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  • Dulverton area – suggestions?
  • thepurist
    Full Member

    Any locals have top tips for riding in the area? I’ve been to the Porlock/Minehead end of Exmoor a couple of times but will be staying around Dulverton in a couple of weeks time. My research so far suggests routes over to Winsford, heading W somehow to come back via Tarr Steps/Exe Valley Way & maybe head E for a lap round Wimbleball Lake (or is that too cheeky?). Will be riding with MrsP so 20miles/3000 feet is about all we’d want, though I know Exmoor miles sometimes count double. Thanks.

    Dibbs
    Free Member

    Lots of reasonably quiet road riding round there, I thought the lap of Wimbleball was a cycclepath anyway.
    One tip, if you stop at Tarr Farm for a cream tea, don’t have one each (like I did with a mate once) or you’ll never make it up the hill, the scones are huge.

    thepurist
    Full Member

    Focussing on the essentials there Dibbs, cake! I’ll take that as a challenge 😀

    mountainman
    Full Member

    Glad to know the scones are still awesome,went there first back in 80s,then again few years back .clotted cream n home made jam . nough said.

    jobro
    Free Member

    I couldn’t finish one of those huge scones once so I put it my back jersey pocket for later. Bad move, had to empty a thousand crumbs later.
    Is this road or off road you are after because you are quite close to the Q’s. I’m sure Dibbs will come back with some good advise ( mine is don’t miss Frog Combe)

    thepurist
    Full Member

    Off road bur would rather stay local if there’s riding to be had. Doesn’t need to be stellar, just better than a day with the in laws…

    Fuzzyfelt
    Free Member

    If you’re down there the weekend 25/26 of June be aware its the Ironman tri from Wimbleball – a good spectacle, but might not be the best for a pedal around the lake, some of the course uses the footpaths on the lakeside.

    sideshow
    Free Member

    A lot of Wimbleball is footpath but not too cheeky no 🙂

    I’ve not been so impressed by the riding up that way. West of Withypool is OK but the Dunkery/Porlock area is better. Or Quantocks of course.

    Dibbs
    Free Member

    Ther is a bridleway that follows the river Barle from Dulverton up to Tarr Steps and up to Withypool, I seem to recall it was used on the Exmoor Explorer many years ago but I haven’t ridden it for years.

    ceepers
    Full Member

    This is a fun but not epic route

    http://www.the-cleeve.co.uk/images/Exmoor-bike-route-swmb-sample.pdf

    The first climb would be a fun descent. The climb out of winsford after halfway is a good stem chewer!

    The book in the link is a good starting point and has a couple of other routes from winsford which are ok too. As others have said, it’s not porlock

    sideshow
    Free Member

    If you do insist on staying local the bridleway SW off Haddon Hill to Ford Bury is one of the more fun descents I’ve done in the local area and could hypothetically be linked with the circuit of Wimbleball.

    The stuff descending Northwards into Winsford might be fun, I have no idea, the one time I went it was covered in felled trees.

    Put it this way I’m regularly in nearby Wellington and don’t tend to bother with Dulverton for riding now I’ve been a few times.

    SprocketJockey
    Free Member

    Dulverton is not far from my in-laws and before we relocated down here permanently we used to stay there a fair bit so have ridden around there quite a lot. It’s ma great area for some offroad exploration if you don’t mind a few river crossings and a bit of hike-a-bike. Some steep climbs too.

    You’ll need an OS map but the route I’d suggest would be to head N up to Marsh bridge and take a left over the bridge. Steep road climb up and the right to Hinam farm and drop down to the riverside bridleway (Exe Valley Way). Follow that to Hawkridge and then the lane from there to Tarr Farm. From Tarr Farm take the bridleway up to Withypool (2 river crossings – one on stepping stones).

    From Withypool road climb up to Comer’s Cross. from there head up to Winsford Hill and pick up the trail which skirts the Punchbowl and follow over to Winsford. From there, you can take a choice of offroad routes to the S over to Edbrooke and then on to Broford farm. Fun little descent from there via the byway back in Dulverton.

    thepurist
    Full Member

    Cheers sprocketjockey, ceepers and sideshow – I’ve got the os maps so will take a look.

    thepurist
    Full Member

    Quick question for Sprocketjockey (or anyone who knows) – frim Himan Farm the map shows a track (black dashed line) that follows the river, the Exe Valley way looks like it climbs up onto Hawkridge Ridge and then here’s another BW heading West-ish along Hollowcombe before climbing up to Hawkridge Ridge again. Is the track along the river rideable?

    thepurist
    Full Member

    Anyone? Looking for some nice routes to get away from it all!

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