I was asked to put on a run for a couple of members of the West of England Motor Club and invited Trackman to join myself Jim and Neil. It was nearly the shortest run ever when white van man reversed into me a minute after leaving home. Luckily he heard our chorus of horns and shouting, stopped before any harm was done and had the decency to look suitably embarrassed. He kicked his bumper straight and after fuelling we set off.
Conitor lane after the right angled steps looked smooth with a deep carpet of golden leaves hiding the loose rocks and gullies. Leaving tarmac behind at Stubbins cross we zig zagged around the muddy right angled bends and slithered across the deeper mud pock marked with hoof prints to east Ogwell cross. I gambled the road works after the road closed sign would leave room for us to pass, and lost. We u-turned and back tracked when faced with a lorry blocking the road.
A short cross country detour led us to Wotton cross and Down lane was this time not blocked by four transit vans. After splashing through the stream crossing with enough momentum to carry me through the deep mud either side I slowed for the clay wallow to avoid wheel spin on the yellow substance that is simultaneously sticky and slippery. Bremridge lanes extensive collection of loose rocks were barely covered by the ample drifts of leaves attempting to disguise them. I chose the wrong line down the side of a log left in the gulley on Gale hill by a 4x4 driver seeking traction and had a lie down until I felt like climbing out from under the CRM. My trials tyre felt like it had a puncture as it slipped and slid through the mud after Otter court treating all movement of the handlebars as suggestions to be ignored and I steered by shifting weight from one heel to the other. Ascending Tipleyhill lane the drainage run off channels make inviting take off ramps but deterioration of the surface beyond discourages flight because a bumpy landing awaits. I slipped into the left rut and bumped my way up Furzeleigh lane. The look on the face of the refuse lorry driver made me laugh as he skidded past with his wheels locked and his knuckles white on the steering wheel after we met on the steep bend before Johnny Cann's walk. The 35,000 pieces of silver John Cann had but did not pay to Charles royalist army defeated by Cromwell at the battle of Bovey heath has still not been found and I look vainly in hope of a glint of metal in every new gully opened up by storms on the long byway with seven drainage bars, or take off ramps depending on your perspective. The repair at the bottom of the byway down Knowle hill is starting to wear away revealing the interesting rock formations on the corner, again disguised by beautiful but treacherous leaf litter.
We slowed to allow a panicky looking dog walker to gather her hound on the Old Manaton road them saw why as she struggled to hold on to the feisty beast which tried to jump out of her arms at us as we puttered by. We paused for few minutes by the picturesque bridge where a notice tells of tree felling operations in the adjoining woods to warm ramblers not to roam too far from the path. We dutifully ignored the misleading byway sign at the top which points on toward the gate via the short stretch of way not on the list of streets which had its vehicular rights extinguished by the 2007 Natural England & Rural Communities bill and zig zagged instead around the Byway signed incorrectly as Footpath. Dark clouds framed splendid views behind us as we splashed along the byway which zig zags down to Leighon.
A hedge trimming tractor gave me cause to re route for a second time as I did not want wait for him only to risk a puncture on the lane freshly littered with branched flailed out of the hedge so we only used the short section the byway at North Bovey which serves as the heavy goods vehicle access route for those too wide to squeeze over Fairbrook bridge. Seeing water flowing over all of the stepping stones gave me pause but we splashed through and all riders were grinning atop their steaming steeds moments later.
John appeared to trying to keep one foot dry...
Some large rocks have been knocked out of the walls on the byway to Langdon and these compliment the many other technical aspects to this lovely long narrow road. A fine collection of skulls representing most of the creatures one may expect to find locally is on display in gateway opposite the stables at the west end. Pickly gorse is encroaching on the short byway after Easdon cottages and I wished, unusually, that more 4x4s would use the way. We squeezed past a tractor carefully ploughing the edge of the road alongside Heatree down to leave a clean edge and retrieve the tarmac covered by over growth. Between the cattle grid and the gate on Bonehill down lane a fine large stone step at 45 degrees has been exposed by rain water run off and this will punish any half hearted or careless approach. Small splashes and rocky outcrops punctuate the road with the last watery hole being the deepest. I was taken aback to find the car park cafe shed closed, but should not have been surprised on a Monday in November, and we availed ourselves of the bench after purchasing hot drinks and pasties in the shop opposite. Jim bumped the gate open for us and Neil had a lie down in the hedge after he and the WR disagreed as to the direction to take ascending the deep ruts on Blackaton cottage lane.
The ford across the Walla brook was deep enough to hide all the stepping stones only hinted at by the white water going over them. John had a moment or two and looked like he was using his legs as oars while crossing, but no trout were tickled.A lady leading a horse thanked us for stopping our engines as we passed the farm before several miles of picturesque tarmac made slightly more interesting by a small black calf suddenly racing along the tarmac next to for a while. The dog raised its head as if to say hello at Broadgates but did not get up. If you let it it will throw branches or balls under your bike to try getting you to play with it if you linger. I bumped the CRM over the log in the gateway and other took the safe route around. It is nice to see a black and white county road sign on the gate at the bottom of the Lych way road at East Shallowford where I made a pigs ear of dismounting for the top gate and had to pick the bike up again. No drama crossing the concrete ford at Ponsworthy. The gate leading into the SSSI at Blackadon was open and we coasted down the off camber slope above the steep wooded slope before limboing under the fallen holly branch midway along the road at the bottom of the hill. The car parks at Spitchwick remain closed but a small space is marked for disabled vehicles. More prickly gorse forced a detour as we crossed Green down while the younger calves ran about watched by their more placid parents. The rocky climb into Holne is great fun on a CRM in third gear hanging on tight. Summerhill cross lanes undulating surface preceded Bowden hill's muddy ruts which brought us into the centre of Ashburton. Visibility is poor exiting the short gravelly road below Pitley farm but we met no traffic on Gale road's muddy long deep puddles. Splashing through the puddle in the dip then squelching through the off camber mud to Goodstone preceded a short unrecorded road from Rentor view to Gale hill and we rode Holbeam lane at the second attempt. We splashed through the picturesque ford
where the 4x4 use has resumed and the area beyond is a disgraceful quagmire littered with the giant lego bricks designed to prevent off roading. At the bottom of the short rocky slope at Chercombe bridge we called it a day and watched the highways lorry we u-turned to avoid earlier on pass by after they finished their days work while we said our farewells.
Thank you for coming gentlemen I had fun
-- Edited by Pete on Tuesday 28th of November 2017 01:27:09 PM
