Touring - Touring southwest england

I'm a Canadian cyclist planning on touring from Bodmin, Cornwall to Newburg, Somerset in April of 2003.
I would like to discuss routes, B&B's and local knowledge (including CAMRA pubs).
Is there someone out there who can help?
I would like to limit this thread to those who have information to share, rather than to members who merely wish me luck.

Hi

Well I'm in Bodmin today and two days ago cycled the 40+ miles from Camelford to Bude and back to burn off the Xmas turkey.

There are routes and maps for the trip your require.

You need to get hold of the mapas published by Sustrans
www.nationalcyclenetwork.org.uk
also take a look at the CTC site
ctc.org.uk (I think)

national cycle route 3 runs from Penzance to Bristol and beyond - It's all off main roads, and well signposted most of the way

Just to add to my earlier post CAMRA pubs can be found on the CAMRA web site, there are also a lot of good books on the subject, there is also a monthly (?) magzine called 'What's Brewing' that may give you some more ideas - however you must realise Camra pubs and cycling don't usually go together, as after two pints the pub looks better than the bike.

As for B&B's - In the West Country they are all over the place - and usually have rooms available - although as Easter is in April this year which will coincide with the school holidays you better book ahead if you are going over this period

Best place to get up to date into re B&B's is from the tourist info - there is one in Bodmin - Are you staying there a few days before you go off ??

Also, "Newburg ?" Not an English or Celtish word - Newbury (The new hill fort in gaelic) possibly ?

Have you got your transport to Bodmin and your bike situation resolved ?

Brains:
Thank you for your posting. The information will prove valuable.
This will be my second bike trip to England. I did Kent two Octobers ago (It rained 135mm in one fortnight).
Usually I leave my B&B and head to my next destination with the idea of being booked in at a new B&B by 4:00pm. That is where the CAMRA pubs come in.

You mentioned the school holiday near Easter. Do you happen to know those dates--is it before or after Easter for example? My son gets two weeks starting Good Friday, but this is Canada.

I'd appreciate the assistance.

Re School holidays - I don't have kids - In the UK the School holidays are spread out so not all the kids have the same week off, but you can be sure half will be the week before and half the week after Easter

I was in England in Sep2001 and I picked up a B&B book from these people.

http://www.bedandbreakfastnationwide.com/

I stayed with relatives between Bideford and Barnstaple in N Devon. I rented a bike in Bideford for a ride on the Tarka Trail, which may be a part of your route. It is built on an old railway line with crushed stone, so is suitable for tires 28mm or wider. Being ex-railway the grades are easy. Other parts of the route in Cornwall and Devon will have steep hills where the roads cross river valleys.

I am attaching a few pictures. It was a day of drizzle. The first is of the railway station at Great Torrington, which is now a restaurant.

Some artwork alongside the Tarka Trail

I didn't expect to find that this tunnel out in the middle of the countryside would be lit

The Tarka Trail crossing the river just South of Bideford. The wild flowers in that part of the countryside will be fabulous at that time of the year.

Andrew,
Thanks for the info and especially the photos.
That link to the B&B registry is great. I'm sure I'll use it.

Allan

Just to add to the earlier messages

Bodmin is on the Camel Trail - another ex-railway line, so no hills. Your first stop could be the pub that won 'The Best Camra Pub in Britian 2001' award which is The Oak in Blisland, it is a small village on the edge of the moor with a 1,000 year old church, and the pub is of the real 'ye olde oaken beames' type and serves good food as well as best beer.

The bad news is it is 1 mile off and 300 feet above the Camel Trail, so you will need to push/walk up, but it will be a good ride down. There is also another good pub at St Breward which is even higher and on the National Bike Route 3, which starts from Padstow, goes to Bodmin, then onto St Breward, Davidstow, and onto Bude on the north coast, and from there onto Bath and Bristol.

The National Sustras routes are well worked out and very well marked, although you do need a map - they avoid where possible the steep hills (which is almost impossible in Cornwall, but they do their best) and avoid all main roads.

The pub in Blisland
http://www.real-ale-guide.co.uk/news-releases/CAMRA_pub_of_the_year_-_10_5_2/camra_pub_of_the_year_-_10_5_2.html

This has photo's and accomo details
http://www.bodminmoor.co.uk/blisland.html


And this is the first map you will need - suggest you buy it on line as may not be so easy to get locally
http://www.sustransshop.co.uk/?f=itemdetl.php&p=NN3A

If you are not bringing a bike with you then this is probably the biggest company locally that rents bikes - Wadebridge is 5 miles from Bodmin, up the Camel trail
http://www.cornwall-online.co.uk/bridgebikehire/Welcome.html

If you are thinking of buying a bike either new or 2nd hand then the best place in the country to go to is
http://www.sjscycles.com/
Bridgewater is halfway between Bodmin and Bristol, they mainly sell by mail order, so your bike (new or 2nd hand) could be delivered anywhere (UK or Canada)

And here is the web site for Bodmin Tourist Info
http://www.cornwall-info.co.uk/details.asp?listid=141

Want any more Info ?

There are lots of good YHA youth hostels in the area, often in old country houses or prime locations. Join your local YHA before leaving. Modern YH are well equipped and comfortable and a bit cheaper than B+B. Its a good place to meet other riders and pick up local knowledge.

Brains and Michael,
Thank you for your responses.

I'd actually found info on the Blisland Inn on the net, but of course they don't tell you about the climb. Not a problem in a motor car.

I've got the Sustrans West Country Way map. I actually prefer OS maps, but they can get expensive. What I find annoying about this chart is that in tends not to mark the on-road sections with the B markings. When I was biking in Kent 2 years ago, I often found the Sustrans route markers had been removed. I inquired at a pub (CAMRA recommended of course), and a local told me the farmers take them down because they don't like a lot of cyclist going down their minor roads. (Slows down their tractors.) Could this be true?

Michael, thank you for the suggestion of youth hostels. I did that trip years ago, but I'd try it again. Do you know of any hostels along the route?

Allan

Re the OS maps - As you know they are probably the most detailed maps available commercially anywhere in the world.

Tey cost about £5.50 each and if you learn how to read them they will tell you how far up Blisland is above the Camel Trail

The newer ones, 1:25000 and 1:50000 now mark the cycle routes, as for the myth of farmers removing signs, first time I have heard that one, farmers don't drive far on roads (their tractor licences limit them to 12 miles per year) so the odd cyclist is not going to make a difference, also in Cornish lanes they have passing place every 100 yards or so, and everyone (bikes and cars) gives way to tractors

I don't know the details of the Sustrans route but from looking at their websit it seems to be well inland - nice counryside in Cornwall and Devon, but the best scenery is on the Coast. Between Bude and Bideford 2 scenic places that are not too hard to get to from the route are Hartland Quay and Clovelly. The first picture is of the coast taken from Hartland Quay - it looks its best when there is a storm blowing in from the Atlantic.

You will have to park your bike and walk down to the Clovelly. On the left of the picture is a sled used for taking goods down the street.

Another section of the coast that is worth a visit is between the Hunter's Inn in the Heddon Valley and Lynmouth. This is signifficantly off the Sustrans route so may not be worth your consideration. Two bits of OS map follow. > indicates hills steeper than 14% and >> ones steeper than 20%. The contour lines are at 10m intervals.

The grids on the map are 1 km square

Hunters Inn a good plce to eat

Heather above Woody Bay

The road around Woody Bay - not much traffic.

The Valley of the Rocks just W of Lynton

If you cant face the 25% grade between Lynton and Lynmouth you can take the Cliff Railway. There is a water tank under each car which is filled from a spring at the top and emptied at the bottom.

A good place to eat is the Rest & Be Thankful at Wheddon Cross on the B3224, S of Dunster. The pub owes its name the the climb up from Dunster. I think this is on the Sustrans route.

I am interested in the finish point of your tour - I dont know of a Newburg in Somerset and Newbury is in Berkshire.

Andrew,
Thank you for all the great pix. I'm raring to go now!
I do have one further question concerning in which direction I should travel.

In Canada I usually travel from west to east because the predominent winds come out of the west. Can this also be true for the southwest of England?

Can anyone give me some local knowledge on this?

Prevailing winds are from SW also, but in UK it will be less noticable than Canada, since there will often be high hedges along the road which will break the wind.

Andrew,
Newburg is actually Newbury. (Sorry for the typo), I think it is in Berkshire, at any rate it is near Reading. It's on the Severn and Thames Sustran route.

I actually plan to take the train from Gatwick to Bodmin, then head east along the Sustran West Country Way route to around Bridgewater, where I'll go through two OS maps (182, 183) to Glastonbury and connect with the Severn and Thames route around Devizes. Then it's up to Newbury and a train to Gatwick.
Sounds like a plan.

As pointed out in the earlier messages, the prevailaing winds are from the SW, so Bodmin to Newbury you would have the wind behind you all the way. Although in Cornwall and Devon due to the roads often being a meter or two below ground level and the 'hedges' (anchient stone walls topped with soil) which are one to two meters high, means you spend a lot of your time well protected from the elements.

From Somerset/Bridgewater the route will be flat, and the wind will make a difference. Just remember this is a maritime climate, so the wind can come from all directions, often during the course of a single day. Murphys law says it will always be against you whatever your direction of travel.

Starting in Bodmin will have the advantage of a 'target' to get to (Reading/Gatwick) but it will mean you start on the hills and go the flat, when depending on your fitmess you might prefer to get fit for the hills first. Also if you started in Gatwick/Reading and you arrived in Bodmin a day or two early, you can keep on going to Penzance in the far west of Cornwall (next stop would be New York)

NOTE: Best way to get to Bodmin from Gatwick.
At Gatwick, get on a train to London Waterloo, from Waterloo you can get direct trains to Exeter (and some direct onto Bodmin) otherwise change at Exeter for a train to Bodmin.

The other option is to get a train London Waterloo, and then ride across London to London Paddington and get a train direct. Unless you know London, or particuallly want to see part of it, I would suggest the change at Exeter is a lot easier

Times and connections etc from this site http://www.thetrainline.com

In Sep 2001 we walked to the top of Gastonbury Tor because we had never done it when we lived in the UK - I am glad we did it. Wells is worth spending some time in. On the North side of the Cathedral there is an interesting street (Vicars Close I think), one of the oldest streets in Europe still in its original condition. A cousin of mine lived there for a short time in the early 60s. Also on the N side is a clock with mechanical men who strike the bells on the hour. The moated Bishop's palace has beautiful gardens, but the visiting times are limited, so check when they are open before you look at anything else. The Swans in the moat have a bell that they ring when they think its feeding time.

The hill out of Wells onto the Mendips is a 3 mile pain, but after that the hills arent so bad. When I was a teenager I used to ride a 3 speed into the Mendips from Bristol with a load of caving equipment on my back. I just had to get off and push up all the big hills.

Andrew and Brains,
Thanks again for your excellent local knowledge. This is just what I dreamed of when I started this thread.

As to my fitness level; I confess to being almost 60, but I bike year-round in Canada including bike commuting in the city. I spend about an hour a day biking and I have done so for the past 6 years.

I'm not a big fan of hills, but I don't fade from them and if necessary, I will walk my bike, no matter how humbling.

I'm now thinking of starting off early April to avoid the Easter school holidays. What do you think the weather will be like at the end of March?

Well here if the official line - basically wet and windy. But then this is England so it is always wet and windy, just less wet and less windy during the summer which does not start until end April early May - I'd suggest if you are flexible on dates go end April/early May rather than March. May is also the prettiest month in southern England as all the flowers come into bloom.

Remember is can still snow in England as late as early April, and this is not dry Canadian snow, this is the horrible wet slushy snow wich is accompenied with a cold wet biting wind. However this would have the side effect that you would see a lot more of the inside of the Camera pubs, as you would not want to be cycling in those conditions


The climate of the South West is varied, with the main influences being altitude, aspect and proximity to the sea. The overall pattern is one of warm winters, cool summers and relatively high rainfall with consequent advantages for crop growth; although this can constrain field working due to impassable ground conditions and allied to exposure, can constrain livestock grazing periods.

The western coasts are exposed to moist, mild, westerly winds but maritime influences decline further eastwards leading to lower rainfall and colder winters. Broadly speaking temperature decreases with altitude, while wind speeds are highest in the west and on the coast, and exposure is most severe on the coast and in the uplands. Only in a few western coastal districts and on lowlands in the east is annual precipitation less than 1000mm, while Dartmoor and Exmoor receive more than 2000mm (Map 3).


Map 3: Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 1941 - 1970 (Source: The Meteorological Office)

In the driest parts of the region there can be a significant deficit below the national mean leading to drought conditions during the summer and poor availability of water resources.
The accumulated temperature measured from January shows that parts of the Region have early cropping potential and an advanced growing season compared with the rest of the country. However, in both the more exposed and the more "continental" parts of the Region not experiencing a maritime effect, the growing season lags behind that experienced in the west of the country as a whole. These areas however, compare favourably with the eastern half of the country (Map 4).


Map 4: Accumulated Temperature above 0 degrees C (Jan to June) 1941 - 1970

(Source: The Meteorological Office)

Brains,
This may be a case of duelling MET statistics. My stats are better than your stats...actually I can't see your stats but here are mine:
SUNSHINE
http://www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/location/england/sunshine.html
RAINFALL
http://www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/location/england/rainfall.html
WINDS:
http://www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/location/england/winds.html

I think I can hop a charter on April 2. There are a number of reasons I don't want to leave later including;
-Easter is busy
-I'm a church warden
-costs rise considerably after Easter (I'm budgeting $CAN 1500 for the whole trip).

5 years ago my wife went to N Devon for her stepfathers 90th birthday on Apr 1 ( thats him in the picture of the Hunters Inn). There was a mixture of sun, rain and cloud, but in most of her photos the sun seems to be shining. I think that the rain lasts for shorter periods than in Canada, so stop for a meal when it starts to rain and it will probably be over by the time you get going again. The temperature was cool enough for her to wear a spring jacket or sweater when she went out walking, but shouldnt be uncomfortable for biking - take full finger gloves.

There were daffodils in all the villages, and primroses and celandines (yellow) along the country roads. The wallflowers were just starting to come out.

Hi everyone,
I'm into packing my pannier now.

Please join me on my new thread:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19758

Allan

Hi Allen, I cycled in that region in May/June1999 and stayed at many hostels and a few B&B’s. The hostels in the UK are the most interesting that I’ve stayed at and would recommend them. The UK hostels are comfortable, some have great food, many have locked shed for you bike while most B&B’s don’t. Also the people you meet at them will be happy to join you for a pint at the pub! Some are open all day or have a dry room in case it is raining, some however, don’t open until mid afternoon and many will be booked with school groups in the spring. Some interesting places are: Quantock Hills, The New Forest, Street/Glastonbury, Cheddar gorge (try real cheddar!) and Wells. The Salisbury plain area is worth a few day or more to explore. My trip took me across the south and up through Exeter and up to Bristol where my bike gave up the ghost. I found the English to be poor drivers and inconsiderate towards cyclist, the roads have lots of obstacles (compared to France that is). Road signs are often missing and the OS maps are often lacking important information for the cyclist. The Cyclists Touring Club (CTC) is worth looking at and The British Tourist Authority has information on cycling. In Toronto there is/was a bookshop, below ground, on the east side near the King Edward hotel on King St. if I remember correctly. He specializes in travel and has lots of maps and books on cycling. Worlds Biggest Book store is/was also a good place to look.
Good luck and have a blast!
Gordon P.

Regarding OS maps, the 1:50,000 scale have more information than you could possibly want, including reliable info on public phones, pubs, hostels, rights of way. They are probably to large scale for riding, and only useful when you are exploring in detail. You can get smaller scale maps of tourist areas, but maps are best bought locally. I always travel with a compass as well, but have only used it at night or in the fog.

You can see 50k detail at
http://www.multimap.co.uk