A Cycle Tour in SW England

A Cycle Tour from Crowthorne to Cornwall and back again

Our aim on this trip was to see how far we could get going SW from the edge of London, taking our time to explore the changing landscapes of southern England.

This account is mainly of interest to cycle tourists who fancy trying a similar two-week 'Travelodge tour' (other cheapish hotels are available). In these days of comfortable and fast motor transport (aside from traffic jams), you appreciate a destination even more if it takes a lot of planning and two weeks to get there and back under your own steam.

We now pre-book cheap hotels that (unlike B and Bs) allow bikes in rooms and a quick get-away in the mornings. We used to use Youth Hostels, but they are now fewer and often booked up with school parties, so we miss being able to self-cater and socialise with fellow travellers in the evenings.

1    Sat 16/04 Crowthorne to Amesbury

Rain and sleet cleared by noon leaving a cold northerly side-wind.  We found a Sainsbury’s cafe at Tadley, had a tea break and waited for the rain to stop. Later we spotted the entrance to a lovely, hidden Parish garden in East End village for lunch and discovered a garden bench under a rain cover. It was a fairly flat route, except for a steep climb over the downs.

East End village

Judy had left her battery lock keys at Crowthorne, so she had to charge the battery each night without detaching it from the eTrike, which would mean being able to bring the trike into hotel rooms.  Amesbury Travelodge helped by swapping us to a ground floor room, but we still had to tilt the trice through two narrow fire doors. There was a Little Chef nearby.

62.5 miles 1612m climb 

2    Sun 17/04 Amesbury to Glastonbury

It was a bright, sunny and cool day with a favourable wind.  The road north of Rollestone Camp had a notice saying it was closed further down; contrary to the research we had done on military roads in the area. We stayed on the B road to Chitterne, where we found a sunny bench by the church hall. Several long gentle slopes followed over chalk downs. A big sportive ride came streaming towards us in the Wylye Valley.  We found a bench and stopped for lunch at Maiden Bradley and tea was on another bench by the river in Bruton.

Approaching Glastonbury Tor

Glastonbury Travelodge was modern with a lift and wide doors, so no problems for the eTrice. There was a Dominos pizza on the ground floor or places in town a short walk away.

52.6 miles 826m climb 

3    Mon 18/04 Glastonbury to Sampford Peverell

It was cold and cloudy, but dry all day. We left on a track by the River Parrot.

Good track by the River Parrot

A head wind from the SW made it hard work across the Somerset Levels.  We found a bench by Langport Library (with toilets) for our flask of coffee/tea and noticed evidence of previous flooding on the houses in the town. Sadly, lots of unsustainable peat extraction could be seen in the next part of The Levels.

Some steep hills followed, including a big one up to the ridge where the Wellington memorial sits, although we turned off before reaching it and stopped in a field for a picnic lunch near Stoke St Mary and didn’t stop again. 

The Travelodge at Sampford Peverell let us use a disabled room as access was difficult.  The Waterloo Cross pub offered evening meals.

46 miles 926m climb

4    Day 4 19/04 Sampford Peverell to Barnstaple

It was a sunny and warm day with a following wind, but very hilly. I had to walk up one and the eTrice needed to be on top assist level of 5.

River Exe

We had a snack stop on a lovely bridge over the River Exe at Cove and stopped for lunch on the road at Knowstone. Tea was chocolate ice creams at Sainsbury’s in South Moulton. We passed Castle Hill at Filleigh then Judy got carried away on the old main road and missed the turn to Hannaford, so we descended all the way down to Swimbridge before I caught up.  We found a way back to our route and more hills.

It was a tricky route though Barnstaple town, then we found the Travelodge on the A39.  The manager opened a fire door, but it was still very narrow and we had to wiggle the Trice in. This hotel was geared for motorists and there was just a KFC and a petrol station there, so we walked down the grass verge to Sainsbury’s and bought a picnic supper.

45 miles 1405m climb

5    Day 5 20/04 Barnstaple to Okehampton

River Taw at Barnstaple

It was a strong and helpful easterly wind, dry and sunny as we followed the excellent Tarka trail out of town and through Bideford. We should have stopped at one of the many benches (some with wooden sculptures of people sitting on them) along the Tarka Trail, but we ended up sitting on a couple of pallets by a farm for a coffee break.

Bench on the Tarka Trail

Lunch was on a bench at Hatherleigh and tea at Waitrose in Okehampton (with free coffee). It was a stiff climb to Okehampton station and then a level disused rail track to the Travelodge well outside town.

Disused railway near Okehampton

Here we moved into a disabled room as other doors were very narrow. The Travelodge was isolated so we ate at the Little Chef.

44 miles 1372m climb 

6    Day 6 21/04 Okehampton to Wadebridge

Dry E wind, cloudy and mild.

Our first stop was by the River Kensey in Launceston at the clapper bridge.  There were badly surfaced lanes on this stretch.

The Clapper Bridge at Launceston

Lunch was near Bodmin Moor.  It was a nice ride on common land with several wild horses around. We couldn't find the lane to St Tudy, so went via Longstone.

Horses on Bodmin Moor

Tea was on a bench at St Mabyn. Lidl at Wadebridge for shopping then up hill to the Travelodge, with easy access for the trike. The Falcon next door was a Marstons pub. 

50 miles 1139m climb

7    Day 7 22/04 Wadebridge to Hayle

It was wet all day. Luckily we found a church porch at St Columb Major for elevenses as there was no cafe.  We stopped briefly at a bus shelter in Zelah for lunch and again at Morrisons cafe in Redruth for tea, passing the impressive engine house at East Pool Mine.

Mine engine house near Redruth

We used a revised route via St Day to avoid muddy tracks in bad weather. The Travelodge was fine. There was a pub and a Lidl nearby.

44 miles 1389m climb

8    Day 8 23/04 Hayle to St Austell

It was time to head back on a more southerly route.  Sunny with a cold north wind and a very tough day - we left late and arrived after 7pm. On the A394 two cars crashed right in front of us, which was quite frightening. A people carrier went into the back of a pick up truck turning left - they were all OK so we carried on. In Constantine we interloped for tea and cakes at a jumble sale in the village hall. We stopped again on a bench at Port Nevas for an early lunch then at Asda in Falmouth for Judy to change clothes.

Port Nevas

Our next break was in Devoran before going to the King Harry ferry (free for cyclists) at Trellisick.

King Harry ferry on the River Fal

Path over the beach at Pendower

We followed National Cycle Route 3 to reach The Roseland Heritage Coast at Pendower Beach, then climbed up to Veryan with its peculiar round houses.

Round houses at Veryan

The road to Tippets Shop was flooded so we diverted onto the A3078 and B3287 to get to St Austell, where in the evening we walked into town for a take away curry.

56 miles 1804m climb

9    Day 9 24/04 Rest Day St Austell 

We walked the two miles to the historic port of Charlestown in the morning to visit the Shipwreck and Heritage Museum.

Tall ship in Charlestown harbour

In the afternoon we cycled to Mevagissey, once the centre of Cornwall’s pilchard fishery, and Portmellon on The Cornish Riviera, then back via the (no longer) Lost Gardens of Helligan.

Mevagissey harbour

It was sunny with a cold north wind. Our evening meal was at The Rann Wartha pub in St Austell. Rann Wartha is Cornish for Higher Quarter, where most most the china clay mines were located from the mid 18th centry.

17 miles

10    Day 10 25/04 St Austell to Plymouth

Showery at the start then dry and cold with some sun. A very hilly day and I had to walk up several. We followed signs to the Polruan ferry in Fowey, but it had moved to Town Quay.  They used a very small boat but the captain helped lower the trike into it.

Leaving Fowey on the Polruan Ferry

It rained as we arrived so we found a nice cafe (Crumpets) in Polruan.

Polperro

Polperro was crowded with tourists. The planned route out of town was a no entry on Talland Hill. It looked very steep too, so we retraced and used the easier A road up the hill. Talland Bay had a very steep path down on the coastal path, but fortunately no steps.

The path down to Talland Bay

Here we had a picnic lunch but there was a cold wind. The descent into Looe was very steep and my disc brakes wouldn't hold - I had to adjust them after walking down. This was followed by a very steep lane up out of East Looe - another walk. We stopped in Seaton Bay in a shelter for a rest and a welcome flask of tea/coffee.

Seaton Bay

After Seaton we stayed on the B road via Crafthole with some great views over Plymouth Sound.

Plymouth Sound

At Cremyll we were expecting a car ferry, but it was a tiny foot ferry and another tricky lift for the trice, but the ferrymen were very helpful.

Cremyll ferry to Plymouth

It was a big Travelodge and JDW in Plymouth, with a noisy party of Welsh rugby fans.

43 miles 1674m climb

11    Day 11 26/04 Plymouth to Exeter

An extremely hilly day with several 20% climbs that I had to walk. A few showers but mostly cold and sunny.

The Mayflower sailed from here in Plymouth

It was a nice ride out of Plymouth by The Hoe and we followed cycle routes via Saltram House to our first break at Tesco, Lee Mill.  Later we had a snack in a bus shelter at Bittaford during a heavy shower. From South Brent the hills were really steep and we stopped for a pleasant picnic lunch in Buckfastleigh in The Orchard, Millennium Green. Judy insisted on cycling up to Dartmoor as she was fed up with not being able to see over high hedges. It was a stiff climb and a gale force cold head wind on top, but some great views.

Struggling to stand in the gale on top of Dartmoor

More very steep hills followed before stopping at the A382 for a snack. The Travelodge had a restaurant. Here we were lucky again that a disabled room was free on the ground floor.

56 miles 1994m climb

12    Day 12 27/04 Exeter to Ilminster

Cold NW wind with frequent hail showers.  11s was on a bench in Ottery St Mary between rain showers.  Some long climbs followed, including a 20% after Ottery St Mary, and we paused for lunch in a public garden in Colyton. We took a shortened route and went via a ridge near Membury and into Ilminster for Tesco shopping. We appreciated getting a disabled room at the Travelodge and ate in the Little Chef.

Old stables at Clayhanger

48 miles. 1253m climb

13    Day 13 28/04 Ilminster to Ringwood

It was a dry day with sunny intervals and a following wind, still cold especially when cloudy, but only one steep hill.

We avoided the A303 roundabout by using A358 via Donyatt.  11s was on a bench in East Coker and lunch at the bus shelter at King's Stag. Winterbourne Houghton was a pleasant place for a 2nd lunch: bench, rubbish bin, defibrillator, post box and phone box - what more could the cycle tourist want?

Winterbourne Houghton

We stopped for shopping at Tesco in Blandford Forum. Rain threatened so we only had a brief stop at the roadside for a flapjack. We were now in a popular area and Ringwood Road from Three Legged Cross was very busy, despite being a minor road.

New Forest ponies on Holt Heath

We relaxed in another disabled room at the Ringwood Travelodge.

62 miles 1340m climb

14    Day 14 29/04 Ilminster to Crowthorne

The Trice right tyre had a nasty thorn so a puncture needed fixing, but we got away at 7:45. It was another very cold day after a sunny start, high cloud then a few hail showers. It was a tail wind and only a couple of steep hills, giving us the highest average speed so far.

We took a direct route beside the A31 to a disused rail crossing over the Avon then up to The New Forest.  Lots of ponies, a few tame donkeys and cattle were roaming around.

I stopped for a roadside coffee, but Judy was too cold to want to stop long, so we stopped again later down the road.

We had half a sandwich in a bus shelter at King's Worthy and the second half at Preston Candover church yard. Tea was at Fountains Cafe in Odiham before arriving back at our starting point in Crowthorne in a hail shower.

71 miles 1475m Climb

Route Tracks
Totals for the tour: 703 miles and 17,730 metres climb. 
Travelodge rooms cost an average of £32.85 a night.

Photo album

16 April 2016