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.
Mick F. Cornwall