Day 6 - Strawberry lines & Suspension bridges - Somerset to Chepstow

   

I cannot recommend our Shapwick Airbnb highly enough, The Potting Shed, hosted by MAtthew and Karin; super comfortable bed and a home cooked & home grown breakfast to set me on my way across the levels to Cheddar.



The somerset levels rather reminded me of the marshland , Le Marais, at the Southern end of the Cherbourg Penisnsula, and so may Tour de France in a day began!

Alas no patisseries however the views were specacular as I cycled across the flat waterlands, interspersed with straight dykes, willow orchards and cattle grazing.

Today my dear friend, Loz Browning, was joining me to cycle; we met at Cheddar and enjoyed some alpine climbs up Cheddar Gorge, reminscent of a previous epic cycle we enjoyed up the Col du Lauteret!

We then returned to Cheddar and cycled a route beside the Cote d'Azur of Cheddar, the local resevoir!





Before heading out through pretty villages to then join the Strawberry Line, again, thank you Mr Beeching! Apparently in the day this was the route for the fruit supply to Wimbledon! Nowadays a route for cyclists seeking respite from cars, as you travel to Yatton.

Loz planned a wonderful route, taking in a selection of off road cycle ways; a particular highlight was finding ourselves in the Thatcher's cider orchards, trees laden with blossom, very picturesque! i happened to mention how wonderful it would be if there was cider tasting too, to which Loz replied that there was.. just behind the cider farm.. so we enjoyed a quick half before resuming our trip towards Bristol, which we entered by the Clifton Suspension Bridge! Amazing feat of engineering!



Loz chose a great routea cross Bristol, employing several off road routes, through Ashton Court and Blaize castle, before finding ourselves on lanes wending our way  northwest of the city, past the new surf facility at The Wave, and finallyfinding ourselves at the English side of the Chepstow Bridge crossing the Severn, my second suspension bridge of the day, and far more terrifying to cycle across than the Clifton Bridge!

It was fortunately only a short hop the other side to our rest stop for the night, Apple Barn at Mathern, which was perfectly located!


Another great day cycling completed and many thanks to Loz for the route planning and guiding!!

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