28 August 2011 – Cycle: Brampford Speke, Stoke Canon and Rewe (21.4 Miles)

Synopsis: A circular cycling route to the north of Exeter. Weather gradually improving after threatening start. Opportunity to take a closer look at the new Redhayes pedestrian/cyclist bridge over M5.

Photo Set – Flickr -:- (Map)

GPS Tracklog Download (.gpx) Microsoft OneDrive -:- Google Drive

 

Tracklog and Photos - Google My Map

Tracklog overlay - OSM – ViewRanger -:- OS – WheresThePath

 

(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)

Today was really about relaxing and getting some fresh air and exercise. Also about making the best of one of the last days of summer.

View of Stoke Woods

 

 

I cycled across the Mincinglake Valley Park, over Pennsylvania and on through the University grounds arriving down in the Exe valley not far from St David’s railway station. I had a picnic lunch by the railway line down on the banks of the River Exe. I looked across to Stoke Woods from where I sat.

Looking towards Killerton House (NT)

 

 

 

The late afternoon sun was gorgeous. At one point I had this view out across lovely Devon countryside, and there in the distance was Killerton House (NT), just visible amongst the trees (you'll have to look very closely to see it).

Redhayes foot/cycle bridge - new 2011

 

 

 

On the way back I crossed the new Redhayes bridge for the first time. This new bridge is re-establishing an old route lost when the M5 was built, as the lane it cut through became a dead-end. It’s taken a while, but it’s nice to find that this old passageway has been re-instated, and that it’s intended use is for walkers and cyclists.

Walk Statistics:

Total Distance: 21.4 miles
Elapsed Time: 4hrs 40min
Total Ascent: 515 metres
Maximum Elevation: 129 metres

07 August 2011 – Cycle: Hound Tor to Bovey Tracey (9.4 Miles)

Synopsis: Mum came too! Picnic lunch in the car at our start point not far from Hound Tor. Then Mum drove down to Bovey Tracey leaving Laura and I to make our way there on our bikes. Great ride!

Photo Set – Flickr -:- (Map)

GPS Tracklog Download (.gpx) Microsoft OneDrive -:- Google Drive

 

Tracklog and Photos - Google My Map

Tracklog overlay - OSM – ViewRanger -:- OS – WheresThePath

 

 

I asked Laura what she would like to do on this, our last day together on these holidays, and she said she’d like to do a cycle ride. I mentioned that I’d put together a mountain bike ride on Dartmoor and suggested we try that. Laura thought that sounded really good.

There were two hurdles to us doing this ride: (1) Mum said last weekend that she didn’t drive on Dartmoor and (2) I’d lost a rubber foot from my bicycle carrier at Heathrow the previous weekend. The first of these issues I handled with just a little tact and diplomacy which managed to bring Mum around to thinking she could manage a short drive over Dartmoor. The second of these required Laura and I to do a little remedial work on my bicycle involving a couple of strips of rubber and some Duck tape.

Mum drove around to my house and we put the cycle carrier and bikes on the back of Mum’s car. We then drove off to Dartmoor. Once we’d arrived at our start point we unloaded the bikes from the car and then had a picnic lunch, after which Laura and I parted company with Mum, we to begin our cycle ride, Mum to drive down to Bovey Tracey which was where we’d meet later that day.

This bicycle ride is good in so far as it is, for the major part, a downhill ride, since we start high on Dartmoor and gradually descend till we reach Bovey Tracey. It also finishes with a relatively easy stretch along a disused railway line and through a recreational park.

There were however some difficult sections including one very steep descent that had to be walked and sections over granite boulders that once again were best walked. But there was a great deal of diversity on this cycle ride that made it very interesting, with everything from open moorland, tracks through woods, lanes, and the previously mentioned disused railway line and path through a park.

Clapper bridge over Becka Brook - Laura

Clapper bridge over Becka Brook - Laura

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here you see Laura crossing the clapper bridge across the Becka Brook. This is a lovely tranquil spot set amongst trees.

We arrived at the car park and there was Mum sat in the car waiting for us. Laura couldn’t resist a laugh when she took a closer look at me because I was quite mud splattered. Laura however wasn’t much better; we were both agreed that we’d be in need of showers later that evening.

We tasked Mum with the special duty of buying some cake for us to eat when we met up after our cycle ride. Mum sought out the local Tesco Express in Bovey Tracey and came up with the much needed sustenance. We tucked into a cake and a drink before setting off back to Exeter.

That evening, after a light cheese and crackers supper, David, Christine, Sarah and Louise popped up to visit us at Mum’s place. We looked at some old video clips that David had compiled for the birthdays of Rachel and Sarah.

Cycle Statistics:

Total Distance: 9.4 miles
Moving Time: 1hrs 45min
Stopped Time: 51min
Total Ascent: 255 metres
Maximum Elevation: 433 metres

06 August 2011 – Trip: Torbay

Synopsis: Picnic lunch on the grass near Meadfoot Beach. Then we drove across the bay to Berry Head where we’d just missed a mock battle between the English and the French. Then ice creams in Brixham.

Photo Set – Flickr

(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)

We had the day to ourselves, Laura, Mum and Me, and no definite plans as to what we wanted to do. Weather was mixed, so it was difficult to say what would be best. We decided to make a picnic lunch, pile into Mum’s car and set off, and have a bit of a magical mystery tour.

Oddicombe Beach - Babbacombe Cliff Railway

We first stopped at Babbacombe where I parked up and we rode the cliff railway down to Oddicombe Beach. This is a lovely old funicular railway that first opened in 1926. It certainly provides a convenient and effortless way to and from the beach. Very civilised!

 

Oddicombe Beach

 

 

 

 

Having been deposited at Oddicombe Beach we walked its short length to where it is possible to see the enormous land slide that must have occurred quite recently. It looks like a large red gash in the cliff side.

Babbacombe Beach

 

 

We then walked around the bay in the direction of the beach near Withy Point. Here there is a short harbour wall from which people fished and young boys were jumping into the sea. Laura and I were experimenting with our cameras, attempting to capture wide-angle panoramic shots at various locations. The photograph to the right was probably my best effort.

 

We walked back to the cliff railway which we rode on to the top of the cliffs. From here we took a brief stroll around the gardens of Babbacombe before returning to our car. I then drove us to the grass area behind Meadfoot Beach where we had a picnic lunch and a nice cup of tea.

Once again we weren’t sure what to do next. I stood on the shore of Meadfoot Beach looking across the bay to Berry Head and said why don’t we head out there. Mum and Laura were in agreement, so off we set.

Berry Head - English Heritage event - Anglo-French battle recreation from c. 1800

On driving out to Berry Head we seemed to be hitting rather a lot of traffic heading in the opposite direction. I’d seen some posters from the car saying something about a battle. Once we had arrived it was easy to see what was happening. We’d just missed an enactment of a mock battle between the English and the French, how it would have been fought during the Napoleonic Wars. There were a lot of people dressed in period costume and there were numerous tents with food cooking on wood stoves. I believe this event was staged by Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust. It was certainly interesting thing for us to see even though we missed (late again!) the battle itself.

 

And to round off our little trip I proposed that we drive down to Brixham and take a little walk around the harbour. Having parked by the roadside and whilst walking towards the harbour, Mum asked, on seeing steep steps down to the harbour side, do we have to go down there? I replied, probably rather cheekily, “Only if you want an ice cream.” It had the desired effect anyway, for Mum was soon leading the way down those steps! It was well worth it, because we were soon eating delicious ice creams from Kelly’s Ice Cream shop on the harbour side.

Today was certainly a day of great variety, full of many things of interest, and all done on the spur of the moment. Well, who needs plans anyway? And yes, quite magical in its way.