Day 2
Origin: Wadebridge
Destination: Winkleigh
Waypoints: St Mabyn, Davidstow Aerodrome, North Tamerton,
Hatherleigh, Monkokehampton
Lunch: sandwiches bought in Wadebridge, eaten in the lay-by at North Tamerton
Cake: no cake
Accommodation: Clotworthy House, Winkleigh
Dinner: The Duke of York, Iddesleigh
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Google Maps (likely to go stale/inaccurate over time)
Distance: 58.7mi
Ascent: 3553ft by Google
This was an enjoyable day that seemed to go much more quickly and easily than the previous day. Even though it is only slightly shorter and about as hilly, it left us far less exhausted, and deep into Devon.
We leave Wadebridge across the bridge and head right along the river, taking a sneaky left turn in Egloshayle just before the A389, so that we can cut straight across on the handy cycling cut-through. From there we're immediately into moderately uppy-downy terrain through some impossibly pretty villages, until turning left on the B3266, which we stayed on for a good while. This was the good kind of B-road: nice and quiet. There was a tiny and pointless backroads cut-through which we did take, if I recall... I think it was there only to appease Google Maps's limited number of waypoints, since keeping it on the B-road would have taken extra waypoint that I didn't have. Somehow I've managed to make it take the B-road this time, but I've left the diversion there for completeness (diversion 1).
We turned off to the right towards Watergate and past Crowdy Reservoir; after this there is a right turn onto a nice ex-airfield, which feels spectacularly open. Then it's left towards Hallworthy, Warbstow, Canworthy Water (a left-right), Maxworthy, then another left-right cutting towards the B3254, on which we again left-right, heading off towards Trebarrow and North Tamerton (our lunch stop). After that it was a right-right and a brief left-right spell on the A388 (very quiet, as I recall) to head out towards Halwill.
In Halwill, it's much of a muchness whether you take the easy-to-miss right turn in the village (no name, but signposted “Rectory”) to stay on the quiet roads, or head straight on to do a little segment of the A3079 (diversion 2). We did the former, but either way you'll end up at Halwill Junction, turning east under the disused railway bridge towards Beaworthy. There I initially missed a left turn towards Whiddon and Northlew, backtracking slightly. (This was also where a mechanical gremlin appeared on my friend's bike's rack fitting, which would come back to bite us the next day. A temporary fix with cable-ties was enough to get going again.)
From Northlew it's off towards Hatherleigh, Monkokehampton and Winkleigh. This was probably the hilliest part of the day (especially through Hatherleigh) but with some lovely views out over the hills to the south.
When in Winkleigh, do stay at Clotworthy House B&B—possibly the most welcoming accommodations I've yet experienced. The owners even gave us lifts to and from the nearest village pub serving dinner, which was a few miles away in Iddesleigh: The Duke of York, a perfectly kept time-warp of a pub, and all the better for it. It was serving great food and ale. (Winkleigh's own pub, which we did sample after our ride, was also beautiful and welcoming, but was not serving dinner ons Sundays.)
This was a good day. As I've hinted, the next one would be tougher.
Content updated at Wed 22 Jan 21:01:00 GMT 2020.
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