Our return to setting provisional destinations for Sunday rides got off to a good start as four of us set off from Buckfastleigh at 10.35 in cloudy but dry conditions. We rode through Harbourneford to South Brent and then took a Google Maps shortcut to the Sign of the Owl pet centre near Wrangaton before heading along the B-road to California Cross. The sun broke through now from time to time, and we made good progress to Loddiswell. The Chilli Farm café looked interesting but we had set our mind on Avon Mill.

We arrived by around 12.20 and quickly settled into the café for very tasty but expensive soups and snacks. We then moved upstairs to the balcony for the second course, enjoying coffee cake and lemon meringue pie in the early afternoon sunshine.

The return route proved far more interesting and varied. We rode up to the old Loddiswell railway station and joined the path the follows the old railway line to Topsham Bridge. It’s been a few years since we last rode this path and we were pleased to discover that there are now no obstructions, apart from a fallen tree that required a small deviation. As we emerged at the far end John commented that the path was “all right”, high praise indeed from someone who is not a fan off off-road.

We were back on the South Hams lanes for the final part of the ride, taking us through Moreleigh and past Diptford. As we rode down the hill towards the solar farm we had to stop for three huge trailers carrying old tractors. John thought they had probably come from a ploughing match, and when we met two more between the viaduct and South Brent it looked like he was spot on. We finally found the entrance near the A38 junction at the top of Dean hill, with several horse boxes leaving the event.

We got home by 4pm after taking the short-cut down the A38. It had been a good ride, so we hope to set provisional destinations for most of our future rides.