The day started with a fine cooked breakfast at Windsor House B&B where one of the other guests called Frank from Essex donated £20 to CM. We set off expecting a hard day and it did not disappoint. It was a day of ups and downs. We climbed out of Gt Torrington and cycled through to Atherington, following the CTC route, inlcluding a 25% descent followed by a 20% ascent! We travelled through some fabulous scenery at Umberley (fabulous scenery = very hilly).
We stopped for coffee and bacon buns at South Molton and then climbed to North Molton where we stopped for some victuals. The lady in the shop asked where we were going and when we told her she said "you'll be climbing then". How right she was. We spent the next hour pushing our bikes up a 3 mile hill! Then on at varying speeds up onto Exmoor national park. At the highest point Ken, who had raced on ahead, was sitting outside the Sportsmans Inn with a pint, so we joined him. This pub was just into Somerset (2 counties down). Then we continued to Withypool, where we had a cup of tea and lemon drizzle cake while being amused by a conversation about cream teas between the proprietor and a customer. Then we remounted the bikes and I immediately fell off as the chain jammed in the gears. Ah well, it's an occupational hazard. Back on the bikes with a combination of low gears and pushing to climb the hills and eventually we dropped down from Exmoor. Then on to Bishops Lydeard where there was a pop festival going on that we could hear from Pound Farm about a mile away.
On arrival we were greeted by Katie and James and provided with some lovely tea and cake, which we demolished as we reflected on the day and talked about the next days route. And so to bed. C.
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