Winscombe to Crediton

30 July 2012.  65 miles

Overcast, slight headwind, sunny spells, rain at the very end of the day. 

After a lovely night at Anne and Hugh’s – thanks for the best cake of the ride so far from Jane (luvu Wembury Sister Jxo) - or at the local pub for Dave, Charlie and Andy-  we gathered for departure at a lazy 10am, dressed for the showery weather forecast.  Fortunately for us all, Charlie’s Andy took our bags by car to the B&B today, making light work for us all.  Thanks Andy!

The sun soon caused all the jackets to come off along the Strawberry line.  There was a very dark tunnel…spooky!

Fran’s Alan’s Uncle Bill had got up really early from Newbury at 5.30 to meet us by the roadside, assuming our usual 7:30 start….sorry Uncle Bill :]. Bill tagged along for another 20 miles and was excellent company and support (he had a bag full of double decker and twirl chocolates, yay).  Uncle Bill had had his bike since his teenage years, had cycled all his life and several parts of the bike are now officially “collectable”…  he scoffed at our modern contraptions! 

We stopped at Bridgewater for a bike shop adventure (new tubes after Dave’s three punctures) and Jan bought a book about the world record for there and back - Land’s End to John O’Groats to Land’s End again in four days with 2 hours sleep… amphetamines anyone? – as inspiration and added weight.

On the way to Taunton we stopped at a roadside ‘bistro’ caravan run by Claire and Dot for a luvly cuppa tea and snacks from Charlie’s tuckshop.  Again more of Jane’s best cake in the world :)  Cheerio Bill, who turned back. xxx

We also took in the sign to the Walpole Depot.  Jan was delighted her family shared a placename with something so dear to her heart – a big dump!  Charlotte shares her name in France with a cake, funny that.

We sped on along the A38 towards Wellington (and the monument high on the hill) and stopped for another comfort break at Willowbank garden centre.  More cakes -  not as nice as Jane’s.  Charlie had Elderflower cordial.

Our legs are heavy after any stops.  Quads and gluts (bum) and unmentionable regions are feeling the strain.  And our eyeballs…. all tired, Dave has been sporting a red eye in sympathy with his friends Mike and Stuart.  But despite our aches, Joe’s fresh legs carried him and towed us onwards and upwards towards those Devon hills.

We stopped at Tiverton for the last of Jane’s cake (did we say it was excellent) and an orange to prevent scurvy.  Tiverton is quite posh.  Blundells’ school seems to own the town and has been educating the local darlings since the 1600’s.  There were lots of smart folk in Tiverton.   So we… had to leave!

Past some beautiful thatched cottages into the centre of Devon at Bickleigh, which was lovely until the 12% climb up and up and up and up towards Crediton. 

On the way we had one of the most inspiring experiences of the journey so far.  A Ghanaian Olympic bike rider overtook us all.  He had one working leg, the other he rested on the rear brake caliper.  Dave and Joe took chase and were knackered by the time they caught up.  Joe’s tennis elbow and Dave’s lack of pace meant little chance of staying with “Haleb”, but we look forward to seeing him and his team of four riders in the Olympic road race.  Finally, he accelerated up a sharp hill leaving us gasping for air in his wake.  Awesome.

Through the longest High Street in the world at Crediton (another hill) and finally at the Farmhouse B&B as the rain started.  Angela was waiting at the door for us and we quickly made ourselves at home.  

Showers then a taxi to the New Inn pub at Coleford where Carol and George served us beautiful dinners and Captain the parrot kept us entertained, though it was a bit too willing to say “Goodbye!.. Goodbye!.. Goodbye! ”.  There were other creatures spotted later on, even 'Charbacca':

Two days to go.  After the middle bit of Britain that was very tiring, the end is in sight, and by now we can smell the Cornish pasties and the clotted cream scones.   Our adventure has to end sometime soon, but we genuinely don’t want it to.  The girls are already planning the next adventure!   Charlie’s family tomorrow.  Short day.  The overnight rain is due to clear early in the morning... what luck.