I wasn't overly chuffed with a pricey pub that couldn't get a plumber in to fix a radiator, but they did arrange for me to start breakfast at early at 7.45, which was great. The staff had been really friendly, and the food excellent, so despite the unplanned sauna the Wheelwright's Arms gets a thumbs up.Traffic was heavy in the lane outside the pub. It was the school run for Midford College, and I threaded my way through a pride of 4x4's, then down past Tucking Mill, once the home of William Smith, the man who produced what has been called 'The Map That Changed the World', a geological map of England and Wales. It's incredibly accurate and detailed, and produced by him in 1815, when getting about would have been a mission in itself. Cycle helmet off to William Smith!
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| Shoscombe signage |
The route rejoined the railway track, and after an enjoyable 4km off road, with a couple of tunnels thrown in, it was quiet back roads to Shoscombe Vale, before another off road trail into Radstock, a very cycle-friendly place. Another section of old railway track led to Kilmersdon, where I sat on the steps of the war memorial with a cup of tea. The left knee was hurting already, so I popped a couple of painkillers before setting off towards Chilcompton on the longest stretch of B road since Scotland. It was a busy road, and very undulating. The bike didn't sound too happy either. The back wheel budgie had returned with some mates, and they were squeaking away like there was no tomorrow. I emptied the last of the lubricant on any likely-looking suspects and headed down towards Wells. Originally I'd planned to go through Cheddar, but opted for this more direct line due to the knee. Another 6k's of B road saw me in Wells, where I admired the cathedral then had a couple of flat whites in Costa just as the drizzle started. It was a completely off road cycle path on the NCN3 out of Wells, then back roads through Launcherley and then a few
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| Wells |
k's along a ruler-straight road over Queen's Sedge Moor straight into a stiff headwind. An off road cycle path took me around Glastonbury and I was clear of the Mendips and hiding onto the Somerset Levels. Levels was a word with a lot of appeal. I followed the NCN3 west to Ashcott, and by this time I could hardly use my left leg to pedal. I struggled on to Chilton Polden where I made a jug of tea and ate the prawn sandwiches which had survived the Wheelwright Arms cauldron. I started making contingency plans, as I was seriously worried about being able to continue. I could rest up as there was nothing I had to rush back for (sorry Fiona). I could send all the camping kit back and carry on travelling as light as possible and abandon the 'carry your
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| Launcherley back road |
home' principal. Hell I'd carried the kit for 1500km!I took out the first aid kit to see what pills I had left, and remembered I had five very out-of-date strong painkillers I'd been prescribed in New Zealand for a back injury. I swallowed one of those, raised the bike seat a little and carried on.
At Cossington I followed a short section of old railway track to Bawdrip, which sounded suspiciously like a Glaswegian STD, along the King's Sedgemoor Drain to Chedzoy, and onto a path along the River Parret which led into Bridgewater where I joined the Bridgewater to Taunton Canal. After the Rugeley debacle I decided to check with the locals for the right direction to Taunton. The survey revealed that
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| Somerset Levels |
2/3 people interviewed didn't have a clue. Fortunately the last chap did, and I set off after a short prayer to the god of puncture resistance, along a good towpath liberally sprinkled with dog walkers. Apart from one 500 metre section that was so wet and muddy I slewed off and landed in the slurry it was a great path. By now it was 4pm so a camping spot had to be found soon. I filled up with water at a canal-side house, then reached the end of the canal at Taunton as darkness fell. I put on all the lights, eventually found the continuation of the NCN3, and camped in a wood near an electricity sub-station near Upcott.I hadn't stopped to buy any food, so I made a brew and took stock: five toffees from last night's room, two unopened cheese sandwiches and one egg butty, which unfortunately had escaped from its packet and was spread around the inside of the pannier. One little-advertised feature of waterproof Ortlieb panniers is how easy it is to scrape errant food off the shiny surface, so nothing was wasted. There was always porridge if the stomach was keeping me awake. Despite the knee problem it had been a reasonably good day distance-wise, my second-longest in fact. The knee had stopped hurting, and I hoped I had enough painkillers to see me to the finish line. A tawny owl was hooting as I read 'Middlemarch', and it was lights out by 7.30.
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| Bridgewater to Taunton Canal |
Day stats 110km 560 Metres of ascent
Off road 49km
A road 1km
B road 18km
Unclassifed road 42km
I wasn't overly chuffed with a pricey pub that couldn't get a plumber in to fix a radiator, but they did arrange for me to start breakfast at early at 7.45, which was great. The staff had been really friendly, and the food excellent, so despite the unplanned sauna the Wheelwright's Arms gets a thumbs up.Traffic was heavy in the lane outside the pub. It was the school run for Midford College, and I threaded my way through a pride of 4x4's, then down past Tucking Mill, once the home of William Smith, the man who produced what has been called 'The Map That Changed the World', a geological map of England and Wales. It's incredibly accurate and detailed, and produced by him in 1815, when getting about would have been a mission in itself. Cycle helmet off to William Smith!
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