Phyll and Bob’s London - Cornwall Cycle Ride, May 2000
...using the National Cycle Network routes 4 and 3, the Thames Valley, Severn & Thames and West Country Way cycleways, being a celebration of their ruby wedding anniversary and the official opening of the National Cycle Network.Thursday, 11 May
Having travelled by train to London Liverpool Street, we’d intended making a beeline for the river, crossing it at London Bridge to get onto the Thames Path. Somehow we got lost, finding ourselves in the vicinity of St Paul’s cathedral, eventually crossing the river at Southwark Bridge and getting onto the Path there. Police were in evidence as on this morning the Queen had opened the nearby Tate Modern gallery. I spoke to two policemen, asking about the unfinished foot/cycle bridge which the Queen had dedicated a few days earlier. She should have opened it but the bridge was unfinished due, apparently, to delay caused by the discovery of a rare fresh water mussel, which had to be rehomed elsewhere. The police asked where we were cycling to. They were amazed to hear we were off to Cornwall. (This was the first of many incredulous remarks made to us as we progressed on this trip. Was it really possible to cycle from London to Cornwall? Sometimes we wondered this ourselves.)
Route 4 does not start until Putney Bridge so we had a few miles of Thames Path to cover before we got there. This we did by a combination of cycling and walking, when the number of pedestrians made cycling difficult. There were the usual numbers of path closures and diversions due to construction work, making progress slow. At least the rain had eased a bit by now.
From Putney Bridge we were on new territory, at least for a few miles. In fact, we weren’t sure when we’d reached this bridge - asked someone! We started seeing our first Route 4 signs, though they let us down soon afterwards. We cycled round Barnes at least twice before someone put us right. Had a lovely evening ride through Richmond Park, on the Route again. Eventually regained the riverside at Teddington Lock. Crossed Kingston Bridge - major roadworks in progress which prevented us getting on to the Thames path by Hampton Court Park. Time was getting on so we took the main road through to Hampton Court Bridge, regaining the riverside beyond it. It was recognisable again as we’d walked here just a couple of years ago while staying with friends living nearby. At that time we’d spoken to a group of touring cyclists, which had encouraged us to consider doing this route ourselves sometime.
We continued along the river, passing Sunbury lock, crossing to the north side at Walton Bridge to find our night’s accommodation. I’d arranged for us to stay with an old schoolfriend, Moira, who lives at Shepperton, just off our route. She’d asked us to arrive by 5pm. Here it was, 7.30pm! She and husband Desmond had just started on their dinner, with ours keeping warm in the oven, when we arrived. Fortunately they were very understanding, especially when I pointed out the unreliability of getting anywhere by a set time when on a bike, particularly on unknown territory. We had a very enjoyable evening together and were glad of a nice relaxing bath.
Total mileage: 35.5 Average speed: 7.14 mph Time taken: 5hr Max speed: 28mph
Route and signage: route fine, especially along river and through parkland; signage inadequate for the built-up area of the route.
Friday, 12 May
After breakfast and a photo session in the garden, we set off along the route Moira had suggested and written down for us. It turned out to be the ‘proposed route’ on the Sustrans map. It took us along the riverside from Shepperton ferry, under the M3, through Laleham and Staines to Egham. Here we crossed Runnymede field and had a bit of bother trying to cross the A30, but the route was well engineered and signed. We stopped to admire the Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial before entering Windsor Great Park. We passed through Windsor and Eton and continued on to Maidenhead.
In Maidenhead we had arranged to stay with Lisa, a fellow member of Women Welcome Women World-wide (5W), an international organisation whose members offer friendship and accommodation to each other. Lisa and I had never met before, only through our letters, but we knew something about each other through the details given in the membership list. Lisa is Finnish and her house, which we had no difficulty in finding, had Scandinavian touches. Bob and I went out for an evening meal in a recommended pub - excellent! A lovely day.
Mileage: 27.6 Ave. speed: 7.25mph Time taken: 3hr 48min Max speed: 25mph
Route and signage: Excellent route, much of it off-road, very picturesque. Only problem was steep up-hill section from Runnymede to the Air Forces Memorial. This was very wet and muddy. A struggle; I needed help! Signage excellent throughout.
Saturday, 13 MayAfter breakfast and another photo-call we left Lisa’s residence to get back on Route 4 again. Not much difficulty finding it, down by the railway station. The problem was getting to it for the whole of Maidenhead town centre was one big construction site with diversions and traffic everywhere. We made it eventually and found our route very well signed as far as the town outskirts, but then it let us down or was it just that we missed a sign somewhere? We found ourselves on the A4 for a little while - yes, part of the route. Then we went off to the left, cycled through a village and came back to the A4, straight over and into wooded countryside. No signs here (in fact, we must have missed one earlier for we never got as far as Knowl Hill which we should have passed through before crossing the A4) but we followed what we thought was the right road as on the Sustrans map (should have had the OS map to check). We went through a lovely bluebell wood - time for another photo-call - then went zooming down a long hill, eventually landing up on a very busy main road. Which road was this and where was it heading? We had no idea where we were - in fact we were probably near Hurley - but the driver of an empty coach parked in a layby opposite allowed us to look at his road atlas to find out. We found we were on the A4130 headed for Henley-on-Thames, with several miles of fast traffic to contend with. Eventually, just before Henley, we came to the junction with the A321 Wargrave road, with a very inviting pub right beside it. Here we partook of some very tasty sandwiches, which raised our morale, before setting off to regain our correct route at Wargrave. We then followed the route into Reading, though needed to ask advice to find the Thames-side path.
In Reading town we wanted to go to the railway station to ask about trains to Newbury next morning. How difficult that was! Found it eventually and, using the Reading street map, managed to find Elizabeth’s home on the southern edge of town, near the university. (I’d attended this university for one of my OU summer schools and thought I knew it well. What a delusion!) Elizabeth is another 5W member who made us very welcome in her home, and what a beautiful home! Interior design is one of her hobbies. This time Elizabeth had cooked us a meal, to which she’d also invited a friend, Tony. A lovely evening to make up for a rather traumatic day.
Mileage: 28. No other details - Bob had mistakenly cancelled his tachometer before they’d been noted.
Route and signage: Apart from having to cycle on the A4 for a short distance the route was fine. Pity that lack of signage, or our missing it, caused us problems.
Sunday, 14 MayWe had difficulty finding Reading station again - it appears to be situated on an inaccessible island! Found it eventually, then had problems finding the platform we wanted - up the other end of the station it seems. Had a long wait for a train - nearly an hour - and not a seat in sight. Aren’t people expected to sit while waiting for trains these days? Eventually we got on the Thames train to Newbury, as advised on the Sustrans map as apparently some sections of the Kennet & Avon canal towpath are not yet open to cyclists. It is open from Newbury however so this is where we started our day’s ride.
A very picturesque route along the towpath and all was going well until we came upon some workings, near an overflow river off to our right (near Enborne Copse marked on the map). Being Sunday there were no workmen around and they had left the area very difficult for cyclists, especially heavily laden ones like us. There were trenches and pipes all over the place. We were very fortunate that at that precise moment a young man out for a jog came along. He assisted in getting us on our way again.
At Hamstead Park the route leaves the towpath and takes to a lane running more or less parallel with the canal. This took us through Hungerford and on to Great Bedwyn where we left the canal for now. We then took the alternative route, through Savernake Forest and on to Marlborough (having done the route through Pewsey and Devizes on a previous occasion). Savernake Forest was beautiful - deep, dark and mysterious, just right on a hot sunny day. In Marlborough we found a most welcome teashop in the main street. Our large teapot supplied a copious amount of much needed liquid refreshment, and one of the waitresses knew where we would find our pre-arranged accommodation. Although we were originally to have stayed with another 5W member, at the last minute there’d been a change of plan due to the illness of her husband. Libby had arranged for us to stay with a friend living opposite although our bikes were left in her garage. Jo told us Libby’s husband had died the previous day, from cancer at the age of 52 - tragic! Later we had an Italian meal at the nearby Caffee Uno. A warm evening.
Mileage: 28.27 plus train Ave. speed: 7mph Time taken: 4 hours Max speed: 33mph
Route and signage: no problems apart from that related above
Monday, 15 May
We left Jo’s early, bought some bananas, then left the chaos of the High Street in the rush hour and took to the lovely peaceful path alongside the River Kennet which is Route 4. We took the low level alternative to the Downland route, running parallel to the river and the A4. We had to touch the latter to reach the B4003, Stone Avenue, to Avebury. It wasn’t signed, either as Route 4 or as the B road to Avebury (which it was), so we cycled right past it, though not oblivious to its possibilities. On reaching Silbury Hill we knew we’d come too far and retraced our ride - not too easy on such a fast main road.
I’d always wanted to see Avebury’s famous circle of standing stones, but what was this? The curving and very busy B road going right through the centre of the stone circle, with people including a class of middle school children trying to cross from one half circle to the other and no security from a pedestrian crossing - however does Wilts CC and the road safety people allow it? After a few photos we found the lane, shortly to become a track, which is Route 4 - again no signs but clearly the route as marked on the Sustrans map. The going became difficult - deep, sun-hardened ruts, quite difficult to push our bikes along - impossible to ride. Then, at a place where deep ruts were filled with water, Bob fell over - right onto his bike. Lots of blood - he’d fallen onto his large chain wheel - and here we were right in the middle of nowhere! Emergency action using the dressings packs we’d brought with us. Eventually the blood stopped flowing; we stopped and had the lunch we’d brought, including the bananas - felt a bit better after that. (We later heard that the ruts were caused by illegal use of the track by 4-wheeled drive vehicles.) We tried to continue along the track but it became more overgrown and difficult, in fact impossible. We took the escape route, a lane leading to the A4 which ran parallel to the track we’d been on. The A4 wasn’t too busy actually and we stayed on it into Calne. Here we were advised about the location of Route 4, also of a recommended nearby teashop called A Patch of Blue, situated within an enclosed courtyard where we could sit with our bikes.
Route 4 onwards from Calne was lovely - a former railway track, properly surfaced (grey hogging?), with sculptures and a new Millennium bridge over the A4, now horrendously busy - glad we didn’t have to go on that bit! The lovely track continued, with lots of cyclists on it, though none heavily laden like us; so far we’ve not met any other long-distance travellers on the whole trip. We were going along happily when, all of a sudden, we came upon a blockage. A strongly-constructed fence barred our way, with the well-surfaced track continuing on the other side. Other cyclists simply lifted their bikes over the fence, climbed over themselves, and continued on their ride. Before we could do likewise we had to unload our bags from our bikes (front and rear panniers from mine, rear only from Bob’s, all horrendously heavy) and lift them over. A few hundred yards further on we had to do the whole thing again to get over a well-secured gate barring the way but this time a young woman cyclist assisted us. We were told that it was a protestation by the local landowner, the Earl of Lonsdale (I think), a friend of Prince Charles no less. Pity he doesn’t get on his bike and do the trip we’re doing; he might get a different idea about cyclists and cycling then.
Eventually we reached Chippenham where we were to spend the night with Betty, another 5W member. We had some difficulty finding her address but after phoning her from the local sports centre and noting down her instructions we got to her eventually. Betty was an older person and the only one we stayed with who’d been a 5W member several years, with experience of previous guests and travels herself. As soon as we’d arrived she offered us the use of her washing machine, which we accepted gratefully. Later we had a very nice meal and spent the evening chatting. I felt Betty’s enthusiasm for 5W - this is what it’s all about! Pity so many members (myself included up till now) don’t make more use of this excellent organisation; many leave after only a year or two without having used it properly as the subscription is quite high.
Mileage: 26.34 Ave. speed: 6.5mph Time taken: 4 hours Max speed: 25mph
Route and signage: Several problems, as outlined above. Wilts CC are not very diligent about their signing, in fact probably the worst county in this respect. The route between Avebury and Calne, though well-outlined on the Sustrans map, was physically impossible to use.
Tuesday, 16 May
We were not so early leaving today and did some shopping before leaving Chippenham. From the Sustrans map we had no difficulty in finding our westward route out of the town, by bridge over the A350, then out into the countryside. We passed through Corsham - bit confusing, needs more signs. Now we were on a southward route, to Bradford-on-Avon.
We’d been in this town before, 5 years ago in fact, when we’d had afternoon tea in a lovely floristic courtyard attached, we thought, to a pub. This time we looked all over for this delightful tea-stop but couldn’t find it - pity! A lovely little town but loads of traffic; we quickly found the river and canal-side path to take us on our way to Bath. This is a most interesting and picturesque stretch of Route 4. At the Avoncliff Aqueduct, which carries the Kennet & Avon Canal over the railway and River Avon, we stopped at a pub for a most welcome pot of tea and a delicious slice of cheese-cake. Continuing along the towpath we had the Dundas Aqueduct to negotiate. We also had distant views and woodland, all remembered from that previous occasion. Coming into Bath there were plenty of cyclists out for an evening ride along the path. A cold wind from the SW had now got up (from the E previously which had helped us along). We reached Bath city centre and the location of our accommodation but we had to buy a local map to find it.
What an extremely hilly place Bath is! It was quite a struggle to reach Virginia’s house at Fairfield Park. Virginia is another 5W member, a young teacher. She made us a nice meal and we spent a pleasant evening.
Mileage: 28.5 Ave. speed: 6.5mph Time taken: 4.5 hours Max. speed: 23.5mph
Route and signage: Excellent route, especially along the K&A canal towpath. As we’d come to expect in Wilts, it could have been better signed.
Wednesday, 17 May
At a bike shop down by the railway station we tried to get front panniers and rack fitted on Bob’s bike, but were unsuccessful - they were too busy. I was very satisfied with my front panniers, which I’d had fitted before leaving home. As long as they were pretty evenly balanced, along with the heavier rear panniers, the whole made for a very stable, though heavy, arrangement. With rear panniers only, Bob’s bike was far too back-heavy, which may have contributed to his falling over two days ago. The weight could also cause excessive wear on the rear wheel. We hoped he’d have more success in Bristol, our next stop.
We had no difficulty finding our onward route, the Bath-Bristol railway path, which again we had cycled 5 years ago. Today it was very windy and cold - what a contrast to our previous hot weather. We arrived in Bristol early afternoon so decided to call on the Sustrans office today instead of waiting for tomorrow. Oh dear, our early arrival caused some embarrassment - they’d been expecting us tomorrow and had planned to have a cake and present us with a signed book to mark our anniversary. Well, we had the book, fresh off the press, about The National Cycle Network, although they kept it to obtain John Grimshaw’s (the director’s) signature before sending it to our home address by post. Seeing the added weight we were glad of this arrangement. We were also very glad of the pot of tea they refreshed us with - thank you, Sue and Veronica for your thoughtfulness.
While we were in the Sustrans office we had some advice about our onward journey. Because of the width of our loaded bikes (mine is about 28" wide) we were advised not to try cycling the towpath of the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal but to take the train instead - there were pinchpoints which we’d have difficulty with. Pity but we’d done this route before, on the Sustrans Trailblazing Ride in 1996, so we weren’t too disappointed. We also had advice on a good bike shop not far away where Bob might be successful in getting front panniers fitted. So we went off there next.
With Bob’s new front panniers now fitted, we came back to Mary’s flat at Merchants’ Quay, right beside the river, where we were to spend the next two nights. Mary is another old schoolfriend (she’d been one of my bridesmaids)
and we’d stayed with her many times before. This is where we planned to take a rest day after a week on the move. We had a lovely meal and spent the evening talking and playing Boggle.
Mileage: 20 Ave. speed: 6.7mph Time taken: 3 hours Max speed: 18.7mph
Route and signage: Lovely route - the Bath-Bristol Railway Path is a classic, a great asset to visitors and locals alike. We had some problems with a few pinch-points but didn’t have to de-bag. Signs OK, no problem finding the route.
Thursday, 18 May
A rest day in Bristol. We had an early start though as we had a short slot on Radio Bristol just before the 9am news - live from the studio in Whiteladies Road. We spoke about our ride and why we’re doing it. In the studio Bob had a squeaky chair so he had to keep still! After lunch we went for a walk with Mary and did some shopping. What a change in the weather! Now very strong, cold wind with heavy showers; we’re not used to this!
Friday 19 May
We left Mary’s early to continue on our way - still raining a bit but not for long. We left Bristol by the south, following routes as shown on our newly-acquired cycle route map. Unfortunately we slipped up for this route included a foot bridge over the railway (Bartlett Road) - lots of steps, a cycle channel far too close to the side to be useful to us with our wide loads, and with broken glass everywhere. What a mess!
Out from Bristol we continued south up Broadoak Hill - very steep! But we flew down to Chew Magna and the Chew Valley country park. We were now on Route 3 of the National Cycle Network, the West Country Way. We had an excellent meal in the restaurant here, which brought back happy memories of our last visit here during the Sustrans Trailblazing Ride in ’96. Heavy rain while we were eating but fortunately no more that day. We continued south with a very steep climb up onto the Mendips, then a fast zoom down into Wells and on to Glastonbury and Street. We stayed that night at Street youth hostel, as in ’96; bit quieter this time but not so interesting. We had a lovely view from our bedroom window, over Street and the surrounding countryside. We could see for miles, including the hills (Mendips) between us and Bristol.
Mileage: 38 Ave. speed: 6.7 mph Time taken: 5hrs 40mins Max speed: 38.5mph (our fastest ever!)
Route and signage: Apart from the problems encountered in Bristol, not on Route 3, it was a lovely, well-constructed route. We found Somerset to be the best signed of all the counties we passed through. Congratulations, Somerset!
Saturday, 20 May
We left Street YH around 10am - lovely hostel, we could have spent another night there. We freewheeled down to rejoin Route 3 into Bridgwater, by a rather roundabout route through Chedzoy. This took us under the M5 and alongside the River Parrett, a route we remembered from ’96. On the outskirts of the town we chatted to the local Sustrans ranger for some time and, while doing so, the local CATI Group came along - a dozen or more novice cyclists out for a ride. Oh dear, those steps still there, just as we entered the town. Most inconvenient!
Following the advice we’d received from the folk at Sustrans we decided not to attempt to cycle the canal towpath into Taunton but to take the train. We found we had over an hour to wait for the train so had our packed lunch on the platform. By now the sky had clouded over and it was cold. At Taunton we left our bikes at The Bike Park (charge 20p each for secure parking) and went for a walk around the town. While we were having tea in a tea shop it started raining, eventually quite hard. We found our B&B address (we’ve run out of convenient 5W members, friends and YHs), arriving pretty wet! Our hosts were an elderly couple living in a large Victorian terraced house with a long, narrow, very cluttered rear garden which we had to manoeuvre our bikes up. The facilities were pretty basic here though it was one of the more expensive B&B addresses we stayed at. We managed to get our gear dried out though.
Mileage: 21.5 + train Ave. speed: 8mph Time taken: 2hrs 40 mins Max speed: 31mph
Route & signage: Rather meandering route - will be better when the new Bawdrip - Chedzoy link constructed. Those steps could be improved - too steep and narrow, awkward when carrying heavy loads. We were very sorry to miss out the canal towpath. Better luck next time.
Sunday, 21 May
It had just about stopped raining when we left the B&B at Taunton. We soon got back on Route 3 from the town centre, a very attractive route alongside the river. We were soon out of the town and cycling through the Somerset countryside with the route well signed. We went through some lovely little villages and eventually came upon signs on the lanes - Caution Cyclists. Since we didn’t see any cyclists around we came to the conclusion that the signs must be referring to us! At Langford Budville we stopped on a grassy bank in the sun, sitting with our backs to the church wall, to drink our morning coffee.
While we were here two male cyclists (‘bums in the air’ types) came puffing up the hill followed a short time later by a young woman cycling in the opposite direction, apparently a marshal for some event. She told us there was a sponsored ride on that day, involving 100 or so cyclists. We had no sooner packed up and set off again when, just 100m up the road, we came upon a very promising looking pub, The Martlet, which did meals. Never ones to look gift-horses in the mouth we decided then and there that this would do nicely, thank you. What good fortune that we stopped here for we both had excellent meals - Bob steak & kidney pie, me chicken, ham & leek pie. There were a couple of other cyclists eating here, participating in the sponsored ride.
We continued on our route, taking the short cut to Bampton (thus missing out Tiverton). We stopped in Bampton, hoping to find a tea shop, but unfortunately were too late. Now this is the place where, on the Trailblazing ride in ’96, we (all 200 of us) were served up with a proper cooked meal, which made a very welcome change from all the buffet meals we were served at every other reception. Could we now find the place where this welcome repast had taken place? Amazingly we found we couldn’t remember much of Bampton’s layout at all.
We didn’t spend too long pondering the place as it was beginning to get late and we still had several more miles to cover to reach Dulverton, our place of rest for the next two nights. We’d stayed in Dulverton on the Trailblazing ride but again found we couldn’t really remember the layout of the place. Today our B&B address was a mile out of town, a farmhouse right by the river. An excellent abode - beautiful accommodation and, we found later, serving excellent meals. This was also one of the cheaper places. Fortunate indeed!
Mileage: 29.6 Ave. speed: 6.3mph Time taken: 4hr 45min Max speed: 29mph A very hard day - we probably did as much mileage walking up hills as we did cycling down or on the level.
Route & signage: Fine, a lovely route well-signed, though we did take one or two shortcuts, eg between Langford Budville and Appley - why go through Greenham?
Monday, 22 May
A rest day! We spent the day walking along the riverside path into Dulverton (1 mile) and beyond and generally mooching around reminiscing about our last stay here, on the Sustrans Trailblazing ride 4 years ago. We found the open space where the early morning reception had been held, with the mayor holding forth. At that hour of the morning we’d been unable to do justice to the WI members’ generosity but had taken the opportunity to stock up on our lunchtime needs. The place was sadly deserted now; I wonder how many of those other 200-odd cyclists have since made a return pilgrimage? We couldn’t find the house we’d stayed in then, even though the memory of it seemed so vivid. We found the street though - Lamb Back.
Back at our B&B accommodation we had an excellent evening meal. A highly recommended place. I later wrote and thanked them for looking after us so well.
Tuesday, 23 May
Overnight rain! Still raining in the morning; a deep depression forecast. After another excellent breakfast of porridge (as requested, a la Josie Dew) we set off on what we knew would probably be our toughest day yet.
First we had to walk up the hill - 1 arrowhead, then 2, then 1 again on the map. Took us 45 minutes. At the top we joined up with Route 3 from Dulverton, from past experience an equally steep hill. Up there was Exmoor. Lots of rain and wind but we were relieved to find many of the roads seemed to be bordered by high beech hedges which gave very welcome shelter. We reached the Sportsman’s Inn where we’d eaten last time, but there were 20mins to opening time. We were in such a drowned state we didn’t feel like hanging around so carried on cycling. Suddenly, in all that atrocious weather, we started meeting other cycle tourists, the first we’d come across since leaving Liverpool Street station. The first to stop was a young woman doing the End-to-End solo. She was headed for the pub we’d not bothered to wait for. Very shortly afterwards we met five young men, well spread out but all in the same party, also headed for the pub. One of them was wearing shorts! He looked as if he’d just climbed out of a swimming pool. The first member of the group introduced himself as Nick Cotton. In conversation we discovered he was co-author, with John Grimshaw, of the book we’d just been presented with at Sustrans’ Bristol office, on the National Cycle Network. What a coincidence!
We left Route 3 at Fyldon Common to cut across to Brayford where we found a pub serving meals so stopped off here. The food was not too good but we were blessed with a roaring log fire, before which we dried off and warmed up somewhat. Pity we had to turn out into the elements afterwards.
We arrived in Barnstaple in much the same condition as the last time we were here - extremely wet! We found our B&B right next to the path which was Route 3. In fact, from our bedroom window, in the attic, we looked right down onto it. This was one of the more expensive abodes but - oh dear! Dripping wet cyclists were not welcome here. We had no undercover or secure parking for our bikes. They were locked together either side of a clothes post. Fortunately a very thick hedge screened the garden from the cycle path so they were hidden. Although there didn’t appear to be any other guests staying, we were allocated to the attic to which we had to carry all our wet bags and gear. The room was extremely cramped - a double bed and a single in what should have been only a single room. The landlady was also very houseproud and extremely fussy. We had nowhere to hang our wet clothing except in our room - over doors, from anything which stuck out from the wall. She asked that we not hang things on the radiator without first protecting it with a towel - but did not provide one for the purpose - and she was very afraid that we might mark the carpet with our dirty drips. Bob said it was just like when he was in digs. There was no sitting room to sit in in the evening, just this cramped bedroom. And we were paying good money for this! We did at least have a good breakfast - porridge again to boost our energy.
Mileage: 26 Ave. speed: 7mph Time taken: nearly 4 hrs Max speed: 28mph
Route and signage: Both good. We did however take a short cut down off Exmoor - wonder why it goes the way it does, adding mileage?
Wednesday, 24 May
We left Barnstaple in bright sunlight with our things all nicely dried out. We remembered this from previous stay here - 2 nights, it was our rest day. Bob did some shopping before we set off along the Tarka Trail. This too was full of memories. We had morning coffee sitting outside a pub at Instow. On this Trail we met lots of other cyclists, including a couple on Bromptons. Most of the cyclists were day riders, including many on hired bikes. We got into conversation with an Ozzie guy, obviously a tourist. He’d already done the route we were on, from London to Padstow, and was now on his way back up country. He was cycle touring for several months.
After lunch sitting at a picnic table on the Trail the rain started again. What a pity - it had been so lovely till then. Eventually it became a very wet day. We left the Tarka Trail at Petrockstowe to continue our journey westward (not like last time when we’d continued on till the Tarka Trail joined up with the Plym Valley Trail). We were interested to see Sheepwash as this was mentioned as a very picturesque place in an article we’d read. In the rain it didn’t look so good! Beyond Black Torrington we came to some very steep hills down and up, so steep in fact that we were walking our bikes down them as well as up.
It started getting dark, what with the weather and the time. We had to leave the route anyway to find our next B&B, so took an escape route down onto the A3072 Holsworthy road. Not very pleasant cycling on a busy main road in the pouring rain and gathering gloom but at least the hills were not quite so steep. To reach Hollies Farm, Clawton, we’d been told to look out for brown ‘vineyard’ signs. These were most useful in leading us to our overnight accommodation.
We arrived at the farm in an even more ‘drowned’ condition than the previous night, and the accommodation was even more beautifully appointed. Oh dear, what sort of reception would we get this time! We needn’t have worried…..our bikes were parked inside a nice dry garage and our dripping wet outer clothing was hung up near the Raeburn in the kitchen. We had only 20 minutes before dinner was due to be served but that was long enough to make ourselves comfortable and have a truly lifesaving cup of tea. What a welcome we received - no worries here about drips on the carpet; this is a farm! And what a marvellous dinner we had, together with a lovely sweet Spanish white wine. We even had our own sitting room, and this was one of the cheaper B&Bs!
A truly lovely place and lovely people as hosts.
Mileage: 40 Ave. speed: 7.5mph Time taken: 5hr 23min Max speed: 29mph
Route & signage: The Tarka Trail is lovely and picturesque, but the surface in its southern section was very stony and, when wet, muddy and slippery. The hills in the Black Torrington area nearly killed us. The proposed route using a disused railway could be the solution. Signage OK.
Thursday, 25 May
We enjoyed our stay at Hollies Farm - excellent! We awoke to a much brighter day, sunny but with a strong wind blowing directly from the SW, the direction we were heading in. The countryside was also very hilly - we found we were walking as much as cycling.
Now we were off Route 4 and didn’t need to get onto it again; our route was now cross country to the sea. We passed no pubs at all on our ride, though there were plenty of Methodist chapels. So we were reduced to eating our ‘iron rations’ for lunch - digestive biscuits with cheese and apples - which we did in a sheltered spot beside a road with houses nearby. We guessed it was probably someone’s parking spot. That someone, an elderly man, was soon out chatting us up. As with so many people, he used to ride a bike a lot many years ago. So why not now?
We continued on our journey. The most unpleasant part was a one mile stretch of the A39, practically all of which we walked as it was one long uphill. We suddenly came upon familiar territory, the approaches to Boscastle, our destination. We arrived at Cliff and Joy’s home late afternoon, just in time for a very welcome cup of tea and piece of cake. We’d made it!
Mileage: 24.6 Ave. speed: 5.8mph (the slowest of the whole trip) Time taken: 4hr 15min Max speed: 31mph
Total mileage of trip: 374.27
Friday, 26 May - Thursday, 1 June
Spent having a rest! The weather for the week was not very good - rain every day except one. On Friday 26th we were up early and off to Lostwithiel where Cliff and Joy were involved in the local farmers’ produce market. I was surprised to see how useful Cliff’s wheelchair-buggy and trailer were in transporting heavy loads. On Sunday 28th Bob and I celebrated our ruby anniversary by going to church in the morning and coming home to a lovely meal cooked by Joy. On Monday 29th, Bank Holiday, we actually had a fine day and drove over to visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey. Very interesting; lots of people here enjoying the gardens in the sunshine. We then drove on to Truro for a brief visit to the cathedral. Bob and I had an appointment with Radio Cornwall, to talk about our trip live on the radio. Would you believe it - Bob again had a squeaky studio chair! We had longer this time - 15 min at 4.30pm.
During the rest of the week I managed to get Cliff and Joy’s front garden looking neat again, even if I was working in the rain, and we went for a few country and cliff-top walks. We returned home by train - Wales & West which had proper cycle racks in its guard’s van and charged £1, and Anglia without proper racks but charged £3. The most horrendous part of that journey was cycling through London from Paddington to Liverpool Street. We followed the cycle routes as given in the London Cycling Campaign’s guidebook, which involved us cycling along Oxford Street. Although not open to private cars, it was jam packed full of buses and taxis with the occasional motorbike and cyclist. The driving! Tal