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The Granite
Way was a brilliant trail, cutting through Dartmoor’s hills
on the old railway line.
I felt like I was flying as I cycled above the trees over viaducts
and soaked up the stunning views of Dartmoor’s swelling hills and
tors.
Toward the end of this section Okehampton’s castle caught my eye;
the old keep’s walls seemed to stretch like fingers to the sky.
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Stretching
like fingers into the sky: the ruins of Okehampton Castle
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I stopped
off here to absorb some of the 1000-years worth of history amongst
these atmospheric ruins before getting back on my bike towards Hatherleigh.
The blue cycle signs of the C2C steer you clear of the main roads,
through Abbeyford woods and Jacobstowe.
The lanes were so quiet I almost felt like an explorer discovering
them for the first time and the sweeping views looking South towards
Dartmoor gave me a good excuse to stop off for a breather.
In winter Hatherleigh residents are renowned for rolling burning
barrels down the street.
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Market
town: riding through Hatherleigh
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I arrived
on a Tuesday, market day; it was a great time to see the town as
it filled up with farmers, visitors and stallholders.
From
Hatherleigh I seemed to cycle two sides of a triangle through Sheepwash
to get to Petrockstowe.
The lanes were hilly and so it was great to pick up the Tarka Trail
at Petrockstowe and head up towards Bideford.
Local
children helped to make the huge mosaic animal benches that emerge
along the route, it made me smile to see this artwork materialising
out of the bushes beside this old railway line.
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Time
for a break: lazing on one of the mosaic benches at Petrockstowe
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I took
a detour off the trail, up the hill to Great Torrington.
This town prides itself on its civil war history with its 1646 Centre,
there’s also RHS Rosemoor Gardens, the Plough Arts Centre and the
Dartington Crystal Factory where you can see glass being made and
blown.
I rejoined the Tarka trail and continued for another five miles,
beside the Torridge, ending my day at Bideford.
There’s a Tarka Trail Centre at the old Bideford station and the
town has got many pubs and shops to please weary cyclists, which
suited me fine as I settled down here for my second night, just
another 25 miles to go until I reached Ilfracombe.
Liz's coast to coast ride Day
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