Going Home

The last leg - Sidmouth to home, not a direct route, via Lyme Regis, Dartmouth, New Forest.. but not really sight seeing any more, that going home mood takes over and its all about the end result now.

One pause outside Lyme Regis - this view along the coast and early morning sun was just stunning, the photo captures a little of the atmosphere.

The sky was clear and bright today, which also meant - cold, the coldest of the trip.

Fuel stops also now windscreen and headlight cleaning stops and once home mid-afternoon the once clean motor is showing the evidence of its approx. 700 mile journey.

Notes/fixes

• I think the clutch cable needs adjustment - a couple of times its been a little tricky to get into 1st - possibly cable stretched a little?
• The new USB power outlet, replacing the old 12v lighter sockets, also need some attention - its crashing the satnav on ignition off and not cleanly cutting power to the camera.
• Camera is fine for picture, but picking up differential whine rather than nice engine noise - perhaps a mod is required for a remote mic.
• Noticed at night, the shift light starts to glow, very dimly, about 1k revs under its set come on point. May indicate the Emerald sincs current on the shift pin progressively and perhaps an opportunity to build a sequential shift light based on that - i.e. line of comparators (LM3914) converting the linear current sinc to discrete LED indication.

Otherwise - everything ran fine, cannot beat that open to the sky feeling and a little of that pure escapism from a road trip.

Lands End, Mousehole, St Ives

This is the core of the trip - approx 164 miles, Lands End then the coast road to St Ives and back towards my home side of Dartmoor.

Mousehole

Wet overnight, but a clear start - cloudy but not too cold.

My first port of call is a mile down the road in Mousehole - narrow streets but luckily empty at this time in the morning and space to setup some photos on the quay.

I always fancied retiring to Mousehole, running the second hand bookshop and calling The Ship Inn my local. I would be a 'happy being grumpy' Black Books style shop owner. However its too early in the morning to check out the local establishments today.

Lands End

Then the drive to my end point - Lands End.

All closed up off season - two other cars in the carpark, one couple taking a dog for a walk and a group of 3 Chinese tourists. The situation does give me the opportunity for some good photos though.

A chat with the Hotel staff allows me to remove some bollards and get close to the cliffs. GN13 and me are now as far west as we can go in the UK before the roads run out. To the west are the Isles of Scilly and then the U.S.A.

...and the memento shot under the famous sign...

The Levant Mine

Onwards around the coast road towards St Ives, I randomly saw a sign to the infamous Levant Mine...

Officially closed - but had to be seen, so reversed up, carefully picked my way down the cobbled access road and went for a wander...

The miners followed the tin and copper for 2.5km under the sea in the 19th century, and lost ~30 men in one accident on the man engine in 1919. You have to admire the confidence of the engineering here - or perhaps the mix of engineering and business pushing the edge of what was possible/advisable?

Somewhere best part of a mile out and 700 metres down is the end of the mine, and less than a hundred years ago - men working in tunnels under the sea to retrieve metal ores.

St Ives

Getting towards lunchtime with St Ives around the corner. In the heatwave of 1976, in my childhood, we had a memorable family holiday here. Today its a little cooler - so after a wander around the streets and some Christmas shopping I holed up in a harbour facing chippy for lunch.

Fish, chips and mushy peas, pot of tea, ice cream for desert and a view over a slightly rainy, off season, UK seaside town - what could be better than that!  very happy!

After lunch its back towards home, across Dartmoor in the dark, past Exeter to overnight in Sidmouth. 

A Full day.

Dartmoor and Bodmin

This is going to be a day of cliches and favourite spots getting me close to the trip end point, another ~100 or so miles towards Penzance.

First thing I'm greeted with a wet drizzly morning - I also managed to dump a load of water from the tonneau into the drivers footwell - so spent some time bailing that out before starting. Hood up for this first bit.

The House of Marbles is my first stop - a chance to dry out, grab a hot chocolate and see some glass blowing. Sort of a habit to visit this place, wander through the marble museum and watch the weird contraptions ferrying snooker balls and marbles around metal mazes.

Then the north east to south west road right across Dartmoor.

Lights on most of the day through the low cloud, but running with hood off now, its not a particularly fast road - limited to 40mph, but good countryside - and really getting away from most man made things (apart from the road itself of course).

Pause for lunch virtually in the middle of the moor at the Two Bridges Hotel.
Each stop now, I wring out the rag in the drivers footwell and place it back to soak up more rainwater.

The Two Bridges is a friendly warm place - good food, open fires and friendly staff.
Bangers and Mash for lunch alongside a pint of Orange Juice and lemonade, gloves on the radiator to warm through before starting out again.

The weather a little clearer with good views as I pass the prison with its unmissable brutal architecture then off the moor and towards Bodmin to catch up with some old friends for a cup of tea and a chat.

The overnight stop at The Kings Arms in Paul, near Mousehole (another favourite Cornish place for me) and striking distance of my ultimate destination for the next day.

A303 West to Buckfastleigh

Just a road, except the A303 is the route to the west country.

As you get closer to Dartmoor, the road starts to roll over the hills - like a roller coaster - single carriageway, then dual & plenty to see along the way.

224 miles planned to take me to Buckfastleigh and the eastern side of Dartmoor.

Just as things snarl up behind a tractor Stone Henge comes into view on the right - seems much closer in real life than the camera picks up.

This speed camera might have got me - after what seemed like hours (minutes in reality) nose to tail plodding, the road opens with a passing lane and I may have been a little too exuberant with the right pedal!

Arrived at the hotel around 3pm.

Parked up - between random cars; however on closer inspection these are early 2000's Ford Focus's - so my diminutive Zero is using a similar engine to them: 2 litre Zetec -  ~1.5ton Focus vs. 720kg Zero.

Good time made, went for a wander around Buckfastleigh, and a small pub crawl from The Globe to The Abbey Inn for food, and then consider the route for tomorrow - over Dartmoor and on to Penzance.

School's out for Christmas - Road Trip plans

School - er - Work anyway, all done for a couple of weeks for Christmas and New Year.

Just time for a run west towards Cider Country - Cornwall - via Dartmoor and aiming for Lands End. Roughly 350 miles each way by the time I'm done, and no particular rush so taking in some appropriate watering holes along the way.

Couple of last minute items to tweak and touch wood will be on the road for Monday.

Clocks - sorted

Clocks came back from Caerbont mid-week;  Just re-installed this morning and they look perfect again, all the lifting decals replaced with new cards free of charge.

Before...

After...

Typical of before/after shots - the before is in dim lighting and a little sad, and the after all lit up happy and shiny - we'll have no like for like comparisons here!