Southwest routes

Questions and answers about routes.

Moderators: Bearbonesnorm, Taylor, Chew

Post Reply
User avatar
Mariner
Posts: 1793
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:37 pm
Location: East Devon

Southwest routes

Post by Mariner »

Looking for two routes in the southwest.
My copy of the Two Moors Way has stopped working. Tried downloading another but that's not any better.
Looking for the Plymouth Minehead route with as much off road as possible.
The other is local Exeter to Haldon Forest cafe. I have a route from Starcross but looking for something not on main roads and hopefully avoiding Mamhead if possible.
Zazen - nothing happens next this is it.
User avatar
rufus748
Posts: 1003
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 5:36 pm

Re: Southwest routes

Post by rufus748 »

Michael, I've got the westcounty way if you want it? Plymouth across Dartmoor, Exmoor and to Minehead.
Exeter to Haldon we tend to use the bridleways out through Ide or around Shillingford St.George, usually just wing it so no set routes though.
lune ranger
Posts: 2380
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2016 7:52 pm
Location: Peoples Republic of Devon

Re: Southwest routes

Post by lune ranger »

Exeter to Haldon cafe is essentially a road ride any way you do it. At least till you get into Haldon itself and can hit the forest trails.
Try going from the river path in Exeter through Alphington (busy urban roads) to Shillingford and Clapham before heading up the hill on quiet lanes. It's pretty steep as you hit Haldon but not so far.
Also, if you do the West Country Way be prepared for a majority of road in between the two moors. Not much BW in Mid Devon. My advice would be to break out the maps and do a loop on either one of the Moors.
Bikepacking.com have some good routes.
Also the Braunton 150 is worth a look.
Quantocks and eastern Exemoor have the nicest bikepacking trails in my opinion. You can avoid some of the dreary open moorland tussock strew slogs of Dartmoor and West Exemoor and still get into the thick of the countryside.
Hope that helps.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
WSC
Mbnut
Posts: 225
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:01 am
Location: Maidstone

Re: Southwest routes

Post by Mbnut »

I've been looking to join the West Country Way with the Exmoor and Quantocks route from Bikepacking.com.

My thinking is to drive to Taunton, park and then train it down to Plymouth.

I'd then ride north to the Tarr Steps and pick up the Exmoor and Quantocks loop going anti clockwise, going straight through Taunton and continuing on the Exmoor and Quantocks loop back to the Tarr Steps. I'd probably tweak the final leg back to Taunton after the Tarr Steps to save going over the same ground.

Should add up to around 225 miles and some 25000ft accent.

If there is anything best avoided on this loop please shout. I recognise that it is mostly country lanes between Dartmoor and the Tarr Steps, that isn't particularly a problem, some easily gained miles might be helpful.

No idea when I might get this gone, I'm just going to keep my eyes on a weather window in the spring.
lune ranger
Posts: 2380
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2016 7:52 pm
Location: Peoples Republic of Devon

Re: Southwest routes

Post by lune ranger »

Just recently did a two nighter from Taunton up through the Quantocks. Then headed due west across Exemoor to Barnstaple. From there I picked up the Tarka trail and NR 27 to drop down to Oakhampton and Dartmoor. I didn't go south to Plymouth but went south east along the Upper Teign valley towards Exeter (I live just out of Exeter.
It was majorly soggy at this time of year but manageable on a 29+ Krampus.
IMO a lot of Exemoor west of Dunkery Beacon is heavy going with poor trails, soft conditions and very energy sapping.
You can say that for quite a lot of mid and north Dartmoor. However as part of a journey you can put up with it.
The Quantocks are amazing, east Dartmoor and the Teign valley are also great. If you look me up on Strava (Luke Holliday) you can see my route.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
WSC
Post Reply