Land's End to John O'Groats raising money for HIV and Aids
Day 3 - Liskeard to
Wellington
Today's weather in Liskeard
Route Description
After another night at John and Betsy's cottage in Sennen, Henry will drive me back to today's starting point in Liskeard. The day's route takes me to Tavistock before heading up and over Dartmoor. I then drop down into Exeter where I will hopefully be able to lunch with our good friend Adrienne before heading North to Tiverton and on to Wellington. Again, the day supported by Henry. The night will be at Backways Farm B&B.
Mileage: 78
Cycling time: 5 hours 4 minutes
Average speed: 15.3 mph
Top speed: 46.8 mph
Start to finish time: 7 hours 30 minutes
Worst hill: Longdown Hill
High point: 1,487ft
Mileage to date: 152
Devon in a day via Dartmoor
I wonder how inviting porridge will be on day 12 ........
Fueled up, we left Sennen in the car at 8:30am - about half an hour behind schedule. This meant a start time of 10am from liskeard - note to council town planners, more signs for public toilets please! Unrelieved, I headed for Tavistock, some 18 miles on the now much more pleasant A390. Still very hilly, but much quieter giving me time to admire the fantastic agricultural scenery - still punctuated by old chimneys. The quietness of the road allowed me to make up for Liskeards lack of facilities in a rural layby! Gunnislake and Tavistock appeared pretty places for someone with a bit more time. The Cornwall/Devon boarder lay between the two and I was quite impressed that I would be 'doing Devon in a day'. Soon after leaving Tavistock, the uplands of Dartmoor loomed large above me. The climb, though long, was rewarding and the views spectacular. It was about 20 miles across the moor and I really enjoyed it. Henry kept pace with me with a stop for a walk, a couple of visitor centres and some photo spots. But then she left me to go ahead to Exeter and make our 1pm lunch date with Adrienne, a friend from these parts. Getting to Exeter from Dartmoor was even more beautiful, but quite a challenge and home to today's worst hill which, appropriately enough, finished in a place called Longdown! Just before this 16% grind, I had been treated to a wonderful descent through some National Trust (if I mention them often enough do you think I'll get a subsidy on this year's membership?!) woodland between Doccombe and Dunsford. Arriving in Exeter at 2pm we had a good lunch, chat and rest at the Boston Tea Party before a photocall at the Cathedral and a 3:40pm departure. By taking the minor roads to Cullompton I was rewarded with more gently rolling green farmland and minimal traffic. I also happened across an ideal holiday destination for Rob - Diggerland - and a village which was surely named after a happy romantic pairing. Unfortunately I didn't bump into either Nicola or Shane to confirm my guess! Not much later, I arrived at the friendly Backways Farm B&B and I write this having enjoyed a hearty steak and couple of pints at a nearby pub. Cake Review - Treacle Sponge (at the pub this evening). Deliciously light, lashings of slow burn treacle and a lake of custard - 8 out of 10. I shall be sad to see Henry go tomorrow, but look forward to seeing more friends on my next leg. Keep the messages coming - they really spur me on.
Looking towards Dartmoor
With Adrienne and Henry at Exeter cathedral
Rural romance?
Rob's ideal holiday destination