south west graphic gifThe South West is one of the prime areas for tourism in the UK and has a lot to offer scooterists.  Cities like Bath and Salisbury make for interesting historical stop-off points, and quirky spots such as Glastonbury all add flavour to your tour.  The South West also seems to have a lot of villages squares, which are always a convenient to stop and have a cup of tea outside, near the fully-laden scooter.

11705770_1123309694352520_238915310736411114_oCornwall is a fantastic place to visit on a scooter, lots of picturesque villages, winding roads and dramatic views.  Of particular interest will be the Rame peninsular, from which you can take your scooter on little ferry trips across to the mainland.  Watch out for gravelly country roads.

 

Places to visit

  • The Roman Baths, Bath.  An interesting exhibit spanning through 200o years of history.  The Roman Baths are set on a precinct, so the scooter will have to be parked some way away.  When visiting Bath, we stayed a few miles away in Bathford, at the excellent B&B, Garston Cottage.  This is a very quaint village with a great pub and excellent food, this has since become the benchmark for us, that all other B&Bs are measured by.
  • Bournemouth.  Lively and cosmopolitan, with fabulous beaches, but some tricky hills.
  • 11800207_10152922574877397_798019272376516924_nGlastonbury.  Full of warlocks and witches, Glastonbury is a town like no other.  With views of the Tor and lots of things to do around the town, we recommend staying at the ancient and supposedly haunted The George and Pilgrim, with excellent food, service and accommodation.
  • Gloucester town centre is historic and attractive, we thoroughly recommend staying at The New Inn, an atmospheric old pub with lots of nooks and crannies and very helpful staff who put the scooter in the lock-up.
  • Take in some spectacular views in the Forest of Dean, stopping off at the bizarre Littledean Jail.  This is possibly the weirdest tourist attraction we have ever encountered; it does have a small but worthwhile Quadrophenia exhibition and a Northern Soul exhibition, but it is advertised as not for those of a sensitive nature.
  • Lambretta Museum, Weston-super-Mare, is a fantastic day out for any scooterist.  Tucked away in a backstreet in Weston-super-mare, it’s a disused church with adds to its charm and is crammed with Lambrettas of every shape and size and some real curiosities.  Worth making a special tour for, and possibly the only museum in the UK where the curator makes you a cup of tea. Although we have heard the museum is due to close, it was apparently open as of April 2015. Visitors are urged to buy some products from the shop to help keep the museum afloat.
  • Salisbury city centre is steeped in history and very pretty to explore, you can park the scooter quite easily near the entrance of Cathedral Close and have an enjoyable and free walk around.
  • Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain.  Windy, bleak and desolate, and a very long way from the stones and anywhere else.  For stones that you can touch, and climb upon, try Avebury.
  • The Eden Project, Cornwall.  Very busy with families during the summer holidays, one half of our party was not impressed.

Scooter Clubs