Hi Folks,
Sorry it has taken so long to update blog but we literally haven't had time to search for internet facilities so are making the most of a day at home to update things. Yes, we have managed to get from Land's End to Clackmannan without major hitches! In fact I can truthfully say it has been a very enjoyable experience.
Cornwall was very wet and had extremely steep hills but the weather improved as we travelled and we managed to find nice tea-shops in Cornwall and Devon to have some cream teas. We had Welsh Faggots as we travelled through Wales and Cheddar Cheese sandwiches near the Cheddar Gorge and Cheshire Cheese in the county of the same name. Do you see a theme forming? Food has become very important to us. When you are cycling all day you need to keep your strength up. Initially we were covering 30 - 40 miles in hilly Cornwall but within a few days this was up to 50 miles a day and as we arrive back in Clackmannan we are now doing between 60 and 70 miles a day. Amazingly I feel that I want to be cycling today instead of resting and getting my washing done. Will be off again tomorrow so wish us luck in the final stage.
Best wishes
Maureen and Brian
Summary of trip
10/5/2007 Cycle to Stirling. Train to Glasgow and change for Plymouth. Connection to Penzance and then cycle to our B&B in Sennan which is just outside Lands End (in the pouring rain). Total mileage cycled today 24.3 miles.
11/5/2007 Sennan/Lands End/Minack Theatre/St Ives/Portreath
Total mileage for day 46.2 miles.
Cycle to Lands End from Sennan for the start of the trip and then almost immediatley Maureen decides to take a 10 mile deviation to see the theatre cut out of the cliff. Well I always wanted to see it and it would be a shame not to go when you are so near. Stiff climb on bikes but worth it. Head to St Ives and back onto our original route and stop for tea and cake. By this time the rain is bouncing off the road but carry on to Portreath and book into the Portreath Arms for the night. Sun shining and lovely view of surfers and a sandy beach as we arrive.
12/5/2007 Portreath/St Agnes/St Colum Major/Lostwhithiel
Find lovely tea-shop in St Columb Major where we have our cornish cream tea. Delicious, and the calories will be much needed if we are to tackle these hills. Second deviation of the trip is to Lostwithiel where we spend two nights. This will allow us to take tomorrow off to go to the Eden Project, another must!!!
Total mileage for the day 43.5 miles.
13/5/2007 Visit the Eden Project.
Very wet today and foolishly decide to cycle to Eden Project. Roads flooded and get very wet.
Still enjoy the visit and have a traditional Cornish Pasty. Total mileage 14 miles.
14/5/2007 Lostwithiel to Ockhampton
Rain forecast but managed to miss all the showers and stay dry today. Fair amount of hills but not as demanding. Beautiful flowers in the hedgerows. As we leave Launceston we also leave Cornwall behind and their wonderful curtseys (what the locals call their hills). Head on to Ockhampton where we manage to get accommodation. Meet another two end to enders but they are travelling up the main roads while we are following the smaller roads and villages.
Total mileage for day 49 miles.
15/5/2007 Okehampton
Very wet today so decide to have a rest day. Visit local museum and wander round town. Just have to have a Devonshire Cream Tea.
16/5/2007 Okehampton to Taunton
Lovely scenery. Lots of thatched cottages. Sample the local delicacy of Homity Pie. Very nice!
Just as we arrive in Taunton my bike chain comes off. Brian managed to get it back on and we continued onwards. Find a B&B and after quick shower we head for dinner. Brian samples the local cider- Addlestones. Very strong and he feels his brain addled after just one.
Total mileage today 66.3 miles.
17/5/2007 Taunton/Westhay/Cheddar/Clevedon
Head along the canal so get away from the traffic. Pass through lovely villages. Stop at Cheddar and have to have a cheese sandwich and then carry on to join the Strawberry cycle path to get away from the traffic. Arrive at the coast in Clevedon and decide it would be a nice place to stop. Find a B&B run by a women who originated in Fife who even offers to do our washing. Our bedroom window looks out over the water and there are plenty of places to eat. Wonderful!
Total mileage today 51 miles.
18/5/2007 Clevedon/Bristol/Severn Bridge/Monmouth/Grossmont
Head towards Bristol and make good progress on the NCN 41 route towards Avon Bridge. Cross the bridge and take the NCN 4 route to the Severn Bridge and Wales. Do not find tea-shop till the afternoon and by then it is raining. Continue to Monmouth and head to Skenfrith where we hope to stay for the night. No room at the inn so head on to Grosmont where we find a tea-shop with accommodation. Very up market but we decide to treat ourselves rather than carry on to the next village. Local pub which does lovely food and Brian sampled the Welsh faggots. Total mileage for today 57.2 miles
19/5/2007 Grosmont/Abbeydore/Dorstone/Eardisley
Set off late after amazing breakfast and friendly chat with our hosts. My brakes are not working as well as they should today as I found out on a hill just outside Grosmont. After a quick adjustment we are back on the road and heading for Abbeydore. Pass through Hay on Wye which is a town famous for books and it will be holding it's annual book festival next week. Pass over a toll bridge which we are charged the pricely sum of 5 pence each (really!!) Head into Eardisley and decide to stop. B&B not taking customers but send us to his friend at the Old Rectory. They occasionally take people usually during the book festival but agree to give us a room. Beautiful old house full of antiques and history. Our hosts provide us with tea and biscuits on the lawn and tell us the history of the village. Once again we have landed on our feet. Head for a walk around the village and for dinner at the local pub. Total mileage today 30.2miles
20/5/2007 Eardisley/Almeley/pembridge/Staunton/Bucknell/Bishops Castle/Chirbury/Westbury/Halfway House
Say farewell to our hosts and pass alongside apple orchards with only the sound of the birds and sheep for company and the aroma of the flowers in the hedgerows. This is what it is all about!
Sunny today but a cold wind in the air. Head to Brampton Brian and stop at the Old Crock Tea Shop and have yet another cream tea. Meet another cyclist who is doing an endurance trip. They have to cover 200miles in 48 hrs. Rather him than me. Find accomodation near Halfway House pub. The B&B lady is lovely and a bit of a local celebrity. She is 70 years of age and since turning 60 has travelled all over the world. She has been doing white water rafting, treking, absailing, you name it. She drew the line at bungee jumping though. What an inspiration!
Total mileage for the day 56.9 miles
21/5/2007 Halfway House/ Melverley/West Felton/ Ellesmere/Malpas/Beeston/Frodsham/Runcorn/Widnes
Head from Wales back into England. Stop for tea at Ellesmere after covering 20 miles and then head on to Malpas where we get some Cheshire cheese as we are now in Cheshire. Look for accommodation in Frodsham but none. Head to Runcorn. Spend hours going round all the hotels and Inns to no avail. Starting to panic that we might not find anywhere. Head to Widnes and find a Hotel. Phew!!! Total mileage today 74 miles. Very tired.
22/5/2007 Widnes/Warrington/Newton le Willows/Appley Bridge/Eccleston
Head off from Widnes along canal. Not very pretty initially but improved after Warrington. Not great sign posting though so have a few navigational problems. Lot of route on busy roads so quite stressful. Find a nice sandwich shop on outskirts of Bryn to raise our spirits and then on to Appley Bridge. Head uphill to Eccleston where we stop. Total mileage for day 37.8 miles.
23/5/2007 Eccleston/Leyland/Preston/Garstang/Cockerham/Lancaster/ Carnforth/Milnthorpe/Kendal
Light rain as we set off and join cycle track at Leyland. Cycle alongside River Ribble and then along canal to Ingol then back on quiet roads. Stop at a strange collection of thatched buildings known as Owd Nells Tavern which was a bit commercialised for our liking. Head on to Glasson Dock and join the Lune estuary path which passes Morecambe bay. We then join cycle path to Carnforth and then NCN 6 route to Kendal and our B&B for the night.
Total mileage today 66.1miles
24/5/2007 Kendal/Ambleside/Thirlmere/Threlkeld/Hesket Newmarket/Carlisle
Mild drizzle when we left but got heavier as we travel through lake district. Got brighter in the afternoon. Beautiful scenery. Some parts of route on cycle path other parts on the road. Hilly at some parts today so arrange for tea stop prior to largest hill. Travel on through a gated road over a hill and then over a moorland road to Hesket Newmarket. Tea-shop closed but they made us two carry out teas instead. People are so helpful and accommodating. Head on to Carlisle by road and cycle path by the river. As we arrive in Carlisle we are stopped by the police who are trying to track down a thief who has just stolen a quad bike and headed in our direction. Unable to help them with their enquiries so we carry on to find a B&B. Shower and then its off to find somewhere that serves cumberland sausage as we are now in cumberland. Caught in rain getting back to the B&B after dinner. Total mileage today 55.8 miles
25/5/2007 Carlisle/Longtown/Langholm/Eskdalemuir/Gordons Arms
Dry and sunny today . Cycle along quiet road around Todhills which joined NCN 7 route and along the old Waverley railway line. Reach Longtown and then over the border to Scotland and Langholm. Stop at a nice Italian coffee and ice-cream shop for, wait for it, tea and cake. Meet another three "End to Enders". These chaps have top of the range bikes and are very experienced. After they head off we pack up and head off too. You can imagine our surprise when we overtake them later on in the day. The route today is wonderful. Over hills with lovely views. Stopped at the Tibetan Monestary but cafe closed so head on to next hill and the lovely run down to the Gordon Arms. When we had met the boys earlier they had said they had pre-booked their accommodation and that this area was the hardest to find accommodation. We had originally planned to stop at Innerleithan but decided to check if the Gordon Arms had any vacancies. Found a double room so decided to stay. Found the three lads in the bar so had another chat. They did not seem to happy that we had caught up with them again.
Total mileage today 61 miles.
26/5/2007 Gordon Arms/Innerleithen/Temple/Bonnyrigg/Edinburgh/Forth Road Bridge/Rosyth/Dunfermline/Clackmannan
Cold wind today but dry. Climb initially then nice drop down into Innerleithan. Pick up supplies and chat to local cyclist. Meet another two cyclists then head through golf course (Yes the road actually goes through the middle of the golf course) and up the hill. Stop to put on wet weather gear as rain on again and wave to the two cyclists we passed earlier as they pass us. We meet again later at the top of the hill and they tell us that they are brother-in-laws and are from Holland. They are cycling through Holland, ferry to Newcastle, cycle to Edinburgh, train to Inverness, Cycle through Scotland and get ferry to Orkney and Shetland and then over to Norway. They hope to complete the trek in four weeks. Wish them well and head off towards Edinburgh. Cycling on a Saturday afternoon in Edinburgh is not recommended!!! Glad when we finally reach the Forth Road Bridge and head home via Dunfermline. Chose this route so we could include our local cycle track in the route so we have to stop to take some pics when we reach the last 11 mile track from Dunfermline to Clackmannan.
Home at last! Total mileage for today 69 miles.
Overall mileage cycled since leaving home to date is 803 miles.
27/5/2007 Clackmannan
Day of rest to catch up with mail and washing and give bikes a good clean and overhaul before continuing on our journey.
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