Distance: 41.7 miles (67 km) | Route: Plotaroute 3466540

Starting with the Torpoint Ferry crossing of the Tamar, this ride explores the Rame Peninsula, taking in Millbrook, the historic fishing villages of Kingsand and Cawsand, Maker Heights, Rame Head and Whitsand Bay before continuing towards Seaton.

The peninsula has played an important part in the history of Plymouth. Cawsand Bay provided an anchorage for shipping, while the fortifications at Maker Heights protected the approaches to Devonport Dockyard. The former military barracks later became Maker Camp, remembered by generations of Plymouth schoolchildren who enjoyed holidays and outdoor activities there.

Other points of interest include the medieval church of St Germanus, the remains of St Michael's Chapel on Rame Head, and extensive views across Plymouth Sound towards the breakwater and the Eddystone Lighthouse.

The ride combines sheltered estuary scenery, traditional Cornish villages and an exposed coastline, with some substantial climbing.

Distance: 29.7 miles (47.7 km)
Ascent: Approximately 3,238 ft (987 m), unfiltered route estimate
Route: View on Plotaroute

This hilly ride explores the countryside around Callington and the Tamar Valley, an area whose attractive fields, wooded valleys and villages conceal a remarkable industrial past.

A particular highlight is Kit Hill, rising to approximately 334 metres above sea level. Its extensive views stretch across east Cornwall towards Dartmoor. Once a centre of tin and copper mining, the hill is crowned by a nineteenth-century mine chimney, now also used for telecommunications equipment.

At Gunnislake, the area's industrial heritage survives in its buildings, streets and public art. The ceramic mural Wheal Talk, created by local artist Rosie Fierek, celebrates the community's identity, while the seated figure of William the Miner recalls the generations who worked in the Tamar Valley mines.

The accompanying photographs and historical article explore Kit Hill, Gunnislake's mining heritage and the development of its commercial centre.

Dozmary Pool – Bodmin Moor

Distance: 34.8 miles
Climbing: Approximately 3,620 ft (unfiltered route estimate)
Difficulty: Challenging
Surface: Mixed terrain

A ride into the heart of Bodmin Moor, visiting the mysterious Dozmary Pool, traditionally associated with King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake. The route offers open moorland scenery, ancient monuments and glimpses of Cornwall's long history, including the remarkable parish church at St Cleer. A rewarding but demanding ride, with substantial climbing and exposed stretches across the moor.

Distance: 43.1 miles recorded, with a short section missing at the start
Climbing: Approximately 1,400 metres
Difficulty: Challenging
Surface: Roads and country lanes, including exposed moorland roads
Highlights: Dartmoor scenery, Headland Warren, Challacombe Down, Grimspound, Thorn and historic Chagford

This substantial ride across eastern Dartmoor offered an absorbing combination of demanding cycling, magnificent scenery and historical discovery. Over more than 43 miles, the route crossed open moorland, descended into wooded valleys and followed winding country lanes through a landscape shaped by human activity over thousands of years.

Among the most interesting stretches was the country around Headland Warren and Challacombe Down, where traces of medieval agriculture and settlement survive alongside evidence of tin working. Nearby Grimspound, with its Bronze Age stone enclosure and hut circles, provides a reminder that people were living and working on these exposed uplands long before the medieval period.

The journey continued through the countryside around Thorn towards Chagford, a historic market and stannary town. Its parish church, Pepperpot, Three Crowns and traditional buildings provide fascinating glimpses of the town's development and its importance in Dartmoor's commercial and social history.

The photographs taken along the way capture both the grandeur of the moorland and the smaller details that are easily overlooked when travelling through it. Together they illustrate how much history remains visible in the Dartmoor landscape.

A demanding but rewarding day's cycling, combining physical effort with an opportunity to explore some of Devon's most interesting historical surroundings.

Read the full illustrated historical account →

Distance: 28.5 miles
Climbing: approximately 937 m (3,073 ft)
Difficulty: Hard
Surface: Road
Highlights: Chillaton, the old toll house, Chichester Arms, village lanes and views across the Tamar Valley.

This demanding ride explores the countryside around Chillaton, on the western side of Devon between Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley. Almost 3,100 feet of climbing in less than 30 miles makes it a decidedly hilly ride, but the narrow lanes and changing views provide ample compensation.

Chillaton itself provides the principal historical interest. The village developed beside an important road between Tavistock and Launceston, and its surviving toll house is a reminder of the turnpike system which transformed road travel in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The village also preserves buildings associated with an older rural community, including the Chichester Arms. Beyond the village, the route returns to the characteristic Devon landscape of deeply enclosed lanes, scattered farms, woodland and extensive views across the countryside towards the Tamar Valley and the high ground beyond.

Like many Out & About rides, this is therefore more than a cycling route. The modern road, the old toll house, the village buildings and the surrounding landscape together provide traces of the ways in which people have travelled, worked and lived in this part of Devon.

Distance: 28.8 miles
Climbing: 1,125 m (3,691 ft)
Difficulty: Hard
Surface: Road
Highlights: North Bovey, Hospit Cross, Chagford, Whiddon Down, Drewsteignton and Fingle Bridge

This is a demanding but exceptionally varied ride through the eastern and northern fringes of Dartmoor, linking a succession of old villages by the narrow lanes which have served them for centuries. With almost 3,700 feet of climbing in under 29 miles, there is very little easy riding, but the route compensates with attractive wooded valleys, open countryside and an unusual concentration of historical interest.

The ride passes North Bovey and the medieval Hospit Cross before reaching Chagford, one of Dartmoor's most attractive small towns. From Chagford it continues to Whiddon Down, where the old turnpike, toll house and former Bible Christian chapels recall two important influences on nineteenth-century rural life: improved communications and the remarkable strength of Nonconformist Christianity in Devon and Cornwall.

At Drewsteignton, the church, Church House, old cottages and Drewe Arms provide a particularly well-preserved picture of the institutions around which an earlier Devon village revolved. Above the Teign valley lie the ancient earthworks of Prestonbury and Cranbrook Castles, reminders that people were occupying and organising this landscape long before the present villages appeared.

The final historical highlight is Fingle Bridge, the narrow seventeenth-century granite bridge over the River Teign. It is difficult to imagine today that in the eighteenth century the road across this little bridge formed the principal route between Drewsteignton and Moretonhampstead. The wooded Teign valley provides a fitting conclusion to a ride in which the roads, crosses, chapels, inns and bridges are as much a part of the landscape as the hills themselves.

Distance: 24.4 miles

Climbing: 763 m (2,502 ft)

Difficulty: Hard

Surface: Road
Highlights: Popple’s Bridge, River Yealm, Newton Ferrers, Noss Mayo, Bridgend and Café on the Green

This circular ride explores the countryside of the River Yealm, following quiet South Devon lanes before reaching the attractive waterside villages of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo. The route encounters the Yealm inland at Popple’s Bridge, where it is still a relatively small river flowing through wooded country, before meeting it again as the broad tidal estuary around which the two villages developed.

The principal historical interest lies in Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo. Newton Ferrers appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, its later name deriving from the Ferrers family, medieval lords of the manor. By the end of the thirteenth century the Yealm was recognised as a port, and for centuries fishing, coastal trade and shipbuilding played an important part in local life. Across the creek, Noss Mayo developed as another maritime community, its history represented today by St Peter’s Church and the much older church of St Peter the Poor Fisherman nearer the coast.

At the head of Newton Creek lies Bridgend, the land link between Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo. Before the development of modern roads, however, the Yealm was as much a highway as a barrier, and boats and ferries provided important connections between its scattered communities.

Newton Ferrers also provides an excellent refreshment stop at the Café on the Green, an attractive place to pause before tackling the remaining Devon hills. Altogether, the ride offers an enjoyable combination of wooded river valley, quiet country lanes and historic waterside villages whose character has been shaped by the Yealm and the sea.

OLD TAVISTOCK ROAD

Riders: Graham John, Dennis Fowler and David Jolly

This ride follows some of the lanes between Yelverton, Horrabridge, Moorshop and Tavistock which once formed part of a much more important network of roads than their present quiet appearance might suggest.

Before the construction of the modern Tavistock road, the principal route north from Plymouth passed over Roborough Down and through Horrabridge, Sortridge and Whitchurch to Tavistock. The Tavistock Turnpike Trust, established in 1762, maintained roads in the area and collected tolls from the travellers, carts and coaches which used them.

A major change came in 1822, when Bedford Bridge — also known as Magpie Bridge — was built across the Walkham. The new crossing allowed traffic to avoid the older route through Horrabridge and helped establish the line subsequently followed by the modern A386. The old roads gradually lost their importance, leaving today's network of remarkably quiet lanes.

Moorshop lies within this historic road system. Nearby Warren's Cross was an important junction from which roads led towards Horrabridge, Sampford Spiney, Moorshop and Tavistock. An old granite direction stone survives there bearing the letters “TA”, believed to have directed travellers towards Tavistock. Other reminders of the turnpike age survive nearby in the form of nineteenth-century milestones giving the distance to Plymouth.

It is therefore particularly appropriate to explore this country by bicycle. Roads which two centuries ago carried much of the traffic between Plymouth, Tavistock and the communities around western Dartmoor can now be enjoyed as peaceful Devon lanes.

The ride is approximately 25 miles (40 km) and, although relatively short by Plymouth Section standards, provides plenty of characteristic Devon undulation and climbing.

Riders: Graham John · Dennis Fowler · David Jolly
Distance: approximately 25 miles / 40 km
Terrain: Undulating Devon lanes with some substantial climbing
Interest: The old Plymouth–Tavistock road system, Moorshop and the remains of the turnpike era

Distance: 40 miles
Climbing: 4,600 ft
Difficulty: Hard
Surface: Road
Highlights: Manaton, North Bovey, eastern Dartmoor, historic churches and village greens

This demanding circular ride explores the eastern side of Dartmoor, with almost 40 miles of riding and some 4,600 feet of climbing. The route rises to over 450 metres and passes through a landscape in which prehistoric settlement, medieval farming and the villages around the edge of the moor have all left their mark.

The main historical interest lies in Manaton and North Bovey. Manaton, with St Winifred’s Church and its remarkable collection of monuments, medieval survivals and stained glass, provides evidence of a community with deep roots in the history of Dartmoor. North Bovey presents a different picture: an attractive village gathered around its green and church, where the old cross, granite trough and village pump recall both the religious and everyday life of earlier generations.

Between the two, the route crosses the high ground and steep valleys characteristic of eastern Dartmoor. The scenery is magnificent, but the amount of climbing makes this a ride to be treated with some respect.

Distance: 35.2 miles
Climbing: 1,298 m / 4,258 ft
Difficulty: Challenging
Surface: Mainly roads and country lanes
Highlights: Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Bovey Tracey, North Bovey, high Dartmoor scenery and long views across the eastern moor

Starting from Postbridge, the ride heads south-east across Dartmoor towards Widecombe-in-the-Moor, losing height before turning north-east through the lanes on the eastern side of the moor. The route continues through the countryside around Manaton before making its way down towards Bovey Tracey, the easternmost point of the circuit.

From Bovey Tracey the route turns back towards Dartmoor, climbing through the wooded and agricultural landscape on the edge of the moor before reaching Lustleigh and North Bovey. The return then swings south and west across higher ground, eventually coming back through the Widecombe area before the final stretch across the moor to Postbridge.

At 35.2 miles, this is not an exceptionally long ride, but the GPS route records almost 1,300 metres of climbing. The repeated descents into the valleys and climbs back onto higher ground make it a demanding circuit, with the compensation of changing views from the open moor to the greener valleys and villages of eastern Dartmoor.

Distance: 14.7 miles
Climbing: 473 m / 1,551 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Surface: Mainly country lanes
Highlights: St Mary’s Church at Sampford Spiney, Tavistock Guildhall Heritage Centre, views towards Dartmoor, quiet West Devon lanes

Starting from Yelverton, the ride drops through Horrabridge before climbing into the quiet countryside around Sampford Spiney, where the principal point of interest is the tiny parish church of St Mary and its surrounding rural community. From there the route continues through narrow West Devon lanes before swinging westwards and descending towards Tavistock.

In Tavistock, the Guildhall Heritage Centre, housed in the town’s former police station and court complex, is a real mine of information on the life and history of the Tamar Valley, particularly its mining heritage, local communities and the development of the town.

The return to Yelverton completes a compact circuit through attractive farmland on the western edge of Dartmoor. Although only just under 15 miles, the route includes nearly 500 metres of climbing, so it is considerably more strenuous than the distance alone might suggest.

Distance: 35.1 miles
Climbing: 1,172 m / 3,845 ft
Difficulty: Hard
Surface: Mainly country lanes and surfaced cycleway
Highlights: Bradstone Manor entrance, St Mary’s Church at Sydenham Damerel, quiet West Devon lanes

Starting from Yelverton, the ride heads through Tavistock and then westwards into the quieter countryside of the Tamar Valley and West Devon. The two principal points of interest are the impressive entrance to Bradstone Manor and the parish church of St Mary at Sydenham Damerel. Between them, the route follows a succession of narrow rural lanes through a deeply agricultural landscape before eventually turning back towards Tavistock and Yelverton. With more than 1,100 metres of climbing in just over 35 miles, this is a fairly demanding ride despite its modest distance.

Distance: about 22.2 miles
Climbing: not recorded in the GPX file
Difficulty: Moderate
Surface: Mostly country lanes and minor roads
Highlights: Newton Ferrers, Noss Mayo, Revelstoke, Stoke Beach and the South Devon coast

Today’s ride covered about 22 miles, heading south through the lanes towards Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo before continuing into the more secluded countryside around Revelstoke. Here the route explores a remarkable corner of the South Devon coast, where the remains of the old Revelstoke estate, the ruined church of St Peter the Fisherman and the landscape around Stoke Beach provide plenty of reasons to stop and look around. The attraction of the ride lies less in distance than in its variety: deeply cut lanes, wooded valleys, old farms and estate buildings, followed by magnificent glimpses of the sea and the coast towards Burgh Island and Bolt Head. It is a relatively short ride, but the constant rises and falls of the South Hams lanes make it more demanding than the mileage alone suggests .

Distance: 23.3 miles
Climbing: about 760 m
Difficulty: Moderate to hard
Surface: Mostly country lanes and minor roads
Highlights: Yelverton, Walkhampton, Tavistock, the Tamar Valley, Gulworthy and Morwellham Quay

Today’s ride covered about 23 miles, beginning at Yelverton and heading through Walkhampton and the countryside around Tavistock before descending into the Tamar Valley to historic Morwellham Quay. The outward section offers attractive views along the western edge of Dartmoor before the landscape becomes increasingly wooded and enclosed on the approach to the Tamar. After visiting Morwellham, the route climbs steeply back out of the valley through the former mining country around Gulworthy, returning via Tavistock and Whitchurch to Yelverton. Despite its relatively modest distance, the ride includes around 760 metres of climbing, making it a demanding but very varied circuit combining Dartmoor scenery, quiet Devon lanes and the industrial heritage of the Tamar Valley.

Distance: 49.5 miles
Climbing: 1,117 m
Difficulty: Hard
Surface: Canal towpath and country lanes
Highlights: Grand Western Canal, Halberton, Tiverton, the Exe valley, Dulverton and the wooded countryside on the edge of Exmoor

Today’s ride covered about 49½ miles, beginning near Halberton and incorporating part of the Grand Western Canal before heading north through the rolling countryside towards Dulverton. The canal provided a pleasantly level contrast to a route which otherwise accumulated over 1,100 metres of climbing. The northern section reached the wooded valleys around Dulverton on the edge of Exmoor before returning south to the start. A substantial and varied ride, combining the tranquillity of the historic canal with long stretches of quiet Mid Devon lanes and attractive river-valley scenery.

Chaddlewood, Noss Mayo and Yealmpton (31 July 2026)
Distance: 16.5 miles
Climbing: 618 m
Difficulty: Moderate / Hard
Surface: Country lanes
Highlights: Brixton, Noss Mayo, the Yealm estuary, wooded South Hams lanes, Yealmpton and extensive rural views

Today’s ride covered about 16½ miles, heading south from Chaddlewood through Brixton and the quiet lanes towards Noss Mayo and the Yealm estuary. The route then turned east through the rolling South Hams countryside before returning via the Yealmpton area. Although comparatively short, the ride included over 600 metres of climbing, with frequent undulations and some substantial hills. Fine summer weather, attractive wooded lanes and views across the Yealm valley made this a particularly scenic circuit through the countryside immediately east of Plymouth.