Brean Down Dash 28

Another good day for cycling, still got the cold NW wind but that is no big deal.  Well over the weekly target already so a chance to put some miles on to make up the the couple weeks spent off the road.  Off to Burnham again, but this time going round the reverse route coupled with a detour to Break Down.

Brean Down

Jutting out into the Bristol Channel, Brean Down is  right at the end of the chain of hills known as the Mendips.  Standing 300 feet high, it is a National Trust property and is enjoyed by locals and holiday makers alike.  This year there is a herd of 'wild' ponies on the hill drafted in from Exmoor to help keep the grass down.

Guy Fawkes Carnival

When Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators failed to blow up King James I and the Houses of Parliament in 1605, the King decreed that Nov 5th, the date of the plot, should be celebrated annually with the lighting of bonfires which is celebrated to this day.  Firework displays seem to have replaced bonfires.  The town of Bridgewater in Somerset took this decree very seriously and included carnival floats in the early years.  Early records indicate that this was the first carnival to be held in the UK and possibly Europe.  This has grown into a magnificent spectacle of huge floats which tour around local towns, Burnham on Sea and Weston Super Mare included.  Leaving Burnham today, the main road from the town to the M5 was closed because many of these floats were parked overnight before moving on to the next town.  The next three photos show a small sample of the these monsters; in all fairness they are best appreciated at night, all lit up and populated by party goers.

Completed 28 miles today, 141 for the week.  Gave myself a pat on the back for the effort this week!