Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall

 

Compared to my Lands End to John o'Groats tour last year, this one has been designed with, generally, short distances between each overnight stop, the idea being to visit locations I have not previously visited or not visited for several years. My hope is that the weather is much more warm and dry than last year.

 

Saturday 9 May

Bike/train/bike/train/bike to-day. After a ride to the station and a train journey into London I had a short ride from St Pancras station to Waterloo from where I had a two and a half hour journey to Bournemouth. There are two options from here, the ferry across the mouth of Poole harbour or a ride around it. With the afternoon to fill I rode round. For most of the way I travelled through built-up areas, either residential or industrial. Together with terrible road surfaces I began to wish I had taken the ferry. The arrival in Swanage is attractive, overlooking the harbour. Once at sea-level there is a stiff climb to the youth hostel – not what I need after a terrible ride.



The hotel fronting St Pancras station



Nice parking by the rail operating company!

 

Sunday 10 May

Only 15 miles to travel from Swanage to Lulworth Cove to-day, giving me chance to spend the morning looking at the operations on the Swanage Heritage Railway. No steam trains working to-day (although there are some on display) but a regular service to the beer festival at Corfe Castle.

 

 

Examples of 'Wall Art' in Swanage
 

 

 

A rare 'find' in Swanage

I rode the hilly route to Corfe Castle and had to settle for a bacon sandwich and hot chocolate! From Corfe Castle to Lulworth Cove the road travels over the Purbeck Hills – a military firing range, KEEP OUT! Unfortunately with the mist and low cloud I was unable to take in the natural beauty of the area. The temperature was still very low when I reach the hostel at Lulworth Cove.

Corfe Castle



West Lulworth



Colourful doors in West Lulworth

An artist, painting rocks and his trousers, at Lulworth Cove


Monday 11 May

This morning the Purbeck Hills look very much as I left them last night, shrouded in damp mist. With only a short distance to travel to-day I decided to have a look around Dorset’s county town, Dorchester. In doing so I completed my ride along the Purbeck Hills and can now claim to have cycled the length of them and seem hardly anything at all.

My best view of the Purbeck Hills

Dorchester

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The brewery is closed but the square remains

 

 

 

From Dorchester to Portland the coast is also shrouded in mist and I see nothing of Chesil Beach, an area of Special Scientific Interest. My interest at the moment would be to get out of the mist and high wind – why is the wind not blowing the mist way? I started to ride to the end of the land protruding into the sea and have a look at Portland Bill, however once I saw the size of the hill to cycle up, with a prospect of seeing nothing much at the end of it all, I gave up and made my way to the hostel overlooking Portland Bay.



Wings drying in Weymouth



 Sculpture in Portland stone

Faded glory at Portland quayside

 

 

 

Do sailors still return?

Tuesday 12 May

With the mist cleared away it is time to take a look at Portland Bill and view Chesil Beach from high on the hills.

One of the steep hills in Portland

Chesil Beach. Not sand but large pebbles

Commemorating the Olympic Games of 2012, when
the sailing events were held off Weymouth and Portland

The lighthouse at Portland Bill

The sun is out but the strong wind is still blowing. The ride back to Weymouth is again along the cycle path, which turns into the Rodwell Trail, following the course of a disused railway line. Once out of the town I have an undulating ride. After turning on to a minor road at Portesham I am faced with a 17% climb for almost two miles to within sight of the memorial to the author Thomas Hardy. When I reach the top of the hill I can see the memorial but am too exhausted to ride the three quarters of a mile to get a closer look. From here it is downhill all the way to Litton Cheney, a small village not far from the coast, where the youth hostel is a very comfortable converted barn.

Litton Cheney Youth Hostel

 Wednesday 13 May

With 75 miles to cover to Okehampton in Devon, to-day is the longest distance I will travel in one day on this tour.

Bluebells in bloom near Bridport in Dorset

Whilst the day started sunny and warm as I approached the fishing village of Beer on the south Devon coast the sun seemed to give up and went off to shine somewhere else. After a break for food and drink I put my jacket on, after which the sun returned and I was overheating.
I had intended to stay on country lanes to-day but turning into the first one I was faced with a steep hill and a ‘no through road’ at the bottom. That was enough for me and I stuck to main roads most of the day. The hills were hard to-day but not over-taxing and the frequent 40 miles per hour ride down the other side was appreciated. Having said that, the climb to the youth hostel at Bracken Tor turned into a test of stamina which I only just passed.

Thursday 14 May

 

I awoke this morning to a torrential downpour and the prospect of a 50 mile ride to Minehead is not very inviting. At least it is only two thirds of yesterday’s distance. The day was so cold and wet I gave up on the idea of taking any photographs along the way as I made my way north into Exmoor National Park. With 18 miles to go I crossed the border into the county of Somerset and had two choices of route. The one I had mapped turned off the main road and involved several steep climbs. After almost four hours of riding in the rain with feet like two blocks of ice I chose to continue along the main road, which follows the river on the valley floor, there was no way I or my legs could handle any more hills. After a mile of woodland track I arrived at Minehead hostel, overlooking a wooded valley – but in this weather I can see very little of it.

Dunster, on the approach to Minehead

 

Minehead Youth Hostel

Friday 15 May

Bright sun and no sign of rain this morning, thank goodness. As I set out to retrace the route to Okehampton I avoided the climbing country lanes on the way out of Minehead and kept on the main road. I was going so well, when the time came to turn off I took the decision to continue on the main road to Tiverton. I reasoned that, given the extra distance, the additional speed and ease of riding on the main road was better than the shorter distance on the quieter but more hilly country lanes. The main road to Tiverton is almost like a country lane, unfortunately I cannot say the same for the road out of the town. 10 miles of not very good hard shoulder on a very busy road. Once I turned off I rode another 10 miles high on a ridge before the switchback road into Okehampton, where the hostel is situated in a converted railway goods shed. All the hostels are different and all are interesting. After my diversions along the main road I added an extra 10 miles to my journey, not much of a price to pay for easier cycling.

 

Saturday 16 May

The first job after breakfast this morning is to replace the brake pads on both front and rear brakes. The only downside of my touring bike is that with a combination of wet weather and hilly conditions I can get through brake pads in less than a week. That done I left Okehampton for the ride to Dartmoor. At Sticklepath I was treated to the sight of the local Morris Dance team performing by the roadside.



Dappled sunlight at Murchington,
on the edge of Dartmoor

To-day was supposed to be a ‘rest day’ with only 30 miles to cover; the constant hill climbing through Dartmoor National Park was anything but a rest.

Dartmoor at 1,523 feet

Dartmoor is famous for it's ponies

I made a visit to Princetown in the centre of the moor. Home to Her Majesties Prison Dartmoor, built in the early 1800’s it held at one time 12,000 men. It now holds around 650.

Dartmoor Prison

On each of my previous visits to Dartmoor everything has been shrouded in thick mist. By contrast to-day I have a clear view all round. To-night I am staying at Dartmoor Youth Hostel at Belevere, out on the wild moors.

 

Sunday 17 May

The weather is overcast and misty this morning as I make my way over Dartmoor on the second longest distance of this tour, 60 miles to Boswinger on the south Cornwall coast. After a short break in Tavistock, after only 10 miles I head for Liskeard and St Austell. The weather begins to look better but I have a fierce headwind to contend with, with which I battle all day. On arrival at Boswinger that is the end of long distances for this tour. For the next five days the longest ride I will make will be 35 miles, let’s hope I can have an easy time of it.

 

Monday 18 May

The first of my 'easy' days to-day, just 22 miles to Newquay. Perhaps not so easy, as I set off in rain and another strong wind on my Cornish 'coast-to-coast' journey from the south to the north coasts. The wind was sometimes a hindrance, sometimes a help but as I arrived in Newquay it was no help at all. Really strong and blustery making a very difficult job of keeping the bike in a straight line. To-night I am at 'MOR Lodge' a surfers hostel high on the cliffs overlooking the bay. Lets see if I fit in with the surf-crowd.

The beach at Newquay

An ideal location for a house in Newquay

Tuesday 19 May

As I sat having breakfast overlooking the sea this morning I became aware of two things:
(a) A marked lack of surfers in the surfer’s hostel.
(b) The wind and rain were blowing from left to right – I will be travelling right to left.
When I left the rain had stopped and as I turned inland from Newquay the wind was often a help but was gusting so badly in all directions it was almost too dangerous to cycle. Had I not had to move on to-day I would have stayed indoors. After 12 miles I turned once more towards the coast and into a fierce headwind, although most of the road was sheltered by high hedges or earth banks, keeping most of the gale away. Had the tide been in at Portreath the harbour would have been very attractive, as it was I got only the smell of rotting seaweed. With only 22 miles ridden I gave up for the day and made my way to Portreath hostel, situated on a farm near the village of Illodan Churchtown.

The harbour at Portreath - which probably smells better
when the tide is in

Wednesday 20 May

For once, a bright and sunny morning, although the strong wind takes the heat out of the sun’s rays.

Heading for Lands End my route took me out of the village and into Tehidy Country Park, over rough gravel tracks (thank goodness for heavy tyres). Once back on tarmac roads I am riding along the cliff-top road where the wind is actually a help. 15 miles covered and I arrive at the coastal town of St Ives. I came here for no better reason than it has a beautiful bay and beach area (the Cornish pasties are good as well).

The road climbs very steeply to get out again but once on top of the cliffs I have an undulating ride to St Just, the location of Lands End Youth Hostel. I have avoided going to Lands End itself. When I was there last year to start my ride to John o’Groats I was constantly asked if I had just finished or was just starting. I thought it better not to go through that again and tell people I was only visiting for a look around.

Or, St Just out of Bloom?



Porth Nanven, St Just

Thursday 21 May

At last the wind is at my back as I leave Lands End youth hostel this morning. A bright and clear morning for me to make the short ride to Penzance. After making a tour of the town and visiting the railway station to pick up my tickets for tomorrows journey home I have still only covered 18 miles by the time I make an early arrival at the hostel.

Penzance Youth Hostel

 

 

Friday 22 May

Bike/train/bike/train/bike again to-day.
After a short ride to the railway station I was comfortably aboard the 10am departure for London. As we set out it seemed I was leaving the west country as I found it two weeks ago - shrouded in mist. This soon cleared and all went well for the five hours and twenty minute journey until we passed Reading, 30 minutes from London when the train came to a stand-still. After a 45 minute delay we made our way back to Reading and all got out, to be told to catch the 'local' train to London. It seemed that eight coaches full of passengers were never going to fit onto a four coach train, already loaded with passengers. This proved to be the case and after another delay I was aboard a crowded train to London, arriving two and three quarters of an hour late, at the wrong station. I made it to the correct station but having missed my train caught one much later, eventually arriving home 'only' one and a half hours late.

Are these real west country place names?

In Summary:
14 days/13 nights of touring.
521 ½ miles.
27,710 feet of climbing.
Once again, no punctures!