Day 21 Portishead to Langport

We left the Keene household after having a very comfortable sleep in the master bedroom, Jo and Yan took the settee, a delicious breakfast bacon buttie and a pile of freshly laundered clothes. It's such a treat to have clean clothes, we have been hand washing along the way and did a wash at the launderette in Kendal but you get so sweaty riding and can't wash jackets or anything that won't dry overnight.

Leaving Portishead with Entourage

The first part of the ride to Clevedon was over familiar territory, Neil and I lived in Clevedon 20 years so know it well. Made our way over the moors towards Yatton, here Neil started his trip down memory lane, we had to stop and look at the river Yeo drain where he used to swim as a boy.

Yeo Drain

We were going to use the Strawberry Line from Yatton, this got its name from the famous Cheddar strawberries which were transported on the Great Western Line from Cheddar. A victim of the Beeching cuts in the 60's the line closed in 1965 leaving Yatton with one line and a stop on the Paddington to Penzance route.

Yatton Station, Big Boy Now

Our Yatton boy spent a lot of time with his friend Alex at the station and later The Railway pub just next to it. Jo had recommended we stop at the The Strawberry cafe at the station where they serve lovely tea and cakes, so we had to and she was right, thanks Jo. Neil was most disconcerted that the cafe was in the old toilets and parcel room!

Nice Spot for Tea and Cakes

I just have to mention here another haunt of our boy in Yatton was the old cattle market, now a housing estate, here he and his erstwhile friend indulged their favourite hobby which was collecting the little rings of skin from the cows ears when they were tagged! it beggars the question, what did they do with them? Did his mum have festering rotting skin to clear from the bedroom? Maybe she had to take them out of the shorts pockets before washing! Glad he wasn't mine then!

Site of Underage Drinking

Yatton Station

The Strawberry line was beautiful, even in the rain, like a secret little road all your own, we did come across a few dog walkers but not many, under old railway bridges and through the villages we know so well, Congesbury, Sandford, Winscombe here the platform was left on one side and the whole area turned into the village green. One part took us through the Thatchers Cider Farm orchards where we rode flanked on both sides with trees groaning with bright red Katy apples, what a beautiful sight.

Thatchers Cider Orchard

Stawberry Line

The path finished in Cheddar and here we got on the road for Axbridge, I love Axbridge with its famous medieval town square and Kings James Hunting Lodge, all this was completely hidden as the funfair was in town. Pedalling on we arrived at Wedmore where we stopped at a little Deli for lunch, hot French onion soup and doorstep bread, perfect for two soggy cyclists! This set us up for the long climb up the Polden Hills to Langport on the other side. This was steep, very hard going but we eventually got to Langport and the Lodge where we were staying. Funny set up it is a new stone built building like a motel next to a magnificent an 18C pub we had to phone Sandra when we got there and she gave us instructions on how to get in. Wonderful large clean beautifully furnished too, very comfortable. We thought just pop into the pub next door for a bite to eat, mistake, the worst food ever, we both pushed it round the plate and left.

Making it Through the Tunnel

The next morning went to the Potting shed for breakfast. This, the pub and the Lodge were the site of the old Kelways Nursery, now moved elsewhere. If you watch Chelsea they always feature highly.