongst us, especially when faced with cool people turning their dreams into reality.
So, what of the food options? Matt at Folklore recommended either the Globe or the Three Crowns for dinner. He was getting take-out fish and chips from the Globe, so I headed there, following his lead. It’s a traditional country pub at the end of the village, looking directly over the church which has magnificent views of the hills behind. I entered via the bar entrance and the locals were a little surprised to see me hesitantly looking for anything that looked like a restaurant. They were kind though, and helpfully told me to shimmy right through the bar service area to get through to the restaurant. Despite feeling a bit awkward, I took them up on their suggestion (but didn’t pour myself a pint on the way through).
I tucked myself in a corner by the bar, which was perfect for watching all the comings and goings, the landlord’s banter and stroking a few dogs who were coming in for Sunday dinner with their owners. I plumped for the veggie pie purely because it came with dauphinoise potatoes and I was hankering for comfort food. It was tasty and fitted the bill (although the plate was quite busy with a lot of different flavours going on and had a huge sprig of rosemary looking like a flagpole in the centre).
I ventured into the thatched Three Crowns after dinner to see what I had missed out on. It was a much more modern interior and seemed pretty friendly, so I stopped for a glass of wine and a read of my book, there was a solo diner sitting right opposite me, clearly not worrying about being alone either (so much so, he didn’t even acknowledge my aloneness with a nod of the head, smile or anything remotely resembling curiosity).
Monday breakfast was also an eating out event. Folklore isn’t open on a Monday, so I strolled out to see what I could find, desperate for coffee. Right on the Square was the Birdcage, which had everything I could possibly be hoping for in a brunch context: pastries, croissants, sourdough and more. I settled into one of the outdoor seats for two coffees and eggs on sourdough.
It was a suntrap, so wonderful to let the rays wash over me. I did eventually start to swelter in my jumper (the guys at the other outdoor table were sensibly in their flip flops and t-shirts) but it was a thoroughly pleasant way to bring myself round to the day. I definitely would have like 2 pieces of toast for my two eggs, not just one, especially as I was just about to set out hiking and may have needed the energy. Oh well, it’s good to have a bit of restraint (and I would definitely re-visit the cafe, the single piece of toast wasn’t a deterrent, just a friendly warning for hungry visitors).
And with that, the side trip to my trip was done. It was over quickly, with no time at all to feel lonely or a bit shy. Being a small village meant that the people had been friendly, had taken time to chat to me and made me feel welcome.
A perfect introduction to solo travelling.