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Jurassic Coast & Exeter
This was a long, multi-day ride form Dorchester to Exeter and back agiant, at the height of summer, blessed with the sun and scenery.
Day 1 - Late start with train to Dorchester, heading to Hardy Monument and found a bivvy bag spot above Abbotsbury to gaze up at the night sky.
Dairy.... Thu 3.25am Looking up - I am witnessing an opera without music or voice. Looking up at the richness of the Milkyway above me... I have been doing this on and off for last 3 hours. Stunning just stunning. An orchestra of constellations slowly spinning on stage from the eastern horizon and off stage to the west. Frantic and random shooting stars juxtaposed by a constant satellites wondering form a lively choral section. Then lead vocals by Jupiter singing loudly amongst its star struck companions. As the curtain of night lifted there was a final duet with Venus accompanying Jupiter before the Sun sent the lights up and the audience were left to get on with the day ahead. What a moment. What a night.
Day 2 - Up with the lark and spent the day cycling along the coastal routes passing. Initially passing Abbotsbury Castle and taking Park's Lane to visit one of Dorset's hidden gems, St Luke's Chapel, a ruin still with its alter in the middle of remote woods.
Diary... Thu 10.30am Lyme Regis. My legs are aching in a good way after 25 miles of big big ups and fast downs. Ticking off the Jurassic Coast's honey pots; Burton Bradstock , West Bay, Seatown, Charmouth and now Lyme Regis. On queue as if to prove my point a busker has started up with a sea shanty set, dressed as a pirate with a blue beard, he has the gift of the gab too... school hols in full swing, seagulls are looking fat, and visitors are braving the sea. The bits between were brilliant, mainly bridleways and quiet roads, my usual fodder, but pimped up with awesome sea views of the coastline from Portland Bill to Start Point (if you squint).
Weather dry and nice temperature for trudging up hills. Favourite place visited so far must be the ruined Chapel on woods behind the Abbotsbury castle hill... noticed it on the map and read about it... a surreal walk through ancient woods, felling like something out of the Lord of the rings, and then at the end of the path a old large archway and plinth through which remained a alter and some stone slabs covering graves that once stood inside the Chapel. A peaceful and unique hidden gem that had an effect of your soul.
Day 2 - Continued along the coastal towns of Burton Bradstock, West Bay, Seatown, Morcombelake, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Beer, Sydmouth until reaching Otterton for an AirB&B.
Diary - 11.30 am Note to self, 2nd favourite place visited, Lyme Regic brewery :-)
Diary - 2.10pm The Fountain Head .. In Devon now! More glorious cliff top riding with more challenging up n downs. On bridalway reminded me of mtb training in Porlock, so steep and really hard to keep back on fully loaded bike... never stop learning and honing skills. More sea side villages; Seaton, Beer, Branscombe and as if by law, once in Devon the road have drawn up their sided and thinned down to proper Devonian lanes, causing mayhem for srvs, campus and motor homes alike, thank god I am on my bike, would drive me nuts. On reflection I think if I had to stay in any of these places it would be Lyme, but still have Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton to go! Had a few conversations about bikepacking with people, bug strangely not seen any bikepackers, maybe because it is Thursday. Two more enormous hills, and no doubt loads of almost enormous ones to go, then can have a shower, chill and get in beaver watching mode!
Diary ... 4pm Sidmouth outskirts... about 7 miles to go to Otterton, once last huge beastie of a hill to do. Tour of Britain cyclist will be here in a few weeks, love to see how they do in the hills on my bike... roads to Sidmouth past Donkey Santuary which I remember visiting with kids years ago, very posh now and vast, money in ey or? Sidmouth is buzzing, seems to be folk music festival on with impromptu jamming besides street food.... shame I can't stay longer. Pretty tired now, been going almost 12 hours!
Day 2 - Had a final surprise in store. Otterton is famous for the release programme of beavers on the River Otter and so I venture out late evening and followed some other like minded souls and got lucky. I will never forget see this little fella splashing around for the crowd. Brilliant.
Day 3 - New day. Bathing in last night's wildlife experience. Hot and sunny again. Onto Exeter up the river Exe cycle route. Passing through Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth and Topsham where I took the ferry to west side of the river and followed the Exeter Ship Canal to The Turf, a great little pub overlooking the estuary with it's waders and avocets.
Diary - Fri 10.23am ... Ahh, sitting on the pebbly beach where River Otter joins the sea, Otter Ledge. Reflecting on my time in Otterton which I am pleased to say bore results as I did get to see one of the River Otter beaver Community. Wild and lovely. Quite a few people walking the river late evening and around dusk. To begin with no joy, but then a group of people excitedly snapping away and sitting on the river bank. You could sense the excitement in the silence, occasionally shattered by the odd shriek of so.eone accidentally touching the electric fence that ran along the other side of the footpath.
There Mr Beaver was, wallowing I the foliage on the bankside enjoying some warmth fr the quickly dropping evening sun. He (or she) looked like he was sitting on its bum preening itself, I was surprised just how big it was, same size as s medium to large labradore. Then he was off for a swim. For the next hour he would repeat this, moving down river to more sunny spots with the wildlife paparazzi following. Then into denser foliage on thd river Bank disappearing from site. Crashing and cracking anf lots of foliage wobbling around, then he debris was thrown into the water. Out he popped again, this time downstream of the foliage which we started to now and eat. You could her him crewing and crunching. So so wonderful. After a good hour of this I wondered on feeling privileged to have seen what I have. I spent another hour with my thoughts wondering a quieter bit of the River, my only companions were dippers, a heron and a kingfisher flashing halcyon blue in the evening sun. I was back into Otterton with night drawing in and moonlight above pondering a the other animals whose time it now was, valuers, owls, bats.
So today is Exeter. Looking forward to heading on final bit of coast then up the River Exe and some canals.
Day 3 - Last leg for the day was north up the Exeter Ship Canel into the city. A great traffic free way to arrive in this bustling city via the docks. Spent the rest of the day and evening exploring on foot.
Dairy ... Fri 1.43pm Food at last!! Crab sarnie at Turf Hotel overlooking the River Exe. Only way to get to this place is by foot, bike or water. Great crab too, not sure I mentioned after yesterday's epic I couldn't get any food in the pub as all tables were booked, so survived on a packet of crisps and a flap jack. So I treated myself.
From Budleigh it's a busy but nice bit of coastline and Route 2 cycle path is excellent, miles of off road following the estuary. I had been warned the east side would be busy and it was, all lunch stops were rammed so I jumped the small ferry at Topsham and here I am. Can cycle into Exteter from here.
Bizzarly I met two people, one the ferry master who used to live in New Forest. One from Everton the other Verwood. Both retired and I guess a moved further west to escape the crowds. In there words "they miss the forest but not the nonsense".
The ferry chap was ex-marine. You pass the Royal Marine base in Topsham on route, looked grim. He also new Solent Uni where I work having been on many maritime courses in Warsash. He was also a retained firefighter in Christchurch. Could have chatted all day but he had more passengers to run.
Well the crab was delish. Onwards to Exeter.
Diary ... Fri 5pm... Exeter.... "It's six o'clock in the tower blocks, stalagmites of culture shock".... ah memories memories memories. So explain... I am sitting in the sun at on the terrace at The Imperial, a Wetherspoons with designs on the Ritz. Amazing place. I decided to drown out the conversation and listen to a favourite album, Marillion's Misplaced Childhood. 17 years old and Esher 6th Form College geography field trip was Devon bound. Dartmoot, Hound Tor, Lydford Gorge Start Bay, Hallsands... oh I remember like it was yesterday. I loved geography, must have been all the outdoors vibe. Coaching it around Devon needed some respite and it was after all the day of the Walkman. I remember trading tapes with Georgina, she had my Queens "It's A Kind Of Magic" hot off the heels of Highlander, "There can be only one", still one of my favourite films, such an 80s boy. Kaleigh was getting played around that time so I thought I would give this band 'Marillion" some ear time. Wow, a huge landscape of sound intertwined by deep and heart wrenching lyrics, storytelling of the best kind. Pure genius from the band I grew to love and still do. Misplaced Childhood still gives me goosebumps. It is a very personal tale of loss, low times, reflection and rebirth, give it a listen if you get the chance. It's about to end now, Childhoods End... "So I see it's me, I can do anything! The only thing misplaced was direction, and I have found direction"... bit like my bike rides.
Day 4 - The return leg was a long long day in the saddle on a really varied route passing over moors, forests, steep valleys, the eerie Hell's Lane and eventually over the Powerstock Hills and awesome high roman roads with a tail wind. Just a great few days underling what bike-packing is all about. So much seen, experienced and with hugw satisfaction of the physical effort. Have wheels, will adventure .
Dairy ... Saturday 10.35am Whitecross viewpoint near Ottery St Mary
Good time in Exeter, initially a bit surprised how much litter and undesirables were around the cathedral, but the places I went and people I met were nice. It has many old and nice buildings around by the castle in particular. I was staying in this area and called in on The Imperial, a Wetherspoons set in an old country house, took drinks on the veranda wouldn't you know (this is where I waxed lyrical about Marillion yesterday). Then onto St David's and Exeter Brewery distinctive for its Advocet logo. Back into the center, the cathedral and then down to the Quay which was my favourite part. Had a long weight for a pizza but luckily it was from a van outside Topsham brewery. So after of a session I got in 10ish and fell fast asleep. Until about 4am when the seagulls were having a party. So noisy, even my ear plugs couldn't drown them out!
I set off 7ish and cycled around the castle, cathedral and Quay again, all lovely in the morning sun. Then the west side of the Exe cycle route to Topsham. Stopped for welcome bacon Butty sitting watching the advocate indulging in their equivalent.
I cut inland at Exton and made my way to where I am now. There have been two great bridalway sections after steep hills. Both across high heaths reminiscent of The Quantocks or parts of Northumberland I have visited. Colaton Common the first, Beacon Hill the second. Level with Sidmouth. A long long way to go today.
Dairy ... 3pm Just outside Bridport near Hell Lane. 45 miles in, 7 hours so far and full sun 28+ degrees, feels more like South of France than Dorset. Been up and down and up etc through rolling hills mostly following NCR 2. One navigation fopah cost me an extra 6 miles and kudos to the guy who stopped traffic on the A35 near Uplyme to let me cross. Just been through Hell Lane which was again something like out of a film set. Sandstone cliffs either side with knarly routes growling as you pass waiting to snap you up. In the cliff walls loads of etchings, from runic letters to lovd notes and face art, even Bart Simpsom made an appearance.
My nav f'up ment I missed Axminster but always good to have somewhere to return to. Pressing on, 6 hours of daylight left and aiming to get somewhere between Dorchester and Wareham to watch the stars tonight.
Dairy ... 5.59pm Dorchester. 65 miles in 10 hours. Great great ride. Bridport was bigger and busier than I had expected, quite a destination for the crowds. On arrival, my faithful OS map app gave up the ghost, must have been the heat and hard graft I had given it. So have been winging it with Google maps.
The route I took passed through Loaders Askerswell, Spyway and included biggest climb of the trip over Spyway Hill... brutal! From the top you could see pretty much thf whole Jurassic Coast that I had cycled last few days, just an incredible view. Then I followed a roman road towards Dorchester for a good 7 miles. Strange that after the highest climb, followed the longest flat section. Literally followed the ridge line for miles, views in every direction for company, my senses soonge is overloaded. Basking heat and farmers in combines, hardly any cars... bliss. I came into Dorchester via Muckleford on the cycle lanes. Legs are aching now. Few more hours to go, should sleep well tonight!
19.26 Wareham... courtesy of South West Trains... after sitting down I realised just how pooped I was and couldn't face a night in a bivvy bag, so I jumped the train home. Gotta go to Brock, but will be a lovely ride back across the forest... what a few days! Trains are great to reflect. Top trip. Thinking ahead now, this time next week, Coldplay at Wembley Stadium 😀... what a contrast!
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