It’s a Little ‘Otter

Another day of ups and downs, but it could have been worse. 

I could have cycled from the site to Braunton but it’s about 5 miles of narrow roads (the off road route is strictly footpath only) so I drove instead. Parking was easy, plentiful and not too expensive, and I looked forward to visiting the town on my return. 

The Tarka Trail from there to Barnstaple is great, it follows the old railway along the edge of the Taw Estuary and is a good hard surfaced path, it’s almost too good! Unfortunately that’s where things then went wrong. The sign said to follow the way marks for route 27 through the town, I would have if they hadn’t suddenly just stopped appearing! I was able to follow the Tarka Trail on the map until it became a footpath that I couldn’t cycle on. I used Route 3 until I hit the main road to Exeter which would take me back to where I needed to be but then missed the turn, again no sign post.

Having realised I must have gone wrong I decided to turn back, unfortunately having waited for a gap in the traffic I hadn’t noticed the back wheel was on a very slippery bit of mud, with the bike on an angle and the front turned it just slid out taking the bike, and me, down. It could have been a lot worse, I ended up with a grazed knee and the bike a grazed brake lever, neither of which will take too much fixing. 

Having found where I needed to go I rejoined the path along the river, only to find a mile or so later it split again with bikes being taken back on to the Exeter road a few hundred yards from where I’d turned back! I carried on for another mile or two, had to do another double back, and thought enough is enough. That stretch is a mixture of road and trail with poor signage so I headed back into Barnstaple.

As it was past 11 o’clock and, as there just happened to be some nice substantial bike racks outside, I called in to Tea on the Taw for coffee (yes, I know it should have been tea). Having studied the menu and ordered coffee I decided I’d have brunch and asked for the Vintage Welsh Rarebit, a dish I’m particularly fond of. All I’ll say is it’s highly recommended - much better than the one I last had in Wales! There was a cool breeze for the few miles back to Braunton but I did take the opportunity to photograph some remaining Railway artefacts. 

Back in Braunton, and having locked the bike back on its rack, I explored the countryside centre and town museum. The latter has another model railway - this one built to show the layout of the station. It’s not the finest modelling I’ve seen, and there seemed to be some confusion between whether it should be GWR or SR (it was the latter), but it serves a purpose. For 20p you can see the train run which seemed a reasonable deal. 

By that point I was feeling thirsty so popped into the London Arms for a glass of cider, it went down well but I still had to drive so couldn’t have a second one. ☹️ However I wanted some shopping for tea so put a bottle in the fridge to chill! 😊 

Tomorrow’s activities will probably depend on the state of my knee. I banged it as well as grazing it so it’s a bit sore however it survived the cycling today. 

In the end I did 19.33 miles, so just short of my planned minimum of 20, with 1600ft of ascent. Just a note on that, the OS app may have over estimated the ascent on Sunday, it doesn’t know about tunnels! 

Rain, Rain, Go Away…

and stay away! 

Despite the weather forecast saying less than 5% chance of rain it started just as I was getting sorted out for the day. At first I thought it was only a brief shower but it then got heavier so I decided to abandon the cycling plans. 

I’d intended to go into Barnstable tomorrow to visit the museum there and do a bit of shopping so I just changed things round and went today. It was still quite heavy when I arrived but did eventually clear later on. My first port of call was the tearoom for coffee and a toasted tea cake, very good they were too. The museum is fairly typical of the genre, covering the town and North Devon in general, for once there wasn’t too much I recognised from my lifetime! 

The bonus however was that it has a model railway, an old exhibition layout inherited from its owner. The current keeper was in attendance so we had a good chat. The layout is partly of the town station with non-prototypical additions, including the goods shed and turntable from Ilfracombe; it’s a shame they don’t have the length to fully assemble it though. The modelling is generally excellent and he’d done a good job of the cameo scenes that can make or break a layout* such as having an overturned milk churn with a dog after the spilt milk. 

From there I had a wander round the town and had some lunch. It was a good job I’d put plenty of parking time on the ‘van, a simple Brie and Bacon baguette took a very long time to arrive then had to go back as they’d messed up the order slightly; it was very nice when it finally arrived though. 

I always take the front off the radio when I’m parked and stow it on the shelf above the windscreen, I doubt it’s much of a deterrent to people breaking in but it may help. This time I couldn’t find the blooming thing again! It was there, of course, it had just buried itself somehow in the space where the courtesy lamps are. Having found that I forgot the other important task when pulling off, disable the tracker alert for the bike! I know it works, I’ve tested it three times already this trip. 😀

I set the SatNav into eco-route mode for the fun of it rather than go back on the main roads, fine until I came up behind a tractor with a wide harrow on, the local Devon lanes weren’t built for such traffic so good job I wasn’t in a rush - at one point a van coming the other way had to back up 100 yards or so to find a wide enough spot to pass. I’d noted a farm shop near the site so decided to pay it a visit, it was rather disappointing though on the fresh salad side, just a few items obviously from the wholesaler, so I’ll have to try and get something tomorrow. Close to the farm shop was a car park by an old railway line so I stopped off, very briefly as I realised I’d cycled past there yesterday, I’d forgotten I was that close to the caravan site. 

As an aside I’ve been reading a book by an ex railwayman who started as a signaller then went though various control roles. He spent some time in Northampton and mentioned something I remember well. Carlsberg had a huge advertising hoarding there but used it for local fun, not naming the product. Mentioned in the book is when they had an image of a railway totem sign saying Northampton, then below in small letters, Probably! After that they had Wilkommen Til Northampton (sp?)  I often wondered what strangers to the town thought of these. 

*No, not every church needs a wedding or funeral cameo! 

I Get my Kicks…

On Route 27 - doesn’t really work!

The day started with a minor success, I finally got a decent cup of filter coffee from my AeroPress. The first time I took it away I forgot the filter papers, last time the milk had curdled (great for cheese or curd tart, not good for coffee); very enjoyable it was too. I’ve also discovered what I’ve forgotten, the plastic bag for the dirty clothes, but I can improvise. 

Things then went downhill and uphill, both figuratively and literally. I’d noticed when I loaded the bike that there seemed to be a bit of brake rub on the front wheel which I put down to having the handlebars turned though 90 degrees. When I set out for the day’s planned ride it was still there; I’ve had a few issues before and it usually wears off, but this time it didn’t. 

My suspicion was that the brake pads were out of centre (being a posh bike it has hydraulic disc brakes). I tried adjusting them but it didn’t help so it was back to the site for a longer ponder and consult of the ‘net. I took the calliper off, checked the disk for warping, put it back on and the problem persisted. I then realised it was actually the mudguard that was the rubbing! A two minute fix, recenter the brakes and I was ready for the off again. Whilst all this was happening I’d also taken a few swigs of Doombar, having accidentally grabbed and opened the wrong can out of the fridge. 

The ride is along the old LSWR Barnstaple - Ilfracombe Railway. It’s a hard surfaced path so easy enough riding but is quite narrow which could result in cyclist - walker conflicts, fortunately all was fine in my encounters. I’d already had a chat with another rider on the earlier aborted ride, he was in full touring mode but welcomed a stop and a few minutes break (I’d guess he was into his 70’s and had a stroke three years ago, I’ll be happy if I’m as fit at his age!)

The railway was opened in 1874 and upgraded to double track in 1889. It survived less than 100 years, closing in 1970 having survived Dr Beeching but falling to Barbara Castle. Attempts at preservation at that time fell into the same issue as we had a few years later with the Market Harborough line, BR wanted the full commercial value for the line which was too much. Invariably they ended up with next to nothing as the lines were handed to councils.

Now anybody who has been to Ilfracombe will know that it lies in a deep narrow cleft in the coast. The caravan site lies at about 600’ above sea level and the gradient out of Ilfracombe is 1 in 36, one of the steepest double track sections in the country and reckoned to be the steepest out of a terminal station - and that station wasn’t at the bottom of the town! That meant it was a great ride down into the town with minimal pedalling but getting back required all my efforts and the maximum output from Mr Bosch’s finest! It was good to see the sea though, what there was as the tide was out so the inner harbour was dry.

 

The main focal point of interest at the end of the pier is Verity, a Damian Hirst statue:

Apparently it’s “a modern allegory of truth and justice" and has been loaned to the town for 20 years by the artist. The building on top of the hill is the Chapel of St Nicholas, built in 1321, which from the Middle Ages maintained a light to guide ships. It ceased to be a chapel following the dissolution of the monasteries but continued as a light house, as it does to the present day (it’s thought to be the oldest working lighthouse in the country). 

Overall according to the OS track I rode 10.29 miles with 2,068 feet of ascent, plus there’s about 4 miles to add for the initial bimble. Not a huge distance by any means but satisfying. I was interested to see, in the short time I was in the town, that motorists seemed to be being more careful around cyclists. It’s not easy with narrow streets but a couple of times I had drivers who were clearly impatient but did wait for a safe place to pass, so it looks like the new Highway Code is working!

A Bit Late…

I’ve finally made it back to Devon, only two years late! Little did we know what was going to hit us when, back in 2019, we booked for 2020. I’m having a few days in the campervan, mainly to do some cycling, before joining friends at the activity hotel we go to near Okehampton. 

I generally break my journeys somewhere interesting, this time it was the Swindon and Cricklade Railway that caught my attention. In the end it was a slightly disappointing experience as, due to a shortage of volunteers, the Museum and cafe weren’t open. There’s another slight issue, the full journey time is just over an hour, but actually consists of just 24 minutes travel and 44 minutes sitting in the stations and halts! The train of the day was an old 2 Car DMU set:

I suppose it makes a change from steam locos! 😊

Hayes Knoll, the “station” at one end of the line is an oddity, it looks convincing…

but if you look carefully through the windows you might be able to see that it’s a facade behind which is a loco and carriage shed. That’s an idea that will go in the memory banks for a future model. 

The drive to Swindon was pretty easy but unfortunately that didn’t last. I’d have been better finding somewhere to visit a bit further along the journey and, despite the SatNav’s best efforts and avoiding the M4 and M5 until I was in Somerset, I probably lost 40-50 minutes through weight of traffic then following a wobble box for much of the last 30 miles along a narrow road - I thought he might be coming to the same site but he turned off a mile or so short. That all combined to make it a near five hour drive from Swindon to here, with only a wee break at a service station on the way. 

I’m now ensconced on a Club site not far from Ilfracombe, all being well my first target is to cycle there tomorrow as there’s an old railway line that goes across the back of the site with a gate on to it. The line is part of National Route 27 which runs from Ilfracombe to Plymouth; I’ll be doing more of it as part of the Tarka Trail over the next few days

A Bunch of Berlingos

The first trip away for 2022 was to meet up with other Berlingo and Peugeot Partner camper owners just outside Northallerton, a repeat of an event I went to last year. It was a bit mixed, the people were lovely as always but the weather didn’t really play nicely. I’d taken Friday off work, partly to carry out some family duties which fell through, so had all day to travel. 

As is my habit I looked around for somewhere to visit on the way to the site. I’ve recently been rereading a book called Bollocks to Alton Towers which gives details of alternatives to the big theme parks; one of the places mentioned is the Workhouse Museum at Ripon, along with the Courthouse Museum and the Prison and Police Museum. I have a general interest in social history and criminology and they seemed like interesting places so that settled that. Due to opening times I started with the Workhouse, it was enjoyable, although I know quite a bit about the setup of these. I’d noted a Fish and Chip restaurant nearby so that provided lunch before I continued walking round to the Cathedral. My timing was possibly impeccable as it was the first day of their 1,350 year anniversary celebrations, the crypt being part of the original church dedicated in 672AD. I find that quite incredible really, that was less than 300 years after the Romans left Britain and was closer to the Iron Age* than it is to today! 

The Courthouse museum is the smallest of the three and, incidentally the only one where the volunteer guide wasn’t talkative. It wasn’t a long visit so it was quickly on to the Prison and Police Museum. After a lengthy chat I had a look round. The building was an extension to the House of Correction and later served as a Police Station until the 1950’s. Again, lots of stuff I already knew but interesting to see the artefacts and actual rooms - you don’t realise just how small the cells were in Victorian times. I ended the visit with a bit of shopping for essentials, mainly bread rolls, before the short drive to Northallerton and the Sentry Circle campsite. 

I think there were about 27 Berlingo or Partner campers there, plus a couple of interlopers in other vehicles. We were on the site’s smaller field as there was a Beltane festival on the main one. That suited us anyway, enough room to spread out but all in one place. The weather during the day had been great, with sunshine, but as evening came on the temperature dropped a lot. We still sat around the fire pit drinking and chatting but I’ll admit that when I got back to the ‘van I needed to warm up. As there’s no electric hookup I had to fall back on older technology, the hot water bottle! Once in the sleeping bag with that at my feet I quickly got cosy again. 

Saturday was another day of good weather so I decided to walk down to Northallerton itself. It’s a bit under 3 miles which I’d reckoned overall would be on my limits but doable. By the time I got there a pint beckoned, the first pub I looked in was heaving, due to it being the May Day Fair, but I noticed a sign for the Stumble Inn. I’m not that keen on shopping arcade micro-pubs but they advertised a good range of craft ales and ciders so I decided to give it a go. 3 Pints of Leeds Brewery’s Yorkshire Gold later, and a chat with the bar staff and customers, it was definitely time to stumble out! I had a wander round the fair, and Lakeland, before the walk back up the hill to the site. Unfortunately the weather then deteriorated with rain coming on and setting in for the evening so the fire pit session was shorter than it would have been and I had an early night with the Kindle and hot water bottle for company. 

The rain continued Sunday morning and the day didn’t brighten up until late afternoon so I settled on a quiet day in the van. We did have a much better evening though, chilly again but it stayed dry and the conversation was varied and enjoyable. 

Coincidentally to my trip the Wensleydale Railway were holding a model show which I thought would be worth a visit. Had the weather been better I’d have gone on Sunday but I called in today on my way home. I didn’t have high expectations, and wasn’t disappointed, but I’m glad I went. As an adjunct to their train services and the fact they were formally reopening the Leeming Bar Station House it was fine, with a few layouts, a couple of traders and a couple of demonstrations. I had a chat with someone about electronic control, he gave me a couple of useful ideas and I may have returned the compliment. Due to the drive home I didn’t have time for a train trip, I’ve traveled the line before and will try and do so again before too long as it’s one of my favourites. 

The drives both to and from Northallerton were fine, with only minor slowing down a couple of times, so that was fine. I was fortunate in my timing as I heard there were problems on the A1 later on Friday. I’ve given up on the Garmin satnav now and I’m just using the TomTom app on the phone - the traffic is far better and that helps with the routing. The downside is I’ve lost the reversing camera which was handy with the bike rack but there are options which I’ll explore.

Only two things didn’t go quite to plan, I took the bike but it didn’t get used, again a victim of the Sunday weather, and the milk would have been handy for making cheese (or  Yorkshire curd tarts) but it wasn’t much good in coffee. 

All being well the next trip is Devon at the beginning of June so not too long to wait. 

I’ll add some photos when I’ve downloaded them from the camera. 

*Using the convention that the Iron Age ended in 500BC. 

Spring Update

Before I blog the first trip of 2022 here’s a quick update on the winter. 

The ‘van was serviced and MOT’d without any significant problems so hopefully we’re good for another year. I’ve now replaced the failed leisure battery, I did consider a lithium battery as I could get more useful energy and less weight in the same space but at the moment they’re still 3-4 times the price per Ah so stuck with the old technology. By the time I’m looking for a replacement ‘van I’m hoping the price will have fallen considerably. 

The unexpected job was fixing the water - when I tried it lots of water came out, just not from the tap. Access is a pain, involving lifting the whole cooker/sink unit but the fix was simple, the hose spigot had detached from the tap as it was just a push fit. A liberal amount of epoxy should prevent a recurrence. 

I’ve been experimenting with adding storage and improving the inside arrangements, with the aid of the 3D printer, but things haven’t worked out yet so I’ll report more later.