Dartmoor

There is a distinct, quiet magic in returning to the roads of your youth. Growing up in Plymouth, the landscapes of South Devon, where the rugged granite tors of Dartmoor give way to sweeping coastal horizons, were the backdrop to my early life. Returning decades later aboard a motorcycle adds an entirely new dimension to that nostalgia. The long, open miles through the West Country flow past with effortless rhythm, culminating in a stay at one of Devon’s most captivating historic estates: Boringdon Hall Hotel and Spa.

Bovey Castle boasts a rich and fascinating history, one that elegantly interweaves a celebrated British retail dynasty, W.H. Smith, with the golden age of railway travel and vital service during two World Wars. Originally conceived as a private country bolthole, it has blossomed into one of the UK's most prominent luxury hotels.

The painterly bleakness of Dartmoor has encouraged the growth of many legends, not least that of the Hairy Hands – disembodied hirsute mitts that suddenly grab at one’s steering wheel or handlebars and force the victim off the road. It’s a ghost story that pertains to the Postbridge stretch of the B3212, which was purported to have seen an unusually high number of motor vehicle accidents in the early 20th century. So, you have been warned.