Bridges Again

[Mick F]

Excellent stuff, following with interest.
Are you going to have a go at the private bridges? Ask permission or stealthily?

Stealthily would work for me. It's very rural and quiet down there, and I could "creep" quietly I reckon.

Back in the days when I was doing the A30 bridges Exeter to Land's End, Bridge 30 was an issue as it was a private road down to Eversfield Organics with a big gate down to them with a Private sign on it and stating No Access Without Permission.
I contacted them and asked them, and it was sorted!

Bridge 6 was difficult to get at as it was a farm track, but finding another way to get to it, was fine too.

Bridge 30 via the office.

Bridge 6.

[Mick F]

Off tomorrow to do 17 to 1.
Maybe 2hrs of a ride.
Mercian is ready, as I am too.
Leaving at 10am or so, 2hrs ride and 2hrs spare for a Wetherspoons visit and the ride to the station.

My Devon and Cornwall Railcard (saves a 3rd off the fares) expires in October this year, but I can't find it.
They can't issue a replacement one - I've already asked - so I have to buy another. £12 for twelve months.

If I'd had a Senior Railcard, or a Forces Veteran's Railcard for instance (costing £60 pa), and lost them, they could replace them, but they can't replace a D+C railcard ............ or any of the other regional railcards.

[PH]

If I'd had a Senior Railcard, or a Forces Veteran's Railcard for instance (costing £60 pa)

Good luck tomorrow enjoy the ride and the pint.
I don't know about the veterans version, but a senior railcard is £30 a year or £70 for three, it wouldn't take many trips outside Cornwall to recoup the difference.

[slowster]

No20 to No33 has some issues.
No20 is a private road.

Seemingly no signs at the beginning of the private road.

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.4494453 ... 312!8i6656


If anyone challenges you, tell them you're thinking of putting in an offer.

https://www.struttandparker.com/properties/bere-ferrers

[Mick F]

Thanks guys!
Sorry, I got that wrong regarding the railcard price.

Local railcard is all I need and it's £12 a year. I can get my £12 back after about three return journeys.
National railcard isn't necessary for me as I'm unlikely to go by train out of Devon and Cornwall.

Off out shortly.
Mercian is ready, the route uploaded into my Garmin Montana, water bottle filled, phone charged.
All I need is to get dressed into my cycling gear, and I'm off.

[Mick F]

Sitting on the train at Plymouth station.
Report and photographs to follow after I get home.
Suffice it to say, it was hard work. I was in bottom gear for much of the city. Steep cobbled streets up and down and immediately back up the other side.
I saw streets in Plymouth that I’ve never been to before.

Back later.

[rjb]

The Gunnislake line originally part of the London and South West Railway (LSWR) would have terminated at Friary Station. Near my childhood home.
Half dozen more bridges to cross. perhaps next time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_ ... ay_station.
Well done looking forward to your postings.
Friary Station in 1937. I lived almost in the centre of this photo. I would think you have ridden over that bridge a few times.

[Mick F]

Home now, showered and relaxed.
Sorry, but my report will have to wait until tomorrow morning.

The Gunnislake line terminated at Bere Alston and at Callington (Kelly Bray). Bere Alston, Calstock, Gunnislake, Chilsworthy, Latchley and Lucket then Callington. The site is now called Beeching Park and is an industrial estate.

The main line came in at Bere Alston and you had to cross the footbridge to catch the London train heading north, or cross the platform south for Plymouth.

http://www.olddevonport.uk/Railways-Bra ... tation.htm

The line merges with the main line just south of St Budeaux. Between Bridge 14 and Bridge 13!

Back tomorrow for a ride report. Off out shortly to the Rising Sun. Usual Friday evening crowd.

[Mick F]

Good morning everybody.
Up early, as usual for me.

I left home shortly after 10am and took a circuitous route out of the valley rather than heading up Gunnislake Hill. I'm not as fit I I used to be, so a longer ride to the top gives the steep bits in "steps" rather than all at once.

Usual route towards Plymouth down the A388 taking in a bits of the old road.
This is my route from the village all the way over the bridges to Wetherspoon's.

I reached Bridge 17 in less than an hour. Bridge 17 is the Saltash A38 suspension bridge just a hundred yards or so north of the Brunel Railway Viaduct.

View looking south from Bridge 17 through the security railings - to dissuade suicide jumpers. You can see the stonework for the Brunel Bridge.

This is the view from Bridge 16 looking north towards Bridge 17 and the Brunel Bridge.
Zoom in for a close-up as the traffic looks like it's on the railway!

Next shot is the view north on Bridge 13. Also the Network Railway sign. Note the distance to London Paddington in miles and Chains. (One chain is 22yds).

Royal Navy Avenue isn't far from Bridge 13 and quite near the Naval Barracks of HMS Drake.

Bridge 1 looking west towards Penzance, and the Network Rail sign.

I called in at the station to buy my Devon and Cornwall railcard and my single ticket back to Gunnislake. Then down through the city to Wetherspoon's. I found an outside table under the awning and used the Wetherspoon App to order two pints and a packet of peanuts. Can't remember the beer name, but it 5% and very nice indeed.

Then, it was up through the city to the station and waited a quarter of an hour for the 14:28 to Gunny.
This is the route - as recorded by me yesterday - from Plymouth via Devonport, Dockyard, Keyham, St Budeux, Bere Ferrers, Bere Alston (where the train reverses) and to Calstock, and then Gunnislake.

Well, there you have it!
I really really enjoyed myself. It's great to go cycling to sort of achieve something.
Some of those hills in the back streets of Devonport were cobbled and very steep. I was in bottom gear freewheeling and braking down them, then grinding my way up the other side.
Thanks for reading.

[rjb]

A nice day out. Well done. I wish my chain was 22 yards when I buy my next one. . I was intrigued by the extensive street lighting shown in one of your photos North of bridge 13. That is were the lines merge, but why does it need to be lit up like that.

[Mick F]

I have no idea why the lighting except that bit of line is where there's a link into the Naval Dockyard just north of Bridge 13.
You can see the turn-off heading south.

The points further north before Bridge 14 don't seem to be lit.

Here's St Budeaux Victoria Rd where the Tamar Valley Line is north of the Main Line west at Bridge 14.

[Mick F]

This was my order.

[foxyrider]

This was my order.
IMG_1390.png

that beer were cheap!

[Mick F]

Yep.
The whole Wetherspoon's issue is a bit involved.
My sister, and our younger daughter have both been in the licenced trade and Mr Wetherspoon buys "late dated" and therefore cheap barrels and sells the beer cheaply undercutting everybody.

Me and Mrs Mick F were in the very same place today.
We were on a Sunday shopping trip, and called in for a drinkie-poos.
The Ringwood Old Thumper wasn't even on the pumps ..................... Friday afternoon vs Sunday lunchtime.

Typical Wetherspoon's ........................................ When it's gone, it's gone.

[Jdsk]

...
The whole Wetherspoon's issue is a bit involved.
My sister, and our younger daughter have both been in the licenced (sic) trade and Mr Wetherspoon buys "late dated" and therefore cheap barrels and sells the beer cheaply undercutting everybody.
...

"You might sometimes hear or read that Wetherspoon is able to offer customers such competitive prices on beer because it is short-dated, ie we buy beer at a discount from our suppliers, because it is near its sell-by date. This is an urban myth.

Wetherspoon has been trading with most of its beer, wine and spirit suppliers (like AB InBev, Diageo, Greene King, Heineken, Marston’s or their predecessors) and other smaller brewers since opening its first pub in 1979.

These long-term relationships, together with the fact that we are able to buy their products in large volume (owing to the number of pubs we run), lead to savings in the price which we then pass on to customers.

It would be very hard to believe that any of these companies would risk their reputation by permitting Wetherspoon, or any other customer, to sell short-dated beer.

Wetherspoon has more pubs in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, as a proportion of its estate, than any other pub company. The beer is also independently assessed by Cask Marque, which has been inspecting Wetherspoon’s pubs since 1999, visiting each pub at least twice a year. Its assessors test temperature, appearance, aroma and taste. Every Wetherspoon pub has passed the Cask Marque assessment.

Wetherspoon is also the top pub company for hygiene standards, with an average of 4.98 out of a maximum of 5 in the local-authority-run Scores on the Doors scheme (correct as at June 2022)."
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/contact/faqs/drink

Jonathan