Devon, Cornwall what's good?

First topic message reminder :

A bit general I know, planning going down there week after next, heading for the bit right at the bottom. Been over as far as Bideford and Plymouth.

Steve - Porlock Weir is another lovely little place. Great pub there, opposite the car park, that does excellent food.

You can also do the Porlock toll road which takes you up onto the A39 heading towards Lynmouth. It is a fantastic road with some absolutely massive drop offs almost straight down to the sea. Years ago I did this road a couple of times as a special stage when I was rallying. Brilliant fun but very scary.

I'll pass on your regards to Tel, Bea, Frank and Lynn ta.

Tony

mechy69 wrote:Well for us its st ives and that area. Also lost gardens of Heligon

Thanks Pete, took me a while to find the Gardens (no real pun intended!), was looking in the wrong place, will be staying 2 nights about 4 miles from there. One of my routes takes me right past it - doh!

For the last few weeks it has been as hot as stink in the big smoke and only once overnight there was a smattering of rain. I'm setting off straight into a week of rain, I sure know how to plans things.

Back after a great few days in Devon and Cornwall as well as some other counties. 1 536 km’s, 960 miles done in 5 days – someone commented that I didn’t have time to turn the engine off (suppose that might have been true if I had been in a car) – must have stopped enough though also managed just under 1 000 photos. Link here to the Pics (excluding Eden Project).

Thanks Tony (Topcatbones) for the route suggestions. I started the trip on Sunday and stayed overnight in Bath, then onto some good biking roads to Western Super-Mare.

As suggested I took the A39 from Bridgwater and headed towards Minehead. Stopped there for a bit and had an Ice Cream (and took some pictures). By now I had realised that the on bike video wasn’t working properly and the culprit was the charger. The internal battery is only good for an hour and a half and the memory card 8-10 hours, so rather frustrating but did result in frequent stops to try and charge it up! (Can’t charge and use at the same time )

The day started a bit damp and dreary, but turned into a really good one. Stopped in Porlock and then again in Porlock Weir and had a lovely lunch at the Ship Inn.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
The intention was to leave on the Porlock Toll road, but this was the first of a few routes the Sat Nav decided to re arrange. So was routed back to Porlock and straight into a traffic jam. I think the view whilst traveling the other direction would be spectacular. A couple of photo stops and to reconnect the video as I sensed I was getting close to Lynmouth. The view whilst descending 400 meters is breathtaking.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Spent some time here and another Ice Cream (it was hot ) and then up to Lynton. No kidding about the steep incline, 25%. As I climb, the oil light comes on – oops take it easy and all seems OK. Left Lynton and the Sat Nav rather liked the hill, so much so it directed me along some ‘interesting’ roads and back to Lynmouth! Here we go again, up the hill but this time I ignored the navigation and turned the other way at the top. Stopped for a short while in Barnstable, along side the waterfront / estuary, and listened to my ‘tour guide’ info on one of the bridges there. Then onto Bideford, didn’t stop here, but I know from a previous visit it is very picturesque. Rode to Clovelly, didn’t go in but took a picture from the car park, then onto Bude.
Stopped at Morrison’s to refuel and was told to get off the bike before they would release the pump, that’s a first for me. A Danish couple were fueling their bikes and I nod as we pass each other. Stayed at a good B&B in Marhamchurch was serenaded to sleep by the sheep bleating. The fact that it was raining didn’t seem to deter them at all. This was way more conducive to sleep than the noisy birds (yeah the feathered ones) and an overly happy Spanish group staying at the Y in Bath (you’d have thought they had just won the World Cup!)

Another damp start and there was rain on and off most of the day. Wet gear went on, but by Newquay I was nearly steamed to perfection, so off it came. A good ride along the A30, however the Sat Nav developed an attraction to Penzance. Instead of taking me to St Ives it skipped a lot of the route and took me to Penzance. I know I’m a bit dopey, but I did twig that something was wrong, saw a B3311 signboard for St Ives and took that – very nice. Once back on track, did the B3306 to the Levant Steam Engine – had a walk about and saw the engine in operation. Not easy getting about the place in leathers. OK so now off to St Just and Lands End, No? Nope, you know what didn’t want to go to St Just, so I landed up in Penzance again, the A3071 was a nice enough road, so all is forgiven.
Well I did finally get to Lands End, must say quite different from John o’ Groats. At least the photographer here didn’t mind you taking pictures of the sign post. Two guys had ridden from top to bottom on their bicycles to raise money for Help the Heroes and I was there in time to see them having their photo taken.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Now I am heading for Lizard Point and you can guess where I passed through, this was to have been the only scheduled ride through Penzance. There are some good sections along the A30, unfortunately it was quite congested. A local biker and his pillion daughter caught up to me in the slow bits, we did have a good ride though. I was surprised they were still behind me when I left Penzance and pulled into the car park behind me at Marazion. Take my lid off and turned to greet them, see they have theirs off too. Take a picture of St Michaels Mount and when I turned back they have put their helmets back on and heading off, I’m not the person they thought I was!
Road to Lizard Point is good and again plenty of overtaking practice opportunities, once there though it’s not what I was expecting, a few ‘huts’ and that’s it, not quite a tourist trap, however the views very good and well worth the trip on a sunny day.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Onto Truro and then the part I have been looking forward to, the Ladock Twisties. The extra ‘loops’ that I’d done earlier meant I’d have to ditch going into Falmouth or forego Ladock, so the Pendennis Castle will have to wait a bit longer for me.
The best laid plans of Mice and Men and all that, technology got in the way again. Firstly the video camera decided that it wasn’t going to work at all, so no memento of the road. I had plotted the route through Ladock and onto Parcandowr; admittedly I missed the turning into Ladock and was routed back there along a lane which was full of moss. At the T-junction I was directed right instead of left to Parcandowr, maybe the Sat Nav had more sense; it wasn’t going to go along anymore of the Moss median lane. The right turn put me straight back onto the B3275, oh well just have to do the twisties again in reverse – took the long way to Grampound. Get to the B&B and the two Danish bikes seen in Bude are in the car park!

The B&B was rated 3* by the AA, don't think they have updated their records in 30 years, anyway it was cheap and the bike was safe - so I got what I paid for. The Danish couple were surprised I recognised them at breakfast; turns out we have both been doing similar routes, but I was getting to see more places. I had seen their bikes in Bath but not taken much notice and again, this time finally, at The Eden Project.

Locker and changing facilities at The Eden Project seems to be a best kept secret. The owner of the B&B didn't know and neither did the Info Line when I called and waited 20 minutes for them to answer. If I ever hear a Cornish Male voice every 30 seconds saying 'Press 1 if you want to continue holding ... Sorry you are holding, but while you do, did you know?' again I might be liable to murder.

The answer is they do have lockers but no-where to change. Bike parking is close to the entrance, but the lockers are at the bus stop. The locker will take a jacket and a helmet, and most likely your boots. The key is released after inserting a £1 coin, which you get back when you unlock the door.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The site is very interesting and well worth a visit. If, like me, you suffer with high humidity best take a sweat towel for when you are in the Rainforest Biome. Walking around made me realise just how much I had taken for granted over the years, seeing plants which grew in the garden or saw in there natural habitat. I not really big on these places and manage about 1 or 2 visits a decade, so after about 7 hours there I had had enough. Pics at The Eden Project.
It was good to get back on the bike, the heavy downpour that had been predicted didn't materialise so decided on a ride about. Aah yes, why not try the twisties again. I got there about the same time as the rain and the road was quite busy, so not a good run at it this time. I had also forgotten to put the memory card back in the camera, so I wasn't going to record this either. Somewhere along the line I found the Lost Gardens of Haligon rode into the car park but didn't stop. It seemed so small after Eden. It was too late to go in and also two in 1 day is way too much for me.

By Thursday the weather had changed and so I decided it best to change my route for the day. Bodmin, Liskeard, Saltash, Tavistock and across the Moors became Fowey, Polperro (this time managing not to go through the town on the bike!), Looe and Saltash. Thanks to a clanger on my part the rest of the route didn't go as originally thought. It should have been Dartmouth, Barry Head then Tourquay but managed Barry Head first so a bit of déjà vu (these places are starting to look familiar!)
Well I liked Dartmouth and stopped for lunch. Leaving the bike with all the gear on can be a bit worrying, will anything get nicked? I didn't have to worry about a human thief, got my fish and chips and as I lift my hand with some chips, a seagull swops down knocks my hand out of the way and takes the fish. Boy am I impressed (not), already after the fish before it hit the ground and sent the birds flying, get my lunch back and having to keep the blasted birds at bay.

Had thought of nipping across the Moors from Newton Abbot and through Bovey but the clouds were gathering and I felt I had a good run mainly missing them, so no point in spoiling it. Skirt around Exeter and head along the A3052 and join the A35 just outside Lyme Regis. That was rather enjoyable; the wind was gusting around 60 mph so it was interesting.
There is a motor museum outside Colyford on the A3052. It was once a filling station and is now only open certain times of the year. An interesting collection of petrol pumps, a few cars and a bike. Get the feeling of being in a garage of yesteryear.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
From Bridport I went along the B3157 to Weymouth, another lovely road. Was able to get down to the harbour and to Portland. The clouds were closing in and the visibility was getting bad, head back to the B&B in time for the heavens to open - think it rained most of the night.

A walk about Winchester was all that was planned for the last day. The rained joined me on and off for the walk and most of the ride home. A short way before the Bracknell off ramp the M3 became a 3 lane parking lot. 25 minutes of filtering was very taxing, and for once I was glad to see the M25!

Glad you had a good time Steve. Pity about the Sat Nav though. They are good for some things but you can't beat a good old map.

Nice piccies as well.

Tony