Overview:
Date: 18-19 August 2024
Location: South Devon, England
Total distance: 80.5 kilometres (50 miles)
Highlights: Cycling along the Dart estuary outside of Totnes, stopping for chocolate milk from a vending machine at a local dairy farm, swim and dinner at Maceley Cove, morning photoshoot at the beach, getting the ferry across the estuary to Salcombe
Summary: My first solo bikepacking trip, following the National Cycle Network route 28 from Totnes to Ivybridge, via the beautiful coast of south Devon.
Trip log:
After Brett and I went for our three-day bikepacking trip from Exeter to Falmouth, I knew my next step in preparing for my big PhD cycle ride (more on that soon) would be to do a solo bikepacking trip. The week before I was planning on setting off on a two-night trip, I was sick with some sort of stomach bug. It's unclear whether it was caused by bad food or from wild swimming in polluted waters. No matter the cause, I spent three days in bed, reading and recovering and not eating a whole lot. By the fourth day, I was finally feeling hungry for the first time in days. The following day, I felt physically better, but was frustrated at being trapped in my room.
While I knew it was a bit of a risk to go for a big ride having not eaten properly during the week, I also knew I needed to get out of the house and go for an adventure! Instead of a two-night trip, I decided to just spend one night away. The route from Totnes to Ivybridge was something Brett had spotted when we were doing our Okehampton to Plymouth bikepacking trip back in May. The route, following the National Cycle Network (NCN) 28 looked like a perfect distance for an overnight trip and would take me to a part of the Devon coast that I've not been able to explore before, as it is fairly inaccessible by public transport.
Day 1: Totnes to East Prawle // 36.7 kilometres (22.8 miles)
After packing up all my camping gear into two panier bags, I got the train from Exeter St Davids to Totnes. The bike storage on the train was the kind where you have to lift your bike up onto a hook above your head (this Guardian article is good at describing why this type of bike storage is awful). Brett has usually been there to help me lift my bike up, so I was proud to find I was able to do it by myself. How this tiny space is meant to fit two bikes is beyond me...
I arrived into Totnes at 11:30 and began my ride, following the signs for the NCN 2. A cycle path led me along the outskirts of Totnes and to the bottom of the city's high street. After a short stretch on the road, the route climbed up out of the town on a cycle path, now following the NCN 28. As I ascended, my chain slipped off the rear cassette – a good start to the ride! Luckily it was an easy fix, although it did leave the tips of my fingers completely black with grease.
The next few kilometres were lovely, following the cycle path along the River Dart estuary and through the Sharpham Estate. At some point, the paved path turned into a gravel path, making the fairly steep hills a lot more challenging! I had to get off my bike and push it up one hill, which transferred the challenge from my legs directly to my arms! It wasn't the only time I had to push my bike up a hill on this trip, but it was certainly the most difficult.
As a result, I think it may have been the first time I've ever been relieved to be getting back onto a road! At least I knew it would be paved! After leaving the cycle path, the route descended into the pretty village of Ashprington. For the majority of the route, I was following the NCN 28 markers, so I was always keeping my eyes open for the "little red sign." Having a well signed route made it much easier to save my phone battery, as I didn't need to use it for navigation!
I stopped for lunch by the side of a small river. The Waterman's Arms pub, with its tables and colourful umbrellas overlooking the river did look appealing, but I opted to save money by eating my leftover pasta salad on a nearby picnic bench instead.
After passing through Tuckenhay, I followed small country lanes through a patchwork of green and gold agricultural landscapes. As I cycled, I found my mind wandering. At some points, I was absorbed by the views of gently rolling hills around me, at other points, my mind was occupied with ideas and plans for the future. And at one point, I had the same two lines of a song playing on an endless repeat in my mind, so that was fun... The joys of solo cycling! I'm sure there will be plenty more to learn next year on my big ride!
I've also learnt that a lot of concentration when you're cycling on country lanes goes on listening for oncoming cars. At any point, I have to be ready to react to a car speeding around blind corners in front of me, or approaching me from behind (electric cars really are the worst in this situation!). Back in the Netherlands, I used to listen to music in headphones while cycling, but that is definitely not an option while you're navigating the winding country lanes of Devon!
It may be hard to see in this photo, but this was the first point I could see the sea! The previous week, I had cycled in North Devon and had swum off the coast of Westward Ho! And now, here I was, on the opposite side of the county, heading towards Devon's beautiful southern coast. At some point along the route, there was an option to detour out to Slapton Sands, but I decided to stick to the main route to get to the campsite as soon as I could.
I did, however, detour off the NCN when I saw a sign off the side of the road promising milkshakes. (For my American readers, a British milkshake is typically just flavoured milk. As much as I would have loved a thick, ice-cream-based, American-style milkshake, I knew that was highly unlikely.) Nevertheless, I was impressed to find a self-service milk vending machine on the dairy farm, open 24/7. You could buy milk by the bottle or by the cup, flavoured or unflavoured. The little hut also had a meat vending machine, as well as some local produce and eggs. I sat in the shade as I drunk my deliciously cold chocolate milk – the perfect respite from the heat of the day.
Back on the road, I didn't have far to go before reaching East Prawle. This section was probably the most busy road I was on that day, but I wasn't surprised – coastal roads in Devon during the summer holidays are bound to be busy!
I arrived at the Little Hollaway Campsite in East Prawle around 16:00. I couldn't get any cell service to ring the campground owners, so was glad when one of the managers approached me and confirmed there was space for me to pitch up for the night. The campsite was very basic, but had a great view out over the sea and was a fraction of the price that Brett and I had paid for a sea-view campsite in Cornwall.
As soon as I had pitched my tent, I locked up my bike and set off to find somewhere to swim. After walking on a small lane for awhile, I joined a footpath that led me onto the South West Coast Path near Prawle Point. It felt great to be back exploring new stretches of Devon's dramatic coastline. The dark turqouise waters crashed onto the rocks below me and I felt, as always, incredibly lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country. As I walked, I learnt that while Ortlieb saddlebags are great on the bike, they're not the most comfortable of bags to hike with!
From the coast path, I was able to descend into Maceley Cove, where I had a quick swim before cooking my dinner while relaxing on the beach. As I ate, I watched a group of men cliff jumping off the rocks of the headland.
I warmed up again as I walked back up to the campsite through the peaceful evening.
I walked up into the village centre of East Prawle to get phone service to let Brett and my parents know that I'd made it to the campsite. I was in bed by 20:00 and asleep soon after that!
Day 2: East Prawle to Ivybridge // 43.8 kilometres (27.2 miles)
Although I had set an alarm for 5:30 in order to watch sunrise from the beach, I had failed to actually turn it on, oops! When I woke up at 6, however, I realised I wouldn't be missing much – the sky was grey with thick clouds. I quietly got up and hiked down to Horsley Cove, where I did a photoshoot on the rocks and had a very quick dip. I'm always nervous to swim at unknown beaches when there's no one else around!
Back at the campsite, I made porridge for breakfast and then read my book in my tent. The three-person tent felt incredibly spacious with just one person! I could feel the occasional rain drop as I was packing up the tent, but found the experience much less intimidating than the first time I had packed it up on my own last year!
By 9:00, I was back on my bike, heading onwards to Ivybridge. Not long after setting off, I was enticed off the road by the promise of a farm shop. The Village Farm Cafe and Shop was incredibly cute, and I enjoyed stopping for a piece of carrot cake and a decaf coffee (I haven't tried drinking caffeine while cycling, yet. I'm not sure my body would cope very well with that!). From where I was sat inside, I could see my bike out the front window, which was reassuring.
The view over Salcombe from East Portlemouth was beautiful!
After descending to the East Portlemouth beach, I had to navigate my bike down a set of stairs to reach the ferry pier. I was first in line for the next Salcombe ferry, which runs continuously across the estuary. When the ferry arrived, I was about to take the saddlebags off my bike, when one of the men onboard offered to pick up my bike with the saddlebags still attached! Although I warned him it would be heavy, I think he was still surprised at just how heavy the back of the bike was! With my bike plus two prams, the small boat was pretty full as we crossed the estuary. Waves rocked the boat occasionally, causing the children at the front to gasp. I was glad the ferry captain decided to drop us off at the pontoon in the centre of Salcombe, as this meant I didn't have to carry my bike up the stairs at the pier.
Getting out of Salcombe was not fun. For some reason, the very narrow high street in this charming coastal town is not pedestrianised, so it was backed up with holiday car traffic. I found it quicker to get off my bike and push it on the narrow sidewalk than wait behind the cars. After climbing out of Salcombe, the route led me onto a protected bike path alongside an A-road.
As the route descended towards South Milton Sands, I found myself questioning why I had chosen yet another coastal route – all they are is endless climbs and descents! I stopped briefly at the beach to snack on some crisps while being battered by the wind coming in off the coast.
Outside of Ashford, the route led me back onto a cycle path. I was disappointed to find that it was unpaved, but I did enjoy passing through the tunnel of vegetation. Luckily, this stretch wasn't too long and it wasn't too muddy (but I can imagine this section could be frustrating in the winter).
Back on the road, I got stuck behind some farm machinery the width of the country lane – I was shocked to learn that I'm not always the slowest moving object on the road! It did make me think about the many similarities between farmers and people on bike tours (other similarities include physically demanding activities, a close connection with natural landscapes, and sometimes slowing down drivers on country lanes). Let's just say, there will be plenty for me to reflect on in the PhD...
Eventually, the moorland of Dartmoor came into view in the distance and I knew I must be getting close to Ivybridge. And from the looks of it – there was rain coming. While it did start lightly raining at one point, I was glad that it never got bad. The endless hills were really getting to me at this point and my energy levels were getting low, perhaps because I hadn't eaten enough the previous day.
A few kilometres out of Ivybridge, I came across yet another "road ahead closed" sign – my third of the day. Unlike the others, however, this one didn't have a helpful sign pointing to the suggested diversion. Using Komoot, I found some other roads that looked like they would connect up, so I reluctantly turned off the NCN. After a kilometre on standard country lanes, I ended up on an "unmetalled road" (which I'd never even heard of before this trip!). The first stretch was fine, but halfway through it turned left onto a steep, very rocky path. I attempted to cycle down, but quickly realised that cycling was going to be too dangerous – fun on a mountain bike, perhaps, but not on my hybrid bike all loaded down with my camping gear!
Instead, I carefully walked my bike down the steep path, one hand on the brake, the other on the seatpost, trying to stop the back wheel from slamming down too hard onto the rocky ground. I quickly realised I was making a dangerous choice... The road intersecting at the bottom of this path was an A-road. If for whatever reason the path didn't connect, or I wasn't able to cross the A-road, I'd be trapped – there was no way I could have carried my bike back up that hill! The thought almost brought me to tears. Although it was stressful, it was important for me to face a challenging moment like this – Brett won't be there during my PhD fieldwork, I'll have to face any challenges that arise on my own. In that moment, I knew that crying wasn't going to help anything. Instead, I checked the map again. Feeling more confident that the path would connect and I would be able to cross the road, I continued down the hill.
Thankfully, I made it to the end of the unmetalled road, with both myself and my bike still intact. Looking at the map now, I can see this challenging stretch was only 250 metres long – it definitely felt a lot longer than that while I was navigating the rocky terrain! The A-road was quiet and easy to cross. From there, I had another climb before I was able to rejoin with the NCN 28. I did stop a couple times on the way up to pick blackberries growing on the side of the road. I hadn't stopped for lunch, so was getting pretty hungry by this point!
I made it to the outskirts of Ivybridge at 14:30, relieved that the ride was almost over. I hadn't booked a train back to Exeter yet, and quickly realised that had been a mistake – the next train that had bike spaces available to book wasn't until after 18:00! Luckily there was space available on the first train that pulled into Ivybridge, so I was able to sneak my bike on and then transfer at Newton Abbott onto a local train that doesn't require bike reservations. Back in Exeter, I showered and relaxed for a few hours, before heading into town for a birthday celebration dinner with friends.
I'm really proud of myself for completing this trip, especially considering I'd been ill the previous week! Since starting to cycle more over the last few months, I've found that I'm really good at judging my cycling based on the achievements of others. I see friends' cycle rides on Strava and am always impressed at how fast they're going and end up wishing I was a faster cyclist! My average speed of 11.5 kilometres per hour seems embarrassingly slow. But even if I had to stop and push my bike up some of the hills on this trip, I still made it to the end, and I managed to do it by myself, with no tears. So I'm going to count that as a win.
Resources:
Route planning:
Advice:
Other useful links:
About the poor storage space for bikes on trains- I believe that in the past there were trains specifically equipped for cyclists: imagine that !!