Guest Blog Post
Dartmouth rewards the effort of getting there. The town sits at the mouth of the River Dart, its painted houses climbing the steep hillside above a harbour full of boats, with Kingswear facing it across the water and Dartmouth Castle guarding the entrance from the sea. It is also a long way from London: roughly 230 miles, and a drive of four and a half to five hours without stops.
Most people coming from London treat that drive as something to get over with. It does not have to be. Windsor Castle stands just off the road west, about 25 miles from central London and only 20 minutes from Heathrow, and a morning there turns the journey into the first day of the holiday.
Why stop at all
Five hours in a car is tiring, especially for families, older travellers and anyone arriving on an overnight flight into Heathrow. Breaking the journey with a morning somewhere memorable and a long lunch means you reach the coast in the evening relaxed rather than worn out. It also gives the trip a proper beginning: you have already seen one of the great sights of England before you reach Devon.
Windsor is the natural choice because it costs almost nothing in time. It sits right beside the M4, so the stop adds a few hours of visiting rather than a long detour.
Windsor Castle: a royal home still in use
Windsor Castle is the oldest occupied castle in the world and one of the King’s official homes. It has stood above the Thames for nearly a thousand years, and when the royal standard flies from the Round Tower the King is in residence. One ticket covers the whole visitor route, with a free multimedia guide.
A visit usually covers four parts:
- The State Apartments. Up the Grand Staircase to the Waterloo Chamber and St George’s Hall, still used for state banquets, with paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Holbein.
- St George’s Chapel. The Gothic chapel where Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Henry VIII are buried. It is closed to visitors on Sundays for services.
- Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. A palace in miniature from the 1920s, with working lights, running water and tiny books written by the leading authors of the day.
- The Semi-State Rooms. The Crimson Drawing Room and four more private rooms, open only in the winter season, until 22 March 2027. It is one of the best reasons to travel in the colder months.
Allow two and a half to three hours inside. Photography is allowed in the grounds but not in the State Apartments or the chapel.
Plan around the opening days
The most important thing to know is that Windsor is a working royal residence. In the current season it opens Thursday to Monday and is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and it can close at short notice for royal events. Doors open at 10am, and from November to February last entry is at 3pm.
Adult tickets are £32 booked in advance or £36 on the day, with lower prices for ages 5 to 24 and free entry for children under five. From late November the castle is decorated for Christmas, which makes a winter trip to Devon start in style.
So the order of planning matters: choose your Dartmouth dates, check that your travel day is an opening day at Windsor, buy the castle tickets online, and then arrange the rest of the journey around your entry time.
The onward drive to Dartmouth
From Windsor, the route runs west along the M4 towards Bristol, then south on the M5 past Exeter and down through the South Hams. Allow around four hours from the castle to Dartmouth, more on summer Fridays. Leaving Windsor after lunch puts you in Dartmouth in time for dinner by the river.
The final miles are the most beautiful. The lanes narrow as you come down towards the Dart, and the first view of the estuary opening out below is worth slowing down for. If you approach from the Kingswear side, the short ferry crossing into the town is a fitting way to arrive.
A sample day: London to Dartmouth via Windsor
- 9:00 Leave central London.
- 10:00 Arrive at Windsor as the castle opens.
- 10:15 The State Apartments and the Grand Staircase.
- 11:45 St George’s Chapel and Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House.
- 12:45 Lunch below the castle walls, then a short walk on the Long Walk for the classic view.
- 14:00 Depart Windsor for Devon.
- 18:00 Arrive in Dartmouth for an evening on the waterfront.
Travelling by car with a driver
For visitors without a car in Britain, or anyone who would rather not drive narrow Devon lanes after a long day, a private car with a driver makes this route easy. The driver waits at the castle while you visit, the luggage stays in the boot all day, and you are dropped at the door of your Dartmouth hotel or cottage.
London chauffeur company Tripyana runs private days out to the castle, and their guide to a Windsor Castle day trip from London covers opening days, ticket times and how long to allow. The same plan works for a one-way journey west: the castle in the morning, Devon by the evening.
Once you arrive in Dartmouth
After a morning of royal state rooms, Dartmouth is the perfect contrast. Spend the next day on the water with a river cruise up the Dart towards Totnes, walk out to Dartmouth Castle at the mouth of the estuary, or cross to Kingswear for the steam railway along the coast. The town’s restaurants make the most of fish landed nearby, and the Royal Avenue Gardens and the old quay are lovely for an evening stroll.
Returning to London
The same idea works in reverse. Windsor is only 20 minutes from Heathrow, so you can visit on your final day with your cases in the car and still reach the airport for an evening flight. It is a far better last memory of England than a motorway service station.
In short
The drive from London to Dartmouth is long, but it can be the best part of the trip. Check that your travel day is a Windsor opening day, book the castle tickets, and give yourself a full day for the journey. You will arrive in Dartmouth having already walked through one of the great royal homes of England, and ready to enjoy the river.
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