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LEJOG day 4 Taunton to Ross-on-Wye YHA

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Road-Cycling Bikepacking England

LEJOG day 4 Taunton to Ross-on-Wye YHA
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1st September 2018 149km, 7.43hrs, 1.2vkm, 19.2av

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The Bridgewater Taunton Canal

The Glenside AirBnB in Taunton was great; clean, roomy, quiet, cool and with all the facilities you’d need. After a massive sausage breakfast and too much coffee we set off following the Bridgewater and Taunton Canal. A bit rough at times but a beautiful quiet  route out of Taunton. It’s quite overgrown so there’s more wildlife than a normal canal.

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Jim wondering if it's all worth it
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Not the real Jupiter. All the planets are placed to scale along this canal. Blame  Arthur C Clarke who was born around here.
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There's lots of pill boxes along this canal. Were the Germans really going to march down here? Maybe to get the cider?

The Somerset Levels are, well, level, and even with Jim’s mudguard rubbing the whole way we absolutely flew along smooth roads.

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Impressively high twee factor. St Mary the Virgin Church at Chedzoy

Up ahead were the Mendips, a mere blip in real terms but a colossal mountain range compared to what we’d just done. It looked like we’d have to cross on a busy A road but partway up we turned off on to a Sustrans route along an abandoned railway, through a tunnel. More traffic free riding on route 26 on the Strawberry Line brought us to Yatton Station for cake, diet coke and ice cream, plus a chat with two lady cyclists about chafing and underwear.

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 A tunnel and Jim channeling Chris Froome.
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Is it A: a Churchillian V for victory sign? B: two leaping salmon? C: a giant vagina?

It turned a bit crap after that. We ended up on a busy road, it was fast but we held up traffic and there was a bit of sphincter clenching at some of the over taking manouvers. Eventually it improved again and we followed the Sustrans 410 Avon cycleway.

Crossing the River Avon on a cycleway on the M5 bridge was a highlight, as was crossing the Bristol Channel on the M4 bridge. Great views and an odd place to be on a bike.

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A quick dip anyone?
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The M5 bridge over the Avon.
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M4 over the Bristol Channel

Chepstow looked nice but we didn’t have time to loiter so we took the long climb out, with some great views over the Severn Estuary,  and over to Wye YHA. A nice YHA but unfortunately it’s up a steep hill and then down a “road” that’s rougher than a badger’s arse, not that I’ve inspected a badger’s arse. It could be smooth.

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Chepstow

We’re taking it relatively easy, consequently we feel good. My legs don’t ache on the bike, they only ache a little at the end of the day. Jim occasionally has to stretch his back, other than that it seems quite straightforward, just long days really.

Author
Jonathan Tompkins
I’m an outdoor pursuits instructor living in the Yorkshire Dales and I go mountain biking, road cycling, bikepacking, caving, winter mountaineering and climbing. And I like cheesecake.