Day 10 - Weston-Super-Mare to Moretonhampstead - Moor hills

Distance - 76 miles
Total distance - 822 miles
Average speed - 11.4 mph
Maximum speed - 36.3 mph
Time - 6 hrs 35 mins

My first thought on writing the title for this blog was how we've stayed in two towns with ridiculously long place-names. We didn't leave our B&B until quite late (by our standards) this morning. We were fully braced for the bad weather, which as it turned out never really arrived. Having navigated out of WSM, we saw just enough rain to make the road slick and make progress a little smoother. We followed the A38 for the most part, taking us through Bridgewater and Taunton, before stopping in Wellington for lunch. Having made good time, we made up for our lateish start. Riding across the spine of southwest England the countryside was attractive, yet the road quite busy.

After lunch we found a B-road that shadowed the M5. The road took us through some idyllic little villages, which looked increasingly expensive to live in as we neared Exeter. After working our way through Exeter we then stumbled upon an entirely different type of road. We knew that the road towards Dartmoor was going to involve a gain in altitude, but it was quite the gain in altitude. Having been averaging over 12 mph for the day, our speed dropped off dramatically as we crawled upwards towards Dartmoor. Whereas many of our climbs have entailed gradual uphill slopes, this climb was made up of very steep ups and downs. It's really demoralising when you struggle uphill for 15 minutes, just to lose the altitude again in 2 minutes.

After what seemed like a lifetime we stopped for the night in Moretonhampstead, one of the bigger towns within the National Park. We found a cheap backpackers, before preparing dinner and having a drink at the local. I write from the local now, so to be sociable I should sign out. After all, the barman is offering some 'entertaining' chat. Perhaps not the most interesting of blog updates tonight. Maybe progress is too smooth. I'm really looking forward to heading over the moor tomorrow and, with luck, ending the day within reaching distance of Land's End. Getting there. Getting there.