Day 9: St Neots to Wortham

Up at 4: 20, put the steak slice in the Bain Marie, lit the burner and headed to the shower block. Steak slice was ready in 25 minutes and went down a treat. Very different from heating it in the oven: the pastry was moist like the Fray Bentos canned pies I recalled from childhood. Followed by hot chocolate and a banana. I was ready to ride.

I set off following the signs to Cambridge until I reached the A 428 where I realised I'd cocked up completely. I could have carried on along the A 428 but it wasn't the sort of ride I wanted so I decided to rejoin my route by going west along the A 428 where I hope to join the B 1046. Unfortunately this went over the top on an inaccessible bridge so I had carry on to the B 1043, back into town and then join the B 1046. Only 5 miles out of my way!

A nice ride through to Haslingfield where I made a real pig's ear of it. I was looking for a track which cut across to the A 10. I kept missing the turning. Eventually found it with the aid of my phone. The track was not really a cycle path but simply a bridle path. It started as a gravel track, then singletrack, a footbridge across the river, then the headland of a field then another track. Without the route on my phone I doubt I would have persevered.

Still it brought me out onto the A10; probably a little further south than I needed to be but when I planned this section I was expecting to camp at a site near Trumpington. It was rushhour but there was a cycle track alongside which took me across the roundabout over the M11. After that there was a cycle lane or cycle track; after Trumpington Hall I took a track across what seemed to be park right to the centre of Cambridge where I parked up at 8:10 and headed off to look for breakfast. I had never cycled among so many cyclists before. To start with I was a bit perturbed to find many didn't worry whether they were on the left or the right. Anarchy! But after a while I began to enjoy it.

I was looking for a greasy spoon and walked into Bill's Cafe and sat down. It slowly dawned on me this was no greasy spoon in fact a bit of a foodie place. Breakfast was a sausage, bacon, scrambled egg, a mushroom, a tomato and toast. Quality ingredients. £7 95 for breakfast not including the two Americano's. Bloody good though.

Back to the bike and I cut through the centre of Cambridge to re-join my route (NCN 51) using the phone to find my way.

I enjoyed it, even the chaos of so many cyclists often suddenly joining the road/path. I went out through Burwell. There were several shared paths; they seemed good out in the country though not so good in villages.

Just before Fordham I stopped to look at my map; there was a voice at my shoulder "first tourist I've met since Holyhead". A Wetherby Wheeler on a Super Galaxy going from Holyhead to Aldeburgh and back to Wetherby. Stayed together for a while (in fact I deviated slightly so I could chat more). At one point we discussed routes using my A4 printouts of OS maps. He said "let's get a proper map" and pulled out his half inch to the mile Bartholomew's (canvas and in pristine condition). (He said he visited his grandchildren at Telford and it wasn't on the map! And he'd been on Watling Street - the A5 dual carriageway?- and it was okay. The A14 had replaced another road he was following -- and I think he used it! -- it was "a bit busy"!).

Instead of taking the B1085 I stayed with him so we could chat. We went our separate ways at Worlington. I was off the edge of my map so wanted to head back to my route; I later realised it would have been much better staying with him as our routes converged further on. Stopped for refreshments at Kentford then for a bit of a break at a country park just after Lackford. It was about 2 pm. Through West Stow, Ingham and Great Livermere I was feeling a bit jaded.

I was looking for a campsite as the next one on my actual route was some 25 miles away and I had indicated some uncertainties about its current existence on the map and I wasn't confident that I'd find a shop there. So, I went into Ixworth. The village shop included a helpful butcher; he said there was a campsite at Wortham - in fact, I'd marked this (and with very favourable notes) on my map but overlooked it because it was a little off my route. It was 8 miles up the A 413. It was busy but okay. I deviated onto a cycle track which took me through Rickinghall and Botesdale, then back on to the A 143 and into the campsite just before five. It was about 35 miles to Lowestoft, so the warden said, so ideally suited for a two night stay so I could have a lightweight trip to the coast and back tomorrow. Pleasant site with a very friendly warden; small shop with a cafe across the road and a pub nearby.

Cooked a meal of rather nice sausages from the butcher at Ixworth with onions and new potatoes washed down with red wine and followed by a sticky pudding and custard. Then to the pub for a couple of pints.

Distance: 141.18 k

Time: 7: 38: 33

Average: 18.4 k/hr

Max: 38.0 k/hr

Height asc: 860 m

Campsite: Honeypot Caravan and Camping Park, Wortham, Suffolk. £8.50. Nice site with a pond and plenty of trees. Good facilities. Friendly warden and friendly owner.

Day 8: Great Bourton to St Neots

Up at 5 am. and away by 6. A really good night's sleep. Another still day. Blue sky overhead but high clouds to the east and a bank of darker clouds to the west.

Roads were quiet (6 am on Sunday morning what did I expect?). A lovely ride on unclassified roads and the occasional B Road with lots of good looking villages, like Moreton Pinkney and Canons Ashby. I was in a world of my own and missed my turning a couple of times.

Stopped at Maidford for a snack. A bit rubbish -- Go Ahead Crispy Slices, etc -- but it would keep me going until I found somewhere open. Cocked up at Blissworth by turning south; rejoined the route by going north on the A508 at Roade.

As I was entering Bozeat a car started overtaking me very slowly and very close; I saw the road on the left was marked "high-street" so I turned into it, so did the overtaking car! If I had not turned it would have had me off. I don't think the driver even registered what had happened. A sympathetic gesture from another driver.

I found a shop open but no cafe. Ate a Magnum then set off to Odell where I stopped at a bench and had a Lamb Samoza and ham salad sandwich. Looking at the map I realised there was probably no where to buy decent food on a Sunday before the campsite I was aiming at near Bushmead Cross 5 miles before St Neots. Then I saw a campsite on the map right in the centre of St Neots, which I had overlooked when I was planning. I'd head for that.

When I set off again I seemed to have no energy and my bum started to twinge. I stopped after a couple of miles for a Wispa, plaster management and a walk round. I felt much better after that, lots more energy - probably the food from lunch starting to kick in and no pain in bum. I was now steaming along right through to St Neots. I stopped in the town square, coffee at Caffe Nero then Waitrose for breakfast stuff (I had decided to eat out in the evening).

I located the campsite on Google maps on my phone and found my way there. This trip has definitely taught me that a dynamo would be good.

A good campsite, walking distance from the centre and I was led by a man on a bike, with a radio link to reception, to a nice spot under some trees away from everyone else.

After a shower I went into town. I liked St Neots when I arrived in the afternoon but it was a bit dead at six o'clock. Pubs quiet and pub food didn't look very exciting. Plumped for one which advertised food. Had three lamb chops, chips, peas, mushrooms, tomato with a glass of wine. Okay but nothing special. Still nice to sit and read Saturday's Guardian. Wandered back and made myself a mug of Horlicks!

I'd been thinking about the Ginsters peppered steak slice I'd bought at Waitrose for breakfast. Probably not very nice cold so I thought I'd heat it in my Bain Marie while I packed up in the morning.

Distance: 109.55 k

Time: 6: 01: 30

Average: 18.2 k/hr

Max: 5 2 .0k/hr

Height asc: 908 m

Campsite: St Neots camping and caravan site, Hardwick Road, Eynesbury, St Neots. £7 85. Excellent location both in relation to town and the river. Good facilities. Nice secluded pitch. Friendly staff. Surprisingly quiet.

Day 7: Hereford to Great Bourton

I was up at 4 and got away by 5:10. Down the road and then turned right at Mordiford; sign said 10% for one and a quarter miles. I knew it wasn't possible because I wasn't going that high! Turned out to be three steep sections which seemed greater than 10%. Cleared the tubes! Too hot for fleece and Gore-Tex on the ups and too cold without on the downs; too lazy to keep changing. Lovely ride, no cars. Modified route a bit as I went along. Apart from two cars immediately outside the campsite I didn't see another one until Ledbury at 6: 45. Was feeling peckish but resisted my chocolate rolls and hot chocolate drink in the hope I'd find a greasy spoon in Ledbury. I didn't but several shops were open. Bought a roll, a cheese sandwich, apple donut, and strawberry pastry. Ate them sitting on a bench in the town centre and brewed hot chocolate. Listened to the Today programme. A few sideways glances. Left at 7: 40. Stopped on the climb out of town to disrobe and put on sunblock. A fairly flat ride through to Upton upon Severn.

Nice looking place; had a walk round and bought a paper. Sun blazing down. Flattish ride to Pershore where I stopped for water and orange drink and saw a cafe. I didn't intend stopping until Evesham but the cafe looked good.

I'd been going really well. I was mentally writing my autobiography 18-27 and was suddenly in Evesham and it was 11:30. I stopped to take a photo but decided to carry on even though it looked a nice place to stop. At Bretforton I deviated again (because noisy traffic disturbed my thoughts) and entered Shipston on Stour via NCN 5. I stopped there as I thought it might be my last chance before the campsite. Greengrocers, butchers and general store. They were setting up for free concert in the evening (Blockheads- if there was a campsite nearby I might have stopped). Nice place.

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After Shipston I again deviated onto what looked like a generally flatter, shorter route although I noted a Chevron at Tysoe hill which I thought I might have to walk up. My arse was beginning to twinge but I managed to crank my way up! Good feeling -- a short section was probably over 20% -- a bugger though. Saved me more than a couple of k and 80 m. A couple more ups and downs and I was at Great Bourton.

Found campsite, reception was a "private" caravan. Only £7 and nice field. Reasonable but not as good as last night. Asked about a shop at Great Bourton because I'd forgotten wine. There wasn't one but there was at Cropredy "only a mile down the road". I unloaded and went straight there as it was likely to close soon. At Cropredy there was live music in the pub garden; it reminded me this is the place where Fairport Convention have their annual festival. It was 2 miles but it was great riding an unloaded bike.

I cooked Lamb in an onion and vin rouge jus served with new potatoes. (It was cheaper buying a bottle of red rather than 2 miniatures and I thought it best not to drink it all). Bloody marvellous.

Perfect end to a perfect day. I enjoyed the towns on the route like Stourton and Evesham and the villages; I think I've found middle England! Arse seems to be on the mend with nary a twinge today.

Thinking about my route I saw it was about 285K to Lowestoft; it seemed sensible to spend the next two days getting to within a day's ride to Lowestoft and back so I could stay at the same campsite for two days and have a day with an unloaded bike.

Distance: 120.21 k

Time: 7: 14: 44

Average: 16.6 k/hr

Max: 51.0k/hr

Height asc: 1504 m

Campsite: Barnstones Caravan Park, Main Street, Great Bourton. £7. Pleasant site with good facilities and quiet.

Day 6: Llandovery to Hereford

It was very cold in the night to the extent that I put on a T-shirt, fleece and my cycling longs (my thermal emergency cold weather stuff was still in the pannier attached to the bike and it was too cold to think about getting it at two in the morning). I woke up just after four and thought about getting up but it was far too cold. I finally braved it at 5:15. Sorted arse (I found some sterile gauze in my pannier so thought I'd try that under the plaster); managed another glimpse into double mirrors and things seem to be improving! Grass was wet with a heavy dew and it was very misty. Set off at about 6:15. As I entered town it became a pea-souper until I took my misted up specs off; it was then just a mist but sufficient for me to put both front and rear lights on.

I left town on the A483 and turned off on to the unclassified road at Cynghordy. I soon rose above the mist. Stopped at the roadside for breakfast at 7:20. BLT sandwich, brewed a hot chocolate, and finished with a chocolate something or other snack bar. More midges so covered head with my buff; got some strange looks from passing cars.

Continued on this road to Llangammerch Wells. This was a good ride through forests etc. Military training ground too - machine gun firing. I followed signs to Builth Wells without thinking so instead of continuing on the unclassified road I came out onto the A483 again. No matter, probably easier and quicker. Hardly any traffic. Nice run.

At Builth Wells I stopped to decide on my route - whether to follow my planned B4567 or take the A470. Sorted out bum in WC - the gauze was not a good idea. Decided on B4567; clearly not the easiest choice to begin with but got better and a very peaceful ride. It was the NCN 8. At one point the sign for the route pointed to a track on the right. While I was considering this another cycle tourist came the other way along the track. He was heading for Liverpool following the NCN 8 B&B' ing. He said the track was the right way to go and went right through to Hay on Wye. Turned out to be paved and used by some cars for access, looked like it might have been an old railway track. Really pleasant ride. Rejoined roads to Glasbury and cross the river. I left at the NCN 8 and took the B 5340 which seemed more direct.

At Hay on Wye I wandered around looking for food - bought a meat pie from a chippy and a Danish pastry from the bakers. Didn't stay long. Because I'd wandered round a bit, I lost my bearings. View Ranger sorted it. The B4348 undulated a bit then onto the A465 into Hereford. I thought I'd stop at a supermarket then try and get to the campsite without going into the town centre. Found Tesco then headed for the campsite. Nice place very smart and professional; it had a cafe (a token for a pot of tea for two included in the price). Showered then went for the pot of tea.

Cooked an excellent meal (braised lambchop with onions and savoury rice and a couple of glasses of wine)

An excellent days cycling. Feeling a lot fitter the only irritation being the bum.

Distance: 115.17 k

Time: 6: 44: 50

Average: 17.1 k/hr

Max: 55.5/hr

Height asc: 1576 m

Campsite: Lucksall Caravan and Camping Park, Mordiford, Hereford. £8. Excellent facilities, good value.