Join me on a bikepacking adventure of the West Country starting at Winchester in Hampshire. The plan is to travel towards the coast traversing Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall 750miles. My bike of choice is a hardtail mountain bike with tailfin panniers and I will be wildcamping throughout.
In part 3 I move away from the Quantocks Hills passing through Exmoor National Park to the coastal town of Minehead. I then head towards Libton and Lynmouth were I decided to spend two days at the Sunny Lyn campsite for some R & R and to check out the local area which is super picturesque. Still in a heatwave I end up in a rock pool and checkout Linton and Lynmouth. The next day I head for the Valley of the Rocks which was stunning and mandatory drone time.
Conditions were changing though with rain due for the next week so I decided to head towards Barnstable train station to end the trip.
I do plan however to return shortly to continue the adventure were I will continue along the Devon, Cornish, Somerset and Doset coastline. I also aim to pass through Dartmoir and the New Forrest. I look forward to you joining me then. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed part two of this bike packing adventure through the West Country. Thank you for joining me for part three where I leave mine head behind and cross through the X Mall National Park towards Linton and Limouth where I decide to find a campsite in order to take a few days rest and explore the local area. At Linton and Limouth, I find myself trying to cool off in a rockpool in the extreme heat and explore the nearby spectacular value of the rocks. I finished my journey by heading towards Sponsible in Devon where I decide to end the adventure due to the inclement weather coming in. Watch out in the coming weeks and months as I hope to return to finish off the Devon and Cornish coastlines. Thank you for joining me. See you next time. [Music] Hello. Good morning. It’s uh 7:00 a.m. day five. I’m in a farmer’s field somewhere. There’s my tent behind me and there’s a little little winter sheep building, whatever you call that. Um no sheep in the field though, thank God. Um you can hear the sheep in the distance and I’m just outside Mine Head, maybe 3 or four miles outside of Mine Head. And this morning the plan is to head off to uh Linton or Limouth. There’s two places both together and try and find a campsite. Um, so I’m going to treat today as a day off. And my plan has changed quite a lot to be honest because I’ve just looked at the weather forecast last night and from next Tuesday for most of the week it’s forecast rain, which is not exactly what I’d planned for. When I started this journey, it was meant to be clear, but obviously that was uh looking at the full two weeks. The first week they kind of got right. It’s been a heat wave and then I kind of hoped that it was going to be clear but cooler on the coast but it was not to be. It looks like it’s going to rain. So I’ll keep an eye on that. But if it does rain then I will probably bring the trip to an end. There’s very little um point in traveling around the coast in the rain um and all the beaches will be rained off and uh you know it’s just not not what I came here for. So, the idea was to take lots of nice uh coastal shots and enjoy the beaches along the way, which is a shame really, but it is what it is. So, I’ll probably get the train back, but I’ll keep an eye on that and if the weather does improve, I will continue. So, let’s see what happens. But, um it does seem like the rain’s coming in. Okay, that’s all for now. Bye. [Music] Good morning. Morning. Oh yeah, please. A Norton box that will fit on it. Yeah, it’s an AMC box. You can get a kickstart quadrant out of one of those. That must be Wales in the background. What a lovely view. Port Lock Hill has a toll road as an alternative to the steep A39 road known as Port Lock Hill. The toll road, officially called the Portlock Scenic Toll Road, is a privately owned four mile route that provides a less steep and scenic path between Port Lock and Linton. It was built in the 1840s to offer a gentler sense compared to the one in4 gradient of Port Lock Hill. The road winds through ancient woodland and Mland, offering views of the Somerset Coast and the Bristol Channel. [Music] Hello. It’s about 10 o’clock in the morning. I’m on top of the hills in the Xmore National Park. Just passed through Porlock and gone up a massive hill. Probably I think the biggest hill of the trip so far. About 420 m, 360 m ascent. So, uh, it’s a good one. And I’m now heading towards Limouth and Linton which is about 6 milesi away. Nearly all downhill all the way. Punches holding up. Had to pump some air in this morning but it’s pretty once I’m moving it’s pretty much okay. So uh we’ll see whether we can find a camp spot when we get there but um uh well a campsite. But it is Saturday so it could be packed out. So let’s see how that goes. If not, I’ll be wild camping again. Okay, I shall let you know what’s going on when I get down there. Speak to you soon. Bye. [Music] [Applause] What the heck? There we go. The Sunnyland Holiday Park is situated in a beautiful wooded valley in the Xmore National Park with the Westlin River running alongside. The park is the closest campsite to both Linton and Lmouth. Linton is a quaint Victorian town with stunning views across the Bristol Channel. Lymouth Harbor and the beach. Limmouth is stunning too and can be reached from Linton via the finicular Victorian cliff railway or a short walk downhill. [Music] Hello. It’s 3:00 in the afternoon, day five. I’ve reached the campsite at sunny Lynn, not far from Lynmouth and Linton. It’s uh I’ve managed to have a nice shower and I’ve just had a dip in the river where there’s a nice rock pool which I’ll show you in a bit because that’s really nice. The water takes your breath away, but it’s so hot outside that it’s just a ticket. So, I’ll be returning to there maybe uh maybe shortly. And uh yeah, it’s a lovely place. I’ll just show you um what it’s like. I’m going to take a stroll into Linton and Limouth. I’ve been there before, but um I haven’t explored all of it. So, um there’s a finicular there as well. I’m not sure whether I’ll try it, but um it’s good novelty value. It’s only a small one, but um looks good fun. And um there’s a there is a beach, although it’s more of a uh a rocky beach, so it’s not a sandy beach, but uh if you want to cool off, that’s nice, too. So, I’m going to venture out to Lint Linton in a minute. Might get some uh some food there as well. And I’ve decided to stay here for two nights. So, tonight and tomorrow night. And I’m not sure whether I’ll go to the Valley of Rocks tomorrow or do that on my uh next journey. Um, if I do it tomorrow, I might have more time to do some filming because, uh, it’s quite spectacular and I’ll be able to do some nice drone shots there. But, uh, we’ll see how it goes. It’s going to be another glorious day tomorrow. And then on Monday, the weather cools off a little bit down to 21° again. And then Tuesday onwards, it’s forecast rain. So, I’ve got some decisions to make. So, I’m going to make the most of the next two days in holiday mode. And, um, I’ve done a lot of cycling. My legs are quite sore now. I’ve got some subtle sores as well. Nothing too bad, but it’ be nice to have a rest from all of that. Okay, I will report in soon. So, this is the rockpool that I was just talking about. It’s really, really cool. The water’s ice cold, but it’s so refreshing after the 30° sun. It’s just what you need. It’s really nice. Oh, you can’t swim in here, but it’s just refreshing. I should do this every day really after I go for a run. But uh yeah, really nice. Excellent. And the old he [Music] demand for sailors and holidays and for Frisco and for France. Oh, I shy and got paralyzing. [Music] What time? Linton and Lmouth are twin towns in North Devon known for their scenic beauty and the Linton and Limouth Cliff Railway. The area is often referred to as Little Switzerland due to its dramatic hilly landscape. Linton is situated on a plateau while Limmouth sits at sea level at the meeting point of the East and Westland Rivers. The Linton and Limouth Cliff Railway is a finicular railway connecting the two towns notable for being the highest and steepest fully waterpowered railway in the world. It opened in 1890 and is a grade two listed structure. Both Linton and Limouth are within the boundaries of the Xmore National Park known for its mand coastline and wildlife. The eastern and westland rivers converge in Lymouth before flowing into the sea. Hello. Good evening. It’s 7:00 in the evening. It’s 28°. Absolutely stunning in this place. Linton and Limouth. Just had my fish and chips, which was equally scrummy. Really needed that. I I was quite empty from this morning’s bike ride across the Xmore National Park and listened to some local fisherman songs. Caught a little bit of that on the video. So, you can see that. And um yeah, just having a stroll. Really enjoying it. It’s nice to be off the bike for a time just to unwind and relax. It’s quite stressful on the body cycling all day long, day after day after day. See, I would recommend rest days every now and again. I’ll head back to camp soon. Probably won’t jump in the rock pool until tomorrow again, but um I’m still trying to work out what to do tomorrow. I might do a hike, but it is going to be hot, so it might be too hot. Okay, I will let you know what’s what later on. Bye for now. [Music] There’s [Applause] Hello. The Valley of the Rocks. The Valley of the Rocks offers arguably the most spectacular coastline views along the Tarka Trail. The Valley of the Rocks is a dry valley that runs parallel to the coast about half a mile west of Linton. It is noted for its herd of goats, its geology, and stunning views. The valley is believed to owe its existence to a former extension of the valley of the Eastland River, which now meets the sea at Limmouth. Hi. Hi. Morning. Morning. Hello. Good morning. It’s um about half past 10 in the morning. I think I’m at the Valley of the Rocks. It’s absolutely stunning here. I’ve just been taking lots of drone shots and panoramic shots, point of interest shots, you name it. It’s really stunning and it’s such a perfect day as well. I’ll be traveling through here again tomorrow on my way back to Barnstable when I’ll be finishing the journey. I’ve decided because it’s going to be raining all next week, more or less, that um I will call it a day and call this trip part one of the Southwest Epic and continue the Southwest Epic for part two. Um sometime soon when the when there’s a nice weather window. Um so I’ll start somewhere near Bonstable and go all the way around the Devon and Cornish coasts. Can’t wait to do that, but only in good weather. There’s no point in doing it in the rain. You can’t enjoy anything. The filming is rubbish and um yeah. And if uh there’s no there’ll be no beach for me. So, okay. Um I’ll report in a little bit later. Maybe back at the campsite and um I’m hoping to catch the Sunday roast meal or my lunch. My legs are still quite achy, but apart from that, feeling good. Slept really well last night. Okay, that’s all for now, folks. Bye. [Music] Located within the Xmore National Park, the Valley of the Rocks is a great place for both families and hardened walkers alike. There are short walks and picnic spots for Davises and lots of myths and legends to entertain people. The Tarka Trail runs through the valley making use of the southwest coast path linking nearby Linton and Limmouth and the rest of the North Devon coast. The coastal cliffs here are among the highest in Britain and provide a real challenge for climbing enthusiasts. [Music] [Music] [Music] The Valley of the Rocks shows off some of the oldest rocks in North Devon. These rocks are called the Linton beds. They formed during a Deonian period which was about 419 to 359 million years ago. You can find many fossils in these rocks which are the remains of ancient life. [Music] The Valley of the Rocks also has cool features from the last ice age. During that time, this area was at the edge of the huge ice sheet. Scientists believe that the valley was once part of a longer river valley. This river, the East Lin River, now meets the sea at Limmouth. Over time, the ocean’s waves slowly wore away the cliffs. a process called coastal erosion. This erosion cut off the old river valley leaving behind a dry bunny of rocks which we see today. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hello. Good morning. It’s nearly midday, so I’m going to pack up at the Valley of the Rocks and head back to base camp to try and find some lunch. Uh the breakfast is so big, though. I’m not sure I’ve got any space for a full Sunday roast, but we’ll see what happens. I’ve just had a major heart attack on the rocky outcrop behind me. I’ll show you what I mean. I managed to crash my drone up at the top of the rocky outcrop and uh I must have misjudged it by 5 10 m or a gust of wind may have taken it. But anyway, it crashed at the top. But there was a silver lining because I used I I actually managed to use my find my drone bleep uh feature and once near it, it started bleeping and I was able to find it. It was totally undamaged as it’s got propeller guards. That’s one of the best features of the DJI Flip drone. If you do happen to uh take a knock that it can take it within reason. Obviously, if you just keep smashing into a brick wall, it might not. But um anyway, I’m glad about that. Could have been a lot worse. Lovely views though all around me. Quite amazing this place really. I’ll be back here tomorrow, but uh it’s nice to spend a bit more time here to be honest. So anyway, that’s all from me now. Speak to you. Oh, what a cutie. [Applause] Hello. It’s about half past 7 on day six. I’m just heading down the zigzags at Linton and Lmouth towards the uh seafont where I hope to get some more fish and chips. The fish and chips were so good last night. I’m going to give it another go. Um although it’ll be a different chippy this time. So, let’s see who’s the best jippy, who’s got the best fish. Lovely Hadock. He’s starting to cool off now. Um, still warm, pleasant, but by tomorrow the temperature is going to drop. I’ll be heading off to Barnstable and um it’s going to be a little bit hilly, but I think the first part will be uphill, then there’s gradual downhill leading into Barnab. Linton and Lmouth have to be amongst the hilliest places I’ve ever been to. Literally everywhere you go, there’s a steep hill, but uh I’m not sure I’d ever get used to that, but uh cycling if it’s tough, walking if it’s tough, but it adds to the character. And it’s I definitely recommend it to anybody to come here. It’s uh a really lovely scenic, mellow sort of place. Dad. Hello. So, it’s 8:00 in the evening and I’ve just had my fish and chips on the beach, sat on the rocks and uh feeling contented now. This is going to be my last uh moment in Clinton and Plymouth by the sea at least. Going back to the campground now and we’ll be setting off to Bar tomorrow. I just thought I’d leave you with these lovely views. Sunday evening, so it’s fairly quiet, but um It’s very chilly indeed. Okay, I’ll see you soon. Good morning. It’s about 6:30 on day 7. It’s uh much windier than it has been recently. So, it’s uh forecast about 20 mph winds. It’s going to be a headwind for me this morning. So, that’s going to be real real fun for 20 m heading towards Bonsible. Um at least it’s only a shortish distance. So, um I’m not going to worry about that too much if it’s only only 20 mi. Just packing up tent the tents at the moment. Packing up camp and you can see the bike behind me. Probably have breakfast here. Uh full English and then head off. Um, but I’ve got all day just to do 20 miles cuz my train’s not until tomorrow. I’m definitely ending the trip now because of the uh inclement weather coming in for most of the week. Um, it’s a shame, but uh like I said before, I’ll come back to do part two another time when the weather’s uh more suitable. But uh it’s been an absolutely amazing trip. I’m not going to sign off quite yet cuz um still got a day to go. But uh speak to you soon. Okay. Bye. Heat. Heat. On my way to Barnstable, I passed through Xmore and its national park. The towering sea cliffs, the high moors and tumbling streams and deep valleys that shelter our unique Atlantic rainforest. On Xmore, it’s still possible to find tranquility and peace, as well as rediscover your sense of adventure, to catch a glimpse of wild red deer, be amazed by the dark skies full of stars, and explore quaint villages full of character and charm. Barnstable is located in North Devon and is known for being the oldest bur in England, holding its first charter in 930 AD. It’s a historic market town on the river tour known for its maritime history and as a gateway to the popular Tarka Trail and the North Devon beaches. [Music] Hello. Good evening. It’s 9:00 in the evening. It’s my final day. I’m going to wrap up the trip now. And um you can see my camp spot behind me. I’ve got a field of sheep next to me, so it should be should be okay. Some rain’s due in the night tonight. Uh so it could be my first wet one. I did get rained on earlier on today. In fact, I can feel a few drops in the air right now as we speak. The trip has been a really good one though. Um it didn’t go completely according to plan because the rains are coming in, but I managed to do a a week one one out of two weeks of the journey. So, let’s call it part one of the Southwest epic bike packing trip and part two to follow um where I’ll continue traveling around the Devon and Cornish coasts and heading back through Dartmore and the New Forest. Not sure when that will be, but um I’ll put that uh put that down in in the diary for for the future. So, yeah, it’s been a really wonderful trip. The weather’s been excellent until now. Um, lots of hills compared with the Wolfway in Suffukk which I recently completed. So that was uh my legs are aching quite a lot. And uh yeah, I hope you enjoy the video. I recommend uh anybody who wants to do it to use a mountain bike. Um preferably a hard tail. It was a lot more off-road than I anticipated. Um, I did put it in mountain bike mode in commute, so I got I got what I deserved, plenty of off-road, but I prefer it like that. It’s more fun. You get get away from the traffic. It is hard work. Bear that in mind, but uh yeah, it’s uh you know, it’s a lot of fun. So, okay. Until the next one. See you soon. Bye. [Music]