To Exmouth

September 4, 2022

We awaken this morning to a raucous chorus of gulls and to good news on two fronts. First, we find that we can both walk and nothing hurts too badly - an outcome I wouldn’t have put money on last night. And second, even though today still looks wet and windy there looks like there will be a few dry hours this morning - long enough for us to bike north ahead of a 20 mph tailwind to Crewkerne, where we’ll catch the train to Exeter. We happily set aside provisional plans to see if they’ll allow us to board a bus to the train station on the Jurassic Coaster and will just bike the 13 miles to the station instead.

We’re packed up and set to leave at 9:30 when at the last minute I check the most accurate weather report - out the window - and see a few umbrellas walking the street below us. So we settle in again and watch for improvements, which come a half hour later. We’re out the door and heading down the street minutes later, the road surface still wet from the just-ended rain. The Weather.com folks tell us with luck we’ve got two hours of dry riding ahead, which is all we need.

The train we’re targeting, the closest one available, is the South Western Railway line between Salisbury and Exeter. It doesn’t reach the coast here but stays about ten miles to the north on the far side of the coastal ridges. Our goal here is the closest station to Bridport: Crewkerne, a small station that’s just 12 miles away and by luck is almost straight north - meaning we’ll be boosted by the 20mph south wind rather than fighting it as we would have if we aimed for Axminster’s station instead.

The ride comes off nearly as planned and expected. There are a few surprises though. The best surprise comes as we approach what we think is the worst climb of the morning as we cross the high ridge at Horn Hill. There’s a significant escarpment ahead and on the Garmins it looks like we may have a 20 percenter or worse ahead. I’m philosophical about it though - we’re dry, it’s a reasonably short ways to the top, and I’m mentally counting down the short remaining distance I’ll have to walk as I approach the top when I round a bend (as Rachael did already, who’s up the road a ways as usual) and come to a tunnel. Tunnel! The fearsome climb evaporates, the spirits pick up.

The first few miles north of Bridport are a quiet ride. The skies are grey but dry for the moment.

Definitely edging into that pre-autumn look.

The second surprise, a less pleasant one, comes shortly past the tunnel. I anticipated a dry coast most of the remaining miles to the station, thinking the rain clouds will be piled up on the windward side of the ridge. Not today though - it’s lightly showering on this side, which doesn’t make much sense to me. We coast in a light drizzle for about a mile until coming to our turnoff from this rather busy road, thinking we might need to stop when we get there and break out the rain gear.

Surprisingly it’s wetter on the north side of the ridge.

When we come to the turnoff though the rain stops so we just continue on, happy to be on a quiet semi-paved lane, a welcome change from the busy road we’ve been on for the last several miles.

Until we come to the third surprise of the morning, and the least welcome yet: our road comes to an abrupt dead end at a locked gate. It looks like RideWithGPS has led us down a private driveway and across their land. Maybe it was accessible to the public at some point?

Nothing to be done but turn back and return to the highway, but fortunately it’s no big deal - we hadn’t gotten far down this lane so it’s not far back; it’s not raining; and we’re not worried about time as we aren’t targeting a specific train. Ones come along hourly all day long so we’ll just catch whichever one we arrive in time for.

Nice to be off the busy road, coasting toward the train station on this quiet lane.

Thanks, RideWithGPS! It’s been a while since you’ve tossed a wrinkle like this in our path.

And as luck would have it, the one we’re in time for leaves only about ten minutes after we arrive at the small station. It’s Sunday and the station’s unattended, but there’s no problem buying our tickets at the self serve kiosk. There’s no ticketing option for bicycles, but the line’s website says bikes are free if space is available, and folders are always allowed.

Its a single track station with one departure pier, with no stairs or underpasses involved. The train arrives a few minutes late and is only in the station at most a minute; but boarding is easy - no steps, only a few other boarding passengers to compete with. And once we’re in the door we see space for the bikes right by it.

The Crewkerne station doesn’t look like it’s changed much since it was built in 1860.

On board on the South Western Railway. Bikes are free if there’s space, and folders are always allowed. Nice line!

It’s an hour run to Exeter Central, our station. there are maybe five or six stations between, so although it’s only thirty or forty miles to Exeter it’s a slow run. It’s especially slow today because the train unexpectedly stops for about twenty minutes at about the midway point in Honiton Station. We’re informed over the intercom that there’s a problem with the switching down the tracks - an electrical problem of some kind - and they’re trying to repair it but if they’re not successful the train will stop here. In the meantime we’re free to get off at the station and get a cup of coffee but stay alert for a departure.

We don’t need coffee, we need a contingency plan. We bring up RideWithGPS on the phone to see where the hell we are and whether biking from here to our hotel is feasible, and are relieved to see it is. We won’t like it if it turns wet, but it’s only 22 reasonable looking miles from here to the hotel. We quickly draw up a route and Rachael’s just about to see if she can load it to the Garmin when suddenly the train lurches and starts moving. The problem’s repaired!

Great news for us of course, but we wonder if anyone got stranded at the station with a cup of coffee in their hands and watching the train depart with so little notice with their luggage on board.

When we get off the train at Exeter Central we’re advised that we could make a claim for a refund as compensation for the half hour delay. Nice, but we won’t - it’s been no problem for us, and we got what we needed and paid for as well as some unexpected entertainment.

Leaving the Exeter Central. Just after I snapped this shot an attendant chastised Rachael and told her to dismount and walk.

Exeter isn’t our final destination today though - it’s just the end of the line for this line. Our endpoint is the Manor Hotel in Exmouth, another thirteen miles away down at the mouth of the River Exe. There’s a train for it, on the Great Western Railway line. We’ve kept open minds about what will happen at this point - if it’s raining we’ll catch this second train, but if not we’ll just bike downriver.

It’s not raining, and the weather apps say we’ve still got another dry hour or so, so of course we decide to bike. A few blocks from the station we cross the Exe and start biking south and into the wind on the west bank of the river.

The Miller’s Bridge over the River Exe, Exeter.

Less than five minutes later we find ourselves huddling under a tree trying to shelter from the rain, sharing the space with some rowdy young skateboarders. Rachael’s thanking me for my excellent decision to bike instead of sit in a warm, dry train the rest of the way, but her eyes don’t really look like the thanks are sincere.

Luckily for me though the rain stops as abruptly as it started and doesn’t return until we’re safely checked into our hotel. In between is a terrific thirteen mile ride along the Exe, crossing from one side to another and riding down the middle of a long sandbar part of the way. Parts of the route are on an elevated wooden plank path lifting us above the estuary. A beautiful ride, and one with luck we’ll repeat when we leave Exmouth.

In the meantime, we’re holed up in Exmouth for three nights with no specific plans. We’ll get out when weather is favorable, but if not we’re fine with just hanging out too.

Biking down the River Exe. In several places the river is split by sandbars, with one side or another just a quiet, slow moving channel.

The Exe widens significantly as we near the sea.

In spots the channel doubles as a blind for viewing wildlife on the estuary.

It’s dry when it comes time to walk two blocks to dinner and I take my camera along, thinking I’ll walk down to the waterfront after our meal. When we’re done though I look outside and see umbrellas and people with their hoods down over their heads, walking quickly. One woman leaves the restaurant, opens her umbrella, and it immediately blows inside out. So, not tonight - we’re both happy to pull down our hoods and quick walk back to the hotel.

Later in the evening the storm breaks out in earnest - the wind howls, rain pelts against the window. Probably the hardest rainfall we’ve seen in three months, going back to our evening in Montelimar on the Rhone. It’s a wonderful feeling, sitting inside warm and snug, listening to the winds howl and knowing that we don’t have to go anywhere at all for the next week if we don’t want to.

We’ve got a third floor room with a beautiful view across the bay. Maybe we’ll get lucky and see a sunset one of these three nights.

Some useful advice, which we’ll be careful to follow.

A composite: bicycle from Bridport to then Crewkerne train station; train to Exeter Central; bicycle to Exmouth.

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Ride stats today: 26 miles, 1,700’; for the tour: 2,440 miles, 149,300’

Today's ride: 26 miles (42 km)
Total: 2,440 miles (3,927 km)

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