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No specific route details here but rather some ideas for road and off-road riding and a recommendation for a place to stay. I'm a regular visitor when I want a change of scene that doesn't involve a flight or more than a few hours driving. Put simply the riding on Exmoor is fabulous. For roadies: On the coast you have the testing climbs (or fantastic descents, depending on which way you're going) of Porlock Hill and Countisbury Hill amongst others and fabulous coastal views all the way between between Minehead and Lynton. Inland the quiet roads combine fantastic open moorland riding, pretty wooded valleys, tiny villages and some superb descents. Simply open the map and plot a route! OS Tour Map "Devon and Somerset West" is useful for planning a road day out as it covers a much larger area than the Landranger series. On knobby tyres: You could spend a lifetime exploring the trails on Exmoor, there's plenty of technical challenge if that's what you need, with some easier routes too. Trails drain really well in wet weather and have plenty of variety of terrain. I've spent days up here on both my mountain bike and my cross bike. The high point of the moor is Dunkery Beacon, it's a tough old climb up here but well worth it. A number of routes have been published by MBR, Singletrack and WhatMTB magazines amongst others but if you're stuck for ideas feel free to drop me a line. Alternatively there are plenty of local riders on the Singletrackworld forum happy to help out with ideas. Map OS Explorer OL9 covers the moor. Cafes: Plenty in Minehead, Dunster, Porlock, Lynton etc. Cafes are harder to find in the heart of the moor but one highly recommended (great fruit cake!) is Cloud Farm at the start of the Doone Valley, near Malmsmead. A place to stay: I always stay at the Base Lodge in Minehead. It's right in the centre of town so handy for everything you need. Graham and Wendy are super hosts, the place itself is lovely with small rooms as well as single, twin and double rooms. There's secure bike storage and a hosepipe out the back as well. From £13.50/night! |
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