Two years ago several Spinners attempted the Devon coast to coast ride from Plymouth in 1 day but gave up after 70 miles finishing at the Puffing Billy at Great Torrington. Since then I have been yearning to try again but to do it at a more leisurely pace in 2 days and to start at Ilfracombe which I think is the better way to do it. I rode it at the end of August 2024 in ideal weather and hope these notes may be useful for anyone who wants to do it in the future. I used the official gpx file downloaded for navigation and followed the route 27 signs which were very helpful. My gpx route which has a better routing through Tavistock though there are one or two short mis-steps where I realised I was heading on the wrong route, available on request. Over the 100 miles (161km) there is 5189 ft (1581 m) of climbing.
Day 1
The main problem is getting to Ilfracombe and I have to thank my long suffering wife for driving me there with bike. After the mandatory photo by the official start at Verity (Damien Hirsts sculpture) at the harbour I rode out of town and was immediately confronted with a decent hill to climb. However once that was climbed the next significant hill wasn’t until right at the end of day 1. From Ilfracombe to Braunton there was a mix of cycle track and rural lanes. I descended into Braunton and found a perfect coffee and cake stop on a roundabout after the large car park. The Tarka trail proper starts here and for the rest of the day I was cycling along it. Barnstable confused me as the official route seemed to take a long detour to avoid any road bridges. Riding along the river Torridge was a joy although quite busy. Bideford station seemed a good lunch stop but the menu was very limited (pasties) and there were no loos so I would recommend carrying on another 5 miles to the Puffing Billy below Gt Torrington which serves an extensive menu and even had a second hand bookstore. After this the trail continues through woods for another 8 miles. There is a cafe about 4 miles after the Puffing Billy which would be another good option to stop. Once you leave the Tarka trail you encounter the final climb of day 1 which after 40 miles was hard work! The ride on the first day finished in a quaint village called Sheepwash about 44 miles along the route where I checked into the Half Moon Inn. It had a place to lock bikes away, may have catered for e-bikes and served a good evening meal. The downside was it cost me around £100 but it was quiet and comfortable.
Day 2.
Leaving Sheepwash in the mist there were a few significant hills to encounter before Okehampton including the one up to the start of the Granite way. Once on it there were great views of Dartmoor as you cross the Meldon Viaduct. I don’t understand why there is still a short off-tarmac section in the middle of this great cycle route. Then a stop at Lydford for a drink and on another road section which included a short proper off road bit requiring a short walk on very rough ground. Another route 27 anomaly. The next town was Tavistock which was confusing as the gpx route made no sense so I followed the route 27 signs which were fine. I seem to remember last time we did it we got lost there. After Tavistock it is almost all dedicated cycle routes (the Drake Trail) and it was a wonderful ride mainly downhill over impressive viaducts, through cuttings and in tunnels (note take a front light) and apart from the odd pony pretty quiet. I am tempted to repeat that section at a more leisurely pace sometime. A lunch stop was not obvious by the route after Tavistock and I was a bit nervous of finishing well in time to catch the 16:25 train from Plymouth so I continued on to the NT Saltram estate. A busy stretch along the river but a good way to approach Plymouth. The final ride into Plymouth is a bit mixed but good to go past the Aquarium and up close to Smeaton’s Tower. I clocked 99.5 miles at the official finish point so had to go a bit further to get 100 miles on Strava!. After a relaxing drink and snack on the Hoe in the sunshine I headed to the station (all off road) and caught the train. It was the same one I caught to Northumbria so very familiar with how to store the bike. Once at Exeter St David’s however all the trains to Honiton were cancelled for the next 2 hours so I resorted to calling my wife to come and get me as I was not up to cycling back from Exeter. Such a shame our trains can’t be relied upon. Overall it was a good challenge to do it in 2 days and some stretches were just wonderful to cycle.
