Bridges

rjb · Post by **rjb** » 15 May 2021, 8:28am

That's a lumpy route and you will be dodging the showers. Past the mountain Inn at Lutton.

There are some nice railway viaducts on your route. The Blachford viaduct at Cornwood is interesting as they realigned the track when Brunel's Great Western route moved from broad guage to standard gauge. The piers of the old viaduct were left in situ when the new viaduct was erected.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/ ... ry/1107455
Idea for you next assignment to cycle under all the railway viaducts. Good Luck.

Post by **Mick F** » 15 May 2021, 5:19pm

Dodging showers?
It hammered down when I was on Route27 south of Clearbrook on my way through the Plym Valley.
Stopped under a bridge for ten minutes and saw a couple of groups doing likewise about 200yds further on hiding under a bridge!
After my ten minutes, I was bored, so battled on in the rain. Whilst passing the other groups, I pointed at the blue sky over to the east and to the west. Seemed like we were in a black sky bit but with blue clear skies left and right!

Any road up, down to Plympton and out via Hemerdon and Sparkwell to pop out on the main road south of Colebrook and followed the main railway line to Ivybridge.

Then zig-zagged my way over bridges 28 to 33 inclusive.
Map.

Got to Plymouth Barbican via the coastal paths, and the place was heaving with people. Called in at the Fortesque Arms at the bottom of Looe Street, but that was heaving, so carried on to Cap'n Jasper's for a mug of tea and a bacon butty but the queues were long, so gave up and went to try Wetherspoons on Union Street.
Heaving with people, and queuing to even get into the garden, so gave up that idea too.

By this time, I was wet and cold, hungry and tired after the 40miles, so went into the city centre to find a sandwich bar or something. Bought a pasty and sat on a (wet) bench in Frankfort Gate. Yum! It was brilliant!

Then off on my weary (damp and cold) way to the station for the train back to Gunnislake.
Freewheeled down the hill and called in at the Rising Sun for a couple of Dartmoor Legend pints. Equally Yum!

Post by **Mick F** » 15 May 2021, 5:25pm

PS:
Before anyone mentions it, I could have had a shorter route from Yelverton via Meavy, Wotter, Lee Moor and Cornwood, but there's a horrendous hill up from Yelverton/Meavy so I chickened out and took the easy route - though longer.

Done that hill many many times over the years, so fancied a change.

rjb · Post by **rjb** » 15 May 2021, 6:45pm

I lived in Lutton as a youth. In those days you could ride direct from Cornwood to Cadover Bridge, but Watts Blake and Bearne expanded the China clay works and swallowed up the road

The road from Sparkwell to Cornwood is the easier route in my view before turning towards ivybridge.

NATURAL ANKLING · Post by **NATURAL ANKLING** » 15 May 2021, 7:08pm

Hi,

Mick F wrote: ↑15 May 2021, 5:25pm PS:
Before anyone mentions it, I could have had a shorter route from Yelverton via Meavy, Wotter, Lee Moor and Cornwood, but there's a horrendous hill up from Yelverton/Meavy so I chickened out and took the easy route - though longer.

Done that hill many many times over the years, so fancied a change.

Chicken

Can't remember the last time I did it but it wasn't much of a hill as I managed to get up there on my road bike on a 42 X 24

Only joking, as I remember it I had the zigzag On the steep bit.

Post by **Mick F** » 16 May 2021, 12:14pm

rjb wrote: ↑15 May 2021, 6:45pm I lived in Lutton as a youth. In those days you could ride direct from Cornwood to Cadover Bridge, but Watts Blake and Bearne expanded the China clay works and swallowed up the road
The road from Sparkwell to Cornwood is the easier route in my view before turning towards ivybridge.

Yes, I remember that road.
Must have been the mid to late 1980's it was swallowed up.

NATURAL ANKLING wrote: ↑15 May 2021, 7:08pm Can't remember the last time I did it but it wasn't much of a hill as I managed to get up there on my road bike on a 42 X 24
Only joking, as I remember it I had the zigzag On the steep bit.

Yes, it's a "bottom gear" hill, and even lower gears as I've got older.

Nice coming back the other way though!

Post by **Mick F** » 27 May 2021, 10:14am

Off out soon doing bridge 57 at Landrake. It's a foot/cycle crossing over the hyper busy A38. It's a 40 limit on that road but there was a fatality there only a week or so back.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.42308 ... 312!8i6656

Getting to it from the north is easy enough, but I'm then heading into Plymouth where Mrs Mick F is doing some retail therapy so we can meet up for the train home together. She'll be buying some sarnies and a bottle of wine so we can have a picnic on the train!

A38 itself towards the Tamar Bridge is horrid. It's bad enough driving on that road, so I'll be doubling back and turning off to get me along the lanes to Hatt where I'll join the A388 to Saltash. Much better.

Post by **Mick F** » 27 May 2021, 5:31pm

Done it!

Into Plymouth and met Mrs Mick F for coffee and cake, then off to the station for home ............ with a bottle of red plonk and cheese+onion sarnies for the train-ride home.

Bridge 57 at Landrake done. A38 main road very busy and thick with traffic so I'm glad I kept off it.
Route today.

A38 bridges crossed so far within this quest.
Bold are the ones done.

Post by **Mick F** » 27 May 2021, 5:51pm

Photos.
One from the bridge and one on the bridge.

Post by **Mick F** » 31 May 2021, 11:22am

Just got back home from a quick trip in the car to Dobwalls with Moulton in the back. I had to use the car anyway this morning, so took the opportunity to get bridges 58, 59, 60 and 61 (last one). Only 10miles to do them, but the ride out there and back is a boring one, so the car (as I was already using it) was a good option.

Post by **Mick F** » 5 Jun 2021, 5:14pm

27 to 16 (inclusive) done today!

Drove to Ivybridge and did the bridges up to 16, and back the shortest route. Long-stay carpark for £2.10.
22miles to 16, and 16miles back, then drove home.

You'll see there's a bit of a dog-leg near South Brent on the way back. I hoped there may be a cycle track on the A38, but there wasn't, so doubled back and followed the normal roads.

Next plan is to the final 1 - 15 .......... the Exeter leg.
Had the idea to take the train Gunnislake/Plymouth/Exeter and back, but that needs planning and the buying of tickets and the booking of a bike.
It's a 2hr journey each way at circa £20 return (or two singles).

Best idea, is to drive to a long-stay carpark south of the city. This is only a 40odd mile 1hr journey each way, and the carpark charge is £3.50 all day. The benefits of driving, are that it's half the time of the train, and I can pick the day I do it at the drop of a hat with no future planning or committing to it irrespective of the weather .......... and the cost is similar.

No contest.

Post by **Mick F** » 20 Sep 2021, 2:53pm

Doing the Exeter leg tomorrow.
Bridges 15 back to 1.
This has been a long time planning due to having to be away from home for an hour each way plus nearly 40miles of cycling.
Probably away six hours, so it's needed the correct "window" in our lives as well as good cycling weather.

Been too hot, then too wet, then too windy ...............
.......... but I'm off before 9am to drive to Exeter. Sarnies for a quick mid-ride snack to make in the morning. Moulton is prepped and in the back of the car, and the route is uploaded into my Garmin Montana.

Post by **Mick F** » 20 Sep 2021, 8:40pm

Been swapping some PMs with Natural Ankling.
He and me are meeting up tomorrow and riding the bridges together!

NATURAL ANKLING · Post by **NATURAL ANKLING** » 20 Sep 2021, 11:38pm

Hi,

Mick F wrote: ↑20 Sep 2021, 8:40pm Been swapping some PMs with Natural Ankling.
He and me are meeting up tomorrow and riding the bridges together!

Well maybe one or two

Post by **Mick F** » 21 Sep 2021, 7:24pm

Ride report:

Drove 40odd miles to Exeter and 40odd miles home.
Did 38.7miles with 3,997ft of ascent. That's just over 103ft per mile.
Tough.

Met NA as arranged, ten miles south of Exeter. He'd ridden 17miles to get there to meet up.

Rode from there down to Bridge 15 .............. and thence to 14 and 13 at the Drumbridges Roundabout over the A38.
NA pointed out - from local knowledge - that there's a cycle bridge just north of it. This means that I have to re-number my records!

Bridge 15 in reality is Bridge 16.

Any road up, we did 16, 15, 14, 13 and thence knocking them off as we went northwards towards Exeter.
Turning off west over the Haldon Hills and to join the A380 to fly down Telegraph Hill to cross over the A38 Bridge 6.
I managed 45.7mph

From there, the ride took us over complicated dual carriageway stuff north of Kenford.
Cross over Bridge 6 and 5 but heading north you are on the wrong side of the dual carriageway to 2 so had to carry on north to double back south to get to Bridge 3.
Meanwhile, I lost track of where we were, so went out in the wrong direction before I sussed it and sorted it.

Bridge 2 was easy.

Bridge 1 had a hill towards it that was steep and went on and on .......... so we walked.

Maps.
I'll do it in sections and zoomed in, so you can see it.