Catch up and Axbridge 41

First of all, an apology.  A couple of rides completed last week have not been put on here, one to Burnham and a Tuesday ride with the Old Gits.  Both were very routine, usual roads covered, in seasonal weather, and nothing out of the ordinary to photograph.

Today's trip out was the opposite, a good ride with five other Old Gits and locations and an incident worth documenting.  The day didn't quite go to plan which was to climb Burrington Combe and back through Cheddar and us the newly opened tunnel on the Strawberry Line to get back to Weston.  To be honest, yours truly didn't feel up to a big climb today, and after one of the group came off on wet leaves,  we changed course after a discussion  at the Mother Hen Tea Room on the way out to Burrington.  We amended the ride to go back from Wrington to Winscombe, pick up the Strawberry Line there.

Puncture

Not me this time.  Tim picked up something on the Sandford Winscombe Road and needed an audience whilst he fixed it.  We had to oblige.  Didn't take long though and successfully repaired.

Strawberry

Picked this up on the outskirts of Winscombe and this is the peloton heading south towards the Shute Shelve Tunnel.  The surface of the cycle path has been greatly improved and enhances the ride no end.

The Tunnel

This has been closed for 18 months now whilst Bristol Water have laid a new pipe line in the area.  It has taken this long due to the protection given to nesting bats in the tunnel roof.  It was finally opened a week ago.  We were expecting lighting in there but that is for the future.  The pathway is now tarmac and reflective lines indicate the road edge.  Still very dark in the middle though.  From l to r; Phil, Andy, Jim, Tim and Simon.

Axbridge

The last stop was at Axbridge.  We had a cuppa in the tea room in the 'medieval' square.  Despite the black clouds in the distance it was sunny enough to sit outside.  Tea was expensive there mind, £2 a cup but the waitress said if we paid for the 6 then it would only cost £7.95.  That worked out at £1.32 1/2 pence per cup.  That took some sorting out later!   The dark clouds never came our way and the ride back to Weston through Lympsham and Uphill was in occasional sunshine.

An enjoyable day out today, over the 40 miles each for us.  My total was just over 41.