Devon And Cornwall, England

[Mattie660]

Added a few days holiday to the August public holiday, and made a weeks holiday out of it. Bike on the ferry to the UK and spent the week doing a loop down to Lands End and back. Very small distances and this loop can actually be done in a weekend if you feel like it.

After getting off the ferry in Weymouth, made a bit of a dash to a campsite in Exmoor. Nice riding mostly along the South coast of England before heading up through the valley to a place called WINSFORD.

Campsite was the top fields of a farm, windy, then windy and rainy and no shop in the little village, all closed except for a pub. A pub that will live in infamy in all my years of travel.

Not having any food with me, except a packet of Haribos, thought my luck was in with the pub being open and serving food. Walked down in the rain to this busy pub, it had a menu with all sorts of warm pub food that you would expect in a country pub in England. The place was busy, people eating at tables, and waitresses walking through with plates of food. Perfect timing at about 8.00 pm

Can I get some grub, I said to the barman. He said they were not doing food any more - there were spare tables, people eating, food being served, it was not to late. So you are going to turn me out into the rain hungry at a weekend with everything closed - you ............. miserable ............. When I think of the hospitality I have been shown in Greece and Italy, where they would not even dream of letting you go hungry - and he was going to turn me out of the only place for miles around, in the rain, to go hungry. Back to the tent in the rain, and saved my Haribos for the morning.

Anyway had to get a picture of the place as I passed it the following morning.

2. Roal Oak Inn-1878 by 660 Mattie, on Flickr

After following the valley through wet roads and woodland the road suddenly burst up onto Exmoor, quite a sight. The moor was purple with heather and yellow with gauze, and really high up over the cliffs. Sheep and small ponies wondering about in the road, and the odd little wizzened trees that looked hundreds of years old.

1. Exmoor-2535 by 660 Mattie, on Flickr

Great riding along the north coast of Devon and Cornwall. Lovely open roads and twisty. I was barreling along and noticed a bike catching me up. You can never tell these days as many Police forces operate unmarked police bikes, so took it easy, nothing bad. Anyway this guy on a ZZR 1400 got fed up and disappeared, so carried on as before once he had gone !

Called in at a few tourist spots like here The Lizard Point. The most south westerly point in the UK, and here the Lifeboat Station. All very nice.

3. Lifeboat Station-2572 by 660 Mattie, on Flickr

And the little souvenir shop/shack !

4. Gift Shop-2613 by 660 Mattie, on Flickr

Stayed in Campsites for 6 nights and only one night in a Premier Inn motel. The campsite manager gave me a small piece of plywood to put under the side stand as he said the ground was a bit soft. The little four inch square piece of ply, painted on both sides, is typical of the kind of thing that a man would keep in his shed just in case ! Anyway big thanks to him as it stopped the bike going over in the soft ground.

New tent - Hilleberg Kaitum 2. Great tent, a bit extreme maybe just for campsite use though.

5. Cornwall campsite resize by 660 Mattie, on Flickr

Land's End. Great, all sorts of people having their picture taken at the famous sign post at the end. Cyclist cycle the length of the country to this point, all kinds of charity events end up here, people running the length of the country, walkers, bikers, families. Really enjoyed the whole thing. Quickly parked the bike and took a picture here before somebody told me to move on !

6. Lands End by 660 Mattie, on Flickr

On from here along the north coast of Cornwall up to St Ives. Twisty narrow road, but great views and little villages - terrific. Not the place to be bombing along, but great on a motorcycle in the sunshine. Cows in road, sometimes it was sheep, but this time it was cows. I think they are a special breed from around these parts.

7. Cows in road resize by 660 Mattie, on Flickr

St Ives on the north coast of Cornwall. The approach is a little road, down a hill past little houses and you think it must be some boring dead end. Then when you park the bike and walk down to the sea front, and it is packed with people - lovely spot in summer. Proper British seaside, fish and chips, ice creams, families, sun burn, seagulls. I loved it. Lovely summer feel to it, everyone on holiday by the seaside.

8. St Ives Cornwall by 660 Mattie, on Flickr

......and the fish and chips

9. Fish and Chips-1891 by 660 Mattie, on Flickr

Stopped in to see my mum in the Isle of Wight, and there was a scooter festival going on, so went to check it out. Some of these guys carried a tent, a girlfriend and stuff for the weekend on these things. There were about 500 of them according to the organisers - nobody looked at my new red Viffer with any interest at all - completely ignored me ! Somebody on a rusty old Vespa 90 and they are all over it ! Funny.

10 Scooters Isle of Wight by 660 Mattie, on Flickr

[Switchblade]

Wow nice pic's. Thanks for sharing .

[TNRabbit]

Beautiful pics!

I did that run down to Cornwall back in 1985 from Bicester (stationed at RAF Upper Heyford). Gorgeous roads.

[Mattie660]

Thank you for the kind words.

So what bike did you ride down to to Cornwall in 1985 ? - was it a Kawasaki GPZ like Tom Cruise in Top Gun !

I was tearing around on a Honda CB250 RS at that time.

[Dutchy]

Great post and pictures!

As for the barman at the Royal Oak Dick, if I am ever out that way I will gladly spend my money elsewhere!

[Skids]

.... (stationed at RAF Upper Heyford).....

Flew over there today......it's changed a lot.