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4 magnificent Devon cycling routes

26th March 2018

Categories: Visitor News

Guest blogger Mick Turner Mckinnel is a keen cyclist who loves exploring Devon on two wheels. He tells us about his 4 favourite Devon cycle routes.

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The many twisting hedgerows of Devon lanes, occupying all but the most formidable terrain, offer ample opportunity for the keen cyclist. Rolling hills and meandering climbs produce idyllic summer days out: sauntering along quiet roads, you'll see plump blackberries dripping from thorny captors, yellow fields of rapeseed bristling and dextrous swallows dancing enchantingly in the sky.

From family days out to people aspiring to pull off a feat like Mark Beaumont (cycling the 18,000 miles around the globe in a mere 79 days) Devon caters for all and here are 4 great routes to consider for your next escapade.

Easy: The Tarka Trail

The Tarka trail in its entirety is a 290km figure 8 looping around North Devon, with the 48km between Braunton and Meeth the focus for a great car-free day out.

Welcoming walkers, cyclists and horse riders, the path is perfect for families wanting to see some of the charming Devon countryside. Winding through farmland, woodland and riverside the mainly flat trail passes a few cafes if you fancy refuelling along the way. Cycling without the stress of cars is priceless; relax into your ride and enjoy the rural sights along the way. A good start to your cycling adventure in Devon, choose a warm summer's day and meander along this pleasant path.

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Climbing: Dartmoor - Moretonhampstead loop

Cycling on Dartmoor will always be special; a warm and sunny day out riding on the moor is unbeatable. Spectacular scenery, great riding and low amounts of traffic ensure a wonderful and sometimes challenging ride - and if it’s good enough for the Tour of Britain, why not you?

The route at hand is not for the faint hearted: several unrelenting ascents ramp out of the tarmac, peaking at a 25% gradient. It's a fantastic route for the more hardened rider, and offers powerful scenery and endless climbing.

Set out from Moretonhampstead on the B3212, then after passing the 16% climb take a left. This hedged lane passes over a cattle grid and onto the open moorland, where gorse and cattle are found in abundance.

Pass Hound Tor on your left and eventually you 'll reach a T junction. Turn left, then a few hundred metres on make a right towards Ashburton. Follow the signs down into a wooded valley, and it’s a long and replenishing descent before the gruelling mission from Ashburton towards Princetown, which are the signs you will follow as you come into Ashburton. If you take a right opposite a petrol station, you’ll know you’re on the right path.

Several ascents now stand in your way, all cruelly steep. The climbs and descents all sweep you through forested valley sides and over streaming rivers, and a few pieces of open moorland reward you with vistas over Dartmoor; get lost in the scenery and the climbs will soon pass.

Make a right back onto the B3212 and you’ll cruise on relatively flat roads, back through Postbridge and to Moretonhampstead, this last leg offering splendid views across the moor and instilling a sense of the wildness, beauty and expanse of Dartmoor.

Long: Coast to coast Ilfracombe to Plymouth

The coast to coast route runs from Ilfracombe in North Devon down to Plymouth on the south coast. Of the 99 miles 71 of them are on traffic free routes - perfect if you enjoy riding in the peace and quiet. A portion of the route is the Tarka Trail, so you can knock off two in one sitting if you want to!

The coast to coast is fantastic because it gives you a taste of loads of what Devon has to offer. Pedal beside rural farmland, filled with animals and produce and you'll get a window into life in the countryside. Forested acres will drift past, and if you're lucky you'll see badgers, woodpeckers, nuthatches, roe and fallow deer, along with bats, all of which inhabit predominantly oak Devon forest.

The route edges onto Dartmoor National Park, where beautiful scenery is the prevalent feature, and finish in the port of Plymouth, a fascinating city with a wealth of seafaring history.

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Challenging: The Dartmoor Way

After the taste of cycling on Dartmoor you had earlier in this article you’re bound to want more. Luckily 95 miles await you in this gargantuan loop which may test your mettle, and which is recommended for the more experienced rider!

Dartmoor is predominantly open moorland garnered with heather, gorse and grasses, and supplies a breath-taking exhibit to all but the most hardened traveller. The Dartmoor Way trickles through ancient enclaves, bustling market towns and along the serenely peaceful lanes of a county sometimes seemingly in another era. Abundant stopping places present themselves, the quaint charm of rural Dartmoor life emanating from ancient stone buildings.

This is a hard but rewarding ride and is one I would recommend to those who want to explore Dartmoor and get a real picture of rural Devon life and how it continues to this day.

Find route details