The West Country Way. Day 2 : Somerset

Day 2
Priddy to North Curry

We left our busy blasphemous campsite-home after tea in the tent.
Packing up is not yet as fluid as it will become, but, seeing as we’re in no rush I enjoy the slow process of getting everything just right.

We head off, 6 miles to Wells and coffee. I barely pedal for even one of them. The Mendips, a small outcrop of rock blocking Bristol from the South West, is a ‘one up-one down’ affair, and this was the ‘down’. I see a poor cycling sod right at the bottom, starting to make his way up the megaladon hill we’ve just descended. I wish him luck, which I don’t think he appreciates, or helps in any way.

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The morning is sunny and before long we’re sat outside an awakening cafe in the market Square, drinking coffee, writing postcards and feeling pretty smug about our morning, and our lives in general.

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From here, and for punishment for feeling so smug, we cycle an unnecessary loop around the one way system and start heading back the way we came.

Leaving Wells is (eventually) an easy cycle path in the woods which parallels the A-road. We soon peel off and find ourself back on stunning country lanes with Glastonbury Tor beckoning us ahead. The route here is deliberately circuitous, we could get to Glastonbury in 4 miles but the WCW does it in 9. The tiny Glastonbury lanes are, to me, beautiful and well worth the stupid hill and stupid extra miles.

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We ride through the centre of town, there is an option to avoid the big hill into Glastonbury, and to skirt around on the A-road, but the smell of patchouli drew us in and before long we were in the mental vibrant nag champa town centre. Lovely.

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Straight through and out via the edgelands, my favourite. Where the urban edges meet the boundry of the countryside. Often home to graffiti, timber yards, derelict buildings, quarries, and where the wild things have been left to grow.

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We follow the pancake flat Somerset levels for some time, darting about the fields on deformed tarmac and gravel paths. Roadside veg seller’s and eggs a’plenty. It feels a world away from home, though, it’s only a few miles.

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Shelley gets pinned into a cow sandwich. Which is pretty much her worst nightmare. I watch from the safe side taking photos and videos. Can you spot her little head?

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We eventually arrive on the outskirts of Bridgewater and decide to skip the unnecessary loop which takes you into this moderately pleasant town due to fear of rain, and fear of being mugged.

As an alternative you can heft your bikes over the railway line and down the other side to rejoin the N(ational) C(ycle) N(etwork) 3 and the Bridgewater and Taunton canal. As an optional extra you can turn left instead of right here and cycle a half mile in the wrong direction. Up to you really.

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We rejoinined the route after our short accidental foray under the motorway, and followed the canal a speedy 6 miles to the visitor centre at Maunsel lock. This portion of the canal follows the Somerset Space Walk, a sculpture trail model of the Solar System in their proportionally correct sizes and distances apart. They’re 11 kilometres apart in total and one millimetre of the model equates to 550km in reality.

I’ve eagerly told a few passers by this nugget of information, much to Shelley’s delight/embarrassment but, I think its COOL.

The visitors centre came 3 miles a before the end of our day, perfect timing for scones and tea.

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We peeled off the NCN 3 here, a very short pedal up a quiet A road saw us turning off and down a small minor road to North Curry. Who’s pub is closed on a Monday. For goodness sake.

Luckily, the Londis is not and, a fish and chip van comes to the village hall on Monday. North Curry you have redeemed yourself.

Naturally we purchased wine, bought said fish and chips and hunkered down at Doolittles campsite where we had an extremely perfect shepherds hut booked for the night.

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This is all going too well.

02.08.21

Miles : quite a few