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Category: England

Day 56 – Newquay to Lands End

Day 56 – Newquay to Lands End

Last day.

It’s taken 56 days to make the whole journey; from John O’Groats to Lands End.

I’ll do a summary of some stats in the next post, but here’s to final day – Newquay to Lands End.


Started off misty.

This was taken cycling out of Newquay.

Much less wind

Made it a much more pleasant journey.

My pedal had also ceased, which was putting some considerable drag on me which I hadn’t realised.

I got this fixed by an RAC man sitting on the A30 just outside Newquay.

A little WD40 and a lot of oil.

The Newquay to Lands End stretch was a lot more pleasant.

Here’s some photographic mementos from the journey.

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Day 55 – Tavistock to Newquay

Day 55 – Tavistock to Newquay

A whole day with the the wind in my face. A full 16-30 kph of it.
Pedalling down the hills kind of style.

In addition, Google decided I was a CAR and sent my down the A30.

So

THANKS GOOGLE

Pain in the ass…..

Anyway. I’m here now.

Holed up in the Griffin Inn, right in the very heart of Newquay. Party capital of the south coast.

I’m having a shower and feeling absolutely shattered.

Newquay

Fancied fish & chips, seeing as it was a Friday.

By the time I had all washed up and had a little nap, it was getting on for 9.

Some of the places had stopped serving food.

After a walk down to Fistral Beach and taking a look in the Atlantic Hotel and the Red Lion, I settled on this place, The Dolphin, which had seasonable prices and was still serving.

River Lyd
River Lyd, Conwall

Nansledan

Happened across this village.

Nanslesdan.

They have invested a lot in paint and breeze-blocks to put the place up in the middle of no-where.

It’s  another one of those ‘Poundbury’, self styled ‘good ideas’, from the same people that bought you ‘Poundbury’, (surprise surprise).

10 out of 10 for choice of colours. Bohemian, sort of reminiscent of central European housing of a certain era, with all the funny colours and what not.

It seems that central Europe has come to Newquay, or that’s the impression I got. Airlifted, and dropped in from a height, like and alien invasion.

Nanseldan, Newquay
Nanseldan, Newquay
Nanseldan, Newquay
Nanseldan, Newquay

Today, I’m taking the final leg of my trip, to Sennen, the closest village to Lands End.

Day 54 – Exeter to Tavistock

Day 54 – Exeter to Tavistock

Through the National Park, which turned out to be extremely hilly.

Climbed the same height as Ben Nevis during the course of the day.
I must admit, I did some of it walking.

Clifford Bridge - Teign Valley
Clifford Bridge – Teign Valley, Devon

This particular road took me up a steep embankment from the River Teign.
It was never ending.

Google Maps

Google kept trying to turn me back from this route, (through the national park), and send me round the A30, (around the edge of the park).

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Day 53 – Taunton to Exeter

Day 53 – Taunton to Exeter

Knee isn’t much better.

I’ve decided it’s the tendons at the back of the kneecap have become slightly inflamed.

Tendonitis I believe it’s called. I personally don’t think it’s very serious, although there’s no doubt it’s going to slow me down, roughly by about 1/2 the amount each day.

Today, I took it particularly easy, just travelling to Exeter, or thereabouts.

Somerset into Devon

The most significant development of the day was moving between the counties of Somerset and Devon.

Devon Lane
Devon Lane

The lanes in Devon look like this.

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Day 52 – Seend Park to Taunton

Day 52 – Seend Park to Taunton

A drab and dreary day, that took me down through Frome, across to Wells, down to Glastonbury and in to Taunton.

About 70 miles.

The damp weather has caused some problems with my knee, and I’m not sure how it’ll be functioning tomorrow.

I’m going to book something close, and not risk straining it.

Canaltime

Spent most of the morning cycling down the canal towpath.

Stopped for a coffee in Monkton Combe at the Angelfish café, where some other cyclist had congregated for the same reason.

Avoncliff is a particularly good stretch, with the canal looking down on the Avon winding it’s way through the valley below.

England's Glory - Avoncliff
England’s Glory – Avoncliff

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Day 50 – Seend Park to Bradford on Avon

Day 50 – Seend Park to Bradford on Avon

I don’t think I’ve hated anywhere in England more than Bradford on Avon.

It’s snotty, fascist, ‘Little England-esque’, chocolate box nimbyism got me feeling the place would be better off bombed.

Never wish to go there again.

I’ve been to places all over the UK. All over Europe. Been to 55 countries. All across the world.

I’d rather hang out in Salford than here.

Wigan.

All better.

Horrible.

Anyway, on with the journey.

Bonny End

I made my way down from Seend locks to Hilperton, in the hope of lodging at the marina for a short time, whilst I complete the rest of my John O’Groats to Lands End journey.

The journey itself, if you subtract the time taken for getting up to John O’Groats is 36 Days.

That’s why I’ve changed the day back to 36.

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Day 49 – Caen Hill Marina to Seend Park

Day 49 – Caen Hill Marina to Seend Park

An easy half day, leaving Caen Hill at around 12pm after buying a bell for my bike in Devizes and having my lunch.

Engine

As you may have read, I fixed the engine myself.

Believe it or not, it actually runs better now.

In the new smoother Bonnie, I took off through the gates of Caen Hill along my merry way.

Double parking

It wasn’t long before I hit some locks. There’s just so many of them on this canal.

When I went to park the boat before the locks, so I could operate the paddles and open the gates, there was a 60ft wide beam sitting, covering all the bollards.

I thought ‘they may be in the locks’, unlikely. As I approached, it became clearer they weren’t in the locks. The boat was abandoned. Just left close to the locks, with a sign in the window with a phone number on it.

As I pulled up, there was no-where to put my boat, and I had to tie it to the side of this widebeam whilst I negotiated the lock.

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